I’m fairly new to cooking, just know the basics. But now that I moved back to the US, eating out is getting expensive, so I’m feeling the need to start eating at home at least 3 times a week, maybe 4.
But I’ve always been lazy when it comes to cooking for myself, so I was hoping someone could suggest a good recipe that I could cook on a Sunday that wouldn’t require a lot of my time. Doesn’t need to be cheap in terms of the cost of the ingredients, just “cheap” in terms of the prep time needed on my part.
So what I thought of was buying a big slow cooker and just making something that can sit in the big slow cooker for 10 hours. That way I wouldn’t to watch over it or stir or any of the other things you need to do when you cook on a stove. Then I’d just distribute it among 3-4 tupperware/aluminum foil to reheat later in the week.
But I’m not sure if that’s even a thing? Or if it’s feasible for a single person with a relatively small kitchen? Are there big slow cookers that can handle 4500-6000 calories worth of food (I’m hoping for at least 1500 calories per meal x 3 or 4 meals)?
If there are, then I’d love it if you suggested a good recipe for me that’s fairly quick to make. Doesn’t have to be healthy in terms of micronutrients, because I take a daily multivitamin. Just has to be healthy in terms of macronutrients. Meaning, it should have lots of fiber (beans or sweet potatoes sound like good choices here), sufficient protein (not sure how much is needed for a healthy 30yo man who doesn’t lift… 70g/day?), and a decent amount of unsaturated fat, though I can always supplement that last one with walnuts or olive oil. I don’t have any other dietary restrictions of any kind.
Bonus points if it doesn’t require a microwave, but I guess that’s too limiting, so I can just buy a microwave and stick it on top of my fridge, no big deal. Not sure why my rental comes with a dishwasher and not a microwave, but here we are.
this is absolutely possible. i’ve got a family size slow cooker (8 quart), and it can feed my family of four with leftovers.
u can cook almost anything in a slow cooker, but there’s some things that don’t work, mostly noodles, rice, seafood and dairy. noodles & rice get mushy & clumpy, seafood cooks too quick so will turn to rubber, and dairy will curdle if left for too long. a lot of these u can add towards the end of the cook time, tho for noodles & rice i always make them separately & just spoon the slow cooker dish on top. also, it doesn’t brown meat, so it’s a good idea to brown any meat first (which doesn’t take long), unless you’re making pulled chicken/pork/beef.
here’s a list of slow cooker recipes, and u can always find more on google. my own favourite slow cooker recipe is a beef chuck roast with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, onions, celery and rutabaga. u just season (salt, pepper, thyme, any other herbs or spices u think sound good) & brown the roast (leave whole, or cut into larger chunks to fit in your slow cooker. most roasts, at least in my experience, come trussed (tied up), but u should leave the strings on while cooking. it helps the meat to keep it’s shape while cooking), cut up the vegetables into chunks, season and toss em all in the pot with the roast resting on top. add in some beef broth (2 cups for 4lbs of roast, give or take. u don’t want to cover everything, but at least half the crock pot should be full of liquid) and let cook for 8 hours. u can add a slurry of cornstarch to thicken the sauce near the end of cooking if u want, but it’s honestly not necessary. it’ll just be more like a soup if u don’t. just eat it in a bowl!
also anything u need to heat up, u can heat back up on the stove in a pot/pan or in the oven, if need be. microwaves are pretty cheap, tho.
if u need to make up calories/nutrients, make up a quick salad or buy some buns/bread from the store.
If you find your slow cooker isn’t big enough, just get a second one and run two of them at once. They’re ridiculously cheap.
Technically you’re supposed to freeze whatever you can’t eat in 4 days. But an extra day here and there will probably be fine.
I do Sunday meal prep with a different kind of slow cooker (a smoker) and it works great. I don’t do OMAD everyday but I eat a similar total amount of meals as straight OMAD. I just prep enough brisket, burger patties, and bacon for the week. I add eggs and butter at meal time (sadly can’t figure out how to meal prep eggs). I don’t eat plant based foods and I don’t count calories.