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  5. 22 400-Calorie Slow-Cooker Dinners You'll Want to Make Forever

22 400-Calorie Slow-Cooker Dinners You'll Want to Make Forever

Leah Goggins headshot
Leah Goggins October 06, 2021
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Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Pozole

This mix of soups, stews, tacos and more has something to offer everyone. Whether it's a flavor-packed vegetarian chili or a braised beef dinner with slow-cooked veggies, these recipes clock in at 400 calories or less per serving. Recipes like our Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Pozole and Slow-Cooker Carne Picada Tacos with Avocado Salsa are satisfying meals that will soon be on regular rotation in your kitchen.

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Sweet Potato & Barley Chili

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If you're ready for something different, try this hearty slow-cooked chili made with sweet potato, pearled barley, and red beans.

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Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Quinoa with Arugula

Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Quinoa with Arugula
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Chock-full of quinoa, chickpeas and vegetables, this salad is a meal in itself. The roasted red peppers, lemon, olives and feta add familiar Mediterranean flavor. If you want to provide a meat option, serve with grilled chicken.

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Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Butternut Squash

This slow-cooker turkey and butternut squash chili is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The sweetness of the butternut squash tames the kick from cayenne, making this easy crock-pot chili just right for kids and adults alike. For those who prefer a spicier chili, just pass hot sauce at the table.
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This slow-cooker turkey and butternut squash chili is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The sweetness of the butternut squash tames the kick from cayenne, making this easy crock-pot chili just right for kids and adults alike. For those who prefer a spicier chili, just pass hot sauce at the table.

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Slow-Cooker Carne Picada Tacos with Avocado Salsa

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Loosely translated as "minced meat," the traditional texture of carne picada ranges from finely chopped to ground. Here we start with brisket, which becomes nice and tender in the slow cooker, then shred and chop the meat before serving. The seasoning is flavorful but not too spicy. Blistered jalapeños added at the end will satisfy the heat-lovers in the family. Pile the brisket into warmed corn tortillas, with lettuce, the jalapeños, cheese and avocado salsa for a healthy dinner that'll wake up your taco night routine.

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Slow-Cooked Ranch Chicken and Vegetables

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This creamy, veggie-packed chicken dinner comes together easily in your slow-cooker-and makes enough for another night's casserole (see associated recipe)!

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Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Pozole

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This healthy vegetarian take on the Mexican stew pozole gets tons of flavor from poblano peppers, ancho chile powder and dried herbs and spices, while cannellini beans provide substance, protein and fiber. Chewy hominy--corn that has been treated with lime to remove the tough hull and germ--is integral to the stew. Look for it in cans in the Latin section of your supermarket. Serve the stew with shredded cabbage, radishes, fresh cilantro and sour cream.

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Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Stew

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This Mediterranean stew is a healthy dinner chock-full of vegetables and hearty chickpeas. A drizzle of olive oil to finish carries the flavors of this easy vegan crock-pot stew. Swap out the chickpeas for white beans for a different twist, or try collards or spinach in place of the kale. Any way you vary it, this stew is sure to go into heavy rotation when you are looking for healthy crock-pot recipes.

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Mulligatawny Soup

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This is a soup with a long history (references to it in English go back to 1784) that can now be conveniently made in a modern appliance. Although it's technically an English soup, its origins are decidedly Indian. (The name loosely means "pepper water" in the Tamil language of Southern India.) The sweetness of apple and coconut milk counterbalances the garlic, ginger, curry and cayenne.

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Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili

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Grab your crock pot for this delicious and easy slow-cooker vegetarian chili with beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, bell peppers and sweet potatoes. The recipe requires just 20 minutes of active time: after a bit of chopping, you just dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do the work. Adding a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of cilantro just before serving brightens up the flavors. Top it with some shredded cheese, if you'd like, or serve it as-is to keep it vegan. Either way, this healthy chili is sure to become a go-to when you want a satisfying and healthy dinner.

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Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips

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The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe--cinnamon, allspice and cloves--may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.

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Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup

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Make a big batch of low-calorie veggie-packed soup with ease in this load-and-go crock pot recipe. After simmering away in the slow cooker, portion it into individual serving containers and store in the fridge or freezer for fast, healthy lunches or an easy, satisfying snack. This weight-loss vegetable soup fills you up without a lot of calories, plus it's an easy way to eat more vegetables.

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Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Chicken & Orzo

Slow-Cooker Chicken & Orzo with Tomatoes & Olives
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Perk up basic chicken breast and whole-wheat orzo with the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean, like lemon and olives. This load-and-go recipe makes a complete and satisfying meal; just add a green salad.

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Mediterranean Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Slow-Cooker Chicken & Vegetable Noodle Soup
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This slow-cooker chicken noodle soup fits nicely into the Mediterranean diet thanks to plenty of vegetables, lean chicken breast and whole-wheat pasta. Pair it with a salad and toasted whole-grain bread for an easy, healthy dinner.

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Crock-Pot Pineapple Chicken

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This slow-cooker chicken with pineapple has a hint of ginger and sesame and is made with simple ingredients you may already have in your pantry! Look for fresh pineapple that's been peeled and cored already to make assembly even easier. Serve with brown rice to sop up the sweet and savory sauce.

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Slow-Cooker White Bean, Spinach & Sausage Stew

Slow-Cooker Chicken White Bean Stew
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Reach for this recipe on a chilly morning when you know you'll want a steaming bowl of slow-cooker sausage stew for supper. To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten-free sausage.

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Slow-Cooker Arroz con Pollo (Chicken & Rice)

Slow-Cooker Arroz con Pollo
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This one-pot chicken dinner, inspired by the traditional dish of Spain and Latin America, comes together easily in the crock pot. The instant brown rice is added near the end, to keep it from overcooking.

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Southwestern Sweet Potato Stew

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This hearty Southwestern-inspired stew may take a while in your slow cooker, but it's so worth it! Full of sweet potatoes, black beans, and hominy, it will satisfy your tastebuds and keep you full for hours.

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Slow-Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup Freezer Pack

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Prep the ingredients for this soup months in advance for a total hands-off meal that's ready when you are. Vegetarian lentils and vegan coconut milk make this soup creamy and pack in plenty of plant-based protein and a hearty amount of fiber. To keep it vegan, opt for vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

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Slow-Cooker Shrimp Posole Tacos

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Literally translated, "posole" means "hominy." Traditional posole dishes are soups or stews made with hominy along with pork, chicken or seafood. In these slow-cooker shrimp tacos, the hominy, cumin, oregano and shrimp render classic posole flavors that are amplified by the addition of typical posole toppings: cabbage, radishes, cilantro and lime. Toast the corn tortillas for extra crunch, if desired (see Tip).

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Pasta Puttanesca with Beef

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This easy slow cooker ground beef and pasta recipe makes a great meal any night of the week.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Soup with Asparagus & Peas

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Use your crock pot all year with this healthy slow-cooker chicken soup recipe with fresh spring ingredients. Adding the asparagus and peas to the slow cooker for the last 20 minutes of cooking and leaving the lid off ensures that the vegetables stay bright green and are perfectly done without getting mushy.

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Shiitake & Noodle Hot & Sour Soup

Shiitake & Noodle Hot & Sour Soup
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This vegetarian hot-&-sour-inspired soup is chock-full of tofu and vegetables, plus noodles to make it hearty enough for dinner.

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    1 of 22 Sweet Potato & Barley Chili
    2 of 22 Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Quinoa with Arugula
    3 of 22 Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Butternut Squash
    4 of 22 Slow-Cooker Carne Picada Tacos with Avocado Salsa
    5 of 22 Slow-Cooked Ranch Chicken and Vegetables
    6 of 22 Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Pozole
    7 of 22 Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Stew
    8 of 22 Mulligatawny Soup
    9 of 22 Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili
    10 of 22 Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips
    11 of 22 Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup
    12 of 22 Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Chicken & Orzo
    13 of 22 Mediterranean Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
    14 of 22 Crock-Pot Pineapple Chicken
    15 of 22 Slow-Cooker White Bean, Spinach & Sausage Stew
    16 of 22 Slow-Cooker Arroz con Pollo (Chicken & Rice)
    17 of 22 Southwestern Sweet Potato Stew
    18 of 22 Slow-Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup Freezer Pack
    19 of 22 Slow-Cooker Shrimp Posole Tacos
    20 of 22 Pasta Puttanesca with Beef
    21 of 22 Slow-Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Soup with Asparagus & Peas
    22 of 22 Shiitake & Noodle Hot & Sour Soup

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    22 400-Calorie Slow-Cooker Dinners You'll Want to Make Forever
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