When the cold weather strikes, it’s natural to crave warm, comforting food. These recipes let you feel cozy without throwing your diet out the window. Personally, I love using my crockpot year-round, especially in winter when it simmers yummy dishes. The recipes combine crockpot cooking with other methods for a delicious winter!
1. Swedish Meatballs
These are pretty regular staples in our household. They can be made leaner and higher in protein by using ground turkey or chicken. While Swedish meatballs are usually paired with mashed potatoes, substituting them with cauliflower mash can lower calories, increase fiber, and still taste just as yummy.
2. Sheet Pan Root Veggies and Chicken
Throwing it all in one pan means fewer dishes, and the flavors marry into a warm, comforting meal. Top it with some crumbled feta for some extra zing. You can mix and match your veggies as you like. This dish pairs well with Brussels sprouts, zucchini, sweet potato, and carrots.
3. Turkey Chili
The lean protein in turkey, combined with the fiber in beans, makes this meal filling on its own, but you can also add it to brown rice, a sweet potato, or noodles to make it more satiating. Remember, carbs are not bad. Everything is okay in moderation. A trick I like to use is to have carbs earlier in the day, so I have more time to burn them off.
4. Pot Roast
I have always heard of people who love pot roast, but I never truly saw the appeal until recently. I decided to make one in the crockpot, and the meat was so tender and flavorful that I am looking forward to making it again soon. We paired ours with scrambled eggs for a higher-protein meal, and a 3.5-pound piece of meat made about 5 meals. You can always freeze leftovers, too.
5. Lasagna Soup
This one is another easy-to-throw-together, all-in-one-pot, lasts-for-days, delicious meal. The noodles don’t take up much room in the soup, so it’s not super carb-loaded. This one is especially warming on a cold day. Top it with a dollop of ricotta, and it’s *chef’s kiss*!
6. Quiche
I love how versatile quiche is. Since most of the recipes above are for lunch and/or dinner, I figured a breakfast option was needed. Quiche can be delicious with just eggs and cheese, but you can get so many different flavor profiles by changing your mix-ins. I often use ham, spinach, and mushrooms. Other common mix-ins include broccoli, bacon, peppers, and various types of cheese. Quiche lasts a few days in the fridge, and I love having mine with a salad.
We hope your winter is full of warming, culinary adventures. Which of the recipes above are you most likely to try? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image via Tim Douglas on Pexels
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