3 Gluten Free Slow Cooker Recipes
Meal prepping for the week is a great way to set yourself up to make healthy choices. When you have a busy schedule and find yourself feeling hungry, what meal option are you more likely to choose? Something you have to make from scratch or a meal that’s ready to eat? Even if your kitchen is stocked with healthy ingredients, when you’re stressed, you might not have the energy to turn them into a healthy meal. Chances are you’ll want to eat something that takes little to no time to make. Instead of cooking, you might order take-out, make a frozen pizza, or eat snack foods from your pantry.
But! If you have a nutritious and delicious meal waiting for you in the fridge, the work has already been done. All you need to do is heat it up and enjoy! By taking some time each week to do a batch of cooking, you’ll have healthy options available for when you’re tired or don’t have the patience to make a meal.
“I don’t have hours and hours for meal prepping, Splendorous!” Ok, that’s fair. But do you have a slow cooker and a spare half hour? Crockpots are a lifesaver for busy people who want to eat healthy. All you need is 20 to 30 minutes to throw a recipe into a slow cooker and then this majestic appliance will take it from there. Your meal prep is getting done for you!
Use a crockpot like this to help you with your meal prepping!
You can even set your crockpot to cook while you’re at work or while you’re sleeping. Your dinner can be ready as soon as you get home. Or, you can pack up your meal into a container when you wake up and take it to work for lunchtime. And when it comes to slow cooker recipes, the possibilities are endless! You can keep things interesting by trying a new recipe each week.
Speaking of recipes to try… I just happen to have 3 healthy, gluten free crockpot recipes to share with you. Test them out to see which one is your favourite. Use them to help you plan out healthy meals for the week. You can have the best of both worlds: convenience and healthy options.
Zesty Italian Beef with “Couscous”
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
2 lbs (or 0.9 kg) beef roast, cubed
1 tablespoon Clubhouse garlic and herb seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
3 cups chopped cremini mushrooms
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 12 oz jar pepperoncini, drained and sliced
*save ⅓ cup of the brine
4 beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
1 cup Campbell’s low-sodium beef broth
**there have been recent changes in Campbell’s products. The regular beef broth
is no longer gluten free!
1 package of President’s Choice gluten free “couscous” (made from corn)
Remaining beef broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
1. Toss the beef with the herbs and garlic seasoning, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
2. Add the beef to a 6-quart crockpot, along with the mushrooms, garlic, pepperoncini, brine, tomatoes, and broth.
3. Cover and cook until the beef is tender. You can set the crockpot to “Low” for 8 - 10 hours or “High” for 5 - 6 hours.
4. When step 3 is complete, cook the “couscous” according to the directions on the package. You can use up the remaining beef broth at this step. When the “couscous” is done, fluff it up and mix in the olive oil.
5. Enjoy your zesty Italian beef on a bed of “couscous”.
Pumpkin Curry
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
2 - 15 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Campbell’s vegetable broth
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed
1 - 796 mL can E. D. Smith pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon Clubhouse curry powder
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tsp salt
1 - 15 oz can coconut milk
Instructions
1. Add all the ingredients into a 3-quart (or larger) slow cooker. You can set the crockpot to “Low” for 8 - 10 hours or “High” for 5 - 6 hours.
2. Serve over rice (basmati or jasmine) or get crazy and add a few potatoes in at step one (red or yellow potato works great here).
Honey Garlic Chicken Dinner
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Sauce
½ cup VH lite soya sauce
½ cup honey
¼ cup ketchup
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon sriracha
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
1 lb baby red potatoes, halved
1 lb baby carrots, cut into thirds
1 lb green beans, trimmed
Instructions
1. In a bowl, combine the soya sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, sriracha, and pepper.
2. Place the chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots and sauce into a 6-quart crockpot. Cover and cook on “Low” for 7 - 8 hours or “High” for 3 - 4 hours.
3. Add the green beans in during the last 30 minutes of cooking time to prevent them from getting over cooked.
4. You’ve got a complete meal ready to go - enjoy!
I’m all set for the week :)
What other recipes would you like to make with your slow cooker?