Crockpot Meal Prep: 9 Slow Cooker Recipes for the Week

Ingredients in the morning, five portions in the evening: with a slow cooker, meal prep almost happens on the side. Here are 9 easy recipes – with portions, storage and freezing tips.

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The 9 recipes at a glance

1. Beef goulash – 4 portions
2. Chicken curry with chickpeas – 4 portions
3. Chili con carne – 5 portions
4. Pulled pork – 6 portions
5. Pumpkin soup – 4 portions
6. Lentil stew – 5 portions
7. Chicken drumsticks with potatoes – 4 portions
8. Apple cinnamon porridge – 5 portions
9. Bolognese – 6 portions

How to meal prep with a slow cooker

• Fill level: fill the pot about halfway to two-thirds – that way everything cooks evenly.
• Keep the lid on: every lift costs heat and extends the cooking time.
• Little liquid: hardly anything evaporates in a slow cooker. Use less broth than you would in a pot on the stove.
• Brown ground meat first: better texture, more flavor, less fat.
• Cool quickly: don't leave finished food sitting in the pot for hours – cool it in shallow containers and get it into the fridge within about two hours.
• Label well: dish and date on every container – more in freezing meal prep.

1. Beef goulash

Portions: 4

Ingredients

• 1¾ lb (800 g) beef stew meat
• 3 onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1⅔ cups (400 ml) beef broth
• Salt, pepper, caraway seeds

Instructions

1. Put the onions on the bottom of the pot.
2. Mix the meat with paprika, tomato paste and spices and place on top.
3. Pour in the broth, lid on: 8 hrs on LOW or 4–5 hrs on HIGH.
4. Thicken with a little cornstarch to taste.

Storage / freezing: fridge 3 days, frozen up to 3 months.

2. Chicken curry with chickpeas

Portions: 4

Ingredients

• 1⅓ lb (600 g) chicken breast, diced
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz / 400 ml)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp curry paste or curry powder
• 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves

Instructions

1. Add everything except the coconut milk to the pot.
2. Cook 4–5 hrs on LOW or 2.5–3 hrs on HIGH.
3. Stir in the coconut milk and cook another 15 min.
4. Portion into containers with rice.

Storage / freezing: fridge 3 days, frozen up to 3 months (rice separately).

3. Chili con carne

Portions: 5

Ingredients

• 1 lb (500 g) ground beef, browned
• 2 cans kidney beans
• 1 can corn
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper, 1 onion
• 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder

Instructions

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet (better texture, less fat in the pot).
2. Add to the pot with all remaining ingredients.
3. 6–8 hrs on LOW or 3–4 hrs on HIGH.
4. Season to taste, let cool, portion.

Storage / freezing: fridge 3–4 days, frozen up to 3 months.

4. Pulled pork

Portions: 6

Ingredients

• 3¼ lb (1.5 kg) boneless pork shoulder
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder, salt, pepper
• 1 onion, sliced into rings
• ⅔ cup (150 ml) apple juice
• BBQ sauce for serving

Instructions

1. Rub the meat all over with the spice mix.
2. Onions and apple juice into the pot, meat on top.
3. 8–10 hrs on LOW, until it falls apart with two forks.
4. Shred and mix with a little cooking liquid and BBQ sauce.

Storage / freezing: fridge 3–4 days, frozen up to 3 months (with a little liquid).

5. Pumpkin soup

Portions: 4

Ingredients

• 1 red kuri (Hokkaido) squash (approx. 2 lb / 1 kg), diced, skin on
• 2 carrots, 1 onion
• 1 piece of ginger
• 3⅓ cups (800 ml) vegetable broth
• ¾ cup (200 ml) coconut milk or cream

Instructions

1. Add vegetables and broth to the pot.
2. 6 hrs on LOW or 3 hrs on HIGH, until everything is soft.
3. Blend, stir in the coconut milk, season to taste.

Storage / freezing: fridge 3 days, frozen up to 3 months – ideally freeze without cream and add it when reheating.

6. Lentil stew

Portions: 5

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (300 g) brown or green lentils (dry)
• 2 carrots, 2 potatoes, 1 leek
• 1 onion
• 5 cups (1.2 l) vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf, marjoram
• Vinegar to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse the lentils, add to the pot with vegetables and broth.
2. 6–7 hrs on LOW or 3–4 hrs on HIGH.
3. Remove the bay leaf, season with vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. Optional: warm through some sausages at the end.

Storage / freezing: fridge 3–4 days, frozen up to 3 months (potatoes get a bit softer).

7. Chicken drumsticks with potatoes

Portions: 4

Ingredients

• 4 chicken leg quarters
• 1¾ lb (800 g) waxy potatoes, halved
• 2 carrots, 1 onion
• ⅔ cup (150 ml) chicken broth
• Paprika, thyme, garlic, salt

Instructions

1. Potatoes, carrots and onion on the bottom of the pot.
2. Season the chicken, place on top, pour in the broth.
3. 6 hrs on LOW or 3–4 hrs on HIGH (internal temperature at least 165 °F / 74 °C).
4. For crispy skin, put briefly under the broiler.

Storage / freezing: fridge 3 days. Freezing works, but the potatoes get mealier.

8. Apple cinnamon porridge

Portions: 5

Ingredients

• 2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (or steel-cut oats)
• 2 apples, diced
• 4 cups (1 l) milk or oat milk + 1¼ cups (300 ml) water
• 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 pinch of salt
• Maple syrup to taste

Instructions

1. Lightly grease the pot, add everything and stir.
2. 2–3 hrs on LOW, stirring once halfway. For steel-cut oats, more like 6–7 hrs on LOW.
3. Fill into jars; add a splash of milk when reheating.

Storage / freezing: fridge 4 days, frozen up to 2 months.

9. Bolognese

Portions: 6

Ingredients

• 1⅔ lb (750 g) mixed ground beef and pork, browned
• 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 2 cans tomato purée (passata)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ⅔ cup (150 ml) red wine or broth
• Oregano, salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Brown the ground meat and add to the pot with all ingredients.
2. 8 hrs on LOW or 4 hrs on HIGH.
3. If too runny, reduce uncovered for 30 min.
4. Portion without pasta.

Storage / freezing: fridge 3–4 days, frozen up to 3 months.

Dump-and-go prep: freezer bags

The idea: you chop all the ingredients for one dish at once, pack them raw into a freezer bag and freeze it. On cooking day, the contents simply go into the pot.

1. Pick suitable recipes: goulash, curry, chili, pulled pork and lentil stew work well. Add coconut milk, cream and dairy only at the end.
2. Prepare the bag: stand the freezer bag in a measuring cup and fold the edges over – that makes it easier to fill.
3. Fill: vegetables, meat, spices and tomato paste go in; broth or canned tomatoes can be added fresh on cooking day.
4. Freeze flat: press out the air, lay flat, label with recipe, amount of liquid and date. Keeps about 3 months.
5. Thaw: move the bag to the fridge the evening before. Don't put it into the slow cooker frozen – otherwise it takes too long for the food to get safely hot.

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FAQ

Keep reading

• Pressure cooker for meal prep: which one is worth it?
• Rice cooker or multicooker for meal prep: which is worth it?
• Freezing meal prep: keep cooked food tasting great
• Meal prep containers compared

Disclosure / affiliate: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay stays the same. Cooking times are guidelines – they vary by appliance and fill level.

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