UPDATED 11/26/13

With the release of my new cookbook, Comforting Eats, I wanted to add to this list, 14 more Slow Cooker and Freezer Meals! The eBook is now available and the spiral bound is available for pre-order and will be ready before Christmas! Also, check out this GREAT Deal on a Programable and Portable Crock Pot now on Amazon (Not sure how long this deal will last)!

So between my blog and 2 cookbooks, there are over 40 Slow Cooker & Freezer Meals that I know you will love!

NEW Slow Cooker recipes in Comforting Eats:

Tomatoes & Okra
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Brunswick Stew
Slow Cooker Curry Chicken
Delicious Tomato Basil Soup
Tasty Bolognese Sauce
Instant Marinara & Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash
Garden Veggie Marinara
40-Minute Pot Roast
Beer Braised Smokey Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Tomato Gravy
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Melissa’s Meatloaf with Spicy Tomato Sauce
Asian Pork Ribs

Satisfying Eats Crock Pot Meals:

10-Minute Chili
Crock Pot Turnip/Collard Greens
Amazing Pot Roast with Mushroom Gravy
Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Cauliflower-Potato Bisque
Cranberry Preserves
Cream of Garlic Mushroom Soup
Crock Pot Apple Butter
Crock Pot Chicken & “Rice” Soup
Crock Pot Pork Loin
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Crock Pot Chicken Chili
Crock Pot Stroganoff
Green Summer Chili
Sweet, Tangy & Spicy BBQ Sauce
Ultimate Cheeseburger Soup
Zesty Italian Chicken Stew

Fall is ALMOST here! Slow cookers are great to use in the summer so you don’t have to turn on your hot oven, but they are really nice when the weather starts getting cooler! It’s still HOT & HUMID here in Louisiana so right now I am using it to keep the house cool and for convenience. Now that I have 2 little ones, slow cooker meals are just the way to go! I now actually have 3 cookers!

The newest addition to my slow cooker family is this one from Hamilton Beach.

My new BEST friend

Here is what I LOVE about the Hamilton Beach 33265 6-Quart Programmable Insulated Slow Cooker:

It was around $70.
It is 6 quarts. Not too big or too small.
It only weighs around 5 lbs so it is very light weight.
It’s programmable. You can program it to cook for up to 10 hours. It will then switch to WARM and stay warm for an additional 10 hours unless shut off.
You can sear your meat on top of the stove in the pot. I LOVE this! You can cook anything in a slow cooker, but for it to taste good, roasts and stew meats really need to be browned to bring out the flavors. Being able to use the same pot and not have to transfer it is WONDERFUL! One less pot to wash!
The base is not hot so I don’t have to worry about my 2-year-old touching the outside of it and burning his little fingers.
The handles are insulated as well so I can just lift the pot out of the cooker without using pot holders.
EASY clean up! The insert is a non-stick aluminum. NO more stuck on food or having to soak the crock for 2 days!
It uses less energy and doesn’t heat up the house like other cooking methods!

What I wish was a little better:

The lid doesn’t fit snug. That hasn’t been a problem, I just didn’t expect this.
I wish there was a delayed start. I have read mixed reviews that this may not be a good feature anyway due to fact that uncooked food shouldn’t be kept at room temperature for long amounts of time.
Because the cooker itself is non-stick, you must use wooden or plastic utensils to insure you don’t scratch it.
Non-Stick. I normally don’t use non-stick cookware, but since a slow cooker never gets to high temperatures, I personally don’t worry about it in this case.
The warm setting like most I have read about do more than just keep the food warm. It didn’t boil water, but it did continue to cook the food. I don’t know if this could be avoided unless you turned it off after the specific cooking time has been reached. This is probably a safety issue. Food should be maintained at a certain temperature to insure nothing harmful starts growing on it.
It is not portable like others are. Check out this Crock Pot if you really need portability. However, you lose other features which is why I didn’t choose it.
The size is a little different from the other 2 I have. This one is deeper and not as wide.

If you are looking for the Deluxe Slow Cooker, check out these Ninjas! Portability, searing meat in it’s own pot and on its own burner! It was double the price but from all the reviews I have read, it seems like the best of all worlds!

How to store meals in the freezer

When storing food in the freezer, be sure to LABEL your food! I couldn’t tell you how many containers of food that are in my freezer that I have NO clue what is in them! I call them my Mystery Meals! Check out these labels to make it less of a mystery! You will also need SAFE storage containers. Glass Mason jars work great. Here are some other glass storage containers PERFECT for your freezer meals (and come in bigger sizes)!

Glass Storage Containers

So now there is NO excuse not to be able to prepare a healthy meal! I hope you enjoy these yummy grain-free slow cooker meals, and that you add them to your upcoming menu! Why not have a different Slow Cooker meal every night!