What can you do today to make dinner easier next week? Plan for this easy crockpot recipe…
When you think ahead about meals you want to make next week, life is so much easier. An easy crockpot recipe is perfect for this.
Getting ahead of dinnertime and planning in advance are so helpful in the kitchen. Dinnertime doesn’t have to be hard, it just takes a plan. You might be thinking to yourself that you don’t even know what you are going to eat for lunch today, but don’t worry about that…
You can start getting ahead for next week even if today isn’t decided.
Meal planning at the end of one week makes the next week easier.
And here’s a great recipe to plan ahead. It’s one of my easiest recipes for meal planning! Check out this easy crockpot recipe, and then we’ll walk through each step to make it super easy.
Easy Crockpot Recipe: Whole Chicken and Veggies
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
-One whole 4-5 lb. chicken
-4 whole carrots
-4 whole celery stalks
-1 tbsp onion powder
-1 tbsp garlic powder
-1/2 tbsp paprika
-Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Wash veggies and cuts ends. (no need to wash the chicken)
2. Place them whole in the bottom of your slow cooker (6.5 qt or larger is best).
3. Place the whole chicken on top of the veggies and sprinkle the chicken with the seasonings.
4. Put the top on the slow cooker, set for 6-8 hours. Done!
(want more veggies – add whole skin-on red potatoes and/or fresh or frozen green beans with one hour left in cooking time.)
Here are the steps for easy meal prep of this easy crockpot recipe:
1. Decide what day you want to eat this meal. (can be this week or next week)
2. What day will you go to the store for the ingredients? (plan for only one to two days ahead of time so you don’t have to freeze a whole chicken)
3. Shop
4. When you get home from the store, wash, dry well, and store the carrots and celery – you don’t even have to chop them!
5. Store the washed and dried veggies in air-tight containers in the fridge
6. Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Place in air-tight container and keep them on the counter until you need them.
7. Store whole chicken in fridge in sealed wrap you bought it in
Voila! You are ready to throw the ingredients in the crockpot on the morning you want to eat this delicious & easy crockpot recipe.
-I’m always asked about putting broth or some kind of liquid in this recipe. It doesn’t need it! The chicken will produce it’s own broth. If you want to cut your veggies up ahead of time, it’s a great idea.
-Want more veggies? If your crockpot can hold it, you can add quartered red potatoes and green beans when there is about 1 hour left on the cooking time.
It’s easy, delicious, whole food that can feed your family quickly! If you’re cooking for one or two, this makes great leftovers that can be portioned into storage containers and refrigerated up to 3 days.
It’s this easy to think ahead and meal prep for next week with easy crockpot recipes like this one!
Want more simple recipes like this one? Join us in my free, private FB community: PRACTICAL MEAL PLANNING MOMS!
