crockpot Archives · Jess in the Kitchen

Pork Burrito Bowl

Our family is entering the life of crazy evenings due to kiddo commitments. I am not ready for that season of life, but it’s coming whether I like it or not. Sitting down to a family dinner that is healthy and wholesome is important to my family and me. We plan on holding tight onto those meals around the table as long as we possibly can and is just the reason I put together this Mexican Pork Burrito Bowl.

So enter this week where we have engagement after engagement after school. We have some go to “quick” meals, but I wanted to switch it up. After an early morning wake up, I starting researching pork loin Mexican-inspired recipes, and couldn’t find anything I loved so I developed this little guy that has tons of flexibility! Love a stew? Maybe add a little more broth and top with some fun tortilla chips. Need more substance? Make a few cups of rice or couscous, put a 1/2 cup in a bowl and top with the pork. And what makes it even better? It all goes in a slow cooker so you’ll walk into a house that just smells marvelous and dinner will be totally ready in 10 minutes flat! Doesn’t get much better than that!

Your ingredients

1 pound pork loin
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, dried minced garlic, and cumin to season pork
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used unsalted)
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (this had added salt)
16 oz (2 cups) chicken stock, low sodium
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup diced onion, diced (about 1 small)
1 jalapeño, diced (I am not a lover of spicy food, and this was perfect. Don’t let the whole jalapeño scare you)
1 cup diced pepper (I used yellow)
1 cup frozen corn
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried minced garlic (feel free to do fresh!)

Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla strips, it’s endless!

Optional sides: brown rice or couscous. Awesome to serve under or mix in as a stew.

Your Steps to Pork Burrito Bowl

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Then mix the 1/2 teaspoons of salt, pepper, cumin, and dried minced garlic in a small bowl. Massage seasoning into the pork loin and place into the slow cooker.

Stir in the remaining ingredients into the crockpot. Set on low and cook for 8-10 hours (I did 10, and the pork just fell apart). Remove the pork loin from the slow cooker and shred. Stir back into crockpot. You’re ready to serve!

I made some quick brown rice to serve underneath the pork burrito stew and we topped it with cheese, but I wished for some cilantro and tortilla strips. A few days later, I found some left over couscous in the fridge and it needed to get used up. I put some pork burrito stew on top of it and brought it for lunch. I actually think the couscous was better than the rice. Either way, they make it hearty enough to be a solid meal while still being healthy and wholesome.

Pork Burrito Bowl

Craving some Mexican-inspired food? This Pork Burrito Bowl comes preps together quickly and goes right in the crockpot for an easy meal!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings

Equipment

slow cooker

Ingredients

1 pound pork loin
1/2 teaspoon each: salt pepper, dried minced garlic, and cumin to season pork
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes unsalted
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
16 oz 2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
1/2 cup diced onion diced (about 1 small)
1 jalapeño diced
1 cup diced pepper yellow or orange
1 cup frozen corn
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried minced garlic

Instructions

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Then mix the 1/2 teaspoons of salt, pepper, cumin, and dried minced garlic in a small bowl. Massage seasoning into the pork loin and place into the slow cooker.
Stir in the remaining ingredients into the crockpot. Set on low and cook for 8-10 hours (I did 10, and the pork just fell apart). Remove the pork loin from the slow cooker and shred. Stir back into crockpot. You’re ready to serve!

Notes

Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla strips
Optional sides: brown rice or couscous. Awesome to serve under or mix in as a stew.

Keyword crockpot, pork, slow cooker

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

February 15, 2020January 23, 2022

JessLeave a comment

Honey and Soy Garlic Chicken

I love chicken. But we are a hunting family, so our primary protein source is venison. And chicken can be expensive. But when we have it, I am all about seasoning it with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and minced onion, and sticking it under the broiler with some veggies. It’s the perfect, no-nonsense meal that I could eat multiple times a week. My kids, on the other hand, get sick of the quick and easy meal. So when I said I wanted chicken for dinner the other night, they moaned and groaned. I am not a mom who is a short order cook. We all eat the same thing at our house unless it’s leftover night. Thus, this delicious and simple honey and soy garlic chicken was born.

So, because I am a good mom, I switched up my normal routine and put together some Asian-inspired chicken in the crockpot and then got to making other creations in the kitchen. (Once I am in the kitchen cooking, I’m hard pressed to leave!). Now to get cooking!

Your ingredients (for 5-6 servings):

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, if you are the spicy sorta person!)
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
steamed broccoli (I am all about the heads and the stems. Use it all!)
cooked brown rice

Your Steps to Honey and Soy Garlic Chicken

Spray a crockpot with olive oil cooking spray. Layer the bottom with the chicken. Mix honey, soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, garlic, ginger, oil, pepper flakes, and onion. Pour over chicken . Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours. I flipped it halfway so it got coated on all sides. After 2 1/2 hours, remove chicken and cut into bite size pieces. It isn’t shred worthy yet, so slicing is the way to go (but it is so moist!) If you wanted to cook the chicken longer, you could get it to shred worthy temperature!

Any who…pour the sauce from the crockpot into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, whisk the cold water and cornstarch together in a small mug or bowl. Once the sauce is boiling, slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture. Continue whisking sauce until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour over the chicken. (I combined them back in the crockpot). Serve over rice with steamed broccoli. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if you them for a little texture!

I do hear you…”You only cooked it for 2 1/2 hours? Who has the right timing for a dinner that cooks 2 1/2 hours?” I did get home from work earlier than normal, so this dinner was a cinch to throw together and get to other things. You could totally cook this on low for 4-6 six hours and have a shreddable chicken. You do you and make it work for you and your family. Here’s to a dinner together that everyone enjoys!

Honey and Soy Garlic Chicken

A simple Asian-inspired crockpot chicken that pairs well with rice and steamed broccoli

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 30

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
5 cups cooked brown rice
Steamed broccoli

Instructions

Spray a crockpot with olive oil cooking spray. Layer the bottom with the chicken. Mix honey, soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, garlic, ginger, oil, pepper flakes, and onion. Pour over chicken.
Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours. I flipped it halfway so it got coated on all sides.
After 2 1/2 hours, remove chicken and cut into bite size pieces. If shredded chicken is what you enjoy, cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Pour the sauce from the crockpot into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, whisk the cold water and cornstarch together in a small mug or bowl.
Once the sauce is boiling, slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture. Continue whisking sauce until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Pour over the chicken. Serve over rice with steamed broccoli. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if you them for a little texture!

Keyword broccoli, Brown Rice, chicken, crock pot, honey and soy, slow cooker

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

January 18, 2020January 12, 2022

JessLeave a comment

Crockpot Granola

The crockpot. Under utilized at my house and I realize how much I love it every time I use it…and then I promptly put it away for another month or so. I can’t be alone on that one, right? Any who, I eat overnight oats for breakfast five or so times a week. It fills me up and makes my taste buds dance. If you’re looking for a new recipe, this recipe is my go to and mixes together in literally 5 minutes. One complaint I hear about overnight oatmeal is the lack of texture. I get it. So I like to top mine with some extra walnuts, almonds, or granola. And let me tell you, this homemade crockpot granola is the way to go!

The inspiration came from sitting with a cup of coffee at my sisters, flipping through magazines. I saw a crockpot granola recipe and I was inspired! I promptly got home and made my own take on granola, and here it is for you. It isn’t too sweet, so if you have a sweet tooth, you may want to add a little more honey or maple sugar. When mixed with vanilla Greek yogurt, it is perfect for me. Give it a try. Then personalize it to your own liking and enjoy on its own, with yogurt, or with some milk.

Your ingredients for Crockpot Granola

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries and apples (or any combination of your favorite dried fruit!)
1 cup nuts of your choice (I used pecans)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Your Steps to Crockpot Granola

Liberally spray a crockpot with cooking spray. Then mix all ingredients in the crockpot, making sure to evenly distribute the honey and coconut oil. Cook on high for 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Watch closely for the last half hour as it can burn easily and who likes cleaning a burned on crockpot? Definitely not me. This recipe does make quite a lot of granola. That’s okay! Less prep later, right? As long as you keep it in an air tight container, it should keep for quite some time. Enjoy! —Jess

Crockpot Granola

Homemade granola: simple and so much better than store bought. Better than that, it is made in the crockpot to minimize the work. Big win!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Equipment

slow cooker

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries and apples or any combination of your favorite dried fruit!
1 cup nuts of your choice
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Liberally spray a crockpot with cooking spray.
Then mix all ingredients in the crockpot, making sure to evenly distribute the honey and coconut oil.
Cook on high for 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Leave the cover slightly ajar so that moisture can escape.
Watch closely for the last half hour as it can burn easily.
Allow to cool by spreading onto a baking sheet. Store cooled granola in an airtight container.

Keyword crockpot, granola, slow cooker

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!