Quick Dinner Dishes—All-day Crockpot Recipes

All-day Crockpot Chicken

Your family will love you for this special dish made of chicken that’s slow-cooked for a perfect blending of sweet, sour, spicy and creamy notes.  It only takes a few minutes to prepare while the rest of the work is done by the crockpot.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Marinating time: overnight or at least 6 hours

Cook time: 5 to 6 hours

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients for the marinade:

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons frozen orange concentrate
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• a dash of ground allspice
• a dash of ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
 

Other ingredients:

• 6 chicken breast halves
• 6 to 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 small bell pepper (red or green), seeded and cut into strips
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ cup cold milk
• ¼ cup cold water
 

Directions:

• In a non-reactive container with a lid or a sealable plastic storage bag, combine the marinade ingredients.  Add in the chicken breasts and toss to coat.  Marinate in the refrigerator for not less than 6 hours or overnight.
• Place the marinated chicken in the crockpot and cover with the marinade. 
• Heat butter in a saucepan and sauté mushrooms.  Add sautéed mushrooms to the crockpot.  Cover and cook on low for about 5 to 6 hours.  
• An hour before being done, add the mandarin orange sections, green pepper and ginger.  Stir. 
• In a bowl, mix together the milk, water and cornstarch and slowly stir into the crockpot.  Cook for 15 minutes more until the mixture thickens.
 

All-day Crockpot Beef

The ingredients may be few but the taste is delightfully deep and complex.  Tender and juicy beef cubes wallow in thick and full-bodied sauce to give you a truly satisfying meal for just minimal effort.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 to 6 hours

Yield:  6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 lbs. stew beef or lean chuck, cut into cubes
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 12 ounces beer
• ¼ cup flour
 

Directions:

• Coat beef cubes with half of the flour (or ¼ cup).
• Heat butter in a skillet and add in the flour-coated beef cubes.  Cook until browned slightly.  Drain off excess fat.
• In a slow cooker, combine browned beef with onion, garlic, salt, pepper and beer.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 9 hours or until meat is tender.
• In a bowl, dissolve the remaining ¼ cup of the flour in a little water and stir into the crockpot.  Turn the control to high and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.