3 Crock-Pot Dump Recipes

A Crock-Pot is the secret weapon of busy moms, eliminating tons of kitchen time from the schedule. These three "dump" recipes make the meal-creation process even easier, as they each have only one or two steps. Let the Crock-Pot do the work while you're out winning at life.

A pot roast is one of those meals that tastes just as good as leftovers, but this one is so tasty it may vanish in a flash. Texas roadhouse pot roast is as simple as putting a 2-pound chuck roast in the slow cooker, then piling on chopped veggies such as onions, celery, bell peppers and potatoes. Add tomato sauce, water, barbecue sauce and spices; cover the pot, and let everything cook for 8 to 10 hours. Easy and excellent.

Just about everyone, young and old, loves pizza. This creative Crock-Pot dish takes all the deliciousness of a pepperoni pizza and transforms it into a soup. Make your own by dumping cans of Italian-seasoned stewed tomatoes and beef broth into the slow cooker, along with chopped onions, green peppers and sliced mushrooms. Add sliced pepperoni and some oregano; cover, and then cook it all on low for 8 to 9 hours. Add refrigerated cheese ravioli, and cook for another 30 minutes. Spoon the soup into bowls, then top with olives and shredded mozzarella.

Ribs and Crock-Pots are practically made for each other, as slow-cooking results in tender, delicious ribs without much effort on your part. Make country-style pork ribs with your own handcrafted barbecue sauce. Start by placing 3 pounds of pork loin ribs in a Crock-Pot. Mix Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, apple-cider vinegar and a few other seasonings together in a bowl, and pour it over the pork. Cover, and cook it all on low for 9 to 10 hours. These are so good you may want to make them every week.