6 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes Your Kids Will Love

These quick and easy recipes slow cooker recipes are sure to satisfy and made for your convenience! Requiring little prep time and calling for ingredients commonly stocked in your cabinet, Slow Cooking Fast by Karen Bellessa Petersen is the perfect addition to your kitchen! Find it at deseretbook.com!

Check out these 6 great picks for recipes that are not only easy, but also healthy! From zucchini in the pasta sauce to carrots in the ham stew, it turns out eating healthier can be as easy as it is delicious!

Makes 6-8 servings

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4- to 6-quart

Cooking time: 2-4 hours

4 cups cooked, cubed potatoes (you can use leftover baked potatoes)

1 cup sliced mushroomsSalt and pepper to taste

1-2 cups fresh spinach

1 lb. ground breakfast sausage, cooked and drained (you can substitute cubed ham or bacon)

1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

6 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Salt and pepper

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Salsa

1. Spray the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow-cooker. Use a foil collar* to cover the hot spot** of your slow cooker.

2. Place potatoes on bottom of cooker. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Sprinkle mushrooms and spinach on top of potatoes.

4. Top with sausage, onion flakes, and red bell peper.

5. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, garlic powder, and ground mustard. Salt and pepper the egg mixture to taste. Pour egg mixture over the top of the sausage.

6. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the eggs.

7. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours or on LOW for about 4. Scoop out and serve with salsa.

**Kitchen Tip: The Hot Spot in Your Slow-cooker: Every slow-cooker seems to have a hot spot in it. It is usually on the side opposite of the controls, or somewhere on the back side. Notice where food sticks to the slow-cooker and gets crusty; that's where the hot spot is. Use a foil collar to prevent burning and sticking. I like to use foil collars when I make a casserole-type recipe in the slow cooker; it ensures that the casserole will cook evenly.

**Kitchen Tip: How to Make a Foil Collar: Layer and fold sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil into a six-layered foil rectangle. Press the collar into the slow-cooker insert wherever the hot spot is; the food will help hold the collar in place during cooking.

This recipe came from Slow Cooking Fast by Karen Bellessa Petersen.

Makes 4 servings. 

Ideal slow-cooker size: 3-quart

Cooking time: 6-8 hours

2 cups shredded zucchini

4 oz. chopped mushrooms

5 medium tomatoes, diced

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 lb. ground turkey sausage, browned and drained (optional: you can also use any other meat you prefer.

Hot, cooked pasta

1. Combine all ingredients except meat in slow-cooker. Stir to combine.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

3. If desired, use an immersion blender to puree. If desired, add cooked meat. Season to taste and serve over spaghetti noodles or other pasta of your choice.

This recipe came from Slow Cooking Fast by Karen Bellessa Petersen.

Makes 4-6 servings

Ideal slow-cooker size: 3-quart

Cooking time: 4-6 hours

1 head cauliflower

3 cups water

4 large garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon butter

Milk (if needed)

Salt and pepper to taste

Chives or green onions, for topping

1. Clean the cauliflower; cut it into florets and place in the slow-cooker.

2. Stir in water, garlic cloves, salt, and bay leaf.

3. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-6 hours, or until cauliflower is tender.

4. Remove the garlic cloves and bay leaf. Drain the water.

5. Add the butter and let it melt.

6. Use a potato masher to mash the cauliflower; if you want it creamier, use an immersion blender. If needed, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

7. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chopped chives or green onions.

This recipe came from Slow Cooking Fast by Karen Bellessa Petersen.

Makes 6 servings

Ideal slow-cooker size: 5-quart

Cooking time: 6-8 hours

1 cup dried white beans

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup sliced leeks

1 cup grated carrots

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (plus more for serving)

1 lb. cooked and cubed ham

3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cans whole tomatoes

Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 tablespoons)

Beans won't get tender if they're surrounded by acidic juices like tomato and lemon. That's why I add those later.

1. Rinse and sort the beans. Place in a bowl with plenty of water and soak overnight. (You can do the quick-soak method* if you don't have time to soak the beans overnight.)

2. Place softened beans in slow-cooker with garlic, leeks, carrots, bay leaf, parsley flakes, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, ham, water, salt, and pepper.

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-10 hours.

4. Using a blender, puree the tomatoes and lemon juice; pour into the slow-cooker.

5. Salt and pepper and season to taste, if needed.

6. Ladle into serving bowls and add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce to each bowl.

* Kitchen Tip: Quick-Soak Method of Cooking Beans: Many recipes call for soaking beans overnight before cooking. I've found that soaking overnight results in much better texture in the beans but sometimes I forget to soak. When this happens, I use the quick-soak method: Rinse beans in cold water. Put them in a large pot and cover with about 3 inches of cold water. Bring almost to a boil (small bubbles appear around the edges of the pot), cover, and remove from heat. Let sit for 1 hour. Drain. The beans will be "soaked" and ready to cook.

This recipe came from Slow Cooking Fast by Karen Bellessa Petersen.

Makes 6 servings

Ideal slow-cooker size: 6-quart

Cooking time: 5-6 hours

1 medium eggplant, sliced into rounds, then rounds quartered

1 green pepper, diced1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper

2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 24-oz jar meatless spaghetti sauce

9 whole-wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup fresh basil, minced

1. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place eggplant, mushrooms, and peppers on sheet. Combine oil and garlic and brush on both sides of the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.

2. While veggies are cooking, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg in a bowl.

3. In the slow-cooker, layer the ingredients as follows:

* 1/4 cup pasta sauce (spread on bottom of slow-cooker)

* 3 lasagna noodles (break in half if needed)

* 1/2 of cottage cheese mixture

* 1/2 of vegetables

* 1/3 of pasta sauce

* 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese

* 1/2 of basil

* Repeat layers

* Top with remaining noodles and pasta sauce

4. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or on LOW for 5-6 hours.

5. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and let cheese melt. Unplug slow-cooker and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe came from Slow Cooking Fast by Karen Bellessa Petersen.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Ideal slow-cooker size: 6-quart

Cooking time: 90 minutes

Fruit Filling

3 cups sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen)

3 cups sliced rhubarb (sliced into 1/4-inch pieces)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

Crust

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Vanilla ice cream

1. Spray slow-cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

2. For the filling: Combine strawberries, rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar, and tapioca in the slow-cooker and stir until sugar coats the fruit and starts to dissolve.

3. For the crust: In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. With a pastry blender or a fork, cut in the butter. The mixture will be crumbly. Stir in the milk and egg until just moistened.

4. Drop the dough as evenly as possible on top of the fruit.

5. Place 3-4 paper towels on top of the slow-cooker. Secure the lid on top of the paper towels.

6. Cook on HIGH for 90 minutes. Remove lid and paper towels and turn to warm. Let sit for 30 minutes.

7. Scoop out and serve in dishes with vanilla ice cream.

Like what you see? Find these recipes and more (as well as slow-cooker tips and tricks) in Slow Cooking Fast by Karen Bellessa Petersen at DeseretBook.com.