Crockpot Ranch Chicken

Winter is a great time to use your slow cooker because they are perfect for making stews and soups in to keep you warm. On top of that we're all busy running here and there. So how great is it to be able to throw some ingredients into the slow cooker before you leave for the day in the morning and come home to dinner done?

There's really little better than walking into your home after a long day and smelling the sweet smells of dinner all cooked and ready to eat. If you're looking for some great ways to use your crockpot this winter, then you'll want to see these five crockpot recipes.

Crockpot Chicken and Rice

A good, warm, hearty dish for winter that's great cooked in the crockpot. With a few basic ingredients you can have a great dish for dinner - all cooked in one pot.

1 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
4 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups of rice
Frozen broccoli
Water

Pour two cans of cream of chicken soup in the bottom of the crockpot. Add the chicken breast on top. Try not to overlap too much. Pour the rest of the cream of chicken soup over the chicken. Pour in the rice; add about 2 or 3 cans of water. Stir a little. Pour in the frozen broccoli. Put the top on the crockpot and set it to low for 4 hours. Break up the chicken in the pot and mix it all together and serve.

Crockpot Beef Stew

Beef stew is a must have during the winter months. And since stews are better the longer they marinate in their own flavors, using the crockpot is the perfect way to make beef stew. Here's a way to do it.

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
cup all-purpose flour
tsp salt
tsp black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
3 potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped

Place meat in the slow cooker. Mix the flour, salt, and black pepper in a separate bowl and pour it over the meat in the crockpot. Mix it up with the meat to coat the meat in this flour mixture. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, potatoes, carrots, and celery.

Cover and cook on low for 10 to12 hours or high for 4 to 6 hours.

Crockpot Ranch Chicken

Chicken cooked in ranch dressing! You couldn't ask for anything better. Try doing this in your crockpot.

1 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
2 packages ranch dressing mix
1 16-ounce bottle ranch dressing
cup milk

Split the chicken breast and sprinkle with ranch dressing. Season both sides of the chicken.