Inspired by new The Whole30 Cookbook and a friend who did Whole30 and (10 pounds later) can’t stop talking it up, you’ve decided to give it a shot. Good for you! Now that you’re *on* it, things just got real. You’re all over the magical cauliflower hack that turns your fave winter veggie into “rice,” but with dreaded Day 16 approaching (when everyone’s enthusiasm apparently dwindles), you need more in your bag of tricks. Well, here comes the crock pot to the rescue! Your fave dump-and-go kitchen accessory that has provided you many a warm and nourishing meal is standing by. Here are 19 tasty and satisfying Whole30 recipes that will cook up almost effortlessly in your slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Peach BBQ Chicken
If you thought a believable-tasting BBQ sauce was off your plate forever, meet your new fave recipe. Peaches add a perfect all-natural sweet note to this spicy pulled chicken. (via The Real Food Dietitians)
Slow Cooker Paleo Chicken Pho With Zoodles
Sometimes a warm and comforting bowl of gut-healing chicken soup is just what the doctor ordered. Whole30-compliant and AIP too, this version of everyone’s Thai fave is loaded with zucchini noodles, aromatics, chili sauce and tender pulled chicken that’s sure to cure whatever ails you. (via Wicked Spatula)
Paleo Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
On those nights when you’re working late, nothing satisfies like coming home to a meatball dinner in five minutes, amiright? Unlike some other *healthy* recipes, this one appeals to even the pickiest palates at the table. (via Paleo Running Momma)
Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
This chicken is crispy on the outside and fall-off-the-bone tender on the inside. Serve it with a tossed salad or your fave W30 veggie sides (like the mashed cauliflower, below) for a quick and healthy meal. (via Life Tastes Good)
Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Mashed Cauliflower
You can do more with a head of cauliflower than make a decent faux rice. Whip it up just like mashed taters with garlic and herbs and you’ll have everyone in the house begging for seconds. (via Wicked Spatula)
Smoked Bacon Veggie Soup
Smokey bacon + floury potatoes = bowl full of yum. This cottage stew takes advantage of healthy, *fresh* produce available in everyone’s green market right now. (via Cotter Crunch)
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili With Sweet Potato
This pulled chicken chili is hiding a sweet surprise — Japanese yams — but you can substitute any sweet potato you have on hand and it will taste just as delicious. The recipe freezes very well, so set aside a few servings to take into the office the next day for a perfectly Paleo lunch. (via Paleo Running Momma)
Slow-Cooker Balsamic Short Ribs
This one’s for the true carnivores in the house! Like an ongoing love letter to the wonder that is short ribs, this recipe delivers them up meltingly tender, full of meaty flavor and truly hard to mess up. Take this to your next potluck and you’ll have a bunch of new Whole30 converts on your hands. (via A Calculated Whisk)
Slow Cooker Farmer’s Market Mexican Chicken Soup
This simple soup is so clean and bursting with flavor, it’s sure to become a W30 go-to for you. It calls for zucchini, kale, cherry tomatoes and avocado, but you can toss in whatever veggies you have on hand and it will be just as yummy. (via Real Food, Whole Life)
Whole30 Pot Roast
Remember that pot roast recipe you used to make back in the day using various soup cans and packets? Well, this is like that, only without the unpronounceable chemical additives in the ingredients list. Serve it over potatoes, sweet potatoes or any kind of root vegetable you like. It’s comfort foods like this that will see you through this W30 thing with flying colors. (via Nosh Tastic)
Slow Cooker Anti-Inflammatory Soup
Savory, flavorful and packed with goodness, this liquid gold gently bubbles away on your countertop, freeing up stove space and counter space for the rest of your weekly cook-up. Make a big batch of this and freeze it in single servings, so you can dole it out as needed. (via The Natural Nurturer)
10-Step Foolproof Bone Broth
So, about this magical elixir they’re always talking about in the W30 forums. Bone broth is basically just nutrient-dense stock that can be eaten or drunk on its own or used as needed in Paleo recipes, and best of all, it’s easy! If you’ve got a slow cooker, you can get with the cool kids lickety-split. (via Physical Kitchness)
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
This is the real deal — savory, hearty, filling, rich-but-not-too-heavy, it’s the comfort stew you’ve been yearning for. Even the non-W30 peeps in the house are gonna gobble it up and ask for more. (via One Lovely Life)
Slow Cooker Turkey Bolognese WithZucchini Noodles
If you thought Whole30 eating has to always involve big hunks of beef, color you wrong. This turkey bolognese is satisfying comfort food that won’t leave you feeling stuffed. Pro Tip: Spiralized zoodles keep in the fridge, so make yours ahead and this meal can come together 10 minutes from the time you open the door and say “I’m home.” (via Little Bits of…)
Shredded Chicken Sloppy Joe Sliders
Remember sloppy Joes? Well, like a foodie time machine, this recipe will take you back. Serve them up in a lettuce wrap, over a bed of greens or between two sweet potato *rafts* — it’s all good. (via The Real Food Dietitians)
Paleo Slow Cooker Chili
Full of healthy, grass-fed meats, lots of chilies and fresh tomato, this savory, spicy *meat bomb* is so hearty and delicious, you’ll never miss the beans. Serve over riced cauliflower or your fave root veggies and top with W30-compliant toppings like onion, chopped tomato and avocado and you’ll be in pure chili nirvana. (via The Tomato Tart)
Green Chile Chicken
If you never tire of chili, but you do tire of beef, this shredded chicken version is for you. Click through for an AH-MAZING Paleo tortilla recipe that’s sure to become your #TacoTuesday go-to. (via Stupid Easy Paleo)
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Sally Jones
Sally Jones is a writer and editor living in New York City. She has worked at many websites including iVillage, Ladies Home Journal, More, Parenting, Cosmopolitan, The Knot and YourTango, in jobs ranging from editor to COO. Renovation and interior design are her
hobbies. She has renovated every home she's lived in, including the rentals, and like... whoa, who does that? You can catch her at her blog Renov8or.
