2 Ingredient Crockpot Meals
I don't know why it has taken this long to embrace the crockpot.
Like, seriously what the eff was I waiting for?!
Crockpotting has become my saving grace for when Michael is craving pot roast or we want a hearty slow cooked winter stew. But, most recently it's also helped me keep my sanity on nights where I go to the gym or have a late work meeting/function.
Plus who honestly wants to turn on an oven in the middle of the summer, am I right?
So many of the crock pot meals I have been making are super customizable and allow me to tweak as necessary to fit into my nutrition practice and macro plan. {More on why I am obsessed with tracking macros here!} Even better, you can also flex your meals up or down depending upon how many people you need to feed. For the two of us, when I'm making chicken I typically stick with two good size breasts, unless we want leftovers.
From spicy to sweet and everything in between, here are my three favorite crockpot meals that only require two ingredients...yup, you heard right TWO INGREDIENTS.
Classic Buffalo Pulled Chicken:
Chicken breast
Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
What to do:
Simply spray your crockpot with your fave non-stick cooking oil, place chicken and cover with buffalo sauce. You want enough sauce to adequately cover the chicken breast, keeping in mind it will thicken a bit and burn off slightly, so don't be shy. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until chicken easily pulls apart with two forks. If you're feeling firey, slather a little more buffalo sauce on it and give it a good stir.
How to serve:
This buff chick goes great on rolls, in wraps or even simply over rice. Lately, as seen above, I've actually been obsessed with eating my pulled chicken over butternut squash. I roast up the cubed squash on a sheet pan with a little coconut oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper at 450 for about 20 minutes, or until the cubes are tender. It may sound weird, but don't knock it till you try it! The subtle sweetness of the squash compliements the spicy buffalo so well. And don't forget your toppings! Michael and I love to add shredded romaine, chopped tomato, blue cheese - and for me creamy avocado.
Tomatillo Mango Pork:
1 organic pork tenderloin {I used about 1.5 lbs}
What to do:
Spray your crockpot with non-stick cooking oil, place pork and cover with salsa. I also like to add a little fresh cracked black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until pork easily pulls apart with two forks.
How to serve:
I've only made this once BUT it was a complete winner. Michael loved it, especially the leftovers. You HAVE to use that Trader Joe's salsa, it's amazing. There are even some black beans and corn in it, which was an added surprise. We enjoyed our shredded pork with white jasmine rice {well, Michael did!} and tender green beans. I sautéed fresh green beans in a little Fourth & Heart Magagascar Vanilla Bean Ghee with sea salt and fresh black pepper, until they softened a bit, and again that gentle sweetness went so well with the smoky, spice of the tomatillo salsa. I of course had to add avocado to my bowl as well...healthy fats baby! I'm sure this would be wonderful with some additional fresh chopped mango on top, I definitely plan on doing that next time around. Oh and maybe some fresh cilantro too, yum!
Salsa Verde Chicken:
Chicken breast
1 jar salsa verde
What to do:
Spray your crockpot with non-stick cooking oil, place chicken and cover with salsa verde. I also add a little fresh cracked black pepper and ground cumin - no extra salt needed! Salsa verde tends to have more than enough sodium. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until chicken easily pulls apart with two forks.
How to serve:
This is a staple in our house. I love all things Mexican {side note we are going to Isla Muejeres for our honeymoon...bring on the tequila and guac!} so this happens to be one of my favorite easy meals. The serving options are endless, we've done everything from making tacos with warmed corn tortillas, to serving over rice or alongside black or refried beans. I also was able to finally snag a bag of Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips at my local Whole Foods and those certainly didn't disappoint.
Crockpot life is the best life my friends! Let me know what you throw in yours :)
- Xo Kelly