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Apple-Cinnamon Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

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Apple-Cinnamon Slow Cooker OatsThere is nothing better than waking up and having a delicious and healthy breakfast hot and ready! If your house is like mine, mornings are crazy busy so you will love the fact that this make-ahead recipe is prepared the night before.

Your slow cooker will do all the work while you are fast asleep, and you will awake to the sweet aroma of cinnamon and apples that will remind you of a freshly baked apple pie.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 6-8 hours
Serves: 4-6

Important Tips:

This recipe has been developed and tested using steel cut oats. Do not substitute any other type of oats for this recipe. Cooking times are based on using steel cut oats only.

It is important to either line or heavily grease the sides of your slow cooker insert before adding your ingredients. Skipping this step will cause the oats to stick to the sides and they will be very difficult to remove.

Apple-Cinnamon Steel Cut OatsIngredients:

1 c. steel cut oats
3 c. water
1 c. fresh apple cider
2 medium apples, cored and diced
1½ T. honey, preferably local
1 t. ground cinnamon
½ t. ground nutmeg
½ t. ground allspice
½ t. salt, to taste

To serve:

1 medium apple, cored and diced
½ c. pecans, chopped
Real maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Add oats, water, cider, apples, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt to greased or lined slow cooker crock and stir to combine.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Actual cooking time will vary depending on your slow cooker, so check for doneness after 5 hours and adjust cooking time accordingly.
  3. To serve, allow to cool slightly before spooning into bowls and topping with fresh chopped apples, pecans, and some real maple syrup, if desired.

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Slow Cooker Tropical Spiced Pineapple Pork Roast

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Tropical spiced pineapple pork butt made slow and easy in your slow cooker.  It’s a little sweet, a little savory, and a little spicy too.   

We’ve taken fresh pineapple and spicy jalapeno and paired them with toasted sesame oil, creamy peanut butter, five-spice powder, and fresh cilantro for power-packed burst of flavor that is going to make you say WOW! 

This delicious dish comes together very quickly following the instructions below, but if you are really short on time there are a couple of extra steps you can skip.   To make this a truly one-pot meal, simply place the well-trimmed and seasoned pork butt roast directly into your slow cooker without searing.  In addition, the juices can be thickened right in the slow cooker crock by stirring in the arrowroot slurry with the other ingredients 30 minutes before it is done cooking.

Important Tip: Taking the time to trim as much fat as possible from the pork butt roast before cooking significantly reduces  the amount of fat that in the very flavorful juices/sauce this dish creates while cooking.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3-8 hours
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 small yellow onion, diced
16-oz. fresh pineapple, cut into 1” chunks
¼ c. gluten-free soy sauce*
2 t. rice wine vinegar
1 T. honey
1 T. sesame oil
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 t. five-spice powder
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1” chunks
1 medium jalapeno pepper, finely diced
2 T. natural, creamy peanut butter
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 4-5 lb. pork shoulder butt roast, trimmed
Salt and black pepper, to taste
¼ c. fresh pineapple juice
3 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
Optional: 2 T. arrowroot

Directions:

  1. Add onion, fresh pineapple chunks, soy sauce (*can substitute coconut aminos), rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame oil, garlic, five-spice powder, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and peanut butter to a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker crock. Stir to combine thoroughly.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season trimmed pork roast on all sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to hot skillet and sear on all sides, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer seared pork to slow cooker crock.
  3. Reduce heat to medium and deglaze skillet with fresh pineapple juice. Use a spatula to scrape up flavorful brown bits from bottom of pan. Remove from heat and pour pan juices into the slow cooker.
  4. Cover and cook over high heat for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8. When finished, stir in fresh cilantro and transfer pork and pineapple mixture to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Cover and keep warm.

Optional: If desired, create a slurry by combining 2 tablespoons arrowroot and ¼ cup of juices from the slow cooker. Transfer remaining juices from the slow cooker to a large skillet over medium-high heat and whisk in the arrowroot slurry until well combined. Cook for several minutes or until sauce is reduced and thickened.

To serve, spoon warm pork and pineapple mixture over a bed of cooked brown or our delicious cilantro-lime rice. Top with the juices or thickened sauce, if desired, and enjoy!

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South of the Border Slow Cooker Chicken

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Slow Cooker Mexican ChickenIf you’ve been searching for a healthy and delicious slow cooker chicken recipe, you’ve found it!  This Mexican inspired dish is loaded with flavors from South of the border.  It is so simple to make and can be served in so many different ways.

It is perfect for burrito bowls, in lettuce wraps, or one of my favorite ways to serve it… over a bed of flavorful cilantro-lime rice. This freezes well so make a double batch and enjoy it for dinner this week and have one in the freezer to heat up on a busy night when you just don’t have time to make dinner for your family. You’ll be so glad you did!

Tip: Don’t skip the squeeze of fresh lime juice after cooking. It really brightens the flavors and pulls them all together. As an added bonus, zest your lime before juicing and save the zest to add a flavor boost to rice, beans, shrimp or even sprinkle on a salad.  It really helps the flavors pop!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3–8 hours
Serves: 4-6

Slow Cooker Mexican ChickenIngredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 10-oz. cans Rotel fire-roasted diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained
2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1½ T. hickory-flavored liquid smoke
2 t. ground cumin
1 T. chili powder
1 t. smoked paprika
2 t. dried oregano
1 t. cayenne pepper
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 limes, quartered
¼ c. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

  1. Unroll and add chicken thighs to bottom of a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker crock. Top with tomatoes, black beans, garlic, jalapeno pepper, liquid smoke, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Stir to combine, making sure the chicken thighs are coated and submerged in the liquid.
  2. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. 30 minutes before done cooking, remove lid and shred chicken while in the slow cooker with two forks. Stir to combine shredded chicken with other ingredients. Cover and cook for remaining 30 minutes to allow chicken to absorb the flavors.
  3. Remove lid and squeeze fresh lime juice into the crock. Add cilantro and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
  4. To serve, spoon chicken mixture over plain brown rice or cilantro-lime rice. Top with cilantro-lime sauce if desired. Serve with remaining lime wedges. Enjoy!

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Pulled Pork BBQ Sliders

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Your family is going to absolutely LOVE these super easy slow cooker pulled pork BBQ sliders!

Put your slow cooker to work making this delicious and easy dinner!  Just toss the ingredients into your slow cooker in the morning, and you’ll have dinner on the table in a jiffy when you get home.  Whether you like a lot of BBQ sauce or a lighter infusion of flavor, this recipe is delicious either way!

 

Delicious BBQ Pulled Pork SlidersIngredients:

  • 2 pound pork shoulder roast
  • 1 T. kosher salt
  • 1 ½ t. black salt
  • ¼ c. apple cider vinegar
  • ¾ c. prepared BBQ sauce+additional sauce for serving
  • 2 whole cloves garlic, smashed, peels removed, roughly chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 T. shallot, minced
  • Slider buns, opened with inside buttered and grilled (or toasted in the oven)
  • Red cabbage, thinly sliced (optional)

Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork SlidersDirections:

  1. Add the pork shoulder to slow cooker and season with salt and pepper.  Mix together cider vinegar, BBQ sauce, garlic, onion, and shallot, then pour over the roast. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low.
  2. The roast should be very tender after 8 hours. Carefully remove from slow cooker and place on a serving platter or cutting board reserved for meat. Remove large deposits of fat. Using a fork in each hand, start “pulling” in two directions, working on one small section of pork at a time. The goal is to “shred” the meat into small strands.
  3. Place shredded meat into a serving container or add it directly to the prepared slider buns. Top with red cabbage for some crunch and color – or add any of your favorite toppings. Add additional BBQ sauce if desired.  Serve immediately and Enjoy! 

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This Crock Pot is only $8.99!

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Affiliate links have been used in this post.
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