Fall Crockpot Recipes
It’s officially fall: Time to slow down, relax, and get out the slow cooker!
I heard once that SUMMER is crockpot season. Using the small appliance for meals saves you from heating up your house. But who wants to eat filling comfort food after a hot, busy day?
Nope. Fall is where the slow cooker goes.
I love a fix-it-and-forget-it meal that I get to smell cooking all day long while I’m cozy inside.
Or, more realistically, I love a hearty meal that’s easy to share with a crowd as we head closer to the holidays.
This week I’m rounding up seven of my favorite crockpot recipes. I’ve got the classics you’d expect (meatloaf!) with others you might not (stuffed green peppers!). There’s gotta be a soup (Italian wedding!) but what about a casserole (lasagna!)? And a fall round up from Coach Erika wouldn’t be complete without at least one festive drink.
Boozy cinnamon lattes. Seriously.
Something else you can expect from me? All of these recipes are delicious but can support staying on track with your health goals. I mean, fall is the final ninety! I wouldn’t let you down now!
So! Recipes! Recipes!
You’ve got to try this cajun chicken alfredo. How this becomes penne alfredo without heavy cream or 75 instructions is beyond me. But hey, follow the recipe and let the magic happen!
Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 links smoked sausage sliced into 1 inch “coins”
2 cups skim milk
4 Tbsp corn starch
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp cajun seasoning
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 pound of uncooked penne pasta
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and black pepper
Directions
Pat chicken breasts dry and season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of garlic powder. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over high heat and quickly sear chicken breasts on both sides
In a bowl, whisk together the corn starch & skim milk. Mix well until free from lumps
Add chicken breasts, sausage, milk/corn starch mixture, chicken broth, 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, cajun seasoning and several turns of freshly ground black pepper to slow cooker or crockpot.
Cook on low for about 4 hours or high for 2-3 hours, until chicken has reached 165 degrees.
Remove chicken from slow cooker and set aside to cool and slice.
Stir in 1/2 cup of hot water and uncooked penne pasta, cover and cook on high for about 30 minutes. Just until pasta is tender. Or you can make the penne on the stovetop and just add it to the crockpot during the last 5 minutes, stirring the pasta into the rest of the mixture to absorb the flavors & sauce
Once pasta is tender, stir in parmesan cheese, sliced chicken and additional salt and black pepper to taste.
Seriously magical.
Ready to try six more recipes in your good ol’ crockpot? Click the link below!