Lately, I have been trying to create some easy crock pot bag meals. I saw the idea for batch cooking by tossing ingredients into a gallon zip-top bag and freezing them for use in the slow cooker later. Awesome.
My first attempt was this pork and peppers bag and while I must admit that it did not turn out to be the prettiest dish to look at, it was quite delicious and super simple.
Literally, you just put everything into the freezer bag. Then, toss it around just a bit to make sure everything is coated well. Place it in the freezer until needed.
On the day I wanted to cook, I just plopped it right into the crock pot frozen. Cover it up and cook on low heat for 8 hours.
Since I put it into the cooker frozen, at mid-day I needed to give it a little stir to separate the pork chops. To avoid this, just thaw your bag in the refrigerator first. Then, you can also cut your cooking time to 6-7 hours.
I served the pork and peppers over white rice but yellow rice would be awesome too. The broth made it a little bit more like a stew but it was still good.
And, because we like it spicy, I served some Frank’s Red Hot on the side.
RECIPE: Pork & Peppers Crock Pot Bag
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 pork loin chops
- 1 onion cut in chunks
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bell peppers assorted colors, seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the pork chops.
- Place the pork chops and all ingredients into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Release the air and seal. Toss gently to distribute the ingredients. Freeze.
- Remove from the freezer. Take the ingredients from the bag and place them in a slow cooker.
- Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.
- Serve over rice and with hot sauce, if desired.
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This is a great recipe…but what really got my attention was putting a Crock Pot recipe in a plastic bag and freezing it. That’s really creative. I’m going to remember that tip, for sure !!!! I haven’t quite worked up to freezer cooking or preparing ingredients for quick meals and storing them in the freezer…but we do eat a lot of organic meat in our house, so when I have the chance, i stock up, and divide it up into individual portions. Then I freeze it. It’s nice 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂 🙂 🙂
I wish I could take credit for the idea but I saw it somewhere on Pinterest. I think it was from A Turtle’s Life but I don’t remember exactly.
If you are dividing it up anyway, it really doesn’t take that much longer to add the ingredients to the bag. I find it is a really time saver. So glad this could help you! 🙂
Heather, we do too 🙂 We live in IL and have a farm which is free range and nearly all organic. They grow everything on their land, feed the hogs etc. $2.22 a pound! And they do everything, bacon chops sausage amazing!
This looks goood! I love plopping frozen things into my crock and coming back later to find them perfectly cooked! I have similar recipes. Love my crock pot!
The crock pot might have been the greatest invention ever for busy Moms. 🙂
I agree with Heather. I’m impressed with the crock pot bag. I may have to experiment with that idea on different recipes. This could be a great time saver.
Anything that saves time is always great, right? 🙂
This looks awesome, but I do have a question. Did the meat dry out at all? Or did it stay moist? I’ve used chicken in a crockpot dish before and it totally dried out, even in liquid. Just wondering about the pork loin. 🙂
Hi Ashley ~ That’s a great question. I personally thought the meat was a little dry but the hubby LOVED it. He tells me that I am my worst critic.
This looks good. We only have bone-in pork chops right now though. Do you think this would work okay with beef?
I’ve never tried it with beef. If you try it, let me know. 🙂
Awww! Your pictures are awesome! Thanks so much for sharing! We bought a half a hog from an awesome local farmer who trains her pigs to stay close and not wander, so that they can roam free, because she trains them with marshmallows. 🙂 Anyway! I love that you have a shot of the finished product on a plate. I am doing mine rock solid in my dutch oven with homemade creamy gravy, but your methodology is what I was looking for! Thanks so much!