Couponing for the Extremely Normal: Crockpot Essentials

coupons

Welcome to Couponing for the Extremely Normal! 

It’s that time of year when the weather is cold and our family wants nothing more than a hot bowl of something for dinner.  Our crockpot gets a workout from November through March.  Using the crockpot requires me to think about those staples which generally end up in the crockpot.  Among these are canned tomatoes, beans (a wide variety including black and kidney), onions, carrots, celery, taco seasoning mix, dry onion soup mix, broth (cans and cartons), inexpensive cuts of beef, and chicken leg quarters or thighs.  It is so easy to grab a few ingredients, pop them in the crockpot in the morning, and have a delicious meal for dinner.

A friend gave me my favorite crockpot cookbook, Fix-it And Forget-it 5-ingredient Favorites:  Comforting Slow Cooker Recipes, a few years ago.  Since then, I have adapted many of these recipes to suit our family’s tastes and the contents of my stockpile.  One of our favorites is crockpot chili.

Crockpot Chili

3/4 lb ground beef (browned)
1 large onion (diced)
3 – 14 oz cans diced tomatoes (preferably a variety with green chilis, onions and/or garlic)
2 – 14 oz cans beans (light or dark kidney)
1 packet taco seasoning or chili seasoning mix

I dump all the ingredients in the crockpot, cook it on high for four hours or low for six hours, and serve the chili over white rice.  We put out small bowls of chopped onions, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped chili peppers along with our favorite bottled hot sauce so everyone can “doctor” their chili to their own taste.  A few years ago, we invited a dozen friends over to enjoy this chili.  We asked everyone to bring an easy appetizer or dessert and a favorite beverage.  It was an easy way to entertain on a cold winter afternoon without spending any time in the kitchen.

Tell us about your favorite crockpot meals.  We always love to try new recipes and might even feature a few of them in an upcoming post!  You can email us at madamedeals@gmail.com, subject CROCKPOT IDEAS.

Let us know how your extremely normal coupon journey is coming along.  We love to hear from our readers!

Want to see more tips?  Click here!