7 slow cooker dinners to have going before the bus leaves in the morning

Morning is the only part of the day I can count on. The bus leaves at the same time whether or not I have thought about dinner, so I load the slow cooker while the kids are still finding shoes. These 7 dinners cook untouched for the rest of the day, and by the time everyone is home the only job left is putting bowls on the table.

Pot Roast Freezer Meal

A boneless beef chuck roast seasoned with paprika, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, and garlic powder makes a deeply flavored pot roast that can be slow cooked or pressure cooked from frozen. Liquid aminos and beef bone broth go into the bag with the roast before everything is sealed and frozen, meaning the only work left on cooking day is starting the machine. Radishes cook down alongside the beef and take on a tender, savory quality. This freezer meal makes 8 servings and takes 20 minutes to assemble.

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Korean Barbecue Beef Freezer Meal

The Korean barbecue marinade gets its depth from liquid aminos, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, grated ginger, garlic, and hot sauce, combined with golden monk fruit sweetener and beef broth before being frozen with the boneless beef chuck roast. Once pulled from the freezer, the whole package goes straight into an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Xanthan gum thickens the cooking liquid into a sauce, and green onions with fresh cilantro finish the dish. It serves 6 and takes 30 minutes to put together.

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Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Dried split peas, cubed ham, carrots, celery, yellow onion, and garlic cook in chicken broth and water alongside a bay leaf, thyme, and pepper for four hours in the slow cooker. The split peas break down into a thick, substantial soup that serves 10, and the prep before that long cook comes in at just 15 minutes. Fresh parsley finishes each bowl. The slow cooker does all the work after those first 15 minutes, which is exactly the point of this kind of cooking.

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Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

Chicken breasts are browned and then slow cooked with barbecue sauce, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder for four hours. After shredding, the chicken gets served with a homemade coleslaw built from mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sugar, and celery seed that adds crunch and creaminess to each portion. The recipe makes 6 servings and needs just 15 minutes of prep before the slow cooker takes over.

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Creamy Ranch Chicken Freezer Meal

Everything for this recipe goes into a freezer bag raw: chicken breasts, cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, chicken bone broth, and a seasoning mix of dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper. From the freezer, it goes straight into the Instant Pot or slow cooker, no thawing required. The finished dish comes together in 35 minutes total and serves six, finished with sharp cheddar and sliced green onions.

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Crock Pot Taco Soup

The beef is browned with white onion in a skillet before going into the crock pot with cream cheese, canned tomatoes with green chilies, beef broth, heavy whipping cream, and a mix of chili powder, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Four hours of slow cooking brings everything together into a rich, creamy soup. The one-skillet prep keeps the beginning simple, and sour cream goes on at the table to finish each bowl. It makes 8 servings.

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Creamy Garlic Chicken Freezer Meal

Bacon and cream cheese give this garlic chicken its richness, alongside apple cider vinegar, dried chives, dried dill, and red pepper flakes that round out the flavor. The ingredients go into a freezer bag raw and cook straight from frozen in the Instant Pot or slow cooker, taking 45 minutes in total. Sharp cheddar and xanthan gum are stirred in at the end to finish the sauce, and the recipe makes eight servings.

Get the recipe: Creamy Garlic Chicken Freezer Meal