5 Slow Cooker Trader Joe’s Dinners That Basically Make Themselves

Welcome to Snapshot Cooking, the home of Kitchn’s easiest recipes. These mini recipes are so simple you can practically cook from the before-and-after snapshot itself.

It’s hard to argue with the convenience of a slow cooker. It does the work for you while you go about your business, and you’re rewarded with dinner without even trying. Yet, as wonderful as it is, the slow cooker rut is real — especially when you make the same chili or pulled pork over and over again.

That’s when a little inspiration goes a long way. We always find that Trader Joe’s carries the spark we need to jazz up our slow cooker routine. These five mini recipes call for a few TJ’s ingredients that, when brought together in a slow cooker, make for ingenious — and delicious — dinners.

• Each recipe calls for three or four ingredients, all of which can be found at Trader Joe’s.
• You’ll need a 6-quart or larger slow cooker for each recipe.
• We assume you have olive oil, salt, and pepper, so those aren’t included in our ingredient count.

Pour half of 1 (8-ounce) container Zhoug Sauce into the slow cooker. Add 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the sauce in a single layer, along with 1 drained (12-ounce) jar Fire-Roasted Red & Yellow Peppers and 1 drained (12-ounce) jar Jumbo Pitted Greek Kalamata Olives. Pour remaining sauce and 1/2 cup water on top. Cover and cook on LOW until chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 hours. Serve over orzo or rice.

Get the recipe: Trader Joe’s Slow Cooker Spicy Mediterranean Chicken

Pour half of 1 (26-ounce) jar Trader Giotto’s Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce into the slow cooker. Add 1 (16-ounce) bag Frozen Flame Broiled Turkey Meatballs in a single layer; pour remaining sauce on top. Cover and cook on LOW until meatballs and sauce are warmed through, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Top with 1 (16-ounce) bag Shredded Mozzarella Cheese and cook, covered, until melted, 15 minutes more. Serve over pasta or in sub rolls.

Get the recipe: Trader Joe’s Slow Cooker Meatball Parm

Pour 2 (32-fluid-ounce) boxes Organic Creamy Tomato Soup into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until warm, 1 hour. Add 1 (16-ounce) bag Italian Mini Ravioli and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in 1 (6-ounce) bag Baby Spinach, cover, and cook until just wilted, about 5 minutes.

Pour half of 1 (15-ounce) jar Masala Simmer Sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker. Nestle 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the sauce in a single layer, along with 1 drained (14.5-ounce) can Diced & Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. Pour remaining sauce on top. Cover and cook on LOW until the chicken is cooked through, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Serve over rice.

Get the recipe: Trader Joe’s Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Pour 2 cups uncooked Brown Basmati Rice into the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour 1 (13-ounce) jar Cowboy Caviar and 2 1/2 cups water on top. Scatter 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen Harvest Hodgepodge on top. Cover and cook on LOW until rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours. (Stir once towards the end of cooking to make sure rice cooks evenly). If excess liquid remains once rice is tender, uncover, increase heat to HIGH, and cook for 5 minutes so liquid can evaporate.