With sometimes limited options on the shelves, and with the threat to some incomes, it can be pretty hard to keep up with recipes that need so many ingredients, or require a heap of time and effort to make. What you need are recipes that are simple, cost effective and don’t need any more skill or time to make.
Abby, AKA, The Simplified Saver has our backs!
She’s created five easy recipes which are “drop and go” crock pot recipes suited for the home. As a working mom, Abby knows what it means to balance a busy schedule with home life. And as the name of her channel implies, she’s an expert in cutting costs wherever possible. Her recipes are simple, delicious and won’t break the bank.
Abby has chosen recipes utilising a broad variety of meats, to make sure that you’ll always be able to find something to cook up. For the same reason, many of these recipes use as few ingredients as possible while still remaining delicious. Our first is this yummy beef dish.
1) RANCH TENDER ROAST
You’ll need:
- 1x tender chuck roast
- 1x ranch dressing packet
- 1 x onion soup mix packet
- 1x stick of butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 1x poblano pepper
The recipe:
Start off by drizzling a little olive oil into the bottom of your pot, just enough to make sure you won’t getting any sticking to the bottom.
Then “drop” the rest of the ingredients in!
Lay your beef in the pot, then lay a stick of butter on top of it. You can certainly reduce the amount of butter here, as per your own discretion. Sprinkle your onion soup packet as well as your ranch dressing packet over the beef and butter. Wash and cut the poblano pepper into large strips for flavor, removing the seeds first. Place them into the pot around the beef, then pour water on the bottom of the pot around the roast.
Let this pot of gold cook on HIGH for between 4 and 6 hours.
Shred and spread.
After cooking, the meat should be tender and succulent. Shred it with a fork, and serve over rice or throw it in a bun. Heck, serve it on top of nachos if you’ve got em!
Now onto something a little different, our next recipe:
2) MEATBALL SUBS
You’ll need:
- 1x package frozen meatballs
- 2x 24 oz cans of spaghetti sauce
The recipe:
This one is possibly the simplest of all of these recipes. To make your life even simpler yet, Abby uses a pot liner to make even clean-up a breeze. Simply toss your frozen meatballs into the pot with both of your cans of sauce. Stir it all together well to completely cover the balls with sauce, then cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
Then they’re ready to serve!
Simply throw your saucy meatballs onto a bun and top with mozzarella and any other of your favorite meatball sub ingredients.
Next up is a hearty comfort-food classic:
Sausage and Potatoes
You’ll need:
- 3x russet potatoes (or equivalent)
- 1x package of sausage links (or equivalent)
- 1x frozen pack of green beans (or canned)
- 1x cup water
Start by chopping your potatoes into roughly 1inch pieces. Drizzle olive oil into your pot, then those those taters in!
Cut your sausage into pieces roughly the same size as the potatoes and layer those on top, then add the green beans on top of that. Crank your pot up to HIGH for 4 to 6 hours, and the potatoes should be fully cooked at the end of that. Then, give it a quick stir and it’s ready for the plate!
Another easy yet delicious child-pleaser:
Crack Chicken
You’ll need:
- 1x pound of chicken
- 1-2x blocks cream cheese
- 1x ranch seasoning packet
- 1/4 cup water
Start by placing your chicken into your crock-pot. On top of that, lay your cream-cheese, and sprinkle the packet of ranch and pour a little bit of water, about a quarter cup into the bottom of the pot. Crank the crock-pot up to high to cook for 4 to 6 hours.
Pull your chicken out of the pot and shred it in a separate bowl. If it seems a little dry, you can always take some juice from the pot and mix it in with the chicken and cream-cheese to get some nice, moist pulled chicken. Serve on a bun with whatever your favorite chicken sandwich ingredients are.
Salsa Chicken
You’ll need:
- 1x pound of chicken
- 1x jar of your preferred salsa
- 1x can black beans (drained)
- 1x can corn (drained)
- 1x taco seasoning packet for flavor (optional)
As before, drizzle a little olive oil into your pot. Next place in your chicken and.. ALL of the other ingredients. Pretty simple eh? Then, cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 minutes.
Shred your cooked chicken with a fork, before serving over rice. If you’re so inclined, you can mix in your taco spice mix before serving. If rice isn’t totally your style, you can always serve these in taco form with pico and sour cream. Yum!
So there you have it, five simple, cheap and delicious meals you can make in the miracle that is the crock-pot!
Watch Abby’s full video below to see how the master does it!
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