Simple Slow Cooker Recipe: Meatballs & Tomato Basil Sauce

Spaghetti and meatballs is a tried-and-true classic that is beloved by many. While they taste amazing, though, meatballs are not always the easiest or the quickest food to whip up, so people are put off making them. This Slow Cooker recipe is our solution so that no family goes without tender, homemade meatballs and fragrant sauce again—and you can make and refrigerate the meatballs and the sauce for up to two days before serving! For truly fantastic meatballs, it doesn’t get easier than this!

Slow Cooker Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
Sauce:

• 2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes, with juices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 sprig basil
• 2 tablespoons basil leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper, minced
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Meatballs:

• 2 pounds ground beef (or meat of your choice)
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a medium pan over medium heat, heat your olive oil and sauté your onions until translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add in 2 cloves minced garlic 2 minutes before onions are finished.
2. Remove from heat and place in slow cooker, on high, with tomatoes, tomato paste, basil sprig and leaves, oregano, red pepper, salt and pepper. Let cook for 3 hours to develop flavors.
3. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, cheese, oregano, egg, salt and pepper, and combine well with your hands or a fork. Form mixture into 1-1 1/2 –inch balls and gently place them in the slow cooker with the sauce. Cover and continue to cook on high for 1 hour.
4. Serve on their own or with spaghetti or on toasted subs and garnish with more grated Parmesan.

One-Pot Recipe: Thai Coconut Chicken Curry

This Coconut Chicken curry is so good, everyone will be shocked when they find out how easy it is to make! That is, if you choose to share your secrets with them. Stir-fries and curries are always a nice option because you get so much bang for your buck and you don’t have to spend an inordinate amount of time over a hot stove; plus you get a sauce that is more than just yummy dressing for the chicken, becoming a soup that pairs beautifully with the chicken. Appetizer and entrée in one—bonus! Really, this dish is a winner that you should all try. One pot. Ready in under 20 minutes. Possible? Yes.

Coconut Chicken Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) light coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup water
• 4 oz. green beans, chopped
• 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger root, grated
• 1-2 red bell peppers, seeded and shopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Add lime zest, ginger root and chili. Continue to stir-fry for 1 minute.
3. Pour in coconut milk, chicken broth and water, and stir in brown sugar, curry paste, green beans and bell peppers.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables have softened slightly.
5. Serve hot. Optional: serve with jasmine rice.

Dinner Recipe: Apricot and Orange Glazed Pork Roast

Hearty dinners are so nice when temperatures start to drop; there’s nothing better than gathering around with friends or family and enjoying a warm meal. This pork roast is a lovely blend of savory and sweet, with the apricot and orange glaze pairing perfectly with the meat. The recipe calls for apricot and orange preserves, but if you’ve got leftover marmalade or apricot jam, those work just as well. This is a meal that’s easy to customize and hard to mess up—we’re big believers in dishes that taste great basically no matter what you do, so give this roast a try!

Apricot Glazed Pork Roast

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 4 pound pork loin roast
• 1/2 (12 oz.) jar apricot preserves
• 1/2 (12 oz.) jar orange preserves
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• cloves, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ª F.
2. Take pork roast and place it, fat side up, in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
3. If you have a fatty top layer, slice it diagonally in both directions (top left, to bottom right; top right, to bottom left) to create a diamond pattern.
4. Take cloves and press them firmly into the top layer of fat, at all the points where the diagonal lines intersect.
5. Season generously with salt and pepper.
6. In a medium saucepan, combine apricot and orange preserves, honey, ginger, allspice and rosemary over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
7. Lower heat and simmer mixture until it reduces and thickens up, about 5 minutes. Set aside 1 cup to serve with the pork.
8. Bake for 1 hour, or until internal temperature is 160º when checked with a meat thermometer, basting every 15-20 minutes with glaze.
9. Let pork stand for 10 minutes before serving.

One-Pot Recipe: Hearty Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

This dish is the epitome of comfort food for us. There’s nothing better than a hearty chicken dish where your biscuits are built in and you get some with every bite! We initially assumed a meal like this would be complicated and messy, but not with this recipe: it’s basically a one-pot wonder, using only your Dutch oven (or casserole dish) and the assistance of your trusty food processor or mixer to create a full dinner with meat, veggies and a side.
We’re looking out for you (as always) in trying to find ways to cut down the prep time and effort—that’s why we use rotisserie chicken here—that deliver on flavor and don’t take away from the other ingredients. This dish is a crowd-pleaser and you won’t be disappointed; it comes together easily, and then you can kick back and relax while the oven works its magic!

One-Pot Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
Chicken:

• 3 cups rotisserie chicken, cubed
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed and drained
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper, to taste

Biscuits:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375º F.
2. In a large Dutch oven over medium(-high) heat, melt butter and sauté carrots until soft. About 8 minutes.
3. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and stir until it’s almost evaporated. Then add flour and the rest of broth. Stir mixture and bring to a boil.
4. Season with salt and pepper, and reduce heat to low, simmering until thickened. 3 minutes. Add chicken, peas and Parmesan, and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.
5. In a food processor, pulse together flour, butter, salt and baking powder.
6. Slowly pour milk into mixture and pulse until a soft dough forms.
7. Using a spoon, scoop dough balls and evenly cover the top of chicken with biscuit mixture.
8. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Vegetable Recipe: Oven-Roasted Cauliflower & Red Pepper Casserole

Cauliflower is an underestimated and underappreciated vegetable, an underdog, if you will. This is probably because a lot of times it’s lumped in with a mix of other vegetables and doesn’t really get a chance to wow people with it’s own unique flavor. Cauliflower is a fun ingredient because it can be utilized in diverse ways. You can boil it and then mash it up, you can steam it, and in this case, you can roast it and then bake it in a casserole. Garlic, onion and olive oil are the perfect elements to help add depth to our veggie, then the tomato and red pepper are added to really fill out the flavor. This is a really wonderful, healthy dish that everyone will like; if you didn’t love cauliflower before, you will now!

Cauliflower and Red Pepper Casserole

Serves 4

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2-2 pounds cauliflower, 2-inch florets
• 1 (16 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 2 red peppers, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Arrange cauliflower florets, onions, peppers and garlic on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, or until almost tender.
4. Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer vegetables and drippings to a baking dish and cover with tomatoes, cheese and parsley. Add sugar, mix together, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Lower oven temperature to 350º F.
6. Return veggies and tomatoes to oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Quick and Healthy Recipe: Chicken, Veggie & Cashew Stir Fry

This dish gets an A+ for being easy and really good for you! It’s full of protein and nutrients and it only dirties one pot; perfect for nights when you’re pressed for time, but still want a filling meal that isn’t drive-thru-related. We like to use a lot of vegetables to really round out the meal, but you can use whatever you want. Stir-fries are an excellent way to clear your fridge of foods that are closing in on their expiration dates and a nice way to breathe new life into your leftovers—being virtually impossible to mess up is just a bonus!

Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breast, cubed
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 orange pepper, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 3/4 cup cashews, chopped
• 4 cups bean sprouts
• 4 cups spinach
• 1-2 tablespoons dark sesame oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce

Directions

1. In a large sauté pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil on medium heat and cook chicken (2-3 minutes per side), making sure to brown all sides.
2. Add bean sprouts, garlic, soy and teriyaki sauces, and toss to coat everything. Sauté until chicken is cooked through and bean sprouts are tender.
3. Remove chicken and bean sprouts to a plate, and set aside.
4. Add second tablespoon of sesame oil to pan and add celery and peppers, cooking until softened. 8-10 minutes. During the last 3 minutes, add spinach and cashews.
5. Once all vegetables are tender, add bean sprouts and chicken back to the pan. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, transfer to plates and serve hot.

Casserole Recipe: Cheesy Tomato Sausage Pasta Bake

Few things are tastier and more comforting than mac and cheese, but this one’s a game changer. Sausage and cheese rotini. This dish has a creamy tomato cheese sauce, flavorful sausage and then it’s topped with even more cheese; that’s what we call elevated comfort food!
If you are plagued with picky eaters in the family (don’t worry, we still love them) or are just looking for a way to reinvent a classic, this recipe is the perfect choice! While you’ll have several pots going on the stove at once, the separate components come together quickly and the rave reviews you’ll get from your third-party food critics (children) will have you adding this dish to your weekly rotation!

Rotini Sausage Casserole
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound (2 cups) rotini (or macaroni)
• 3/4 pound ground pork sausage
• 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated; plus more for topping
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• salt and pepper, to taste
• water for boiling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large pan over medium-high heat, cook sausage until nicely browned and no longer pink.
4. Drain fat and add tomatoes. Add in sugar, stir well and reduce heat to low. Season with salt and pepper.
5. In a sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat and add in 1-2 tablespoons of flour. Mix continuously to break up flour and create roux.
6. Once roux has thickened, add in heavy cream and nutmeg and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce to a simmer and add parmesan and cheddar cheese. Stir until cheeses have melted. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
8. After cheeses have fully melted, pour cream mixture into the tomato sauce and mix together.
9. Pour pasta into tomato cream sauce, making sure to coat pasta thoroughly with sauce.
10. Transfer pasta and sauce to an 8x8 or 9x13 baking dish (or individual ramekins). Top pasta with more cheddar cheese, place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Let cool for 10 minutes, garnish with basil and enjoy!