In the past, I was never much of a slow cooker/crock pot gal. I always found it hard to find time to do much dinner prep before heading to work. Slicing vegetables and browning meat before 7:30 AM is just not in the cards for me, but in the last few years, I found a few slow cooker recipes that require minimal prep work and set me up for success later in the week.

Instead of chopping and sauteeing a pound of onions before I head out the door, these recipes can be easily prepared on a casual Saturday or Sunday at home. Each one makes enough leftovers to stock your fridge or freezer – making dinner a little easier later in the week.

Cooking Dried Beans via Smitten Kitchen: Simply place a bag of dried beans in the slow cooker and cover with 2 to 3 inches of water. Cook on high for 3 -4 hours. After they’re cooled, you can portion them into small baggies and pop them in the freezer for use at a later date.

Cooking a Whole Chicken by 100 Days of Real Food: It makes the most flavorful chicken with little to no effort. I typically omit the thyme and use smoked paprika instead of regular, but other than that, follow the recipe. I try to make this on a Sunday and then use the leftover chicken in salads throughout the week. Or, I’ll throw some in the freezer to be thawed and used later in other dishes.

Making Chicken Stock via 100 Days of Real Food: Putting together homemade stock is really simple. It is even easier to do right after you’ve cooked a chicken in the crock pot as described above. Start by leaving the bones and onions in the slow cooker. Then, add pieces of one celery rib and a carrot. Fill with water (leaving an inch or two at the top) and put on low overnight. In the morning, you’ll have 6-8 c. of homemade chicken stock. Not too shabby, huh?

Carnitas from Bon Appetit: These are out of this world good and perfect for a casual evening in with friends. Let these cook throughout the day and round out the meal with beans, cheese, avocado and some salsas – easy peasy.