Crock Pot Foil Packets for Veggies and Other Foods!

I love foil packet cooking, and I love my crock pot/slow cooker.  I especially love when I can combine the two!  Most people know they can use foil packets of foods in the oven or on the grill, but did you know they work for crock pots, too? How many packets you use and what you put in them is up to you!

Tonight, we were having roast beef with the traditional veggies in the crock pot.  However, I wanted to add a few more veggies to stretch the roast for a meal or two of leftovers but didn't want the vegetables them to pick up the flavor of the roast.  Enter foil packets!  

I chose green beans and kernel corn.  For both, I used canned veggies and drained all the liquid off.  I added butter, salt, and pepper.  I then sealed the packets and placed them on top of the roast and veggies to cook.  I put the top back on the slow cooker, and let them cook until the entire meal was done.  

This is a great way to get an entire meal in the crock pot if you have a long day ahead of you and don't want to worry about making side dishes when you get home!  When you're ready to eat, simply slit open the packets and serve the contents piping hot. 

The possibilities for these packets are endless!  I have also made potatoes in these packets by peeling and dicing them then adding a bit of chopped onion, salt, and pepper. 

You can cook anything in these packets that you would on a cook stove top or oven.  You can even cook fish in a packet!  Just put the fish in foil, add your seasonings, seal, and place in the slow cooker. 

Other for packets ideas include: 

Glazed carrots: Fresh or canned carrots, maple syrup, a little brown sugar, and a little butter.

Mixed veggies such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and green beans. 

Baked beans:  Pork and beans with liquid drained, BBQ sauce, crumbled bacon, and brown sugar. 

Baked potatoes:  Clean and scrub small baking potatoes.  Leave peels on.  Coat them with olive oil and salt, then wrap in foil and place them on top of the other items.  If using larger potatoes, consider partially microwaving them before wrapping in foil and placing them in the crock pot.  
Corn on the Cob:  Remove silk, wrap tightly, and place in crock pot.

What can you think of to put in a packet?  Use your imagination! 

Freezer to Crockpot – Taco Soup

There are a million variations on taco soup. It’s easy, it’s tasty, it’s filling, and you can often ad-lib the ingredients to compensate for items you don’t have or use variations to suit your taste if there are ingredients you don’t like.   

Most recipes I have seen say to use a specific type of meat.  Realistically, you can use anything that you have or omit the meat completely  I like either browned ground beef or browned steak pieces/stew meat, but you can also use chicken and even kielbasa that’s been cooked prior to adding it to the pot.

Here’s the recipe. 

Taco Soup

DO NOT DRAIN CANS OF INGREDIENTS. 

1  to 1.5 lb. meat of choice (if fatty meat such as hamburger meat, cook beforehand)

1 small chopped onion

1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes (or other diced tomatoes with green chiles)

1 can plain diced stewed tomatoes

1 can kernel corn (not cream corn)

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

1 pkg. taco seasoning

(These are all the regular small-sized cans (around 14-17 oz.), not the large cans.)

Again, do not drain cans of ingredients. Combine all ingredients in 1 gallon zippered bag and freeze.  When ready to eat, add to crock pot and cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours. 

Stovetop variation:  Combine all ingredients in 5 qt pan, adding dry ingredients last.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Serve with crackers, tortillas, or Indian fry bread. 

 

SUBSTITUTIONS: 

Vegetarian:  Omit meat completely or substitute cooked lentils, tofu, or TVP.   

Meat:  Use browned hamburger meat, stew meat, or cut up pieces of round steak, boneless skinless chicken breasts, or even cooked shrimp.  You may also use thinly sliced and browned Kielbasa or smoked sausage alone or added with the other meats for an interesting taste combination.  Just make sure when using any fatty meat, such as hamburger meat or sausage, that it’s browned and drained before adding it to the recipe.

Beans/corn:  My hubby isn’t a fan of corn but will eat it in stews.  I sometimes substitute navy beans, garbanzo beans, or black-eyed peas. 

Tomatoes:  Use any canned tomato combination that suits you based on what you have.  I like Ro-Tel tomatoes because they already have peppers in them, and we tend to like our food very spicy.  However, you may substitute tomatoes with chipotle peppers for an interesting combination or even tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic.  If you do not have tomatoes with chiles in them, you can use regular diced stewed tomatoes and add a couple of tablespoons of chopped canned green chiles.  I have also used fresh tomatoes but added a small can of tomato paste to thicken up the soup, as fresh tomatoes tend to have more liquid.