1. Chicken on the BBQ

There is also a nutritious Dump and Go Chicken Crockpot Recipe on Steph’s Simple Kitchen.
Prep Time: 5 minutes, Cook Time: 6–8 hours, Servings: 4–6

5-Ingredient Version Made Easier:

• Three to four chicken breasts with no bones or skin
• 1 bottle of BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup of Italian dressing
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

How to do it:

1. Put the chicken breasts in the crockpot. Put Italian dressing and BBQ sauce on the chicken. Spread brown sugar and garlic powder equally over the food.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the chicken is soft and easy to shred.
3. Use two forks to shred the chicken right in the crockpot. Put it on buns, over rice, or in tacos as a filling.

Tip from the chef: If you want a stronger smoky taste, brown the chicken in a skillet before putting it in the crockpot. Adding a little apple cider vinegar makes the BBQ sauce taste better.
Change: Use skinless, boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts for juicier meat and a flavor that’s a little richer.

2. Soup with tacos

The Crockpot Taco Soup Recipe from Belle Of The Kitchen is amazing.
Prep time: 10 minutes; cook time: 6 hours; serves 4 to 6.

5-Ingredient Version Made Easier:

• 1 pound of ground beef, browned
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
• One packet of taco seasoning

How to do it:

1. In a skillet, brown the ground beef (you can add some onion and garlic for more flavor if you want). Put it in the crockpot.
2. Put in taco seasoning, black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes with green chilies. Mix together.
3. Low heat for six hours. You may serve it hot with tortilla chips or top it with shredded cheese and sour cream if you want.

A spray of fresh lime juice at the end makes the flavors pop. Before serving, cook part of the liquid on the stove until it thickens slightly. This will make the soup taste better.
Change: Use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef to make the dish lighter and save even more money.

3. Chicken with Cheesy Ranch

If you want something more, The Recipe Critic has a wonderful version of this.
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 6–7 hours | Servings: 4–6

Five-Ingredient Version Made Easier:

• Three to four chicken breasts with no bones or skin
• 1 packet of ranch seasoning
• 1 can of chicken cream soup
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

How to:

1. Put the chicken breasts in the crockpot. Then, evenly pour the cream of chicken soup and sour cream over the top.
2. Put a lid on it and cook it on low for 6 to 7 hours, or until the chicken is done and tender.
3. Take the chicken out, shred it using two forks, and then toss it back into the sauce. Add cheddar cheese on top and let it melt before serving it over rice, spaghetti, or mashed potatoes.

Tip from the chef: Let the chicken sit for a few minutes before shredding it to keep it juicy. Add a little smoked paprika or garlic powder for a stronger flavor.
Change: Use thighs instead of chicken breasts for a deeper, juicier texture. You can also use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to make the dish lighter.

4. Peppers and Sausage

This recipe from Real Food Whole Life is great!
Prep time: 10 minutes; cook time: 6 hours; servings: 4–6

5-Ingredient Version Made Easier:

• 1 pound of sliced smoked sausage
• 2 sliced bell peppers
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp of Italian spices

How to:

1. To enhance flavor and texture, lightly brown the sliced sausage in a skillet. Put it in the crockpot.
2. Add Italian spice, chopped bell peppers, onion, and diced tomatoes. Mix together by stirring.
3. Cook for 6 hours on low. If you want the sauce to taste better, reduce part of it on the burner and then toss it back into the sausage mixture. Put it on rice or on hoagie rolls.

To make the dish taste better, add a splash of white wine or broth to the pan after browning the sausage.
Use turkey sausage or chicken sausage instead for a leaner choice. You can use poblano or Anaheim peppers instead of bell peppers to change the level of heat.
Being healthy doesn’t have to be boring.

5. Chicken with Honey and Garlic

You should also try the Honey Garlic Chicken recipe from Well Plated by Erin.
Servings: 4–6 | Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 6–7 hrs

Five-Ingredient Version Made Easier:

• 3 to 4 chicken breasts with no bones or skin
• One-third cup of honey
• 1/3 cup of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp of ketchup

How to:

1. Put the chicken breasts in the crockpot. Mix together the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ketchup in a bowl. Then, pour the mixture over the chicken.
2. Cook for 6 to 7 hours on low heat, or until the chicken is soft and fully cooked.
3. Serve over rice and cooked veggies, then add more sauce on top.

Chef’s Tip: To make the chicken taste better, soak it in the sauce components overnight before cooking. Adding a little sesame oil brings out the Asian flavors even more.
To save money, use brown sugar instead of honey, or chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for a juicier outcome.

6. Beef Stroganoff

Recipe Tin Eats’ Beef Stroganoff is a hit with everyone!
Serves: 4–6 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 7–8 hours

5-Ingredient Version Made Easier:

• 1 pound of beef stew meat
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• One packet of onion soup mix
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 8 oz of egg noodles (cooked on their own)

How to do it:

1. For more flavor, brown the beef stew meat lightly in a skillet. Put it in the crockpot.
2. Put in the onion soup mix and cream of mushroom soup. Mix the ingredients together and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or until the beef is cooked.
3. Add sour cream right before serving. Serve hot on top of fried egg noodles.

Chef’s Tip: Searing the beef first gives it a deeper, more complex flavor. Adding a little Worcestershire sauce brings out the umami and depth of the meal.
Substitution: If you don’t have stew meat, you may use ground beef instead. If you want to make the dish lighter, you can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

7. Chicken Teriyaki

You should also look at Dinner at the Zoo’s beautiful Teriyaki Chicken Crockpot recipe.
For 4 to 6 people, it takes 10 minutes to prepare and 6 hours to cook.

5-Ingredient Version Made Easier:

• 3 to 4 chicken thighs with no bones or skin
• 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of ginger powder

How to do it:

1. For more flavor and texture, season and sear chicken thighs in a hot skillet. Put it in the crockpot.
2. Mix together the ginger, garlic, brown sugar, and teriyaki sauce. Pour over the chicken.
3. For 6 hours, cook on low. Serve over rice with steamed vegetables and additional sauce on top.

Chef’s Tip: A dash of pineapple juice gives a fresh sweetness that complements the savory elements. You may also add sesame seeds or green onions to the top to make it look better.
You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs, but thighs stay juicier. You can use less brown sugar or replace it with honey for a milder sweetness.
You can feed your family filling, tasty meals on a low budget. In fact, it may be a fun challenge!

8. Chili Mac

If you want something a little more, Simply Happy Foodie has a terrific Chili Mac recipe.
Prep Time: 5–10 min | Cook Time: 5–6 hrs | Servings: 4–6

A simpler version with just 5 ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef or turkey
• 1 can of kidney beans that have been drained and washed
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 packet of chili powder
• 1 cup of elbow macaroni (added in the last 30 minutes of cooking)

How to do it:

1. If you want more taste, you can brown the ground meat in a skillet. If you want to save time, skip this step and put the uncooked meat right in the crockpot.
2. Put kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and chili seasoning in the crockpot. Mix everything together. For 5 to 6 hours, cook on low.
3. Stir in the elbow macaroni about 30 minutes before serving and keep cooking until the pasta is soft. Serve hot.

Chef’s Tip: A little cocoa powder or cinnamon can make the chili taste deeper and richer without making it too strong.
Instead of ground turkey, use lean ground beef or chicken. If you don’t have elbow macaroni, you can use any little noodle form you have.

9. Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce

If you want something a little more fancy, Emily Bites has a great variation of this recipe.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 6 Hours | Servings: 4–6

A simpler version with 5 ingredients:

• Three to four chicken breasts without bones or skin
• 1 package of Italian dressing mix
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of milk

How to do it:

1. Add flavor to the chicken breasts by seasoning and searing them in a skillet before putting them in the crockpot.
2. Mix together Italian dressing mix, cream of mushroom soup, cream cheese, and milk in a bowl. Put it on top of the chicken.
3. For six hours, cook on low. Serve over rice or spaghetti, and add fresh basil immediately before serving for a bright, fragrant finish.

To add color and freshness, stir in chopped fresh basil at the end. You can also add a little garlic powder to make the flavor even better.
You can use chicken thighs instead of breasts for juicier flesh. You can use Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese to make it lighter and creamier.

10. Pork that has been pulled

We love Downshiftology’s pulled pork recipe!
Number of servings: 6–8; prep time: 5 minutes; cook time: 8–10 hours

5-Ingredient Version Made Easier:

• Pork shoulder that weighs 2 to 3 pounds
• One can of root beer
• 1 bottle of BBQ sauce
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

How to do it:

1. Put the pork shoulder in the crockpot. Add garlic powder and smoked paprika on top. Put BBQ sauce and root beer on the pork.
2. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the pork is soft and easy to shred.
3. Take the pork out, shred it with two forks, and then mix it back into the sauce. Put it on buns, in tacos, or next to your favorite sides.

Tip from the chef: Let the pork sit for a few minutes before shredding it to keep the juices in. To balance the sweetness and make the taste deeper, add a dash of apple cider vinegar.
If you want, you can switch out the cola or apple juice for root beer. You can also use pork butt instead of shoulder.