Quick Crock-Pot Meals for Exam Week

Next week is exam week, and we all know what that means: last minute studying, busy schedules and planning for winter break.

At the end of the day you may find yourself too exhausted to labor over the stove making dinner. But you don’t have to let the chaos of exam week keep you from enjoying a substantial dinner every night.

Fortunately, if you own a crock-pot there are several, easy meals you can make. Crock-pot meals only require minimal prep times and simple ingredients. Just throw in your ingredients and let the crock-pot do all the hard work for you.

From slow cooker meatballs to a hearty pot roast, there are plenty of recipes to try. In fact, cooking dinner might just become your favorite part of the day, especially when you’re studying for finals all day.

3-Ingredient Grape Jelly Meatballs:

These slow-cooker meatballs are the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. The best part is there are only three ingredients. Pair them on a bed of rice, or add steamed broccoli and carrots to make the recipe your own. You could even substitute the meatballs for mini smoky links.

Be the life of the study session and bring this sweet and tangy treat to serve to your late-night study group.

Ingredients:

• 32-ounce bag of frozen fully cooked meatballs (50 meatballs)
• 8-ounce jar of grape jelly
• 8-ounce jar of BBQ sauce

Recipe:

1. Mix the jelly and BBQ sauce together in a bowl.
2. Then, add in the meatballs. Mix until the meatballs are evenly coated.
3. Put the sauced meatballs into the crock-pot and cook on high for three hours.
4. Optional: Cook for an additional hour on a lower temperature setting for a thicker sauce and more tender meatballs. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast:

Pot roast is a great comfort food that is sure to end your day on a happy note. Prepare this meal in the morning, and when you come home later, dinner will be ready to enjoy. All of the ingredients are preference based, so feel free to replace or omit any of the veggies. Pot roast is great because the next day you can re-heat it in a pan and add a fried egg to make pot roast hash.

Ingredients:

•  2-3 pounds of pot roast
• 1-2 chopped onions
• 2 peeled and chopped carrots
• 1 head of cabbage
• 6 small chopped potatoes
• ½ cup of water
• Salt
• Pepper

Recipe:

1. Begin with placing the roast into the crock-pot. Add in the carrots, cabbage, onions and potatoes.
2. Next, pour the water around the ingredients. Then, season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cover and let cook for 8-10 hours on low.

Vegetarian Lasagna:

This is a filling, easy meal that is also vegetarian friendly. Lasagna is a classic dish, and it also provides the energy to study all night.

Ingredients:

• Two, 24-ounce jars of Italian tomato sauce
• 10 lasagna noodles
• 24 ounces of ricotta cheese
• 3 cups of chopped vegetables of choice (Ex. mushroom, zucchini or spinach)
• 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese for topping
• 1 egg

Recipe:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, egg and vegetables. Coat your crock-put lightly with a cooking spray to avoid the noodles from sticking.
2. Then, layer your ingredients starting with tomato sauce on the bottom.  Next, layer the noodles. You will  have to break the noodles so they fit in the pot, but no worries, it will still taste great.
3. The next layer should be the cheese mixture you made. Add the sauce again, then the noodles and repeat this process until your pot is ¾ full. The top layer should be noodles and a thin layer of sauce, covered with the mozzarella cheese.
4. Either cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Important: Let sit for an hour after it’s done to allow the noodles to soak up the liquids. Cut into servings and enjoy!