Too Busy for Dinner? 3 Easy (And Healthy) Crockpot Meals for Fall 🍁

with a pre-made grocery list for easy prep!

Alright people — 

While I am personally on maternity leave right now (my birth story will be coming next week!), the world spins madly on.

It’s fall, it’s back to school, kids are in sports, it’s Q4, schedules are busy, the holidays are kicking up…

Let’s just say life is moving FAST lately.
🤪😤😅😴

But thankfully, that doesn’t have to stand in the way of a healthy, easy dinner on the table.

Because guess what?

It’s finally crockpot season, baby!!

And honestly? Thank God.

Because let’s be real—hot, cozy soups don’t exaaaactly hit the spot in the heat and humidity of summer.

So when slow-cooker season finally rolls around, there’s this wave of relief knowing I can just toss a freezer meal into the crockpot and have a healthy, hearty meal ready. to. go. 🙏🏼

Because, quite literally nothing zaps my mood faster than staring at an empty fridge trying to figure out what is for dinner after a long day of parenting, working, and beyond. 🫠🫠🫠

That’s why having a stash of freezer meals is a genuine must for me in this season of life.

They are my fool-proof back up plan for getting healthy, whole food, time-efficient meals ready for my family on the days when I am just… over it.

And, I know what you’re thinking—

Duh, Kate, we all know that having freezer meals can be helpful.

… but, yet, preparing them in advance can feel weirdly overwhelming?!

So, today I’m going to outline three EASY recipes for slower cooker meals that you can make in advance and freeze for the busy nights—

• ✨ Tuscan-Style Potato & Italian Sausage Stew

• ✨ Protein-Packed Beef and Sweet Potato Chili

• ✨ Creamy Chicken Sausage & Gnocchi Soup

• ✨ Plus, a pre-made grocery shopping list so that you can easily make all 3 of these recipes!

• My Timing & Approach: About once a month, I block out an afternoon to prep 8-10 crockpot meals. I simply pick 2-3 of my go-to recipes, make a list for double or triple the ingredient portions (so that I can make multiple bags of each), and get the ingredients delivered to my door from Instacart . Doing grocery delivery is a little bribe to myself because it makes the whole process feel SO much simpler and reduces a ton of mental friction. Plus, it makes me more likely to follow through— I mean, once I have 4 bags of groceries arriving at my door, I really have no choice but to prep 🤣 Then, during my toddler’s nap, I chop and prepare the ingredients and sort the bags. Is it the most fun? No. But I throw on a good podcast, sip a sparkling water, get into a groove, FOCUS, and usually finish in about 90 minutes (so worth it to have 8-10 meals prepped and ready for the month!)
  

• These bag stands: If you even make crockpot meals once a year, I promise these little bag-holding stands are worth it. They hold your ziploc gallon bags upright so you can easily add in your ingredients, they keep things organized, and there’s way less mess… I’m obsessed. 
  

• Our Place Crockpot: Do you need this fancy shmancy beautiful crockpot? No, you absolutely don’t. In fact, here’s a more affordable (but cute!) option. But am I absolutely obsessed with mine? Yes. Yes, I am. We do crockpot meals a lot so it’s out on our counter all the time and I just love that it functions like a dream and that it’s beautiful. What can I say— I’m just a girl!!!!
  

• Gallon bags: If you want to be more sustainable and reduce your plastic exposure you could absolutely use big, reusable silicone bags. I have 3 of them that I got in a set and love them for other things! But typically when I’m making crockpot meals I’m making 10+ at a time and I like to label them with a sharpie so I typically use classic ol’ Ziploc bags. That said, in researching for this post, I just found a compostable, single-use version that looks like a better-for-the-earth alternative!
  

• 5-Ingredient Crockpot Meals Cookbook: Are these recipes ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE? Not really 🤣 But does it provide an amazing foundation for many different crock pot meals? Yes! I use this book a lot as a sort of “base” recipe and then I’ll kind of customize the recipes myself by adding different flavors, seasonings, veggies, etc. So, no, they won’t be the most incredible, unique, flavor-packed meals— but it is an incredible resource and starting place for simple freezer meals!
  

• Sharpie: For labeling! I personally write the instructions for preparing/cooking on the outside of each bag so I don’t have to search for instructions when it’s actually cooking time. It takes a bit of time up-front, but I think it’s so worth it for ease and straight-forward instructions when cooking time comes.

Now that you’ve got the goods, I’ll share three crockpot recipes to get you started:

And here’s the thing about these specific meals—
they are truly ready to go.

While many slow cooker meals require extra steps at time of assembly like cooking rice on the evening of, I simply could not be bothered 🤣✌️ I wanted these meals to be TRULY dump ‘n’ ready to go.

They’re hearty, packed with veggies and protein, don’t require you to cook additional sides, and, most importantly, they’re a complete meal on their own…

All you need to do is prep them ;)

Let’s jump in!

Oooooh, this one is GOOD.
And FILLING.
(Aka, the ideal crockpot combo!)

This creamy sausage stew is hearty, packed with protein, and loaded with sneaky veggies. Yet its taste is so delicious and creamy that you forget it’s a freezer meal.

If you’re looking for a crockpot dinner that feels a bit more fancy, this one's for you. ⬇️

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Italian sausage

• 1 large white onion, chopped