Do you feel like you never have time to make healthy, nutritious meals for your family? Are you sick of eating out or making frozen meals every night? Well I have a solution for you; all you need is 20 minutes in the kitchen, a crock pot and a very hungry family. The recipes below take 20 minutes or less to prepare, throw it in the pot, go about your day and then by the time dinner rolls around your meal is ready! You'll have a delicious meal and a very happy family. So whether you're cooking for yourself, two people or a family a crock pot is a great way to prepare dinner!

Teriyaki Pork Ribs
This recipe is great if you're cooking for two people. It takes five minutes to prepare and it tastes delicious!

Teriyaki Pork Ribs

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 7 hours


Servings: 2
Calories per serving: 20

Ingredients:
3/4 - 1 pound boneless country-style pork ribs
1/2 teaspoon garlic-pepper blend
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup teriyaki baste and glaze
2 tablespoons chili sauce or ketchup


Directions:

Step 1:
Spray 1 - 1 1/2- quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Trim fat from ribs, and cut in half to fit slow cooker. Sprinkle ribs with garlic-pepper blend and ginger; place in slow cooker.

Step 2:
In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients; pour over ribs.

Step 3:
Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.

Step 4:
Remove ribs from slow cooker. Skim off and discard fat from surface of liquid in slow cooker. Stir mixture well; serve with ribs.

Expert Tips:
If you've purchased country-style ribs with bones (instead of boneless), you'll need 1 to 1 1/4 lb to make this dish. Cut them into sections to fit in the slow cooker.

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Crock-Pot Ratatouille
This meat free, veggie packed dish is sure to give your taste buds a treat. Make this classic stew in just twenty minutes and let it cook all day long. You'll come home to a fantastic dinner!

Crock-Pot Ratatouille

Cook time: 8 hours


Servings: 6
Calories per serving: 478

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced into slices 1/4 inch thick
2 large zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 yellow squash, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large onion, Julienne
3 large garlic cloves, minced (I used preminced garlic0
1 tomato, diced (because my roma tomatoes were so small I used about 4)
8 ounces basil, garlic, oregano tomato sauce
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups of rice, cooked, if desired


Directions:

1. I used a liner and sprayed it with Pam.
2. Layer half the onions on the bottom of the crock.
3. Layer half the eggplant over the onions.
4. Next layer half the zucchini and yellow squash on top of the eggplant.
5. Spread around half of the garlic and tomato.
6. In a small bowl mix the tomato paste with all the herbs and half the salt.
7. Pour that over the veggies.
8. Next layer the onions again, followed by eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash.
9. Follow with tomatoes.
10. Then use the remaining salt over the mixture.
11. Cover with the olive oil.
12. Cook on low for 7 - 9 hours.
13. I cooked rice and then place the Ratatouille over the rice.

Notes:
If you would like a spicy ratatouille replace the yellow squash with red and green peppers julienne.

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Slow-Cooker Classic Pot Roast
No list of slow cook meals would be complete without a recipe for pot roast. This dish has been a favorite for years. Give this classic recipe a try.

Slow-Cooker Classic Pot Roast

Cook time: 8 hours


Servings: 6
Calories per serving: 26

Ingredients:
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces, and halved lengthwise if thick
1 pound baby potatoes (about 15)
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges (root end left intact)
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1 3 pound beef chuck roast, tied
kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


Directions:

1. In a 4- to 6- quart slow cooker, whisk together the tomato paste, cornstarch, and 1 cup water. Add the carrots, potatoes, onion, celery and bay leaves and toss to combine. Season the beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set on top of the vegetables.

2. Cover and cook until tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total recipe time). Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before discarding the kitchen twine and slicing the meat across the grain. Serve with the vegetables and cooking liquid and sprinkle with the parsley.

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Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken
Does your family love cheese or chicken or both? Well then this recipe is the perfect thing for you. It combines cheese and chicken to create a mouth-watering dish!

Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken

Cook time: 8 hours

Servings: 8
Calories per serving: 162

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper (optional)


Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts in the crock pot.
2. Mix the undiluted soups together with the garlic powder and pour over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on low 6 - 8 hours, until chicken is tender.
4. Serve with delicious sauce over rice or noodles.

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These four recipes are just a few of the many different crock pot recipes available. You can make anything in your crock pot from soups to stews to ribs! The best part about them is that the prep time is so short that you'll have the rest of the day to spend doing whatever you like! So give these recipes a try and if you have any you think we should know about let us know!