Hi friend! Have you heard the term “freezer foraging”? I admit I had never heard this term until YouTube brought it to my attention. One of my biggest time savers is having a well-stocked pantry and freezer, so when this challenge came up I knew I had to try it.
I dug through my freezer, pulled out ingredients I’d forgotten about, and turned them into four delicious Crockpot dinners for two (I even created a fifth recipe, but that one didn’t use the slow cooker). By foraging my freezer and pantry, I was able to make a full week of meals without a single grocery trip, saving money, reducing food waste, and keeping dinner stress‑free.
I do use a few Amazon products in creating these recipes, they are:
2 qt Crockpot https://amzn.to/4qrLBvR
3 qt Instant Pot Duo https://amzn.to/4rBNY06
Hotec Utensil Set https://amzn.to/400cYlD
3 Scoop Set https://amzn.to/45SxMzb
These Amazon links are affiliate links, this means Amazon pays me a commission when you purchase using these links. This costs you no extra and I appreciate you supporting me by shopping through my links.
In my video I talk about the Rice Cooker Pork Fried Rice recipe and my Ranch Seasoning Blend recipe, you can find these below:
You can find my Rice Cooker Pork Fried Rice recipe here: https://staceyssimplemeals.com/5-rice-cooker-recipes-for-one/
You can find my Ranch Seasoning Blend recipe here: https://staceyssimplemeals.com/3-healthy-seasoning-blends/
Here are the recipes:
Crockpot Tuscan Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- For the Meatballs
- 1 lb Ground Chicken
- 1 Egg
- 1 T Bread Crumbs
- 1 T Parmesan Cheese
- 1 T Greek Seasoning
- 1 T Sundried Tomato Oil
- 1 Minced Garlic Clove
- For the Sauce
- 1 c Chicken Broth
- ½ c Milk of Half and Half
- 1 c Chopped Spinach
- 2 T Chopped Artichoke Hearts
- 2 T Sundried Tomatoes
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Assemble the meatballs by combining the ground chicken, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic clove and the Greek seasoning
- Sauté the meatballs until browned in a pan with 1 T Olive Oil
- While you are browning the meatballs in the crockpot add the chicken broth, milk, sundried tomatoes, artichokes and spinach
- Once you have all of the meatballs browned add them to your crock pot with your sauce
- Cook in the crockpot on High for 2 Hours or Low for 4-6 Hours
- Serve over zucchini noodles, mashed potatoes, spaghetti noodles or rice.
- Enjoy!
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 T Diced Onion
- 2 T Shredded Carrots
- ½ c Chopped Broccoli
- 1 T Diced Celery
- 1 c Chicken Stock
- ½ c Milk
- ½ c Water
- 1/2 c Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2 T Cream Cheese
- 1 c Uncooked Rice
- 1/8 t Salt
- 1/8 Pepper
- 1 Chicken Breast Diced 2 Chicken Thighs Diced would work here as well
Instructions
- Grease the sides and bottom of the crockpot
- Add all ingredients to the crockpot except half of the cheddar cheese.
- Cook on Low for 3 to 3.5 Hours.
- Stir the casserole and add more chicken stock if needed
- Add the remaining cheese and cook for 30 more minutes.
- Enjoy!
Teriyaki Pork Loin with Stove Top Fried Rice
Ingredients
- Pork Loin
- ½ c Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 Beaten Egg
- 2 C Cooked Rice
- 1/3 c Chicken Broth for the Fried Rice
- 1/4 c Chicken Broth if needed for the Pork Loin
- 1 c Peas and Carrots
- 2 T Diced Onions
- 2 t Soy Sauce
- 2 t Thai Chili Sauce
- 1/8 t Garlic Powder to top the pork loin
- ½ t Garlic Powder for the Fried Rice
- 1/8 t Ground Ginger to top the pork loin
- ½ t Ground Ginger for the Fried Rice
- 1/8 t Pepper
- 1 T Olive Oil
Instructions
- Sprinkle Pork Loin with House Seasoning and Ground Ginger and place the Pork Loin in the Crockpot and top with Teriyaki Sauce. If your Teriyaki Sauce is very thick, add 1/4 c of Chicken Broth to the crockpot.
- Cook on low 4-6 Hours
- For the fried rice: Place 1 T Oil in a pan and heat over medium heat
- Add the veggies and sauté until they are softened and fragrant
- Add the rice, chicken broth, garlic, ginger and pepper, soy sauce and the Thai Chili Sauce
- Stir the ingredients and if you are using the egg then add beaten egg.
- Continue to stir and cook until the rice is warmed and the egg is cooked.
- Once the pork loin has cooked, slice and serve with the fried rice.
- Enjoy!
Buffalo Chicken in Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 4 T Butter
- 1 T Ranch Seasoning
- 1/2 c Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 3 ounces Cream Cheese
- ½ c Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Spaghetti Squash
- House Seasoning to season the Spaghetti Squash
Instructions
- Place butter into the crockpot.
- Top chicken with the ranch seasoning and place in the crockpot
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours or High for 1.5-2 hours.
- Once your chicken has come up to temperature remove it from the crockpot and shred the chicken
- In the crockpot add your hot sauce and cream cheese stirring until your cream cheese has melted.
- Place the chicken in the crockpot with the buffalo sauce and add half of the cheese.
- Place Buffalo Chicken in cooked spaghetti squash and top with the remaining cheese
- Serve and Enjoy!
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 Spaghetti Squash
- House Seasoning to Season the Spaghetti Squash
- 1 C Water
Instructions
- Cut the squash in half and take the seeds and pulp out.
- Place water in the instant pot
- Season the inside of the squash with the House Seasoning and cook on High Pressure for 9 minutes
- After the cooking cycle has completed, let the instant pot naturally release for 10 minutes, and then release the steam
- Enjoy
House Seasoning Blend
Ingredients
- 1 T Salt
- 1 T Pepper
- 1 T Garlic Powder
- 1 T Onion Powder
Instructions
- Combine all spices and store in an airtight container.
Whether you’re meal‑planning on a budget, cooking for a small household, or trying to use up what you already have, these slow cooker dinners are easy, comforting, and delicious.
Let me know if you try any of these recipes, I’d love to hear what you think.
Have a wonderful week!
#staceyssimplemeals #cookingfortwo #emptynesters #easyrecipes
