Looking for a way to spice up the workday AND your diet? Try a Crock Pot Friday!
We recently started this in my department and it’s been an instant hit. I’m not sure who exactly came up with the idea, but each of us takes turns picking out a healthy Crock Pot recipe. That person then sends out the recipe andwe all divvy up the ingredients. Mix it together Friday morning and you have a healthy lunch with minimal cleanup!
So far we have tried:
· White Chicken Chili
· Caribbean Sweet Potato and Bean Stew
· Vegetarian Chili
Honestly, they have all been excellent! Since we have five people in our department, it works out nicely. If you have a larger department, try sending around a signup to see if you can form groups to get together. You could even have a Crock Pot cook-off and taste test recipes from other groups within your department or other departments!
I’ve heard some people in the past express concern over the safety of using a slow cooker or Crock Pot. The University of Minnesota Food Safety department offers tips on how to be safe when using slow cookers.
Next Friday we are going to try Crock Pot Taco Soup (recipe below). If you’ve tried it, let me know what you think of it!
Crock Pot Taco Soup
Ingredients
· 1 (16 ounce) cans pinto beans
· 1 (16 ounce) cans white beans or 1 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans
· 1 (11 ounce) cans niblet corn
· 1 (11 ounce) cans Rotel tomatoes & chilies
· 1 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
· 1 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilies
· 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelopes taco seasoning mix
· 1 (1 ounce) envelope hidden valley ranch dressing mix
· 1 lb shredded chicken, ground beef or 1 lb any meat
Directions
- Cook meat and drain.
- Shred if needed.
- Add all ingredients to crock pot.
- DO NOT DRAIN CANS.
- Stir.
- Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
- Keep on low until serving to keep hot.
- Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, or tortilla chips.