Have a cut of beef in your freezer that you need to fix for dinner?  Not in the mood for a recipe?  No problem!

Here are some ideas to get you started.  No recipe required.

These ideas are for roasts or other cuts.  If you’ve got a nice steak, you’ll want to choose a different cooking method.

All of these ideas can be done in the oven or slow cooker.  The cooking time will depend on the cut of beef and how large the piece is.  As a general rule, beef roast or a round steak weighing about 2-3 lbs. will take 6-7  hours on high in the slow cooker.

9 ways to fix beef roast or other cuts of beef

1. Salsa – any type.
2. Diced tomatoes and green chilis.  Shred the meat and serve in tortillas or slice and serve with cornbread and veggies.
3. Enchilada sauce, shred and serve in tortillas.
4. Jar of gravy, add potatoes, carrots and onions cut in chunks.
5. Cream of mushroom soup.  Serve with baked potatoes.
6. Spaghetti sauce -  Pour over the meat.  Add green peppers and onions.  Serve over angel hair pasta.
7. Bbq sauce – Shred or slice and serve on buns.
8. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings, add onions, garlic and a splash of red wine.
9. Bay leaf, rosemary, salt and pepper, red wine or beef broth.
10. Make French Dip Sandwiches – Pour can of beef broth and 1 Tbs. worcestershire sauce over meat. Shred and serve on sub buns.

Does this ever happen to you?  You know dinner is going to be chicken because you’ve got a pack of boneless breasts/thighs/tenders or bone-in legs/breasts/thighs.  But you have no desire to think up a recipe to turn them into dinner.

You don’t need a recipe.  You just need some ideas.

Here are 10 ways (plus a few cooking methods) to get you started.  

Cooking method 1:  Slow Cooker

This is my favorite way to cook.  Throw it in the crock and bam – hours later, dinner is ready.  Obviously, this method works best if you have plenty of time.

Cooking method 2:  Oven

Thawed boneless pieces should take about an hour to cook, less if they’re thin (like breast tenders).  Bone-in pieces I give an hour and 15 minutes or more if they are thick.

Sprinkle or Pour on Flavor

1. Salsa  – Any type.  Try black bean and corn or chipotle lime or another style for a fun variation.
2. Bbq sauce – Any type.
3. Salad dressing – French, Catalina, Italian etc.
4. Stir fry sauce, orange sauce, mandarin sauce etc.
5. A sweet (like honey or jelly) with a sour/tart (like ketchup, cocktail sauce, chili sauce, bbq sauce) use up the bottles in your fridge.
6. Taco seasoning – shred and serve in tortillas
7. Spaghetti sauce – add mozzarella or provolone slices during the last few minutes of cooking
8. Crushed tomatoes/diced tomatoes/tomato sauce with Italian seasoning
9. Jar of gravy
10. Cream of…soup, add onions and/or other veggies

What’s your favorite way to fix chicken?

Stir fry is a cooking method that can’t really be replicated in a slow cooker.

But you can make a pretty good fake!

I’ve made this recipe twice now.  It’s easy and quick to fix.  The chicken gets cooked in stir fry sauce for several hours.  The veggies are added later, so they don’t get mushy.

No ingredient photo this time.  I was in a big hurry both times I’ve made it.

I’m sure you can use this method for other meats and veggies too.  We love Asian food and it’s fun to be able to make it in the slow cooker, even though it’s not authentic at all.

Off the wall question: Do you know how to eat with chopsticks?

These may be the best carrots I’ve ever eaten.  They were perfectly cooked in the slow cooker and the butter and honey glaze made them taste scrumptious.

I love the idea of these as a Thanksgiving side dish.  They can be cleaned and cut the day before.  Then it’s just a matter of popping them in the slow cooker and turning it on.

I made 1 pound of carrots and it fed 5-6 people.  It would be easy to double or even triple the amount.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

Chicken and Dumplings is one of my family’s favorite meals, but I don’t always have time to make the homemade version.  This time, I decided to try a reader suggestion for super-quick dumplings.

The secret is flour tortillas.  It doesn’t get easier than that.  And I even used frozen chicken tenders, skipping the thawing.  Those two time-saving steps make this meal a breeze.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

I was so excited to find Quaker Steel Cut Oats on the grocery shelf the other day.  They were over a dollar less expensive than the brand my store usually carries, making them pretty affordable.  I like to use steel cut oats in the slow cooker, because they hold up better.

I wanted to make something more interesting than a normal bowl of oats, so I checked out the Quaker site.  Lots of recipes over there, but none for steel cut oats.  I couldn’t believe it!

Since I didn’t find any recipes, I created my own.  Actually, the idea comes from Good Life Eats.  Katie created Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal using old fashioned oats.  I didn’t follow her recipe, but the idea came from her.

Here’s what you’ll need:  

Do you eat a hot breakfast everyday?

This recipe was created simply by standing in front of the pantry and pulling out a few likely ingredients.  I needed something that would be ready to eat when we got home, with minimal fuss required.

Oh, and I only had about 3 minutes to get it fixed and get out the door.  Ever have a morning like that?

Here’s what I used to make these Sloppy Chicken Tacos, but please feel free to alter as needed.  I really don’t think you can mess this up.  Put in whatever you have that sounds good to you.  Experiment!  

I’m on a roll with slow cooked desserts.  This apple crisp is an adaptation of my Apple Crinkle.

I decided to give it a whirl in the slow cooker and it turned out beautifully.  I dressed it up a bit with a handful of dried cranberries and chopped pecans.

My mouth is watering as I write this post.  I must make this again soon!

Here’s what you’ll need: 

Apple Crisp in the Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar (dark brown is best)
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3-4 cups peeled and sliced apples
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

Stir the first 3 ingredients together.  Cut the butter in with a pastry blender or fork to make soft crumbs.

Combine the apples, cranberries and pecans in a large bowl.  Stir in half the crumbs, mixing to coat all the apples.  Pour into greased crock of the slow cooker.

Stir water, sugar and cinnamon together. Pour over apples.

Put the lid on the slow cooker.  Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours.  Open and let rest a few minutes before serving.  This will allow the extra liquid to thicken.

How often do you use your slow cooker for dessert?

Thank you so much for all the wonderful birthday wishes for my mom yesterday!  She loved reading them and so did I.  You all are the absolute best group of folks on the entire internet!

This recipe works like magic.  You combine a few pantry staples, put it in the slow cooker and a few hours later…ta da!

You end up with chocolate cake with fudgy sauce!

I’ve seen this recipe on several blogs lately.  Traditionally, it’s baked in the oven, but I really wanted to know if it would work in the slow cooker.   It does!

Let me show you what you’ll need: 

I used this recipe from Tasty Kitchen.  The only change I made was to bake it in a slow cooker.  I also re-ordered the ingredient list, to make it easier to follow.

Have you ever eaten chocolate cobbler?

I’m showing this off at:

This is a recipe that will be made often in my house.  My kids have been asking for it again already.

I first saw the recipe when Mary from Giving Up on Perfect linked it for Ingredient Spotlight.  I’ve since spotted it on Pinterest several times.  This soup is fantastic!  And it’s easy too.

I made just a few minor changes to the way Mary fixed it.  I doubled the recipe, which made a lot.  It completely filled my 6 quart slow cooker.   Here’s what you’ll need: 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. chicken tenders
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans tomatoes with diced green chilis
• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cans enchilada sauce
• 3 cups milk

Directions

Place chicken in bottom of the slow cooker.  I used frozen chicken and did not thaw it.  Add all other ingredients except cream soup, enchilada sauce and milk.  Stir those last 3 ingredients together and pour over others in slow cooker.  Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.

Top with shredded pepper jack cheese and serve with tortilla chips.

In the doubled recipe, the 2 cans of tomatoes with green chilies gave the soup a nice kick.  We liked that much heat, even the kids, but if your family doesn’t then substitute a can of diced tomatoes for 1 can of tomatoes with green chilies.

This made enough for my family of 6 to have dinner twice.  I froze the leftovers for the second meal.