https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:08:42 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2819271 Sun, 29 Apr 2018 22:27:12 +0000 irene 2819271@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Thanks! I will have to check it out...</p> <p>@gingerbebe: Yeah, I am starting to think maybe it is me and I just don't like braised meat. And I do have a ton of 30-ish min stovetop / oven recipes that I love. I just couldn't find the equivalent in slow cooker recipes. I am reluctant to give up on the slow cooker because of its convenience.</p> <p>There are several things, like Japanese curry which you can buy the seasonings in boxes from asian grocery stores (inside it looks like chocolate cubes), they are so good and flavorful I distracted me from caring about the texture of the meat. Bummer is DS doesn't eat curry. So I just wonder if there were such unicorns out there that was good and it is not curry. </p> <p>Thanks for the Crockpot365 reference! I will google it and check it out before I throw in the towel to give up or continue to tolerate my bland slow cooker meals :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2819133 Sat, 28 Apr 2018 16:40:36 +0000 gingerbebe 2819133@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think maybe you just don’t like braised meat. It is by default shredded or soft meat that is greasier because its tougher and fattier cuts of meat. </p> <p>I will say my favorite chicken cut is boneless skinless thighs for the crockpot BUT the best cooking time is like 4 hours and not all day long. So I think if you can adjust the cooking time that might help. Google “crockpot365” and there’s a blog by Stephanie Odea who has a zillion recipes for the crockpot. Her apricot chicken and Vietnamese chicken are delicious and I usually just serve it with rice and stir fried green beans.</p> <p>For beef, I only like beef chuck roast I have cubed and trimmed myself. Pork I like shoulder, butt, or country style ribs (which is the shoulder or butt cut into thick strips). We make baby back ribs in the crockpot too - toss in dry rub and put in the crock with no other liquid for 4 hours, then baste with BBQ sauce and broil in the oven to caramelize the sauce.</p> <p>Perhaps you need quick 30-ish minute stovetop recipes or stir fries or sheet pan meals. It seems like what you want is more a one pot meal with all the components done in one step. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2819120 Sat, 28 Apr 2018 14:13:17 +0000 Foodnerd81 2819120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: have you tried cooking dark meat chicken with the bone in? I feel like that is one of the best ways to keep the texture, though yes, it will still be mushy. I like this maple Dijon chicken drumsticks recipe, and the drumsticks aren’t so mushy and shredded- but they do still fall off the bone (which I like, I don’t like dealing with bones).<br /> <a href="https://www.skinnytaste.com/crock-pot-maple-dijon-chicken-drumsticks/" rel="nofollow">https://www.skinnytaste.com/crock-pot-maple-dijon-chicken-drumsticks/</a> </p> <p>I also like to make boneless chicken thighs in barbecue sauce and shreds it for pulled chicken sandwiches- it’s supposed to be shredded that way. </p> <p>And I make salsa chicken for tacos or taco rice bowls. Again- pretty much shredded anyway. I just don’t really like cooking meat and prefer to let the slow cooker do it for me. :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2819084 Sat, 28 Apr 2018 10:15:06 +0000 looch 2819084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: An easy way to degrease is to put it in the fridge, so that the fat layer rises to the top, then you just scoop it out. It does make the meal into leftovers though, so I am not sure if that would be an option.</p> <p>Another thing I thought of is beans, the slow cooker is a great way to cook dried beans (I buy canned, because I am a lazy cook).</p> <p>I honestly thought the slow cooker would change my life, but it really didn't. I like to have it for the few things I do cook in it but I would say it gets used about three times a year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2819050 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 20:18:22 +0000 irene 2819050@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jennibenni: I have tried it once, but it seriously didn't make a difference to me. It was so troublesome so I gave up. Hmm. I guess I could try it again.... </p> <p>To me, pot roast is a piece of rough meat that is very bland and rough. Either that or it gets super overcooked and shredded/mixed altogether with the sauces, which tasted exactly like everything else I made with a slow cooker regardless of what I add in it, ack, I hated that. I never get the magic of why people make pot roast. It has to be something I am messing up over here.. maybe I need a new pot lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2819047 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 19:59:05 +0000 Jennibenni 2819047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: Do you sear your meat before going in the crockpot? I mostly use the crockpot to cook chuck roast, either alone or as part of a stew. But I always always season it and then sear it on high heat on the stovetop before slow cooking. If I don’t do that, I really don’t care for the taste or texture of the way it comes out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2819045 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 19:48:26 +0000 irene 2819045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I tried ribs and short ribs before, yes it is so tasty, but it is also very greasy that turned me off. I don't have a "device" that separates out the grease, so it is time consuming and messy to remove that half a pot of grease. </p> <p>Back when I was a child, we didn't have a slow cooker / crock pot, my mom would slow cook things on a stove for hours, and they taste good, the meat was soft and tasty. Grrrr. What am I doing wrong :-( I guess I could ask her but I would be inviting unlimited criticisms from her in terms of how I am doing everything wrong in life lol</p> <p>@Baby Boy Mom: Thanks! Good advice on the time -- I started doing that and the stew meat is still rubbery rough. I believe that was beef chunk cubed I used. I guess I might have to give up on my slow cooker also. grrr. It is just a charming idea though, you put everything in in the morning, and dinner is ready at night. I just wish it tastes better. Sad thing is when dinner is served, while DS chucks it down and DH didn't say anything, I don't even want to eat what I made lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2818934 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 11:53:43 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2818934@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have any recipes for you but I agree that everything in the crockpot comes out sort of mushy and doesn't taste nearly as good as on the stove. The only meal we actually like in the crockpot is beef chuck cubed because it's supposed to be soft. And my trick is when it says 4-6 hours, 4 is plenty of time and more than that makes mush. Honestly the ONLY reason I have kept my crockpot is for making bone broth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2818845 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 08:41:47 +0000 looch 2818845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: Short ribs? I like how those come out in the slow cooker. I also like how a pork shoulder comes out ( I cook mine in a mixture of citrus juices as opposed to a can of soda), but more often than not, I don't really care for how meat comes out in a slow cooker. I drain away the liquid and do "pulled" style meat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2818772 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 22:21:45 +0000 irene 2818772@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all!</p> <p>Other than ending up completely bland, the texture of my beef also always, ALWAYS end up rough and unappertizing after 6 hours of cooking. I tried marinating it in corn starch prior to cooking and it didn't help. Any thoughts / tips?</p> <p>@skinnycow: @bhbee: Thanks! I believe the 12 cloves of garlic and red wine will make magic... but then it could be me, but most of my recipes look like that and for some reason they always always come out tasting the same. </p> <p>I also made a similar Beef Rago recipe, my beef was so cooked and shredded so easily that it never hold its form and just became a big shredded mess when mixed with egg noodles. Grrrr. And everytime you make these things you end up with a big pot and I have to finish them for days after. </p> <p>@gingerbebe: Thank you! I will check out the link!!</p> <p>@josina: Thanks ! But I can't do anything with a stick of butter as DH has cholestrol issues (and I can't do that either myself as an aging middle aged woman lol)... I guess that's why my stews always tasted blehhh :meh: I do agree that anything with a stick of butter automatically becomes extremely delicious :grin: </p> <p>@looch: They are sophisticated and ridiculously tedious and difficult lol. And there are times I actually suck it up and make it, it tastes the same, oh boy I want to strangle somebody on the spot :grin: </p> <p>@codeitall: Yes! I agree it must be me underseasoning something.....but it is also the (rough) texture that I ended up with which is super unappealing...</p> <p>And yes, I am ok with tacos chicken meat recipe too! Actually we enjoy it. the bummer is HOW MUCH they tell us to make. even though they say 4 servings we end up with what could feed 16 people! I still have a medium bowl of chicken taco meat in the freezer from at least 2-3 months ago :crying: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2818720 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 16:49:34 +0000 codeitall 2818720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is not a stew recipe but an observation: I've found that I most use the slow cooker to cook the meat of a meal. Taco chicken, enchilada flavored chicken, teriyaki chicken (do you sense a theme? lol) and I use some of it that night and freeze the rest in ziploc bags to recreate the meal later.</p> <p>So we have on demand quesadillas, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, asian bowls, etc.</p> <p>Some 'sophisticated' ingredients to try might be hoisin sauce, sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, turmeric, fennel lentils, chickpeas, anise, caraway seeds and cardamom.</p> <p>One last note, sometimes I find that I've made underspiced food. Then I just add more in very approximate ratios to the original recipe. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2818702 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 15:27:05 +0000 looch 2818702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Epicurious has some sophisticated slow cooker recipes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2818688 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:37:18 +0000 josina 2818688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not sure if this meets your criteria, but one I've recently tried and loved is a pork/beef roast, 1 pkg Ranch dressing mix, 1 pkg brown gravy mix, and 1 stick of butter. Just put it all in the crockpot and go. I also add carrots and potatoes. Yum and soooo easy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2818679 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:16:28 +0000 bhbee 2818679@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skinnycow: i was totally going to post this! It’s the best! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2818677 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:12:22 +0000 gingerbebe 2818677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our favorite vegetable beef soup is a dump and go type deal. Its basically a 2lb chuck roast that we cube up (or you can buy stew meat, but I prefer to cut my own), 1 can each corn, green beans, and peas, 1-2 peeled and cubed potatoes, 1 cup each chopped celery, carrots, and onions, a bay leaf, some dried thyme, 1-2 teaspoons of Better than Bouillon beef base, and fill with enough beef broth or water to cover. Then you adjust the salt and pepper at the end. DH LOVES this with just some French bread, but the kids prefer it with cooked rice added into their bowls. It makes it thicker and thus easier to spoon into their mouths.</p> <p>Same thing with chicken soup. We almost always just make it with boneless skinless chicken thighs and veggies and then add in a bunch of rice to the bowl before we serve it so its thick.</p> <p>We also like the Pasta Fagiole soup from Olive Garden - and there are tons of copycat recipes online. Its basically ground hamburger in a minestrone type soup. I just boil some elbow macaroni separately and keep it in the fridge to add later when we're serving it up. This ends up being more like a runny pasta dish with the kids.</p> <p>This site also has a lot of crockpot recipes that I've used successfully in the past:</p> <p><a href="https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipes/?search_recipes=Search+Recipes&#038;course_type=&#038;food_type=slow-cooker&#038;recipe_keyword=" rel="nofollow">https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipes/?search_recipes=Search+Recipes&#038;course_type=&#038;food_type=slow-cooker&#038;recipe_keyword=</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2818676 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:11:54 +0000 skinnycow 2818676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We love this one: <a href="http://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/beef-daube-provencal" rel="nofollow">http://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/beef-daube-provencal</a></p> <p>We usually end up skipping the stove part of the recipe and just throw everything in the crockpot and it still turns out great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-crockpot-healthy-non-spicy-meat-stew-recipes#post-2818667 Thu, 26 Apr 2018 13:57:23 +0000 irene 2818667@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use our crockpot quite a bit and have a handful of recipes, but somehow anything that went into the crockpot they always come out tasting pretty much the same: bland and the taste of overly cooked wet meat with salt, ack! </p> <p>DS doesn't do soups, chilli, curry or anything remotely spicy. I also want to avoid high-fat proteins like ribs or pork belly, the amount of oil that comes out of 6 hours of cooking is so unappetizing. He would eat meat+veggie dishes / stews, but with all the criteria it always ends up very bland and tasting the same. </p> <p>Any BEST crock pot stew recipes that you would recommend - that is a meat +veggie stew with really sophisticated (not spicy) taste ? I really want to use my crock pot more and actually love the food that comes out from it so I would love to pick your brains...Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-1213480 Wed, 13 Nov 2013 12:44:25 +0000 regberadaisy 1213480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: mmm I think I might try that turkey, white bean, pumpkin chili this week! We have everything already </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-686084 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:35:36 +0000 LovelyPlum 686084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>These sound amazing! I'll have to dig out some of my favorite recipes, but I definitely third the chicken and salsa. We also usually add black beans, and right before we eat, we'll add in corn for about 20 minutes. It makes a great chili! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-686057 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:25:55 +0000 LindsayInNY 686057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our favorites are either chicken with any sort of marinade/BBQ sauce - throw in, shred chicken, voila!</p> <p>Another favorite: <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/original-taco-soup-crockpot-recipe.html" rel="nofollow">http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/original-taco-soup-crockpot-recipe.html</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-685942 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:31:54 +0000 Ash 685942@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@boiledpnut: I think I'm gonna make your mac n cheese today!! :)) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-376916 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 19:00:56 +0000 boiledpnut 376916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: it's nothing like the boxed stuff. It's a lot like baked mac and cheese (popular in the South). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-376907 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:52:29 +0000 MsMini 376907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Every time I make Honey Sesame Chicken people love it. I use the recipe below, but add in 1 tbsp of sesame oil, and emit the vegetable oil. Also at the end I use 1/4 cup of cornstarch (instead of 4 tsps) to thicken it.<br /> <a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-honey-sesame-chicken-recipe.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-honey-sesame-chicken-recipe.html</a></p> <p>I also make these Korean shredded beef tacos:<br /> <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.ca/2011/11/slow-cooker-shredded-korean-beef-tacos.html" rel="nofollow">http://crockpot365.blogspot.ca/2011/11/slow-cooker-shredded-korean-beef-tacos.html</a><br /> My changes for this recipe are that I use a huge chunk of ginger (easily 2-3 inches) and toss that, the garlic, onion, and jalapeño (with seeds and ribs intact) and whirl it in the food processor to mince it all and toss that all in slow cooker. I use a pork tenderloin instead of beef last time, and that was awesome to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-376898 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:49:22 +0000 Foodnerd81 376898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pelikila: Mmm I've been looking for a good chicken tortilla soup recipe in the slow cooker.<br /> I see a ton of pork recipes in the slow cooker but pork makes me sick. It sucks, because so many of the recipes look so good!</p> <p>@boiledpnut: I never heard of mac and cheese in a slow cooker. Does the cheese on top get a skin, like when you microwave it? Or is it more like stove top mac n cheese? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-376888 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:39:53 +0000 Bao 376888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>These all sound so yummy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-376883 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:36:01 +0000 regberadaisy 376883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We'll be without a stove for a while so def following this! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-376876 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:31:21 +0000 marionberry 376876@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alayaya: Yumm! This may be our lunch or dinner tomorrow! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-376875 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:31:19 +0000 mango.sprays 376875@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>awesome ideas! I'm kind of afraid of my crockpot...to be honest. Favorite-ing this thread! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-376872 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:29:27 +0000 alayaya 376872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hamburger Soup:</p> <p>1 lb Hamburger, well browned<br /> 1 cup chopped onions<br /> 1 cup chopped celery<br /> 1 cup chopped carrots<br /> 1 cup frozen corn kernels<br /> 1 can diced tomatoes<br /> 8 cups water<br /> 2-3 bouillon cubes<br /> 1/3 cup barley<br /> 1 tsp basil<br /> 1/4 tsp thyme</p> <p>Throw it all in the slow cooker, cook on high for an hour then switch to low for a few hours (like 4 or so). I usually just check a carrot to see if they're done. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-crockpotslow-cooker-recipes#post-376871 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:29:02 +0000 marionberry 376871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@c.sassy: Yumm! Sounds good. </p>