7 Items to Keep on Hand for Great Slow Cooker Meals

Oct 19 | Frugal Living, Grocery Saving Tips

Simple Ingredients to Keep on Hand for Slow Cooker Meals

Do you love using your slow cooker? It’s the perfect appliance for getting a hot meal on the table with little effort and little expense. But do you know which items to keep on hand if you own a slow cooker? There are in fact, a few ingredients that can help you get a meal on the table quickly, even if you haven’t planned ahead. Take a look at these 7 items to keep on hand for great slow cooker meals, so you can put a meal together even at the last minute.

1. Canned cream soups.

You can dress up so many cuts of meat with a can or two of creamed soup. Cream of mushroom, celery, and chicken soups all dress up chicken and pork nicely. You can pour a can over your cut along with some water, seasonings, and vegetables if you have them and have a tasty dish in no time.

2. Barbecue sauce.

Make quick slow cooker ribs or slow cooker chicken when you add in the cut of meat along with some barbecue sauce. You can also add chopped onions if you wish to add some extra flavor, but even the sauce alone will dress up the meat nicely.

3. Ranch mix.

Dried ranch mix can spice up your chicken and even a beef roast nicely. Just sprinkle the mix in and add some butter and you will have flavorful chicken or roast that your family will love. If you have fresh veggies you can add them, but the ranch mix does well on its own.

4. Onion soup mix.

No fresh onions on hand? No problem! Dried onion soup mix can really dress up a cut of meat. Just add it along with some water and it will flavor the meat nicely. Of course you can add fresh veggies if you have them, but if not the onion soup mix is quite flavorful alone.

5. Rice and noodles.

You can bulk up any meal with some rice or noodles. Add rice or noodles along with the cream soup of your choice for a fast meal. You can also use them to make quick casseroles, soups, or stews. Rice and noodles are both cheap when bought in bulk, so stock up.

6. Certain cuts of meat.

Try to keep certain cuts of meat in your freezer so when you need to toss a quick meal in you can. Simple ribs, chicken breasts, or even an inexpensive roast all do well in a slow cooker. If you see these items on sale, stock up for future meals. They are so easy to dress up and prepare in a slow cooker.

7. Dried seasonings.

Stock up on dried seasonings. This doesn’t mean just salt and pepper, but seasoning salt, garlic salt, chili seasoning, taco seasoning, beef stew seasoning, Italian seasoning and ranch and onion soup mix as mentioned above. All of these seasonings can be added to your slow cooker along with some water for a fantastic meal.

Make sure you are slow cooker ready when you keep these 7 slow cooker must haves on hand. They are sure to come in handy when you are preparing your next slow cooker meal in a pinch!

I’d love to know what you make most often in your slow cooker?

Related articles:

• 18 Food items you should always keep in your pantry
• 7 seasoning spice recipes you can make at home
• 7 things you may not have considered cooking in a slow cooker
• 5 unique ways to use your slow cooker