If you’ve got low thyroid, you know there’s just not a whole bunch of energy leftover—especially toward the end of a long day. Often, the last thing that you want to do is cook dinner.

You know the drill.

Everyone is hungry.

Your house is a mess.

Kids are climbing up your legs.

Don’t you wish you had a kitchen helper?

Likely, you do, lurking somewhere in a cabinet: a slow cooker, or crockpot. To me, using a crockpot is almost like having dinner out, but you’re eating in the comfort of your own home. You know the ingredients are good and the flavors are going to be just how you like them. But you barely had to lift a finger.

Here’s my “little secret” when it comes to the crockpot: Don’t bother with special “slow cooker” recipes; use it as the world’s easiest way to cook your protein.

For me, it’s usually beef, bison, chicken, or turkey. Yes, it’s that simple!

Then, I use the meat in any which way I like. I can make tacos, Indian curry, Thai stir-fry, or plain old roast chicken, just by placing my meat and a few simple spices into my trusty crocker.

Here is one of my family’s all-time favorites. Honestly, it can’t get any easier. To sweeten the crock just a bit, it’s a two-for-one deal: Roast the chicken on day one, and make a no-work bone broth on day two.

Simple Crockpot Chicken

1 whole chicken
salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning (or your favorite blend)

1. Rinse off the chicken and place the backbone down inside the crock.

2. Rub the seasoning on.

3. Turn on your crock to medium or high. My crock is big and red. She’s nothing fancy, so I turn her on high for 6 hours. If you’ve got a new crock, you can set a timer and have your chicken cooked to perfection.

4. If you see the meat pulling away from the bone just a bit, then your chick is sure to be done.

Make it a meal: If you’re in a serious time crunch, serve the roasted chicken with a side salad. If you have time to think ahead: Throw a few potatoes in the crock with the chick, and serve them together. Super simple, super easy, and seriously yummy.

Want to up it one more notch? Go for it and make a no-work bone broth with your chicken scraps.

Crockpot Bone Broth

1. Strip all the chicken from the bones.

2. Fill your crock back up with water and turn her on high again. Bonus option: Add (roughly) chopped onions, carrots, and/or celery to up the nutrients even more.

3. Turn on high again, and have the crock cook all night long. In the morning you’ll wake up to a crock full of chicken stock that you can use in soups or when simmering greens. All you have to do is (cool,) strain and store your stock for later use.

Now it’s your turn. Do you love your crockpot, or is she just sitting there in the back of your cabinet?

I’d love to learn about your favorite crockpot recipes. Leave a comment below and while you’re at it, tell us a little story about how you manage to feed your family well with all the hustle and bustle of life.

Love elephant and want to go steady?

Sign up for our (curated) daily and weekly newsletters!

Apprentice Editor: Guenevere Neufeld / Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: via author