As drivers, you know that cooking on the road is not always convenient. Fast food and truck stop meals are always readily available, and it is easy to forget that you can actually cook in your truck. And no, I’m not talking about making sandwiches or heating up something in the microwave. Sometimes we just need a tasty home cooked meal. With a slow cooker, you can cook a variety of meals that are not only delicious, but healthy as well. While most slow cooker meals require an extensive list of ingredients, there are many that only require a couple.
Slow cookers are pretty much fool proof. You throw in your choice of protein, a base, maybe some seasoning if you are feeling crazy, turn it on and voila – your meal will be ready in a few short hours.
There are three things that I recommend when trying to make these meals. The first thing is obviously a slow cooker. They come in many different shapes and sizes, so you should not have a problem finding one that will conveniently fit in your truck. The Road Pro 12 Volt Slow Cooker is very popular among truck drivers for many reasons. For one, the 5’ cord plugs directly into your cigarette lighter. Another appealing feature is that the 1.5 Quart inner casing is easy to remove and it’s dishwasher safe. You can find them at many different retailers across the country for around $30.
Slow Cooker liners are essential when using your slow cooker. Instead of having to find some place to wash out your cooker, you’re able to put the liner in, cook your meal, and throw it away. Easy as pie. You can find a 4 pack of these at any Walmart, Target, or grocery store for $3 or $4.
The last thing that you should invest in is a meat thermometer. It is important to make sure that your meat is fully cooked before consumption. Temperatures do vary from meat to meat, so I have attached a handy guide that will help protect you from food borne illnesses.
You can make really anything in the crock pot. Soups, roasts, desserts, appetizers – you name it and it can probably be done. I’m choosing to write about a couple easy meals that you can use as a base and grow on. You can doctor these meals to be your own by adding vegetables, grains, or spices.
Pork Chops:
- 1 Package of Pork Chops (about a pound or so)
- 1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 Packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dry Mix Seasoning
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients and mix, put them in the slow cooker for 4/6 hours on high.
Mexican Chicken:
- 1lb of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 Package of Taco Seasoning
- 1 Can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients and mix, put them in the slow cooker for 4/6 hours on high.
Grape Jelly & BBQ Meatballs:
- 32oz Bag of Fully Cooked Meatballs
- 18oz Jar of Grape Jelly
- 18oz Bottle of Barbecue Sauce
Directions:
Combine jelly and barbecue sauce in the base of the crockpot. Add meatballs and stir until they are all coated. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to what can be made in a slow cooker. If you ever run out of ideas, all it takes is one quick Google search for “slow cooker recipes” and you’ll have thousands of results. We hope that this little snippet will help cooking on the road become a breeze! To view more of our blogs, please visit https://www.sstransport.com/ss-transport-blog/.