Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Who out there doesn’t love tacos? I don’t mean the greasy yet crunchy tacos with questionable meat sold by what I think is a clown…? Although those tacos are tasty, and have their place in college at 2 AM, they do not compare to soft tacos full of tender, shredded chicken topped with guacamole and a squeeze of fresh lime. Yum!

I’ve talked before about my affinity for slow cookers – flavorful yet simple meals ready for you when you walk in the door. Can’t be beat, right? Wrong! Let’s combine slow cooker simplicity with the deliciousness of tacos!!!

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of boneless, skinless dark meat chicken
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• Juice of two limes
• Optional toppings:
  • cilantro
  • onions
  • fresh lime juice
  • hot sauce
  • guacamole
  • salsa

Directions:

• Place chicken and garlic in your slow cooker (I have this small one – it’s on sale right now!)
• Cover with seasonings
• Squeeze lime juice over chicken (I suggest using a manual juicer to get all the juice and none of the pulp or seeds)
• Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5
• Shred chicken
• Serve on tortillas or lettuce wraps with plenty of toppings, and don’t forget the side of guac and plantain chips!
• Leftover meat will keep covered in the fridge for up to a week – it goes great on a taco salad.

I hope this taco recipe can “spice” up your weekend! For more spicy meals, check out my One Pan Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas, Taco Stuffed Potatoes with Avocado Chipotle Ranch, or Spicy Garlic Chicken Nachos. And if you like slow cooker meals, you may also like my Slow Cooker Potato and Kale Soup, Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Veggies, or Slow Cooker Meatballs – can you tell I use my slow cooker often?! I hope these tasty tacos can help simplify your life, and bring peace knowing that you are feeding your family well. Nothing beats taco night! Go ahead and get another scoop of guacamole…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small commission for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

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Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Veggies

Who doesn’t love a slow cooker meal? Minimal prep, and you come home at the end of the day, the house smells delicious, and dinner is waiting for you – pretty perfect! On one particularly Crazy day, I knew I would need to have a slow cooker meal waiting for us when we got home, and my mind instantly went to pot roast. However, upon perusing the meat section at the store, I realized that beef roast wasn’t in the budget for the week, but saw that pork roast was much more affordable!

My southern mother-in-law has often cooked pork roasts for Sunday dinners, and they are always delicious. So with that southern taste as inspiration, I made my first pork roast, and oh my word! It was delicious! It was so tender that it was literally falling apart, the fatty richness gave it a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs flavor, which was perfect paired with the lighter vegetables; we all cleaned our plates! In fact, after dinner was over, I was cleaning up, turned my back on the table, and next thing I knew, Zemirah had climbed up on a chair, eaten the remaining carrots, and another serving of pork. I urge you to try this simple slow cooker meal – fancy enough for Sunday dinners (Easter dinner maybe? 😉 ), yet simple enough for a weeknight. It’s so good, you’ll have to keep the leftovers hidden from your kids!

Serves about 8.

Ingredients:

• 3.5 lb boneless pork roast
• 8 oz of baby carrots
• 8 oz of sliced mushrooms
• 2 russet potatoes, chopped into one inch pieces
• 1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1.5 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of pepper
• 1 tsp of dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp of dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp of ground mustard
• 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of chicken stock/bone broth (homemade version here)

Directions:

• Place your prepared veggies in the bottom of your slow cooker (I have this one which is perfect for our little family)
• Place roast atop the veggies
• Season everything, kind of rubbing the seasonings into the roast (don’t worry about getting it too even, the flavors all meld together eventually)
• Add apple cider vinegar and broth on top of everything
• Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5
• Shred pork and serve, top with juices if desired
• Keep leftovers covered in fridge for up to a week

Slow cooker meals are a great way to ensure your family gets a hearty, healthy, and nutritious dinner in even on your long, Crazy days. For more slow cooker meals, check out my Slow Cooker Potato and Kale Soup, Slow Cooker Meatballs, or Spicy Garlic Chicken Nachos. In the same vein, if you have a little more time available for prep, one pan meals are a great way to get a well rounded meal on the table with minimal time or mess. For some easy yet tasty one pan meals, check out my Roasted Chicken with Carrots, Sheet Pan Salmon, or One Pan Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas. I hope you can find some meals that will easily fit into your schedule and make you feel good about feeding your family a healthy meal! Happy Easter, celebrate with family and friends…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you; just a small commission for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

Spicy Garlic Chicken Nachos

My husband and I used to eat out fairly often, and it made me so sick. (You can read more about my journey with IBS and food here) I would have unexplained (well, what I thought was unexplained) vomiting and diarrhea about two or three times a month, yet kept going back to the convenience of fast food and staying sick. Now that I avoid processed foods and eat cleaner, I hardly ever have any IBS symptoms! Feeling (and staying!) healthy and having plentiful energy is well worth the time I spend in the kitchen!

But let’s be honest…sometimes you just need a junk food fix. When we used to eat out, we would often go get chicken wings, and my favorite flavor was Spicy Garlic. Yum! One of my favorite things to do is re-make junk food classics into a healthier version – eating healthy doesn’t have to be tasteless and boring! So I created a spicy garlic chicken, decided to top some crispy potato rounds with it, and there you have it – Spicy Garlic Chicken Nachos! Serve these as an appetizer, or a big plate full for a delicious, albeit messy, dinner. Enjoy!

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

• 2 lbs of dark meat chicken, boneless and skinless
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 bulbs of garlic, roasted
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise (get my homemade version here)

For the nachos:

• 4 medium potatoes (sweet, russet, or a combo) sliced into rounds
• 1/2 tsp of salt

Toppings:

• Salsa or hot sauce
• Guacamole
• Pickled banana peppers or jalapenos
• A drizzle of ranch (get my homemade version here)
• Chopped scallions or cilantro

Directions:

• Place chicken, seasonings, and apple cider vinegar in your slow cooker
• Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours
• While chicken is cooking, roast your garlic
  • Slice the end off of the garlic bulb, drizzle with olive oil
  • Wrap in foil, then roast in a 425 F oven for 45 minutes
• During the last hour your chicken is cooking, bake your potato rounds
  • Simply lay the rounds out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet
  • Season with salt
  • Bake for 30 minutes in a 425 F oven
  • Broil for 1 to 2 minutes to get more crispiness
• Once chicken is done, shred the meat
• Add garlic (just squeeze it out) and mayonnaise
• Stir to combine
• Let the chicken mixture cook for about another 30 minutes on low
• Place “nachos” on a plate or tray, top with meat mixture, then desired toppings
• Store leftovers separate, covered, in the fridge
  • The leftover meat is also delicious stuffed in a baked potato, or with brown rice!

For more made-over junk food recipes, check out my Oven Baked Fries, BBQ Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Potatoes, or Slow Cooker Potato and Kale Soup. Pretty much all of my dessert recipes are healthier versions of classics – mama needs sweets – but my current favorites are my Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies (my most viewed recipe!), and No Bake Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust. I also recently posted Flax and Oat Pancakes; a made-over breakfast staple. I am sure you can find something to help you get your junk food fix – whether it is sweet or savory! Eat healthy foods that taste good…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no cost to you, just a small commission for me to help me stock my pantry and keep the recipes coming. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

Slow Cooker Meatballs

App Attack!

For Christmas Eve, I made meatballs in the Crock-Pot, and thought it would be the perfect appetizer to serve at a New Year’s Eve party! Growing up, we always would eat tons of appetizers and finger foods on New Year’s Eve. It was so fun getting to stay up until midnight eating snacks, drinking sparkling cider, and waiting for the ball to drop! Our most common appetizer we would have on New Year’s Eve would be spicy cheese dip…made with a block of soft maybe-not-real cheese. Always a delicious crowd pleaser, but not the most healthy. And now that I know how my body reacts to copious amounts of dairy, I generally steer clear.

So I went a little healthier (and dairy free!) this year. These meatballs are tender, cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce, and so easy to make! Simply make the meat mixture, and toss it all in the slow cooker! I hope your 2019 is a wonderfully blessed year…and I hope you ring in the new year with these Slow Cooker Meatballs!

Makes about 30-35 meatballs.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

• 2 lbs of ground beef
• 1/2 cup of almond flour 
• 2 eggs
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp of Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp of dried basil
• 2 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley
• Optional toppings:
• • Parmesan
• • fresh basil

For the sauce:

• 28 oz crushed tomatoes (no salt or sugar added)
• 28 oz diced tomatoes (no salt or sugar added)
• 15 oz tomato sauce (no salt or sugar added)
• 10 oz tomato paste (no salt or sugar added)
• 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
• 8 oz of sliced mushrooms
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp of dried basil

Directions:

• Combine all sauce ingredients in a large slow cooker (lined with these for easy cleanup!)
• Combine all meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl
• Using your hands, make sure all ingredients are well incorporated
• Shape about 2 tbsp worth of meat mixture into balls
• Place meatballs into sauce, making sure they’re covered by sauce
• Cover and cook on high for 3 hours
• Serve warm, with sauce and optional toppings
• Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for a week

For other appetizers, check out my Spicy Garlic Salsa, which is delicious with plantain chips, or my Classic Garlic Hummus…do you think I like garlic? 😛

For a beautiful centerpiece for your New Year’s Day dinner, take a look at my Ghee, Garlic, and Herb Turkey with Gravy, Sheet Pan Salmon, Celebration Steaks with Pan Sauce, or my Roasted Chicken with Carrots; all are simple and delicious!

And for sides or desserts, there are so many options, including my ABC Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Potatoes, Two Layer Paleo Fudge, Dark Chocolate Paleo Brownies, or Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies to name a few!

Let me know what your New Year’s Eve/Day traditions are! Whatever you may be doing, I pray for blessings on your new year, with lots of healthy and good food. Celebrate the new year…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links; if you purchase using the links, it is of no cost to you, just a small pantry fund for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

Slow Cooker Apple Cider

 

A Case of the Sickies and a Bottle of Rum

I think the three of us in my family have been sharing a cold back and forth for about the last month and a half. Just when I think we are starting to feel better, my throat will get scratchy, my husband starts hacking away, and Zemirah’s nose face faucet gets turned to full blast. Thankfully, no one has been sick sick, just the typical cold symptoms, but when my throat gets scratchy and sore, nothing makes me feel better than a hot drink. So when my husband and I started feeling under the weather, I made us some hot cider, and added a little rum to help our sore throats…then realized it was the perfect Christmas party punch!

So here is a simple hot apple cider recipe that you can toss in your slow cooker (I have this little one, perfect for my little family) and enjoy an hour later! It’s sweet, spiced, warm, and, with sliced fruit and cinnamon sticks, it looks pretty enough to serve at your Christmas party! If you want the adults only version, you can either spike the whole batch with spiced rum, or add shots to individual mugs. Either way you make it, this cider does in fact soothe a sore throat, smells amazing, and tastes even better!

Slow Cooker Apple Cider

Makes 2 quarts, but can be adjusted for a bigger slow cooker.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of unfiltered apple juice (the cloudy kind)
• 2 cups of water
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tbsp of whole cloves
• One Gala apple, sliced in rounds
• One orange, sliced in rounds
• Optional: 1/2-3/4 cup of spiced rum

Directions:

• Stud apple rounds with cloves on the outer edges
• Combine studded apples and remaining ingredients in slow cooker
• Cook on high for one hour
• After one hour, turn slow cooker to “keep warm”
• Serve hot in mugs (if you are not spiking the whole batch of cider, add one shot of spiced rum to mug if desired)
• Keep leftovers covered, in fridge, and reheat in your slow cooker

For another hot holiday drink, check out my Death by Hot Chocolate, and be sure to serve alongside some holiday treats, such as Molasses Cookies or Two Layer Paleo Fudge. Other treats I have on my site include: Dark Chocolate Paleo Brownies, Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Bars, No Bake Chocolate Date Cake, and Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies. It’s that time of year, so go ahead and bake you some healthier treats!

No matter what you end up making this cider for, cold remedy or holiday party, I know it will put warmth in your heart and belly; you will want to curl up under a fuzzy blanket with your cider and a Christmas movie. Stay cozy and warm…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links; if you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small pantry fund for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!