Many of us are busy and find it hard to make the time to meal prep and have a healthy meal for our family when we get home from work, school, or after a busy day of activities. Your slow cooker is a great kitchen appliance that can help make meal prepping a lot easier. Furthermore, slow cookers can be a wonderful tool to use – you can place all the ingredients into the pot in the morning and cook it low and slow all day until you get home.
All you need is minimal prep the night before or in the morning to get things started. You can also prepare and cook a meal on a day off or over a weekend to have an easy, heat-and-eat weekday dinner. Slow cookers can make many types of foods, but they are especially useful for soups, stews, and casseroles. With chillier temperatures around the corner, a heartwarming soup or savory stew is just what we’re craving.
Slow cooker meals can be very nutritious and provide a balanced meal with lean protein, plenty of vegetables, and healthy, high-fiber carbohydrates – many recipes call for fewer than 10 ingredients and prep times of under 20 minutes. As a result, they’re great for busy families who still want a healthy, home-cooked meal. In addition, you can serve a soup or stew with a side salad, fresh fruit, and/or a slice of whole-grain bread.
The recipe below features spicy chicken sausage for lean protein and a flavor boost, high-protein and fiber-rich lentils, and brightly colored vegetables for vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Lentil & Chicken Sausage Stew
Total Time: Prep: 15 min. Cook: 8 hours
Yield: 6 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 carton (32 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 3 fully cooked spicy chicken sausage links (3 ounces each), cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 celery rib, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Directions
In a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until lentils are tender.
Nutrition Facts
1-1/2 cups: 231 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 33mg cholesterol, 803mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 13g fiber), 19g protein.
Recipe from: tasteofhome.com