This was so amazing!!! Since there is still fresh Apple Cider in stores I gave this one a go and am SO glad I did. You can make this with chicken thighs or breasts and in the Instant Pot or the slow cooker. I used my Instant Pot and ended up quadrupling the chicken thighs, doubling the onions and apple cider, and used 3 apples, which got me 18 servings. Most people probably don't need that many meals but we eat a lot and also have it twice a day sometimes. Anyways, I share that because I had about 8 cups of leftover sauce once I removed the chicken thighs! I ended up throwing in some arrowroot powder as I simmered and thickened up the sauce until it was down to 4 cups. This chicken turned out delicious and flavorful, so I don't think I'd change a thing. Just expect to simmer down the sauce at the end or have a lot of sauce. This paired really well with simple rice and roasted broccoli. Simple and few ingredients with very little prep and a delicious Whole30 meal. I'll definitely be making this every fall once Apple Cider hits the stores! 

Apple Cider Pulled Chicken
Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of extra fat (can use chicken breasts as well)
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 crisp apple, peeled and sliced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup apple cider, no sugar added

Instant Pot Directions:

1. Place onion, apple slices, and garlic in the bottom of the Instant Pot.
2. Place chicken thighs on top of onions and apples.  Sprinkle with salt and pour apple cider over chicken.
3. Seal lid and cook on Manual setting for 15 minutes.  Allow natural release when cycle is complete.
4. Shred the chicken right in the pot using forks.  If desired, turn on the Saute function and let the mixture simmer for several minutes to reduce the liquid.

Slow Cooker Directions:

1. Place onions, apple slices, and garlic in the slow cooker and top with the chicken, salt, and apple cider.  Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours.  Shred chicken.

​Original recipe found here

Well this certainly turned out tasting and smelling amazing! Another simple meal prep recipe with little to zero prep, throw all the ingredients into your Instant Pot or slow cooker, and you're pretty much done! I boiled up some sweet potato glass noodles and roasted some zucchini to make this meal complete, and of course to get some more nutrients into the meal. This was definitely a great meal for noodles or zoodles, or better yet a combination of both! We are still keeping things low(er) FODMAP, so I ended up using Extra Virgin Olive Oil Infused with Garlic instead of minced garlic, and swapped the onion powder for Italian seasoning. I don't think either swaps made much of a difference, and like I said this meal was amazing. I will definitely be throwing this one into the meal prep rotation!

Tomato Basil Chicken
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced OR 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil OR 3 teaspoons fresh, chopped basil (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)

Directions:
Pressure Cooker

1. Select sauté function on Instant Pot, set to normal
2. Add a couple teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil to the pot and let it melt
3. Add chicken breasts, chopped onion, and minced garlic
4. Brown slightly on both sides
5. Pour crushed tomatoes over the chicken
6. Add remaining ingredients and stir a little to combine (doesn't have to be perfect)
7. Put lid on the IP, make sure vent knob is set to SEALING
8. Set IP to manual for 20 minutes (add a few more minutes for frozen chicken breasts)
9. After cooking time has completed, NPR for 10 minutes then QPR to release remaining pressure
10. Shred the chicken breasts and serve

Slow Cooker

1. Place chicken breasts in IP or slow cooker
2. Add remaining ingredients, mixing slightly
3. Set to slow cook 4 to 6 hours on High
4. Shred chicken when cooked

​Original recipe found here

This meal was so amazing! The Citrus Beef was full of delicious citrus flavor and the Caribbean Roasted Vegetables are a tasty must-try. Super simple slow cooker recipe and an easy sheet pan roasted veggie recipe, especially if you purchase pre-cut vegetables. I ended up making the Citrus Beef in the Instant Pot on the slow cooker setting and just boiled down the excess broth and juice on Sauté mode at the end. I think this helped keep a ton of flavor. The Caribbean Roasted Veggies were inspired by the recipe linked below and it was a fun twist on roasting up a variety of vegetables with spices and flavors that complimented the Citrus Beef pretty well. I will definitely be making these vegetables again to pair with other citrus and Caribbean style meals in the future! I also thought this shredded beef could easily be thrown into a tortilla to make for a delicious citrus taco. This meal takes me back to the Florida Keys and gets me excited for warmer weather! I will definitely be making this one again soon. 

Citrus Shredded Beef
Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs grass-fed beef roast we used a blade roast
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 lime zested & juiced
• 1 orange zested & juiced
• 1 small onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp ground cloves

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a crockpot on low heat for 6-8 hours.
2. Once beef is falling apart tender, remove the beef and drain the broth. Shred the beef with a fork. Be sure to pull out the cloves! Add back enough broth to keep it moist but not wet.

Notes:

• If the lime and orange aren't juicy you may need up to a ¼ cup of water. Have restraint! You don't want it to be soupy.
• Depending on the shape of your roast and the crock pot size you may need to cut the beef into large chunks.
• AIP Compliant

Original recipe found here

​
Caribbean Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 lb Brussels, halved
• 1 lb Zucchini, chopped 
• 1 lb carrots, chopped to 1 or ½ inch chunks
• 1 large red onion, halved and cut into thick 1 inch pieces
• 4 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoon ground coriander 
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grab a large (11x17-inch) or 2 smaller sheet pans and set aside. Prepare the veggies: peel the carrots and cut into large chunks (if they are thick do 1 inch chunks if they are thinner do 1-1/2 inch chunks), remove the outer leaves of the brussels and halve them, chop the zucchini, and halve the red onion and cut into thick 1-inch pieces.
2. Place all the prepared vegetables in one even layer (do NOT overlap or you'll steam the veggies instead of roasting them) on the prepared baking sheet(s) and add the herbs and spices. Add the olive oil and toss well, evenly coating all the vegetables with the seasonings and oil. (Add 1-2 more tablespoons of oil if the vegetables seem dry.)
3. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, flipping the veggies 20 minutes into baking time.
4. Remove from the oven and enjoy immediately. 

Inspired by this recipe

Truly a delicious Instant Pot chicken meal to save! I did not top with sesame seeds, but the sesame oil gave this chicken a true honey sesame chicken taste. I ended up tripling the ingredients below, then only using half the honey due to preference. Also, since I had much more chicken I skipped out on sauteing it and just increased the pressure cooking time. No worries if you don't have arrowroot starch to help thicken the sauce either. Putting the pot on saute mode at the end and continuing to mix everything will reduce the sauce plenty enough without it. I actually hardly use arrowroot starch anymore when using the Instant Pot since saute mode reduces the sauce just as well. While the chicken was cooking I heated up some coconut oil and threw frozen plain cauliflower rice and the extra diced green onion together to pair with this chicken. Super simple and easy meal to put together for dinner or meal prep! 

Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
• 2 Tbsp homemade ketchup (I used Primal Kitchen Ketchup)
• 1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
• 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch (optional)
• sesame seeds
• fresh green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Preheat pressure cooking pot using the ‘Saute’ setting. Add olive oil, chopped onion and seasoned chicken to the preheated pot. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened. Add minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
2. In a small bowl, mix the honey, sesame oil, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, ketchup, and ground ginger. Mix well, and add to the pot. 
3. Lock the lid, seal the valve, and press the ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cooking’) button, and adjust the time to 4 minutes. When timer beeps, turn pressure cooker off and do a quick pressure release.
4. Remove chicken from the pot, and shred it. Transfer 1/4 cup honey sesame sauce from the pot to a small bowl. Add 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch (optional to help thicken) to the bowl and stir until the sauce is smooth. Return the sauce back to the pot, and saute using the ‘Saute’ function for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens. Turn off the pot. Add shredded chicken back to the pot and mix well.
5. Serve honey sesame chicken over rice. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and chopped fresh green onion on top.

​Original recipe found here

Holy moly did I really enjoy every part of this meal! I am not sure it's the quickest meal prep recipe, but if you have the time or can prep a few things the day before then this one is definitely a must-try. I already have a couple go-to BBQ chicken recipes that I cycle through every so many weeks, but I decided to give this new homemade one a try. It turned out like no other BBQ I have tried before! I was surprised and really enjoyed the taste. It was not sweet whatsoever, but more light tasting with a very slight kick from the Chipotle and chili spices. I read the note for the Italian dressing swap and used that option instead. Now for making everything easier on myself, I prepped the sauce the night before so I could just throw the chicken in the Instant Pot in the morning. The recipes gives three ways for making the BBQ chicken based on what you have and preference, so don't be steered away if you don't have an Instant Pot. I also prepped the sweet potato the night before, but you can purchase pre-diced sweet potato or frozen diced sweet potato at most stores to help save you time there as well. You can clearly see I skipped out on the pickles, but that is only because I don't like them. Let me know if you try this recipe with them and how they turned out! If you don't have the time to make your own BBQ sauce, a few whole-ingredient ones that I'll purchase off the shelf are Tessemae's or The New Primal, both can be found at Wegman's or Amazon. Now for the coleslaw, what an easy vegetable side to prep. I used Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo, but only half of the amount the recipe calls for because we aren't big mayo people. I honestly loved how it turned out and enjoyed eating every crunchy bite. On days that I took this to work I just ate everything cold and still loved it. When I was home I could add the coleslaw after I heated up the chicken and sweet potatoes and enjoy it that way. Once the stay-at-home orders are lifted I'll definitely be making this one for family and friends! 

BBQ Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potatoes, Coleslaw, and Pickles
Ingredients:
BBQ Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1 1/4 pounds
• 3/4 cup Whole30 BBQ sauce (see recipe below for making your own)
• 2 tablespoons Italian dressing (see note)
• salt to taste
• or about 2 1/2 cups shredded BBQ chicken or pork

Sweet Potatoes

• 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• dash of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon avocado or refined coconut oil

Quick Dill Pickles:

• Sprig fresh dill
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 English cucumber sliced thin
• Pinch yellow mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white or white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• OR 1/4 cup sliced cold dill pickles (see note)

Coleslaw:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I used Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon white apple cider, or white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 14- oz bag shredded coleslaw mix (see note)

Garnish:

• Fresh chopped parsley
• Dry BBQ seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425º F.
2. Make sweet potatoes: On a baking sheet, toss all ingredients and roast for 20 m. After 20 minutes, stir well, then return to oven. Bake another 10-15 minutes or until browning on edges but not too crunchy or crisp.
3. Make BBQ chicken: Next, combine all ingredients in an Instant Pot. Seal and cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release when time is up then shred chicken breasts with two forks or use a hand mixer on low speed. Turn on Sauté mode and heat for 5 minutes until chicken is coated in sauce. If you do not have an Instant Pot, see Note for regular shredded chicken or slow cooker directions.
4. Make the pickles: While sweet potatoes roast, combine all pickle ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
5. Make coleslaw: Mix all ingredients besides coleslaw mix in a small bowl. Place coleslaw mix in a medium bowl and pour dressing over. Combine well, using hands if desired.
6. Assemble bowls: Divide sweet potatoes, BBQ chicken, and coleslaw evenly among 4 bowls. Top with a couple pickle slices. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

Notes:

• Cooking chicken in a Crockpot: Combine all your BBQ chicken ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook covered on High for 3 hours or Low for 5 hours.
• To make without a slow cooker or Instant Pot: Shred 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts with two forks, then place in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover with 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce and stir until chicken is heated through and sauce is absorbed. Add more sauce if desired.
• Whole30: Make sure you are using Whole30-compliant BBQ sauce.
• If you don’t have Italian dressing for BBQ chicken: Substitute 1 1/2 tablespoon oil, 1/2 tablespoon white or white wine vinegar, and a small pinch of Italian seasoning.
• Using store-bought pickles instead of homemade: Use high-quality cold pickles, not the bright yellow sort from the aisles.
• To save extra coleslaw: Drain excess liquid and save for another use in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.

Original recipe found here

Whole30 BBQ Sauce with Chipotle (Paleo, Vegan)
​Serving: 1 Cup
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil (use coconut oil for vegan)
• 1 cup Vidalia onion , diced
• 7 tablespoons coconut aminos (1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if vegan)
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat ghee or coconut oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.
3. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Notes:
If desired, for a smoother texture, gently transfer sauce to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt.

Original recipe found here

This was the most spot on Sweet and Sour tasting and delicious meal ever! Seriously though, I will be making this one again very soon it was that much of a hit in our house. I ended up using the slow cooker option on my Instant Pot for this meal, so I could brown the meat and cook all in one pot. Plus, I was able to put the pot on saute mode at the very end to thicken up the sauce a little more. I definitely recommend doing the same if you have an Instant Pot, but if not this meal will still turn out delicious in the Crockpot - just one more pan to clean when you're done ;-). The only change I made to the recipe is using half the honey, and that was just by preference. The meal still turned out plenty sweet with a little less honey if you want to do the same. If you find ginger at the store definitely add in that fresh grated ginger too! The beef does stay in small 1-2 inch cubes if you properly brown them, but I opted to shred it at the end while I was reducing the sauce. My beef also turned out looking like pork, probably because I diced it up a day before cooking it and exposed it to more oxygen. Oh well it still turned out so good! I heated up some coconut oil and tossed some plain frozen cauliflower rice, salt, and extra green onions to pair with this. Add this recipe to your list of must-trys now! 

​Crockpot Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Beef
Ingredients:
​Sweet and Sour Pineapple Sauce

• 16 ounces (two 8 ounce cans) of crushed pineapple (in juice not syrup) – drained and reserve juice in a small bowl.
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos 
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp honey (I reduced to 1 tbsp and it was still plenty sweet)
• 1 tbsp of fresh grated ginger or pinch of ground ginger (optional but delish!)

For the Slow Cooker/Crockpot

• 2 lbs boneless beef loin cut into 1–2 inch pieces, or you can purchase stew meat precut. Best to trim excess fat for before cooking. See notes for other meat options.
• 2–3 tbsp Oil to brown meat
• black pepper to taste
• kosher salt to taste
• 1–2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 bell pepper – diced, seeds removed. (see notes for substitutes)
• For plating – chopped green onion and/or cilantro to garnish. To serve with rice or cauliflower rice.

Optional Slurry to thicken

• 1 tbsp Arrowroot starch
• 1/2 tbsp cold water

Directions:

1. Drain the canned pineapple and reserve the juice. Place pineapple aside and juice in a small mixing bowl.
2. Next, whisk together the pineapple juice, cider, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, and honey. Whisk until honey is combined (dissolved) with other ingredients. Set aside.
3. Heat a medium size skillet with 2 tbsp oil. Lightly sprinkle the diced beef cubes with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Place meat in the pan and then brown meat on medium high, turning beef cubes to brown all sides. About 3-4 minutes.
4. Place the browned meat in the slow cooker and sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes on top.
5. Add the chopped onion and sweet and sour pineapple sauce to the crockpot/slow cooker. Mix together.
6. Cover and cook on low setting for 5-6 hours or on HIGH heat for about 3 hours, or until the meat is cooked through and tender.
7. After the meat has been cooked, mix in the crushed pineapple and bell pepper. *Note – if you would like thicken the stew/meat mix, add the arrowroot starch slurry here.  First dissolve the arrowroot starch and cold water in a small bowl to create a slurry then mix into slow cooker.*
8. Cook on high for additional 20-30 minutes or until peppers have softened and juice has thickened.
9. Spoon meat and juice over rice or cauliflower rice. Garnish with chopped green onion and/or cilantro.

Notes:

• Feel free to use pork or turkey stew meat or pork loin as a beef substitute. Cooking times may vary.
• 1 cup diced celery may be used in place of pepper if desired.

Original recipe found here

I hope everyone is staying home and healthy, and also considering trying some new recipes or meal prep with this extra time at home we all have! I am finally going through a list of recipes I had saved to try for quite some time now, including this one that turned out absolutely delicious! This recipe is Instant Pot and Slow Cooker friendly, and did not have much prep to it whatsoever. Although I bought frozen cubed sweet potatoes and pre-cut onions and peppers, which left me with only having to cut the chicken. Either way, this recipe is definitely one of the simpler ones that I have tried. I also loved that there were peppers, green beans, sweet potato, and cauliflower rice with this meal. ALL the colors and nutrients! I had to almost quadruple the ingredients below to get enough meals for our house, so I also increased the cooking time in the Instant Pot to around 30 minutes. This was definitely over kill and my sweet potatoes paid the price, unfortunately. Just pointing this out in case you enjoy eating those chunks of potatoes instead of it getting cooked into the sauce. I would also suggest removing the potatoes and chicken while you saute the sauce at the end. Paired with some cauliflower rice and topped with raw cashews and this meal was a hit all week long. Let me know if you give it a try! 

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry (​Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. ghee or coconut oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ lbs. chicken breast, cubed
• 1 medium-large sweet potato, cubed (~2 cups)
• 1 red pepper, sliced or diced
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• ½ tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 can (14 oz.) full fat coconut milk
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• Cashews, cilantro & cauliflower rice for serving

Directions:
For Instant Pot

1. Set your Instant pot to the saute setting. Add the ghee, onion, and garlic and saute until onions are translucent.
2. Then turn to manual setting and set temp to high. Add the chicken, sweet potatoes, red pepper, broth, curry, cumin, turmeric, cayenne and sea salt. Seal the instant pot and set time for 12 minutes.
3. Once time is up, release the pressure by switching from seal to vent. Once pressure is released, remove lid and turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Stir in the coconut milk and frozen green beans and let cook for an additional 2-3 minute or until the green beans are heated through.
4. Meanwhile, saute cauliflower rice in a skillet on medium heat with 1-2 tsp. of ghee. Saute until warm and cooked through. Length of time to saute cauliflower rice will depend on if it is in a fresh or frozen state.
5. Serve over cauliflower rice and top with cashews and fresh cilantro.

For Slow Cooker:

1. In a slow cooker, add the sautéed onions and garlic, chicken, sweet potatoes, red pepper, green beans, chicken broth (1¼ cups), spices, salt, and pepper. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Add coconut milk and cook on low for an additional 30-60 minutes or until hot.

Notes:
For a thicker curry – mix together 2 Tbsp. of water with 1 Tbsp. tapioca starch. While instant pot is on the saute setting, stir into curry after the coconut milk is heated through and let set for a few minutes to thicken.

Original recipe found here

This one might very well be another staple meal prep recipe that I'll be adding to the rotation. The ingredients are minimal, prep is quick, and once it's in the slow cooker you are pretty much done! To get plenty of extra meals, I tripled most of the ingredients below with the exception of doubling the tomato paste and keeping the chicken stock at 1 cup. There was still plenty of sauce to cover all the chicken with that conversion. I did this in my Instant Pot using the slow cooker option, so at the end I did put the pot on Saute mode to reduce the sauce some and help shred the chicken. If your chicken breasts are larger, I recommend cutting them in half before throwing in the slow cooker. Anyways, I had friends in town this weekend, so I especially picked this meal out as something easy to whip up while I was busy hanging out with everyone. I paired it with an even easier and makeshift version of the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice I have posted many times before -- instead of heating everything up on the stove top, I simply microwaved some plain frozen cauliflower rice bags, then tossed in a big bowl with some fresh cut cilantro, fresh lime juice, and salt. It actually still turned out just as tasty, in my opinion, and was a great pair with this Chipotle Chicken. Grab some salsa, guacamole, avocado, lettuce, or whatever you want to top and you've got yourself a tasty meal. This recipe is definitely worth saving for a weekend or day when you have no time to meal prep and still want something delicious to eat all week long!​

Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken
Ingredients:

• ​2 Teaspoons ground chipotle chili powder
• 2 Teaspoons onion powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 Teaspoons sea salt, or to your taste
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 – 6 ounce can tomato paste, 10 Tablespoons
• 1 cup chicken stock, or water
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 1/2 pounds

Directions:

1. Whisk together the spices, sea salt, honey, and tomato paste in a slow cooker. Whisk in a small amount of chicken stock at a time until the mixture isn’t quite as thick before adding the rest of the chicken stock. Whisk until completely combined.
2. Place the chicken breasts into the tomato/spice mixture and turn to coat both sides.
3. Top the slow cooker with the lid and set the program for 4 hours on high heat or 8 hours on low heat.
4. When the cooking time is done, use two forks to pull apart the meat into shreds.
5. Serve immediately with your choice of sides. Rice/cauliflower rice are great along with your favorite taco toppings, like tomatoes, shredded lettuce, avocado, salsa, etc.

Original recipe found here

After hearing from a couple of good friends that this recipe is their favorite, I'm bringing this one back from when I last posted it in 2016. However, for some reason my sauce looks way darker then it did the last time I made it. The only difference this time around was I used my trusty Instant Pot to saute and slow cook in instead of a crock pot, and I left out the Arrowroot Flour. Which now that I write this out, I am sure that Arrowroot Flour would have lightened up the sauce color for sure. I am getting side tracked though. This meal still turned out delicious! I recommend using a can of full fat coconut milk for the most flavor. Garam Masala and Arrowroot Flour are the only ingredients that you may not have in your pantry already. Garam Masala is just a spice that you can find at most grocery stores. You can even search my site for recipes that use the spice to make sure you put it to good use! The Arrowroot Flour is just a thickening agent, which you can totally omit or swap for another thickening agent if you want. I skipped using it this time since the saute mode on the Instant Pot helps reduce/thicken the sauce up. I love these saucey recipes because I can easily heat up or microwave frozen plain cauliflower rice to pair with this, and be done with meal prep. Super easy, super quick, and super delicious! ​

​Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Organic Coconut Oil
• 3 - 4 whole Garlic, crushed
• 1 whole Onion, diced
• 1 3/4 cup Coconut Milk
• 3/4 cup Tomato Paste
• 2 Tbsp Arrowroot Flour
• 2 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Curry Powder
• 1/2 tsp ground Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder, Add more if you like it hotter
• 1 pinch Sea Salt
• 1 pinch Black Pepper
• 2 1/5 lb Skinless Chicken Breast

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat
2. Add onion and garlic, cook, stirring frequently for approximately 3 minutes or until the onions have become translucent.
3. Add coconut milk, tomato paste, arrowroot flour, garam masala, curry powder, ginger powder, and chili powder, stirring until well combined and the sauce has started to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add chicken to the slow cooker, then add the sauce and mix through the chicken
5. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours.
6. Serve with coriander and your favorite side.

Original recipe found here

My coworker was telling me about her sausage and peppers she made for dinner and I knew immediately what I was making for meal prep the following week. You are probably thrown off by the zucchini noddles and sweet potato glass noodles, but over top of all that is the Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers recipe below. I thought this entire meal turned out absolutely delicious and I seriously looked forward to eating it all week. I usually cut up the sausage more, but I was happy with cutting it into thirds for this meal - it made it extremely easy making sure I got an entire sausage serving in each meal. I found some Italian Chicken Sausages at BJ's and opted to use three bell peppers instead of two, but other then those minor tweaks I made the recipe as is. I sliced the onions and peppers the night before, so that I could wake up Sunday morning and quickly get this meal in the crockpot. The only prep left to do after that was brown the sausages and saute the onions, then everything went into the crock pot on low for 6 hours. Later in the day I spiralized about 7-8 zucchinis (this got me about 3 oz of cooked noodles in 10 meals), and I heated it on the stove top until they were soft. Besides adding some salt, I didn't flavor them with anything since I knew the sausage and peppers would have plenty of sauce. I also boiled up some Sweet Potato Glass Noodles (found at Wegman's) as my carb source in this meal. Those are just the vegetable and carb pairs I chose for this meal though. Feel free to use another spiralized or riced vegetable, whole wheat pasta, or rice instead. Of note, zucchinis are by far the easiest vegetable to spiralize yourself, so totally worth saving the extra money and skipping out on the pre-made zoodles. The two spiralizers that I own are the Veggetti (really only usable for Zucchini though) and this 5-Blade Vegetable Slicer (great for all vegetables, including potatoes). Anyways, the recipe itself was super easy to throw together and turned out tasting amazing. If you are looking for a new slow cooker recipe to make then I definitely recommend giving this one a try! 

Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil — divided
• 2 1/2 pounds Italian turkey sausage links — uncooked, in their casing, cut into thirds (sweet or spicy both work here, depending upon your preference)
• 1 large yellow onion — halved and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic — chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes — plus additional to taste
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper — cored and cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 1 large green bell pepper — cored and cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

For Serving:

• Cooked whole wheat pasta
• Zucchini noodles

Directions:

1. Lightly coat a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. Heat a large skillet over medium high. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil. Once the oil is hot, add half of the sausages in a single layer (do not crowd the pan or the sausages will not brown properly). Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on all four sides, or until the outsides are golden brown (the sausages do not need to be cooked all the way through.) Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the next 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and repeat with remaining sausages.
2. Increase the heat slightly. Add the final 1/2 tablespoon oil, then the onions, 1 tablespoon water, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions are starting to brown and become tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 additional minute, then add the wine. Let cook until the wine evaporates, scraping up any bits that have stuck on to the bottom of the pan. Transfer the onions and any pan juices to the slow cooker with the sausages.
3. Add the bell peppers and crushed tomatoes to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 hours on low or 2 to 3 hours on high, or until sausages are cooked through and tender. (I prefer and recommend the low, long cooking time, as it makes the sausages more tender, but high works if you are in a hurry.) Serve over pasta or zucchini noodles.

Original recipe found here