Key to Abbreviations
tsp. = teaspoon
Tbsp. = tablespoon
c. = cup
oz. = ounce
pkg. = package
g = grams
mg = milligrams
lb. = pound
Chicken Curry
- 2¾ lb. chicken breasts, without skin
- 1 (16-oz.) jar salsa (mild or medium)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. curry powder
- 1 c. fat-free sour cream
Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine salsa, onions and curry powder and pour over chicken. Cover with lid. Cook on low for eight to 10 hours (or high for five hours). Remove chicken to serving platter; cover and keep warm. Add sour cream to salsa mixture in the slow cooker. Blend and pour over the chicken.
Makes 10 servings. Each serving has 190 calories, 3.5 g fat, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber and 350 mg sodium.
Menu Idea: Chicken Curry, brown rice, sugar snap peas, orange slices, low-fat milk
Cowboy Beans
- 4 strips bacon, fried crisp, drained and crumbled
- 1 lb. lean or extra-lean ground beef, browned and drained
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- ¼ c. brown sugar
- 1 c. ketchup (low-sodium)
- ¼ c. vinegar
- ¼ c. mustard
- 1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-oz.) can butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-oz.) can lima beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (28-oz.) can baked beans (do not drain)
Brown meat and fry bacon. Mix all ingredients and cook in a slow cooker on high for three hours or low for eight hours.
Makes 12 servings. Each serving has 260 calories, 6 g fat, 34 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber and 490 mg sodium.
Menu Idea: Cowboy Beans, cornmeal muffins, carrot sticks, peach slices, low-fat milk
Vegetable Soup
- 1 lb. lean or extra-lean ground beef, browned and drained
- 1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce (low-sodium)
- 1 (14.25-oz.) can low-sodium beef broth and 1 can water
- 1 (16-oz.) can stewed tomatoes (low-sodium)
- 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
- 1 (10-ounce) pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
Mix all ingredients together in a slow cooker and cook on low seven to nine hours.
Makes eight servings. Each serving has 220 calories, 8 grams (g) fat, 15 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber and 480 mg sodium.
Menu Idea: Vegetable Soup, dinner rolls, baked apples, low-fat milk
Slow Cooker Taco Soup
- 1 lb. lean or extra-lean ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 (16-oz.) can chili beans, with liquid
- 1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, with liquid
- 1 (15-oz.) can whole-kernel corn, with liquid
- 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce (low-sodium)
- 2 c. water
- 2 (14.5-oz.) cans peeled and diced tomatoes (low-sodium)
- 1 (4-oz.) can diced green chili peppers
- 1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (low-sodium)
In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain. Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chili peppers and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend and cook on low setting for eight hours.
Makes 10 servings. Each serving has 220 calories, 3 grams (g) fat, 30 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber and 500 mg sodium.
Menu Idea: Slow Cooker Taco Soup, baked tortilla chips, apple slices, low-fat milk
Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- 1 lb. lean or extra-lean ground beef
- ½ c. chopped green bell pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 (16-oz.) can stewed tomatoes (low-sodium)
- 1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce (low-sodium)
- 1 envelope spaghetti sauce seasoning
- ½ c. chopped onion
- 1 c. chopped celery
- 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste (low-sodium)
- 2 c. water
Brown meat with onion, pepper and garlic. Drain well and put into slow cooker with remaining ingredients. Cover; cook on high until sauce comes to a boil and then turn to low and simmer for six hours.
Makes 10 servings. Each serving has 170 calories, 6 g fat, 13 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber and 420 mg sodium.
Menu Idea: Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce over spaghetti noodles, lettuce salad, mixed berries, low-fat milk
Eat Smart. Play Hard. Together
For more information about food safety and nutrition, contact your county office of NDSU Extension.
Visit the NDSU Extension website at www.ag.ndsu.edu/food
Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for more information about healthful eating for the entire family.
NDSU Extension does not endorse commercial products or companies even though reference may be made to tradenames, trademarks or service names. NDSU encourages you to use and share this content, but please do so under the conditions of our Creative Commons license. You may copy, distribute, transmit and adapt this work as long as you give full attribution, don’t use the work for commercial purposes and share your resulting work similarly. For more information, visit www.ag.ndsu.edu/agcomm/creative-commons.
For more information on this and other topics, see www.ndsu.edu/extension
County commissions, North Dakota State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. NDSU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawful off-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable. Direct inquiries to Vice Provost for Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 201, NDSU Main Campus, 701-231-7708, ndsu.eoaa@ndsu.edu. This publication will be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities upon request, 701-231-7881.