Assemble the recipe the night before, place in the cooker in the morning, and come home to a hot, healthy, homemade meal.
mexican-style roast sandwiches
honey barbecue shredded pork wraps
steak sandwiches with spicy aïoli
greek lamb with spinach and orzo
Salsa verde is made from tomatillos, which have a bright, tangy, almost lemony taste. You can use regular salsa verde or—for a slightly smoky flavor—a fire-roasted version.
Prep: 20 minutes slow Cook: 6 hours (low) or 3 hours (high)
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Place onion and pork in disposable liner. Top with tomatoes, salsa, broth, garlic, cumin, and black pepper. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 6½ hours or on high-heat setting for 3 hours. Serve with hot cooked brown rice and top each serving with cilantro. Makes 6 servings.
Per Serving: 297 cal., 6 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 78 mg chol., 231 mg sodium, 31 g carb., 3 g fiber, 29 g pro.
Arugula salad with citrus dressing
Mango, tomato, onion salad
Sparkling water with ginger and lemon
This recipe is ideal when you need to feed a crowd and but have no time to cook—and it’s economical too. Pork shoulder is one of the most inexpensive cuts of meat, but turns fork tender in the slow cooker.
Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 18 minutes Slow Cook: 10 hours (low) or 5 hours (high)
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Trim fat from roast. Using a sharp knife, make slits evenly on all sides of the roast. Insert garlic slices into slits. Place roast in the disposable liner.
2. In a blender combine vinegar, cilantro leaves, onion wedges, the water, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour over roast. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Place ceramic liner back in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.
4. Before serving, in a large skillet cook red onions in hot oil about 15 minutes or until tender. Carefully add lime juice to skillet. Cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes or until lime juice is evaporated.
5. Meanwhile, using a slotted spoon, remove meat from slow cooker, reserving cooking liquid in cooker. Using two forks, shred meat; discard fat. Transfer shredded meat to a large bowl. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid, tossing to coat.
6. Spoon about ⅔ cup shredded meat onto each roll bottom. If desired, drizzle with additional cooking liquid. Top each with about 2 tablespoons cooked red onions and, if desired, radishes and cilantro sprigs. Add roll tops. If desired, serve with lime wedges. Makes 10 servings.
Per Serving: 378 cal., 10 g fat (3 g sat. fat), 88 mg chol., 496 mg sodium, 34 g carb., 3 g fiber, 32 g pro.
Tomato wedges with oregano and lime
Romaine with garlic vinaigrette
BBQ pork sandwiches are always a hit. Almost everyone loves succulent shredded pork in a sweet, tangy, spicy sauce. This recipe makes a lot—12 servings—but leftovers freeze beautifully.
Prep: 25 minutes Slow Cook: 10 hours (low) or 5 hours (high)
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 4- or 5-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Trim fat from roast. If necessary, cut roast to fit slow cooker. Place roast in liner. In a medium bowl stir together ketchup, celery, onion, the water, honey, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Pour over roast in liner. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.
3. Remove meat from cooker, reserving sauce. Using two forks, shred meat; discard fat. Place meat in a large bowl.
4. Skim fat from sauce. Add enough of the reserved sauce to moisten meat (about 1 cup). Spoon about ⅔ cup pork on top of each tortilla; roll up and cut in half to serve. Makes 12 servings.
Per Serving: 326 cal., 10 g fat (3 g sat. fat), 73 mg chol., 589 mg sodium, 24 g carb., 10 g fiber, 31 g pro.
Sauteed spinach with golden raisins and pine nuts
Sliced mangoes and berries
Poblano peppers are the deep green, glossy chiles used most often in the decidedly not-skinny Mexican dish, chiles rellenos. Occasionally poblanos have a little heat but are usually very mildly flavored.
Prep: 15 minutes Slow Cook: 6 hours (low) or 3 hours (high) Stand: 10 minutes
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 2-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Place the zucchini, corn, sweet pepper, poblano pepper, ham, and paprika in the liner. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Drizzle the water over mixture in the liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3½ hours. Stir in the green onions, ¼ cup cheese, the cilantro, and milk. Remove liner from cooker. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Serve in bowls; top with remaining cheese. Makes 2 servings.
Per Serving: 251 cal., 7 g fat (4 g sat. fat), 26 mg chol., 364 mg sodium, 37 g carb., 5 g fiber, 16 g pro.
Mixed greens salad
Nectarines with vanilla yogurt
A topping of shredded carrots and lettuce adds freshness and crunch to this Mexican favorite. Optional salsa, guacamole, and light sour cream make it even better.
Prep: 25 minutes Slow Cook: 7 hours (low) or 3½ hours (high)
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Place onion in liner. Trim fat from steak. In a small bowl stir together cumin, coriander, black pepper, and salt. Sprinkle mixture over one side of the steak; rub in with your fingers. Cut steak across grain into thin bite-size strips. Add steak strips to cooker. Top with sweet peppers. Pour broth over all in liner. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3½ to 4 hours.
3. Using a slotted spoon, spoon ½ cup beef-vegetable mixture onto each tortilla. Top each serving with carrots and lettuce. Fold tortillas over filling. Makes 8 servings.
Per Serving: 298 cal., 8 g fat (2 g sat. fat), 68 mg chol., 485 mg sodium, 20 g carb., 12 g fiber, 33 g pro.
Salsa, guacamole, and light sour cream
Mexican rice
Fresh strawberries
Dijon mustard is packed with flavor but is high in salt too. Be sure to use no-salt-added tomatoes and reduced sodium beef broth to keep the stew from being too salty.
Prep: 25 minutes Slow Cook: 8 hours (low) or 4 hours (high)
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Place onions and carrots in the disposable liner. Top with meat. In a small bowl stir together the tomatoes, broth, mustard, garlic, thyme, tarragon, and pepper. Pour over meat. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place the ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Sprinkle each serving with parsley. Makes 6 servings.
Per Serving: 164 cal., 4 g fat (2 g sat. fat), 48 mg chol., 370 mg sodium, 14 g carb., 4 g fiber, 19 g pro.
Root vegetable mash
Frisee-radicchio salad
Chai
cook smart Read healthful food and exercise blogs for added inspiration and motivation.
Red jalapeño peppers are simply green jalapeños that have ripened further. They are not milder or hotter than green jalapeños, but do have a fruitier, less grassy taste.
Prep: 25 minutes Slow Cook: 9 hours (low) or 4½ hours (high) Stand: 5 minutes
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Sprinkle steak with salt and black pepper. Place onion, steak, and one of the jalapeños in the disposable liner; add broth. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4½ to 5 hours.
3. Meanwhile, for the aïoli, in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, lemon peel, lemon juice, and garlic. Add the remaining jalapeño to the mayonnaise mixture. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
4. Transfer meat from cooker to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred meat or thinly slice meat against the grain. Place meat and ½ cup of the cooking liquid in a bowl; let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Spread aïoli on cut sides of sandwich thins. If desired, remove onion from cooker with a slotted spoon and divide among sandwich thin bottoms. Discard remaining cooking liquid. Top onion with shredded or sliced beef and tomato slices. To serve, top tomatoes with arugula and sandwich tops. Makes 8 servings.
Per Serving: 314 cal., 11 g fat (3 g sat. fat), 73 mg chol., 551 mg sodium, 27 g carb., 6 g fiber, 30 g pro.
Sauteed kale, onion, and smoked paprika
Heirloom tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and basil
Baked apple halves
When the hot stew is ladled over the spinach on the serving platter, this wilts the spinach just slightly so that it stays fresh and flavorful but is just warmed through.
Prep: 25 minutes Slow Cook: 8 hours (low) or 4 hours (high)
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. In a small bowl stir together oregano, lemon peel, garlic, and salt. Sprinkle oregano mixture evenly over lamb; rub in with your fingers. Place lamb in liner. Sprinkle lamb with lemon juice. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package directions; drain. Stir cooked orzo into meat mixture in cooker. Place spinach on a large serving platter. Spoon lamb mixture over spinach. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 10 servings.
Per Serving: 347 cal., 10 g fat (4 g sat. fat), 92 mg chol., 417 mg sodium, 28 g carb., 8 g fiber, 36 g pro.
cook smart Have a plan—especially when you are eating away from home. If you’re closely watching your calories don’t get caught in the moment and cave in to making choices you will regret.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a great choice for the slow cooker. They’re flavorful and low fat, and they stay juicy—even over fairly long cooking times.
Prep: 25 minutes Slow Cook: 5 hours (low) or 2½ hours (high)
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Place jalapeños, garlic, chili powder, lime juice, and hot pepper sauce in liner. Add onion and chicken. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2½ to 3 hours.
3. Remove chicken and onion from cooker, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Using two forks, shred chicken. In a medium bowl combine chicken, onion, and the ½ cup cooking liquid.
4. Spread refried beans on tostada shells. Top with hot chicken mixture and shredded cheese. Serve with lettuce, salsa, sour cream, and olives. If desired, serve with lime wedges. Makes 10 servings.
Per Serving: 285 cal., 11 g fat (4 g sat. fat), 86 mg chol., 606 mg sodium, 22 g carb., 5 g fiber, 25 g pro.
Pineapple, jicama, avocado salad
Baby spinach salad with toasted almonds
Vanilla bean frozen yogurt
A topping of snipped parsley and chopped pimiento-stuffed olives gives this Mexican-style dish a touch of fresh flavor after it emerges from the slow cooker.
Prep: 25 minutes Slow Cook: 10 hours (low)
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Place onion in the liner; top with potatoes and chicken thighs. Drain juices from one can of tomatoes and discard the juice. In a bowl stir together the drained and undrained tomatoes, the jalapeño, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves; pour over all in cooker. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 hours. Sprinkle Parsley-Olive Topping over individual servings. Makes 6 servings.
Per Serving: 228 cal., 5 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 78 mg chol., 287 mg sodium, 25 g carb., 5 g fiber, 22 g pro.
parsley-olive topping: In a small bowl stir together ½ cup snipped fresh Italian parsley and ½ cup chopped pimiento-stuffed olives. Makes about ¾ cup.
Summer squash saute
Black beans with cilantro and tomatoes
Grapefruit granita
A ragoût is a thick, long-simmered stew of French origin that is usually cooked on the stovetop or in the oven. This slow cooker adaptation allows you to walk away and let it bubble while you do other things.
Prep: 20 minutes Slow Cook: 8 hours (low) Cook: 8 minutes
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Place chicken thighs in the disposable liner. In a large bowl stir together tomatoes, carrots, onion, broth, vinegar, rosemary, thyme, and pepper. Pour over chicken. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours.
3. Just before serving, in a large nonstick skillet cook and stir mushrooms in hot oil over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove chicken from cooker. Remove chicken from bones; discard bones. Stir chicken and mushrooms into mixture in cooker. Serve ragoût over hot cooked noodles. If desired, sprinkle each serving with parsley. Makes 8 servings.
Per Serving: 234 cal., 4 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 57 mg chol., 163 mg sodium, 33 g carb., 7 g fiber, 20 g pro.
Serving these sandwiches open-faced saves about 100 calories per serving, and it’s no great sacrifice to eat with a knife and fork—maybe even a little more refined.
Prep: 15 minutes Slow Cook: 7 hours (low) or 3½ hours (high) + 30 minutes Broil: 2 minutes
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Place the celery and onion in disposable liner; add the water. In a small bowl combine caraway seeds, ¼ teaspoon celery seeds, the salt, and pepper. Sprinkle evenly over turkey. Place turkey on the celery and onions. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place the ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3½ to 4 hours. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Add cabbage and carrots to cooker; cover and cook for 30 minutes more.
3. Preheat broiler. Using tongs, remove cabbage and carrots from cooker; set aside. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; remove and discard skin. Thinly slice or shred turkey. Discard celery and onion from cooker. Place bread slices on a large baking sheet. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until tops are lightly toasted. Turn bread slices over and top each with a slice of cheese. Broil 1 to 2 minutes more or until cheese is melted.
4. Place ¾ cup turkey and ¾ cup cabbage on each cheese-topped bread slice. Top each sandwich with about 1 tablespoon of the salad dressing. If desired, sprinkle with additional celery seeds. Makes 6 servings.
Per Serving: 341 cal., 8 g fat (3 g sat. fat), 86 mg chol., 591 mg sodium, 28 g carb., 4 g fiber, 41 g pro.
Tomatoes, Italian seasoning, cheese tortellini, and baby spinach turn leftovers from the Thanksgiving bird into a warming, welcome change-of-pace soup.
Prep: 25 minutes Slow Cook: 6 hours (low) or 3 hours (high) + 30 minutes
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 5- to 6-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Add broth, the water, chopped turkey, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in tortellini. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more or until tortellini is tender. Stir in spinach. If desired, sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese. Makes 6 servings.
Per Serving: 240 cal., 3 g fat (2 g sat. fat), 63 mg chol., 656 mg sodium, 25 g carb., 3 g fiber, 28 g pro.
high fiber 
vegetarian 
gluten free
This version of the Mexican soup called posole relies on black beans and sweet potatoes for protein and bulk. Hominy is dried and rehydrated corn. A staple of posole, it adds a delightful chewiness to the soup.
Prep: 15 minutes Slow Cook: 10 hours (low)
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Place vegetable broth, the water, sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and salt in liner. Stir in hominy, beans, and poblano pepper (if using). Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours.
3. Use a potato masher to coarsely mash the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle individual servings with snipped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Makes 6 servings.
Per Serving: 202 cal., 1 g fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 491 mg sodium, 42 g carb., 8 g fiber, 7 g pro.
*tip: To roast a poblano chile pepper, preheat oven to 425°F. Cut pepper in half lengthwise; remove stem, seeds, and membranes. Place pepper halves, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until pepper is charred and tender. Bring foil around pepper and fold edges to enclose. Let stand 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Use a sharp knife to loosen edges and pull off the skin in strips. Discard skin.
tip: Both sweet potatoes and pumpkin are high on the list as dietary sources for beta-carotene, which has been linked to the prevention of heart disease and cancer.
Sauteed greens with garlic
Broccoli slaw
Sparkling watermelon-mint tea
cook smart Of the 1,440 minutes in a day, spend at least 30 of them being active.
Most chowders get body and richness from heavy cream—or at the very least from whole milk. Fat-free evaporated milk stands in for those high-fat ingredients in this very low-fat soup.
Prep: 35 minutes Slow Cook: 7 hours (low) or 3½ hours (high) + 30 minutes
1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3½- or 4-quart ceramic slow cooker liner. Add celery, onions, potatoes, carrots, the water, clam juice, broth, thyme, and pepper to liner. Using a twist tie close the disposable liner. Place the ceramic liner in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place ceramic liner in the slow cooker. Remove the twist tie from the disposable liner. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3½ hours.
3. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. In a medium bowl combine evaporated milk and cornstarch. Stir milk mixture, clams, and sherry (if using) into cooker. Cover and cook for 30 to 60 minutes more or until bubbly around edge. Stir in vinegar just before serving. Sprinkle each serving with bacon and, if desired, green onion. Makes 6 servings.
Per Serving: 222 cal., 2 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 48 mg chol., 599 mg sodium, 27 g carb., 3 g fiber, 25 g pro.
Sauteed mushrooms with shallots and thyme
Watercress-baby romaine salad
Apples with blue cheese crumbles
