Chicken and gravy is a major winter staple. If you put it in the crockpot, it’s incredibly easy and then you can concentrate on other things all day besides dinner. Let this super easy dinner make itself. The best thing is that it costs under $5!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. thyme
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1 Tbsp. diced garlic
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 chicken bouillion cube
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1-16 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables

Directions:

1. Grease the crockpot.
2. Put the olive oil in the bottom of the crockpot.
3. Add the chicken.
4. Spoon spices and garlic over chicken.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients.
6. Cook on high for 5 hours.
7. Add the frozen vegetables and cook for an additional 45 minutes.
8. Serve over biscuits or toast.
9. Tip: add more flour towards the end of the cook time if necessary.

Here’s a great recipe for a cheap and easy take on an American classic - BBQ Pulled Pork. I use pork tenderloin because it’s so lean. If you keep your eyes open, you’ll probably notice that pork tenderloin goes on sale at almost every grocery store, usually every month. You can almost always find pork tenderloin for “buy one, get one free”. This is the way to go, as you only pay about 3.50 for a really nice cut of meat. Throw in some buns, and baked beans or fries and you have an easy meal for your whole family, right around $5.00. Here’s how you do it:

Ingredients:

• 1 Pork Tenderloin (You could use other cuts as well. Regular pork loin would work just fine).
• Your Favorite BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• Buns (optional)
• Pickles (optional)
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Rub your pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. Drizzle a little bbq sauce over the pork and rub that in as well.
2. Place pork in your slow cooker and turn on High.
3. Add water to slow cooker
4. Pork can cook all day long. You should cook it at least 4 hours for the best results.
5. Remove pork from slow cooker and discard liquid. You should be able to shred it with a fork - if you can’t, let it cook longer.
6. Place pork in a bowl and drizzle with bbq sauce, mix well until pork is fully coated.
7. Serve on buns, or over texas toast.
8. Top with pickles or coleslaw and additional bbq sauce.