11 Back-to-School Slow Cooker Meals for Busy Moms
It’s July, but let’s be honest, if you are a mom you probably have back-to-school time in the back of your head. There’s so much organizing and planning to do for back-to-school, we’ve got to think about it earlier rather than later. Some easy slow cooker meals for busy moms will help the beginning of school to run more smoothly.
In this house we homeschool, but it doesn’t matter whether you are homeschooling or your child goes to school outside of the home, it’s a busy time. If you can have a quick dinner planned it can make it all a little easier.
Because no matter how your child is educated, there’s activities to bring them to, there’s messes to clean, there’s homework to get done, and there’s either school forms or school work to mark. It’s busy no matter which way you spin it!
Those lazy summer days are definitely over when school starts!
I like to menu plan so we know what we are eating a week at a time. It also helps having a weekly menu plan so that when your kids are asking a bunch of times a day what’s for dinner you can point them to the schedule posted on your wall or fridge.
I really enjoy using my slow cooker, especially at the beginning of getting back into routine, because I can make food earlier in the day and I don’t have to think about dinner at 5 p.m. when my brain is exhausted after a busy day of lessons.
The slow cooker is great at the beginning and the end of the school year as well, when it’s just too hot to turn the oven on. Of course, I’ll use it on those cold days too where it doesn’t matter if I use the oven but it’s really a life saver on those insanely hot school days as we don’t have air conditioning.
Basically, as you can see, I’m team slow cooker all the way! If you don’t want one I encourage you to get one, asap. You won’t regret it, trust me. Especially if you are mom. It’ll make your life so much easier at meal time.
Today I want to share with you some really great slow cooker recipes to get started with.
11 Slow Cooker Recipes for Busy Moms
- These slow cooker hot honey chicken sandwiches from Borrowed Bites are perfect for when the weather hasn’t quite cooled yet.
2. This creamy chicken pasta from The Forked Spoon is a change from your typical pasta night.
3. My favorite pop to drink is Dr. Pepper, and so I’m a full supporter of these easy Dr. Pepper Slow Cooker Pork Chops from Two Kids and a Coupon.
4. This slow cooker crack chicken from The Cookin’ Chicks looks amazing and I definitely plan to make it this year!
5. Soup season is coming, and this taco soup slow cooker recipe from Foxes Love Lemons will warm you from the inside out!
6. Every year we eat SO many potatoes, and this slow cooker potato soup from Inspiration Edit is sure to be another way we eat our spuds this year.
7. Burrito bowls are a weekly event at our house, and these slow cooker chicken burrito bowls from Two Healthy Kitchens are a fantastic idea.
8. More of a taco person rather than burritos? Try these slow cooker tacos from Killing Thyme.
9. These Crock Pot sloppy joes from The Slow Roasted Italian are sure to be a family favorite! In my experience, everyon loves sloppy joes.
10. Tired of the same old red sauce type of chili? Try this easy Crockpot white chicken chili from Love from the Oven.
11. If you’ve never had Korean beef I encourage you to try it as it’s amazing! Try this recipe from I Heart Eating.
Make more Time in your Schedule by Simplifying Meals
The slow cooker is an excellent way to save you time and energy in the kitchen. And let’s not forget how it will probably reduce your stress as well. School time can be overwhelming for moms. The more we can do to make it easier on ourselves, the better we are at being present for our kids for the things that really matter.
Some of my other favorite recipes to make during the school year that don’t use the slow cooker are homemade pizza, cheesy pizza casserole, and pancit. I enjoy meals that are quick to whip up and are crowd pleasers, as well as dishes that make a lot because I’ve got two very hungry teenagers in the house!
Aside from my slow cooker, I really am enjoying my air fryer that I bought not long ago. While I definitely should have got a bigger one (hindsight is 20/20) it’s really helped me at meal time. One of my favorite things to make in the slow cooker is diced potatoes. The air fryer allows me to add potatoes to many meals in about 15 minutes.
I’ve yet to figure out how to make decent air-fried vegetables (besides potatoes) in it though, so if any one has figured out the secret, please let me know!
