Slow Cookers for Not So Slow Lives

I've had a request about how to better prep lunches or meals in general. I'm currently a student while working full-time and balancing an internship so believe me, I can understand how easy it is to pick up a quick 4-for-$4 at Wendy's! There are days where the last thing I want to do is prep, cook, and clean. This is where the magic of a slow cooker comes in. You can find a slow cooker for any budget. In my dreams, I would own one that can brown meats and have a self-timer, sigh, one day...but I just have your average, on/off, low/high slow cooker and it does the trick.

I am here to give you some tips that have been truly life changing!! I used to haaaate cooking with my slow cooker because 1) I had to wake up an hour earlier to prep and 2) the scrubbing required after eight hours of cooking (especially when the recipe called for honey - shudder). 

Tip #1:
These bad sisters:













I cannot praise these liners enough!! You can find them in all grocery stores in the foil/cling wrap aisle. Just make sure you let everything cool down before lifting the liner. I usually just ladle everything out and let the leftover bits chill. No more scrubbing!!!

Tip #2:
Prep things the night before (or even weeks!). I usually chop the vegetables that I need for my meal and get the slow cooker out on the counter before I go to bed. Right before I head to work, I just dump everything in and I'm out! There are hundreds of recipes for "freezer dump slow cooker" meals. You can toss all of the ingredients in a Ziploc bag and then dump it into the slow cooker whenever you want a slow cooked meal. Here's a shameless plug for my Pinterest. I've pinned some great recipes that I've tried myself.

Speaking of prepping...You can buy meat in bulk when it's on sale, toss it in the slow cooker ,and freeze the cooked meat for quick and easy lunches. I like to pour in a jar of salsa and some chicken breasts, cook it for about 4 hours, and then freeze it. It's quick and easy for tacos, taco salads, or a quick burrito bowl for lunch. See you later, Del Taco Chicken Soft Tacos!!

Tip #3: Avoid overcrowding your pot to ensure even cooking.
Fill it up between 1/2 - 2/3 of the way to keep things happy.

Tip #4:  Add some zing at the end.
The downside to this method of cooking is that your ingredients all start tasting the same. Try adding some oomph via a fresh squeeze of lemon, a smidgeon of fresh herbs, or some hot sauce after it's done cooking. BAM!

I'll be posting some other meal prepping techniques. Please email if there are things you're interested in learning more about!