No Fuss No Muss Crock Pot Recipes

I admit it, some crock pot recipes call for lots of ingredients you don't always have on hand or require extensive pre-crock preparation, like browning meat or chopping piles of vegetables. However, I love recipes that are as close to "throw a couple of things in the pot and forget about it for six hours" as I can get. Here are a bunch of quick and easy crock pot recipes that don't require lots of ingredients or extensive preparation. And I even included a dessert!

Cranberry Chicken

3-4 lbs. chicken breasts
1 (14-oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 small onion, diced small
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Throw all the ingredients into the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with rice.

Mediterranean Chicken

4  chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic (or 4 tsp minced garlic)
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar

Lay the chicken breasts in the crock in a single layer. Smash the garlic with the side of a knife and sprinkle over the chicken. Sprinkle the rosemary salt, pepper, and sugar over the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Remove lid and cool for a few minutes, then shred chicken with two forks and stir to allow the juices to soak into the chicken. Serve over rice, couscous, or Greek salad.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

4 lemons
2-3 heads of garlic
1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds
Fresh rosemary, or any fresh herbs
Steak seasoning (or salt and pepper)

Cut 2 lemons and 1-2 garlic heads in a few thick slices and arrange in bottom of crock. If needed, cut off the ends of the lemons so they lie flat. Add a few sprigs of rosemary or other herbs. Remove insides from chicken and pat dry. Season the chicken generously inside and out with steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Cut 1 lemon into quarters and 1 garlic head in half and stuff inside chicken, then place in crock. Slice the remaining lemon and lay the slices on top of the chicken along with a few more sprigs of rosemary. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Turn off cooker and let sit for about 15 minutes. Remove chicken, carve, and serve. If desired, strain liquid from crock and serve over chicken. Great with mashed potatoes or rice, and green beans.

(Note: After removing all the meat from the carcass, put it back in the crock with a few chunks of onions, carrots, celery, or other vegetables you have on hand. Cover with water and add poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, and leave on low overnight. In the morning, uncover and let cool slightly, then strain and save the chicken stock!)

Fiesta Chicken

2 to 2-1/2 lbs chicken breasts, fat trimmed
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (10 oz) cans corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg taco seasoning mix

Throw all ingredients except chicken in the crock and stir until combined. Add chicken breasts. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours. Shred chicken with two forks and stir to combine. Serve wrapped in flour tortillas, over rice, over salad, or as a nacho topping. Top with shredded cheese if desired.

Orange Chicken

4 chicken breasts
¾ cup orange marmalade
¾ cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce

Place chicken in crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. Drain juices from crock. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to crock. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken, stirring until evenly coated. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Chicken and Gravy

2 lbs. skinless chicken breast
2 cups (16 oz.) chicken broth
2 packets chicken gravy mix

Place chicken in crock and pour broth over. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until chicken falls apart. Scoop two cups of liquid out of the crock and place in a saucepan, discarding remaining liquid. Whisk gravy mix into broth and bring to a boil, then simmer until thickened. Shred chicken and serve over mashed potatoes, topped with gravy.

Pesto Bread

1 envelope yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 cups lukewarm water ("handwashing warm")
3-3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup pesto
1 teaspoon salt
dried parsley
kosher salt

Place yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add water and stir. Add flour, oil, pesto, and salt and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a floured surface and knead about 5 minutes. Add a bit more flour if dough is overly sticky. Line the crock with parchment paper and place the dough inside. Sprinkle with parsley and salt. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Lift out of crock using the parchment paper liner, and slide off paper onto a cookie sheet. Broil for 2-3 minutes until top is browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Beef Stew

2 (1 oz) packages dry onion soup mix
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut up into bite-sized pieces
5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 to 3 cups baby carrots
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans cream of celery soup
1 cup ketchup

Place soup mix and paprika in a large ziploc bag and shake to combine. Add meat in batches and shake to coat. Spray the crock with non-stick spray and add meat in an even layer. Top with vegetables. In a small bowl, stir together the cream soup and ketchup and pour over meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Stir to combine before serving.

Baked Ziti

2 (25-oz) jars of pasta sauce
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 lb uncooked penne pasta
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cups grated parmesan (about 8 oz)
1 cup shredded mozzarella

In a large bowl, stir together pasta sauce and tomato sauce and pour about 2-1/3 cups into a greased crockpot. Top with one-third of the penne. In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, eggs, and basil and dot half over the penne, spreading with a rubber spatula. Cover with 1 cup parmesan. Add another 2-1/3 cups sauce, then another third of the penne, and the rest of the ricotta mixture, again spreading with a spatula. Cover with the remaining parmesan, the remaining penne, and the remaining sauce. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours. During the last 10 minutes or so, spread the mozzarella on top and allow to melt. Serve with salad and garlic bread.

Sausage and Potatoes

 1.5 lbs. smoked pork sausage, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2.5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
¾ tsp. creole seasoning

Spray crock with nonstick cooking spray (or use a crock liner) and then add all ingredients to crock and stir together. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Jerk Pork Sandwiches

1 boneless pork shoulder (2 1/2 lb)
1 tablespoon Jamaican jerk seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium onion, chopped (or 1/2 cup frozen onion)
1 cup cola (not diet)
2 cups barbecue sauce

Trim fat from pork and rub with jerk seasoning and sprinkle with thyme. Spray crock with nonstick spray and place pork inside. Sprinkle with onion, then pour cola over all. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Drain liquid from crock but reserve 1/2 cup of juices. Using two forks, shred the pork. Stir in barbecue sauce and reserved juices. Cover and cook on high for 30-45 minutes until thoroughly heated. Serve on toasted buns.

Bacon Corn Chowder

1 lb small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 bags (12 oz each) frozen whole kernel corn
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 package pre-cooked bacon, crisped and crumbled

Place potatoes, onion, corn, broth, and salt and pepper in crock. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, until potatoes are tender. In a small bowl, whisk together half and half and cornstarch till smooth. Stir mixture and bacon into corn mixture, cover, and cook on high an additional 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened.

French Onion Soup

3 medium onions, chopped into large chunks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted (or add cold but stir after 1 hour of cooking)
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme
4 cups beef broth
Crusty French bread, sliced
Sliced cheese (provolone, Swiss, Gruyere)

Add onions, salt, pepper, butter, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme to crock. Cover and cook on high for 8-9 hours, until onions are deep golden brown. If your crockpot runs hot, monitor periodically to avoid over-browning. Add broth and cook on high for another hour. Preheat broiler to high. Place individual serving bowls or ramekins on a cookie sheet and ladle in soup. Top each with a slice of bread and a slice of cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 2-4 minutes.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups chopped broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
½ small onion, diced
1 (15 oz) can evaporated milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Spray crock with nonstick spray. Add all ingredients to crock and mix well. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.


S'mores Cake

1 chocolate cake mix plus any required ingredients (eggs, oil)
1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips
6 graham crackers

Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions. Line the crock with foil or spray with nonstick cooking spray and pour in half the batter. Spread one cup marshmallows and one cup chocolate chips over batter. Break 5 graham crackers into large pieces and spread over top. Pour the remaining batter over everything. Cover and cook on low for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Add the remaining marshmallows and chocolate chips. Crumble the remaining graham cracker and sprinkle over the top. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Cranberry-Lemon Buttermilk Muffins

I recently posted a blog about breakfast and brunch foods that are easy to make ahead for Christmas morning. Lest any of my readers doubt that I practice what I preach, below are step-by-step instructions and photos for making the cranberry-lemon muffins described in that blog. I asked my family to review both that blog entry and last year's similarly-themed post, and then asked if they had any request for this year's Christmas breakfast. My kids have been on an egg kick lately, so it was no surprise that the requested the Egg Puffs from this year's list, and my husband was in favor, as well. But being the carb fanatic that I am, I wanted to include some kind of bread or muffin as well, and since I had a half a bag of cranberries and a bottle of buttermilk left over from Thanksgiving, this was the perfect recipe.

The complete recipe is posted at the bottom, but here are my step-by-step instructions. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!

The first step is, of course, to gather all your ingredients: sugar, lemon (or lemon zest), flour, butter, vanilla, baking powder, salt, buttermilk, an egg, and cranberries.

Next, line a dozen standard-sized muffin cups with paper liners. If you don't want to use liners, I don't see any reason you couldn't just grease the muffin tins. But if you want to freeze the muffins, the liners are probably a good idea to keep them stable.

In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar with 2 teaspoons lemon zest. I didn't feel like measuring, so I just zested my lemon until it felt right. You don't usually get to guesstimate in baking, but this is really an adjust to taste" situation. Also, don't use too small of  a bowl, because you'll be reusing it shortly.

 Using a fork, whisk the zest into the sugar until it all seems to be evenly distributed.

Set aside 1/2 cup of the mix.

To the remaining 1/4 cup of lemon sugar, add 1/4 cup flour and whisk together with a fork (this is why you don't want your bowl to be too small.) 

Add two tablespoons of cold butter and cut in with a pastry blender, fork, or two knives.

I prefer using two knives like scissor blades to cut in the butter initially, then I find it works best to just get in there with (clean, dry!) fingers and mix until everything is evenly crumbly. This is the streusel to top the muffins.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, the remaining 1/2 cup of lemon sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup buttermilk (at room temperature), 6 tablespoons melted butter, 1 egg (also at room temperature), and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

 Whisk it all together until there are no streaks of butter or egg.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and gently fold it in until combined. Make sure to scoop all the way under the center of the batter to mix in any pockets of flour. The resulting batter will be quite thick, halfway between batter and dough.

Fold in the cranberries until evenly distributed.

Distribute batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups. The batter will pretty much fill the cups.

Top each muffin with a generous amount of streusel. Really heap it on, there's plenty.

Pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

 Take them out when the tops just start to get golden brown.

I let the muffins cool in the tins for a few minutes, then popped them out with a butter knife just in case the streusel stuck to the tins as it cooled. But there was very little spillover, and sticking was not a problem at all.

 I let them finish cooling on a wire rack.

Gorgeous and festive! Happy eating!

Full recipe:

3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 1/4 cups flour, divided
1/2 cup butter, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, warmed to room temperature
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Line a 12- cup muffin pan with paper cups.

In a small bowl, blend together the sugar and the lemon peel. Set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture.

Add 1/4 cup flour to the remaining 1/4 cup lemon-sugar and whisk together. With a fork or pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons of cold butter until the mixture is crumbly.

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, the remaining 1/2 cup lemon-sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour. Stir until just combined. Fold in the cranberries. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins generously with the reserved crumb mixture. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly touched.

Once completely cooled, muffins can be stored in an airtight container, or frozen in freezer bags. Frozen muffins may be reheated individually in microwave or bake the entire batch in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes.