When hosting game day or other festivities at your lake house this fall, a slow cooker (also known as Crock Pots by their brand name) is a great way to easily make large meals for you and your guests. Especially when nights are chilly, everyone loves a warm meal to enjoy on the patio. Today, we’re taking a look at some tried-and-true Crock Pot Recipes of 2021!
Beef and Broccoli
A classic combination of meat and vegetables is always satisfying. After you make this hearty recipe of beef and broccoli from Delish, try serving with white rice and sriracha sauce for a little spice kick! If you want to skip on the sodium, try using low-sodium beef broth and soy sauce as well.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lb. sirloin steak, sliced thinly
- 1 c. beef broth
- ½ c. soy sauce
- ½ c. brown sugar
- 3 tbsp. Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp. Sriracha
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 3 green onions, sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp. Cornstarch
- 2 c. broccoli florets
- Sesame seeds for garnish + rice for serving
Instructions: Add steak to a large slow cooker. Then add beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, sriracha, garlic, and green onions. Cover and cook for about 3 ½ – 4 hours until the beef is cooked. Then whisk cornstarch with a few tablespoons of the Crock Pot broth into a small bowl. Pour and toss into slow cooker. Add broccoli and cook for 20 minutes. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Honey Lime Chicken Tacos
Tacos are for every day of the week — not just Tuesday! These delicious tacos from Jen at Carlsbad Cravings are a flavorful addition to your dinner palette that you can easily make from a Crock Pot at your lake house. The combination of sweet honey with tart citrus makes this meal a true crowd pleaser!
Ingredients:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salsa verde
- Honey
- Lime juice
- Spices (chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper)
- Flatbread for the taco base
- Taco toppings of choice
Directions: First, rub chicken breasts with olive oil then place them in the bottom of the Crock Pot. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 2-4 hours (or low for 6-7 hours). Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred. Put shredded chicken back into the pot and cook on low for 20-30 mins. Then season the flatbread shells and stuff with chicken and toppings.
Shrimp and Crab Bisque
Enjoying seafood is a quintessential way to enjoy life on the lake. This crock pot recipe from Molly’s blog at Yes to Yolks features shrimp and crab marinated in a delicious array of flavors that are perfect for a cool evening in fall or winter.
Bisque Ingredients:
- Seasonings: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter, 4 minced garlic cloves, pinch of red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 leeks, washed and sliced
- 4 cups seafood or fish stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 lb peeled shrimp
- 1 cup fresh jumbo lump crab
- Parsley and toasted bread for serving
Crab topping ingredients:
- ½ lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 cup fresh jumbo lump crab
- Salt and pepper
Directions: Heat up leeks and garlic on medium heat over oil and butter. Add salt and red pepper flakes, then stir for 5 minutes. Transfer to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add tomato paste, stock, water, tomatoes, Old Bay, and sugar. In a mixing cup, whisk white wine and flour and stir into the stock mixture. Once you’ve added salt and pepper, cook for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high. To make the crab topping, just combine lemon juice, mayo, mustards, and parsley in a mixing bowl. Fold in the crab meat and season to touch.
Breakfast Oats
While any of the above meals would be perfect for lunch or dinner, you can definitely use your slow cooker for breakfast food too! For the perfect creamy steel cut oats, look no further than this recipe from AllRecipes. With simple yet delicious ingredients, this meal will elevate your taste from instant oatmeal packets to a restaurant-worthy breakfast.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups steel oats
- 2 cups almond milk
- 2 cups half and half
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 cinnamon stick
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for about 8 hours until the oats become soft.
Life on the lake can be slow-paced. And so can your meals! We hope you enjoy these crock pot recipes!