Hands up, who is busy and tired? Raise your hand if you didn’t raise your hand because you are tired in your soul? We listen to you.
Here at the Healthy Mummy we are all busy moms too, and YET our little families still seem to demand to be fed everyone. BACHELOR. NIGHT.
This is where your friend comes in the slow cooker. If ever there was an appliance that had mothers in mind, this is it. And thanks to the 28-day weight loss challenge, you’ll never be short of slow-cooker recipes.
Now, while some traditional slow cooker recipes require multiple steps, browning meat, pre-cooking onions, we say NO.
Today we have ten recipes for 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge which are literally pull and follow. You put in the ingredients, press the buttons (please don’t skip this step, it’s very disappointing to come home with a raw meal), and then walk away and get on with your life.
Here we go….
10 Prepare and Forget Slow Cook Dinner Recipes for Busy Moms
1. Slow-cooked ragout sauce for pasta
OK, so you’ll have to boil some pasta to accompany this succulent sauce, but even the tiredest mom can handle that, right? Any leftovers will be a welcome lunch the next day.
Ingredients (makes 4 servings
) 500 grams of lamb stem, skinless and fatty 1 whole onion, sliced (100 grams) 2 garlic cloves, diced (6 grams) 2
- medium carrots
- 2 celery stalks, diced (80 grams
- cup liquid meat broth, reduced salt (250 mls
- 400 grams canned tomatoes
- teaspoon dried rosemary (1 gram)
- 120
- grams
- whole-grain
- (24 grams)
, diced (140 grams)
) 1
)
1
pasta, any form 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Method
- Place all ingredients, except pasta and parmesan, in the slow cooker and simmer for 8 hours
- When ready, remove
- Return the lamb to the ragout sauce and stir to combine.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Divide the pasta evenly between 4 bowls and top each with some lamb ragout and a pinch of parmesan to serve.
.
the lamb pieces from the ragout and crush all the meat from the bones.
450 calories per serving
2.
Lamb Chickpea Harira Soup
A filling, hot soup, made simply by combining the ingredients in a slow cooker and letting it do all the work. Make it ahead to serve the whole family or to divide into individual portions for your week’s lunch.
Ingredients (makes 4 servings
) 600 grams of lamb shoulder, trimmed 1 whole onion, diced (100 grams) 2 celery stalks, diced (80 grams) 1
- medium carrot, diced (70
- garlic cloves, chopped (6
- 400 grams canned tomatoes
- tablespoon curry powder (4
- teaspoon cinnamon (1 gram
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (8 grams)
- 4 cups liquid meat broth, reduced salt
- cups water (1000 mls) 400
- green olives, pitted and sliced (25
- fresh cilantro, chopped (15
- 1/4 cup reduced-fat Greek plain yogurt (65 grams
- canned
grams) 2
grams)
1
grams) 1
)
(1000 mls) 4
grams canned chickpeas 1/2 cup
grams) 1/4 cup
grams)
) Method: Cut the lamb into cubes and combine with onion, celery, garlic, carrot,
tomatoes
, curry powder, cinnamon, lemon zest, broth, water and chickpeas (rinsed and drained
- ) in the slow cooker and simmer 6-8 hours
- When ready to serve, stir the olives and divide between four bowls. Top with cilantro and a tablespoon of yogurt.
.
405 calories per serving
3. Taiwanese Chicken
This is an amazing chicken dish with slightly spicy Taiwanese inspired flavors. This recipe freezes well, so why not double it and freeze a family-sized serving for another meal?
Ingredients (makes 4 servings
) 8 chicken thighs, skinless (480 grams) 1 tablespoon soy sauce, reduced salt (15 mls) 2 teaspoons hot
- chili sauce, e.g. Tabasco (10
- teaspoons coconut sugar (8
- crushed (6 grams
- teaspoon ground ginger (1 gram) 1
- liquid chicken broth, reduced salt (250 mls
- cup brown rice, Uncooked (80
- medium carrots, sliced (140
- 2 cups green beans, trimmed (240
- 200 grams pak choi or choy sum
- tablespoon fresh chives (5 grams)
mls) 2
grams) 2 garlic cloves,
) 1
cup
) 1/2
grams) 2
grams)
grams)
1
- Method Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker and top with the soy sauce, chili sauce, coconut sugar, garlic, ginger and broth. Cook for 5 hours or until the chicken is very tender.
- About 30 minutes before the chicken is ready, cook the rice according to the package instructions and steam the carrot, beans and vegetables.
- Divide the chicken evenly between four plates and serve with cooking juices, rice, and vegetables on the side. Sprinkle over chives to serve
371 calories per serving
4.
Slow-cooked porcupine dumplings
While this recipe uses homemade dumplings, you can always buy a package of the lean, pre-made variety for a quick and easy family favorite.
Check out the recipe HERE
5. Roast lamb simmered with potatoes and mint peas
You can beat a leg of roast lamb! And to speed things up, skip the lamb browning first, it still tastes 110% great.
Ingredients (makes 6 servings
) 1 kg
- lamb shoulder, trimmed
- dried Italian herbs
- 6 medium potatoes
- 3 brown onions, peeled and chopped (300
- 1/2 cup liquid vegetable broth, reduced in salt (125 mls
- 2 cups frozen peas (320
- 4 teaspoons mint leaves (5 grams)
, 4 teaspoons
(4 grams)
, chopped (720 grams)
grams)
)
grams)
Method
- Rub the lamb with the dried herbs and a teaspoon of salt and place it in a baking dish surrounded by potatoes and onions.
- Pour the broth on the plate and simmer for 6-8 hours.
To serve
: When ready to serve, boil the peas until tender. Combine peas with mint while still hot. Divide lamb, potatoes, onions, and mint peas evenly among 6 serving dishes.
365 calories per serving
6. Healthy Slow Cooked Asian Chicken
Put down the phone, you don’t need to call for takeout when you can prepare a meal like this so easily. Tender chicken and full of delicious Asian flavors, this chicken dish is a winner. Best of all, there are only 320 per serving INCLUDING rice, so it’s an idea if you’re following the 28-day weight loss challenge.
Check out the recipe HERE
7. Lamb tagine with pistachios and chickpeas
Delicious lamb shoulder, with lots of hot spices and the sweetness of dates and fresh orange juice will put a smile on your face as you get into.
Ingredients (makes 4 servings
) 600 grams of lamb shoulder, trimmed 1 whole wheat onion, thinly sliced (100 grams) 1 teaspoon ground cumin (1 gram) 1 teaspoon cinnamon (1 gram) 1 teaspoon ground cilantro (1 gram) 1
- teaspoon ground turmeric
- smoked paprika
- boneless dried dates (85 grams
- /2 cup fresh orange juice (125 mls
- 1 tablespoon orange zest ( 16
- grams
- 240 grams canned chickpeas
- 1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
- )
- fresh herbs and pistachios
(1 gram) 1 teaspoon
(1 gram) 1/2 cup
) 1
)
)
1/4 cup pistachios, unsalted, finely chopped (30 grams) 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (30 grams)
(30 grams
Lamb Method
diced. Place all ingredients, except
- , in the kitchen
- Divide between 4 bowls and sprinkle with fresh herbs and pistachios to serve
. Simmer for 6 hours.
415 calories per serving
8. Canned beef and cabbage
This is the recipe that goes on to give. Leftovers make AMAZING sandwiches the next day for the whole family. Canned beef is often quite inexpensive, so this is an inexpensive meal.
Ingredients (makes 4 servings
) 600 grams of
- roasted corned
- cup liquid meat broth, reduced in salt (250
- cider vinegar (15 mls
- caraway seeds (4
- grams)
- cups white cabbage, Grated
- 2 whole grain onions, thinly sliced (200
- potatoes
- chopped (360
- cup frozen peas (160
- 1 tablespoon reduced-fat Greek plain yogurt (20 grams)
- salt and pepper
beef (silverside) 2 cups water (500 mls) 1
mls) 1 tablespoon
) 1 tablespoon whole cloves (4 grams) 1 tablespoon
2
(100 grams)
grams) 3 medium
,
grams) 1
grams)
salt and pepper Method Place all ingredients, excluding peas and yogurt in the pot and simmer for 8 hours. About 10 minutes before ready to serve, steam the peas until tender. Crush with yogurt and season with
- Cut the beef and divide it between four dishes with vegetables to cook and juices poured on top
- Serve with mashed peas on the side
.
.
449 calories per serving 9.
Beef burgundy
This classic dish is very easy in this recipe. Come home with the tantalizing aroma of slow-cooked beef in red wine.
Ingredients (makes 4 servings
) 400 grams steak
- , e.g. casserole steak
- cooked red wine
- tomato passata (500 mls) 2 cups
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs (4 grams
- ) 240
- grams fettuccine
- salt and pepper
2 brown onions (200 grams) 240 mls
2 cups
whole mushrooms (200 grams)
Method
- Cut the meat into cubes. Peel the onion and cut it into segments.
- Place all ingredients, excluding fettuccine, in the pot and simmer for 6 hours.
- 15 minutes before being ready to serve the cook pasta according to the package directions.
- is ready, separate the pieces of meat with two forks and combine in sauce.
- Serve the meat sauce on top of the fettuccine. Season with salt and pepper.
When the meat
439 calories per serving
10. Slow-cooked beef breast with roast cabbage
Do you know the shredded meat you love so much when you go out to dinner? It’s actually super simple to make at home.
Now, this simmered beef breast recipe suggests you serve it with roasted cabbage, but you’re not going to do that because you’re so tired you’ve just found your keys in the fridge. Instead, you’re going to serve the beef
separately with a simple mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables, or even just serve it with some salad in a wrap.
Ingredients (makes 6 servings
) 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (10 mls) 1 leek, sliced (80 grams) 1kg grams beef breast 1 tablespoon natural wholemeal flour (10 grams) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (15 mls) 1 tablespoon tomato paste (16 grams) 1 and 1/2 cups
- liquid meat broth, reduced salt (375
- red cabbage
- tablespoon
- oil
- melted (15
- 2 cups cauliflower, diced (200
- /4 cup reduced-fat milk of your choice (62.5 mls
- 1 teaspoon butter (4 grams
- salt and pepper
mls) 2 cups
(200 grams) 1
coconut
,
mls) 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (1 gram)
grams) 1
)
)
Method
- Put the breast in the slow cooker with leeks and extra virgin olive oil
- Combine the flour, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and broth and pour over the breast
- Simmer for 8 hours.
- About 40 minutes before the breast is ready, cut the cabbage into segments and combine it with coconut oil and caraway seeds.
- Place on a baking sheet and in the oven for 30-40 minutes, for roasting.
- Ten minutes before the breast and cabbage are ready, steam the cauliflower on the stove or microwave until very tender.
- Crush with milk and butter and season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the breast and cooking sauce between 6 dishes.
- Serve with an even amount of roasted cabbage and cauliflower puree.
- Leftover breast can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or frozen for another meal.
.
.
416 calories per serving
Access thousands of recipes in the
28 Day Weight Loss Challenge!
Our 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge is a family-friendly breastfeeding program designed FOR MOMS to help them address their health and lose baby weight.
Each week you are given a different meal plan to follow and each month we add new recipes to our Challenge Recipe Center. That way, you’ll never get bored and stay on the path of weight loss while delving into healthy and delicious recipes.
Learn more about our 28-day weight loss challenge HERE
