I’ve been feeling a little guilty lately knowing how I’ve neglected all you moms who rely so heavily on your crock pots. Although I’ve been slow cooking a batch of beans on a near weekly basis, my slow cooker has otherwise been collecting dusk, which is why it’s been a while since any new recipes have come your way.
Lucky for all of us, I had a serendipitous meeting with Regina Ragone, food director for Family Circle magazine while on a visit to her test kitchen recently. A registered dietitian and whiz at the stove, Regina is a former teacher of mine. We got to talking about slow cookers and how hungry her readers (and mine) are for healthy recipes. Fatty cuts of meat such as pork shoulder and short ribs thrive in the crock pot; lower fat dishes are harder to come by. So when she told me they’d just published a feature of healthy crock pot recipes, I was all over it. You can access all six of them below, along with a handful of useful tips. Logging in is required, but it takes all of a minute to do: well worth access to the recipes!
Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sliders (yum!)
If you have any healthy slow cooker recipes or recipe resources, please share with the rest of us!
Find more of my breakfast, lunch and snack recipes and “how to” cooking videos at 
Man, those look GOOD. Love Slow cooker recipes. I do one just with salsa and chicken breast to make “pulled chicken”. Great to meet you!! Lisa
Hi Lisa … I’ve done the salsa thing with pork tenderloin too. So easy!
I tried the white bean ham soup this weekend. Used 1 cup veggie broth mixed with water. Very good, and so easy because I had nearly every ingredient on hand already!
Thanks for telling me…haven’t tried it yet so good to know!
Thanks for sharing these great recipes. I almost made my favorite black bean recipe in my slow cooker yesterday but it was too late in the day to start. Here it is for anyone that is interested: http://ow.ly/ajI2V
Katie, I’d love to see some of your favorite slow cooker bean recipes or tips!
Hi Trina
My basic approach is to soak a pound of beans overnight. Drain and rinse. Put in the crock pot and cover by about 1 1/2 inches with water. Add a couple of whole cloves of peeled garlic, a couple of bay leaves, and sometimes I’ll throw in half an onion. Cook on high until beans are tender…usually 4 to 5 hours depending on the variety of beans. I have never cooked Red/Kidney beans but understand it’s important to boil them vigorously on the stove in plenty of water before cooking them in a crockpot because they contain a toxin that may not be eliminated in the gentler heat of the slow cooker.
Thanks Katie. I’ll add a bay leaf and good to know about kidney beans!
You’ve reminded me that slow cookers are great for cooking beans. I normally do them in the pressure cooker but leave them a minute too late and some will explode (black beans, I’m talking to you). Because I use a lot of beans for my cancer nutrition courses I shall remember this tip, and will check out the Family Circle links. I am an American who has long lived in the UK but I have fond memories of pouring through my Mother’s monthly copy. Thanks for sharing these links.
Thanks for sharing your stories. No Family Circle in the UK?