These past few weeks my work schedule has been crazy! I’ve been coming home exhausted with no desire to cook anything for dinner. Since I’ve been trying to cut back on spending money on take-out I decided to break out the slow cooker. This makes it easy to throw something together before work and come home to a delicious pre-cooked dinner. Here are a few of my favorite recipes including entrees, side dishes, and even dessert!

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

In our house pasta is a dinner staple. That’s why I love to have homemade sauce frozen for busy nights. This recipe is perfect for that! Just combine 2 cans of diced tomatoes (or fresh if you have a garden and time to chop!), tomato paste, diced carrots, celery, and peppers, with spices and let cook for six hours. Find the full recipe here.  Note: Spaghetti sauce is a great way to sneak in vegetables for picky kids.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter Pork Chops

Prep time for this recipe is only 10 minutes. Gotta love that! This recipe requires a few more ingredients compared to some of the simpler recipes BUT most of the items will be found in your pantry! To start you whisk together In a small bowl, whisk together the apple butter, brown sugar, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and apple juice. Doesn’t that sound delicious!? Then simply place 3 chopped apples and 1 chopped onion into your crockpot. Top with your 4 pork chops, pour on the sauce, and cook for 5-6 hours.

2 Ingredient Slow Cooker Apple Sauce

The best part of this recipe? There’s only two ingredients! Simply peel and roughly chop up your apples, add 2 tbs. of water, and “roast” in your slow cooker for four hours. Woo-lah! Healthy and delicious apple sauce.

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

What I love about pulled pork is that it can be used in a variety of ways. Top with coleslaw on bulky buns for a delicious sandwich. Throw over nachos, add cheese, and salsa for a crowd-pleasing appetizers. Put on a bought pizza crust with BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese for a yummy dinner. Even better, this recipe is SO easy with only four  ingredients: pork loin roast, 1 can of Dr. pepper, pork rub, and BBQ sauce. Find the full recipe here.

Crock Pot Red Velvet Cake

Crockpot cake!? That sounds like a dream come true. This recipe calls for only four ingredients: 1 box Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix, 1/2 cup Applesauce, 1 1/3 cup Water, and 3 Eggs. Simply beat these ingredients together, pour into your crock pot (sprayed with non-stick spray), cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, cut and serve. Optional: Top with your favorite frosting and serve with ice cream.

Slow Cooker Broccoli Beef 

Craving chinese takeout? Make it at home. Simply combine common ingredients such as flank steak, garlic, soy sauce, and a variety of other seasonings. Then cook for 4-5 hours on low. Thicken the sauce with corn starch in the last 20 minutes of cooking and you’re done. Find the full recipe here.

Slow Cooker Honey-Glazed Carrots

This is my nephew’s favorite dinner side dish. He calls it “carrot candy” lol! This recipe is sure to delight children and adults alike with only a few simple steps. First, cook 3 lbs. carrots slice 1/4 inch thick for 4-6 hours on low with 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tsp. sale. Drain carrots. Last, return carrots to slow cooker and add 1 tbs. sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tbs unsalted butter, 1 tbs. minced fresh parsley, and salt/pepper to taste. Yum and done!

Crock Pot Beef Tacos

This recipe require no chopping or pre-cooking. That makes it perfect for throwing together last minute before work. These recipe requires three ingredients: 1 lb. of beef, an envelope of taco seasoning, and a 10 oz. can of tomatoes & green chiles (like Rotel).  Simply through all of the ingredients into the crockpot, mix, and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve on tortillas with your favorite taco toppings. Yum!