3 Slow Cooker Dinners for Virtual School
Slow Cooker Dinners are a life-saver in a time crunch. If you feel consumed by virtual schooling, try one of these 3 hands-off recipes so you can announce, “Dinner’s done!” even when the days feel endless.
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Planning Slow Cooker Dinners for Virtual School
I see them grocery shopping at night. Their eyes are tired and their movements slow. These are parents in the Fall of 2020. I know because I’m one of them, and also there, grocery shopping at night, filling the cart with freezer meals and juice boxes. (Sipping juice boxes helps kids focus on Zoom calls: free tip of the day.)The coronavirus pandemic delivered a stressful six months, right? But then school started. Depending on where you live, and your school choice, chances are you’re absorbing more work than ever with kids at home, in school for half the time, or needing endless virtual tech support. And then there’s the need for dinner. Apparently, every day.
I’m a fan of the Instant Pot and the Air Fryer. I love making Stove-top stir fry and roasting just about everything. But when times are tough, and I feel overwhelmed, I turn to CrockPot meals’ no-fuss, set-it-and-forget-it success. Anyone else looking for some success ( and comfort food) right about now?
Yummy Crock Pot Chicken
This slow cooker chicken combines ingredients I tend to have in my fridge and pantry ( chicken breasts, orange juice, cream cheese, Italian seasoning) to make a chicken dinner with Melt-in-Your Mouth goodness.
Cook Time can be less than the instructions describe so this is not a cook overnight meal. But it is a one-pot crowd-pleaser that you can remember to start at lunchtime. Serve up with some rice and a spinach salad, and tada! Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.
Yummy Crock-Pot Chicken
Ingredients
- 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 package dry Italian salad dressing
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 tbsp onion minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Yummy Crock-Pot Chicken
- Wash chicken and pat dry, then place it in the slow cooker. Pour melted butter over the chicken and salt and pepper it.
- Sprinkle dry Italian dressing mix over the chicken and turn it over to coat it with butter and seasoning.
- Let it cook on low for 5-6 hours.
- Mix soup, cream cheese, onion and orange juice together and pour over the chicken 1 hour before it is done.
- Stir the chicken and sauce all together until it is blended. Let cook remaining hour and serve over cooked rice or noodles.
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Baked Ziti
Stumbling upon this great recipe was a game-changer. Here’s a flavorful meal for a crowd or for a family that can’t get enough of all things marinara (mine.) With so much less prep time than lasagna or even a casserole, this easy-to-make pasta will become a family favorite. Serve with some crusty bread, salad, and endless shredded cheese, and you’re an instant (slow cooker) superhero.
Authentic Tortilla Soup
I love that this slow cooker recipe includes the word “Authentic.” As in, this is the real deal. Forget those Fake Tortilla Soups you’ve been settling for! But it’s true. This crock-pot soup is the real deal and the most authentic part? How your house smells in the morning when it’s been cooking all night.
This is my slow cooker recipe that can cook all night which should move it to the top of my Authentic List of Authentic Favorites. When I wake up in the morning smelling that dinner is ready, I feel like I’m already crushing it. This must be what people feel like after an intense morning jog.
My husband, though, does not enjoy waking up smelling dinner. He claims he’s marinating as he sleeps. But then this flavor-packed, home-cooked soup is in front of him and he stops complaining. Marinate on Virtual School Warriors, and definitely add in the frozen corn at the end for this one. It seals the (real) deal.
A Season for the Slow Cooker
It’s a tough season. Name it. Claim it. Then haul out the Slow Cooker Dinners – (Or Instapot on the slow cooker setting). When you are taking on more than it feels possible to shoulder, throw some things in a pot, turn a knob and let dinner know that it’s the one task you WILL conquer today.
