Often, the crock pot suffers from a bad reputation -- that of an oversized gravy boat or a receptacle for multiple cans of cream-of-whatever soup. Crock pot meals don't have to be glop. The slow-cooked-with-liquid method dovetails nicely with resolutions to cook more healthful meals. Preparation can be as simple as boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs simmering on the low setting in two cups of low calorie salad dressing, or as adventurous as jambalaya made with turkey sausage and shrimp.
Chili with a Lighter Kick
De-fat your favorite chili recipe by eliminating the oil when browning the ground beef. Use beef broth instead in the browning stage, or choose ground chicken or turkey, or chunked turkey breast. Place 2 lb. of browned meat in the slow cooker, add in 1 small diced onion, 1 cup of diced red and yellow pepper, 1 tsp. of minced garlic, 1 tbsp. of chili powder, one 28 oz. can of drained and rinsed kidney or cannellini beans, one 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes -- get the ones with green chilis for a tinge of heat -- and one 15 oz. can of chili beans. Cook for 4 to 6 hours on low, top with reduced-fat sour cream and baked tortilla chips.
Salad Dressing Savvy
Come home to a healthy, home-cooked meal by breaking out the bottled salad dressing. If you put frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pork tenderloin medallions in the slow-cooker, you don't need to add liquid. Otherwise, 1/2 inch of broth, wine or even apple juice mixed with lemon juice and water should go into the slow cooker before you add the meat. Pour in 2 cups of light or diet salad dressing and cook 6 hours on low. A kid-friendly favorite combines chicken with low-calorie ranch dressing. Creamy or oil-based diet Italian livens up both poultry and pork, while beef cubes become savory when simmered in good quality light French or Russian dressing.
Smart Swaps
Use turkey or chicken Cajun-style sausage in your favorite crock pot jambalaya recipe instead of pork to save fat and calories. Pile on the celery, onions, carrots, peppers and crushed tomatoes to amp up the veggie factor and don't add the shrimp until an hour before serving. Swap out ground beef for low fat ground turkey or chicken for a moist slow-cooker meat loaf. Mix the ground poultry with chopped onion, bread crumbs, beaten egg, chopped mushrooms, parsley and seasonings of your choice. Form into a round loaf a bit smaller than the crock pot. Place the loaf in the slow cooker, spoon 2 cups of bottled marinara sauce on top of the loaf. Cook on high for 4 hours.
Don't Forget Dessert
Bake halved and cored apples in the slow cooker by dotting them with butter or low calorie spread and cooking them on low for 2 to 3 hours in a cup of orange or mango juice. Toss in a cinnamon stick if you want to get fancy. Serve with a small scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt or sorbet, or low-fat ricotta cheese sweetened with cinnamon and cardamom. You can bake peaches and plums using the same method. You can make traditional slow-cooker rice pudding recipes healthier by substituting fat-free evaporated milk for full-fat milk and brown rice for white.
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