One-pot cooking is a convenient and easy way to turn a handful of staple ingredients into complete, comforting meals or decadent desserts with minimal fuss. Whether you’re using a Dutch oven, skillet, Instant Pot, or slow cooker, this hands-off approach reliably delivers delicious results, whether you’re preparing a weeknight dinner or an impressive dessert.

Best of all, you get a delicious, home-cooked dish with only one pot or pan to wash, making clean-up a breeze.

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Dive in to discover 25 flavorful ways to let your slow cooker do all the work!

Easy Crock Pot Recipes for Breakfast

Christmas Morning Breakfast

Wake up to a fully loaded crock pot breakfast casserole with hash browns, bacon, peppers, eggs, and cheese. It’s a holiday lifesaver that can be prepped the night before, freeing you up to enjoy the morning. Serve it with apple cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, and banana bread for the ultimate festive spread.

Find the full Christmas Morning Slow Cooker Breakfast recipe here.

The post 25 Set It & Forget It Crockpot Recipes You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

Using leaner ground meat like lean ground beef or ground turkey is an excellent way to prevent this hearty Tex-Mex mac and cheese from becoming overly rich or greasy. This allows the bright flavors of the tomatoes, zesty taco seasoning, and creamy toppings to truly shine through.

Making this entire taco mac and cheese dish in a single skillet is a sure way to add convenience to your weeknight family dinners, with significantly less cleanup to follow. Easily adapt the level of heat in this dish and serve with your favorite taco toppings!

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When’s the last time you had guests over for a healthy, simple old-fashioned lamb stew? No extras or frills? Just a one pot meal, sitting around a cozy table with good friends? This time we mixed lamb and beef together in this hearty easy beef and lamb stew.

I love the month of March, because I know spring is on its way, and St. Patrick’s Day recipes are fun to share. We originally shared this recipe back in March of 2020.

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I love an easy chicken recipe! This Curried Chicken Divan is a true comfort dish any time of year. With a creamy, cheesy saiuce, this 9×13 dish is made with juicy chicken breasts, tender broccolini, and the homemade sauce. It’s topped with panko bread crumbs, and is light and tasty served over brown rice. It’s a family favorite, and I’m sure your family will love it, too.

The history of this dish originated from the Divan Parisien Restaurant at Chatham Hotel in New York City, where it was served as the signature dish in the early twentieth century. So it’s been around for a long time. My mom used to make this dish back in the 70s for us girls.

Curried Chicken Divan

My version of easy Chicken Divan uses broccolini in the filling and the panko gives a light crunch on top. If you can’t find broccoli in the grocerty store, you can use small broccoli florets. Either way, it’s a great chicken recipe!

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Oh I love a good slow cooker soup recipe, especially during busy times or the holidays, when you have out of town guests coming. This chicken soup is made with simple ingredients, and it’s another great Skinnytaste recipe! It has amazing flavors, light and healthy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

It’s great to get a main dish recipe cooking in the slow cooker early in the morning, and know that you’ll have a tasty dinner ready to serve in the evening. That is why I love crock pot recipes, especially soup in the wintertime.

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I love a tried and true pasta dish to serve company! Sugo di Carne means “gravy of meat” English, a meat sauce that’s a staple of Italian cuisine, especially in Tuscany. The sauce is out of this world, made with very simple ingredients (beef bottom round, butter, onions, and wine), also known as ragù or Bolognese, depending on the region.

Sugo di Carne

We’ve been making this Sugo so Carne since for a very long time (this recipe has been on our blog since 2014). It’s always a holiday favorite. This recipe originally it came from Bon Appetit’s “RSVP: Readers’ Favorite Restaurant Recipes” from their December 2007 edition.

This recipe was first inspired from Caffe Mingo, in Portland, Oregon–one of our favorite restaurants to visit when we go to the city. I love that you can make this recipe days ahead of serving (it tastes even better), and that all you have to do is cook your favorite pasta.

Why I love this recipe

• Our guests will often say, “bring back Sunday supper.”
• Recipe is so easy to make ahead (days ahead).
• The longer it sits, the better the flavor.
• You can serve this sauce over any pasta.

When you mention Italian (or Sunday) meat sauce, most people will immediately think of those monuments of Italian cooking, the ragù alla napoletana and the ragù alla bolognese, sauces that require hours of cooking and an elaborate preparation. So we really love this dish for special occasions.

Gather these ingredients

• Unsalted butter
• Beef bottom round (beef top round roast is another option!)
• Red onions
• Bottle of Chianti wine (or other fruity wine)
• Can of whole tomatoes
• Brewed espresso (we use Storyville coffee)
• Dark chocolate (our secret ingredients)
• Penne pasta, (we use DeLallo)
• Parmesean cheese
• Fresh parsley

How to make Sugo di Carne

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook beef until browned, about 4 minutes per batch. (Use 1 stick of butter, divided with the batches of meat.) Transfer beef to large bowl.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the other stick of butter to pot and melt. Add onions and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
4. Return beef and any accumulated juices to pot. Add wine, tomatoes with juice, and espresso. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.
5. Braise beef until tender, about 2 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl and with 2 forks, shred the beef.
6. Take the juices and puree in blender (I use my Vitamix). Pour the sauce back into the dutch oven.
7. Return beef to the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Add the secret ingredient: Add about 2-4 ounces of premium dark chocolate and allow to melt into the sauce.
9. Cook Pasta: Cook in pot of salted boiling water until tender, but still firm to bite. Use a pasta with ridges to adhere to sauce. Divide pasta among 12 shallow bowls, spoon meat sauce over, and serve, or serve in one large bowl.

Tips and substitutions

• This espresso braised beef pasta dish is delightful. Make the sauce recipe up to three days in advance and let the flavors steep!
• You can halve the recipe, or freeze half of the meat mixture before adding to the pasta.
• My favorite cut is beef top round roast (boneless) which is usually less costly than beef bottom round, and to my taste is more tender and savory.
• We only use Storyville Coffee beans, so making two cups of rich, dark, robust espresso just makes the sauce even better.
• Use your favorite pasta (we love Delallo brand).
• After you braise the meat, you blend or mill the sauce. Secret to blending hot stuff? Never put the lid on the blender. Hold a paper towel over the top and blend on “low.” That way it won’t explode! (I’ve done this too many times with hot soups.)
• What is the secret ingredient? We learned this in France last year, to add a hunk of dark chocolate. It really adds to the flavor!

Storage

Store in the refrigerator in airtight container for up to 3-5 days! The flavor gets better and better. You can also freeze what you don’t use. We often will freeze half of the sauce. It’s easy to defrost and serve for an another amazing meal.

Serving

1. Make ahead 3 days if you can for best flavor. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before serving.
2. Garnish each serving with Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

Keep the meal simple! We love to serve this pasta dish with an epic green salad, hot herb bread, and a good glass of wine. Very simple with robust flavors.

TWO WAYS TO SERVE: Optional to serve this with the sauce mixed into the pasta (see some of the photos), or you can serve pasta in the dish, and add the sauce, cheese, and parsley on top. We love to serve this in soup bowls, because the sauce can run on the plate. Althought that is not a bad thing.

More pasta dishes to try while you are here

• Pot Roast Pasta
• Healthy Ground Chicken Pasta
• 4-ingredient Pasta Bake
• Rustic Chicken Penne Pasta

Print

Sugo di Carne

Enjoy an amazing Italian dish of Sugo di Carne, made with rich, savory flavors of butter, beef, onions tomatoes, and wine–served on pasta.

Recipe adapted from Caffe Mingo’s restaurant, downtown Portland, Oregon. Amazing pasta sauce that feeds a crowd!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 457kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
• 1 5-pound beef bottom round cut into 2 inch cubes (beef top round roast is another option!)
• 3 large red onions halved, thinly sliced
• 1 750 ml bottle Chianti or other fruity wine
• 1 28 oz peeled tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup brewed espresso
• 2-4 oz premium dark chocolate optional
• 2 pounds penne pasta or your favorite kind (I use DeLallo brand)
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley finely chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large ovenproof dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook beef until browned, about 4 minutes per batch. (Use 1 stick of butter, divided with the batches of meat.) Transfer beef to large bowl.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add the other stick of butter to pot and melt. Add onions and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
• Return browned beef and any accumulated juices back into the pot. Add wine, tomatoes with juice, and espresso. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.
• Braise beef until tender, about 2 hours. After 2 hours, using slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl and with 2 forks, shred the beef. Set aside.
• Take the juices from the pot and puree in blender (I use my Vitamix), then pour the sauce back into the pot.
• Secret STEP: If you want to add a secret ingredient to the sauce, add 2-4 oz of premium dark chocolate. Allow to melt.
• Return the shredded beef back into the pot with the sauce. Mix together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• COOK THE PASTA: Cook pasta in pot of salted boiling water until tender, but still firm to bite. Try to use a pasta with ridges to adhere to sauce.
• When ready to serve, add pasta to individual bowls, and add sauce on top; garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Or, you can add the cooked pasta to the sauce and gently mix together and serve.

Notes

Reposted from 2014 on RE.

Nutrition

Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

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I love a good chili recipe! Fall reminds me of slow cooker meals, earlier dinners with family and friends, and just an overall cozier feel to hosting.

When I think of cozy foods, I think of slow cooker and one-pot recipes, when you know you have a busy day ahead, or you don’t have time for dinner prep. This is where this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chili comes in handy!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chili

You can shred the pork or leave it in chunks, like we did. Great either way! Each bowl is delicious served with cornbread, Southern Spoon Bread, and a fresh green salad. This recipe comes from The Foolproof Family Slow Cooker cookbook, by Valerie Brunmeier.

Why I love this recipe

• It’s a great “one pot recipe” that you can start making in the morning.
• Such a savory, delicious chili to serve for guests.
• Pork is reasonably priced, so this chili is more affordable.

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Our Shepherd’s Pie made made with mashed sweet potatoes is an ode to the chillier days of autumn that are here. The fresh flavors of lemon and white wine are beautifully accompanied by late summer produce, like zucchini and warm sweet potatoes. To make this vegetarian, you can skip the ground turkey and just pack it full of veggies.

Shepherds Pie with Sweet Potatoes

This recipe serves 8, so you can halve the ingredients if you don’t have many mouths to feed. But let me tell you, the leftovers are to die for! I just love it for dinner served with a basic salad and maybe a hot piece of garlic bread. Delish.

Why I love this recipe

• It’s packed full of veggies and has a sweetness to it (with the sweet potatoes).
• It is a versatile recipe (use your favorite veggies, or use regular mashed potatoes).
• Everyone loves this comfort dish!

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I love to feed people, which is why I’m sharing this delicious Paprika Sweet Potato Chicken Thighs today! This chicken recipe is a delicious comfort meal that is perfect served in the fall, and good enough for company. The chicken is mixed with soft sweet potatoes in a paprika sauce that makes the best chicken stew! We love this recipe because we are also osweet potato fans!

Paprika Sweet Potato Chicken Thighs

This savory recipe is a great weeknight meal to get simmering on the stove, and it smells so good. You may have already tried my Paprika Chicken Thighs (a little different recipe made with regular potatoes), which is also great. And if you love to serve your dinner on a platter, try this Chili Lime Chicken Thighs Platter. Or this Pesto Chicken Thighs Sheet Pan Dinner!

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