By Dennette Bailey
The end of daylight savings is fast approaching, and as soon as I see one leaf fall, that will be my cue that it is time for a fall crockpot meal. I have a couple of favorites. They are my go-to meals because my family loves them and they take just a few minutes to prepare. The best part of these crock pot meals is that my husband will eat them as leftovers. Since he doesn’t normally eat leftovers the fall season really offers me a bit of a break from cooking!
These are meals that I usually make the morning before going to work, so I like to prep some portions of the meal the evening before. I brown the ground turkey and cut up all my veggies and put them into a Ziploc bag because I hate to come home to a dishwasher full of dirty dishes. I can throw the Ziploc bags out in the morning and I feel like my kitchen is still clean while I am at work (if you do not have this compulsive issue you can use your Tupperware).
My first favorite fall crockpot meal is baked beans. Now one might think baked beans are not a crock pot meal, but baked beans in the crockpot offer huge savings in time and they are very likely to be eaten because they are sweet. In addition, they include veggies so they do not require any additional food components to be served with the meal.
Crockpot Baked Beans
Directions:
Set the crock pot on low and add:
1 half can of pineapple juice
1 fresh tomato cut into cubes
1 small onion cut into cubes
1 half green pepper cut into cubes
¼ red pepper cut into cubes
2 cans of vegetarian baked beans or 2 cups precooked pinto beans
2 grass fed beef sausage links cut into slices (pre-slice these the night before)
1 pound of ground turkey (previously browned)
Optional ¼ cup brown sugar
Add cinnamon to taste
Extra bonus –these beans make the house smell like fall!
Taco Bean Chili
My second favorite fall crockpot meal is my taco bean chili. Again, I suggest prepping the meat and veggies the evening before.
Directions:
Add the following ingredients to a crock pot set on low:
1 pound of ground turkey (previously browned)
1 can of corn drained
2 cans of organic chicken or beef broth (your preference)
1 zucchini cut in cubes
1 jar of salsa
1 package of taco seasoning (spicy or mild your preference)
2 cups of cooked pinto, black or red beans (You can make these homemade the day before or use can beans. If you use can beans you should rinse the beans before adding them to the crock pot.)
1 small onion cubed
1 can of Rotel tomatoes with cilantro
1 tablespoon of garlic seasoning
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
This meal is great served with yellow rice and cornbread or served by itself.
Bon Appetite!
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