
Using a crock pot may seem a little bit old school, but actually, it’s really forward-thinking. Here are recipes that you can make that can be prepared while you’re gone and ready when you come back.

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Serve and eat!

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Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp (about 4 minutes). Transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble when cool.
Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened (3 to 6 minutes). Add garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, pepper and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add tomatoes and their juice and salt; stir well.
Place chicken thighs in a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Sprinkle the bacon over the chicken. Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender (about 3 hours on High or 6 hours on Low). Remove the bay leaf. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
Variation: Turn 2 cups each of leftover chicken and sauce into Braised Chicken Gumbo. Heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 diced medium red or green bell pepper and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring, until the pepper is beginning to soften and the flour is golden brown (about 2 minutes). Add 2 cups of shredded chicken, 2 cups of sauce, 2 cups of reduced-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup of sliced okra (fresh, frozen or thawed), 3/4 cup of instant brown rice and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the flavors meld and the okra is tender (about 10 minutes).

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Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft (3-4 minutes). Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into crock pot.
To the crockpot, add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. Serve in bowls and top with fat-free sour cream, cheese, scallions and cilantro. You can also top with avocado or crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

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