Slow cooker has become a staple in most homes for tasty fish and decadent slow-roasted meats, which require minimal preparation and have almost no cooking time on the stove. Although you might consider a faithful cooker as your favorite kitchen appliance, there are plenty of new ways to tap into its potential beyond chili and shredded pork. To help you tap into its slow-cooking powers, here are five seafood slow cooker recipes that will make you and your family love mealtime once again.

Lemon pepper tilapia with

asparagus

<img src="https://quietly-image-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/lemontilapiacrockpotrecipe_1280px_43e8bbe2fdce48b29465dbc592f5a355.jpeg" alt="crockpot lemon

and tilapia recipe” />

This healthy, light recipe from The Crockin’ Girls features buttery tilapia fillets with a spicy touch of lemon. As a recipe with just five ingredients, the slow cooker really gets to work developing robust flavors, plus the aluminum packs are a neat version of more typical recipes. This is possibly the easiest (and tastiest!) slow cooker you can prepare.

Ingredients

: 1 package of asparagus

• 4-6 tilapia fillets, frozen or thawed
• 8-12 tablespoons lemon juice
• Lemon pepper seasoning
• 1/2 tablespoon butter

for each fillet Directions: Cut a piece of aluminum foil for each fillet. Divide the

• package of asparagus

evenly by the number of steaks

1. you are making.
3. Place the steak on the piece of aluminum foil and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning and the juice of half a lemon. Add the butter.
4. Top with asparagus.
5. Fold the aluminum foil over the fish, then fold the ends to seal it.
6. Repeat for all fillets, then place them in the slow cooker over high heat for two hours if the fish thaws or three hours if the fish is frozen.

Seafood Chowder

This recipe from Canadian Living does justice to a classic. The creamy soup is exactly what you’ll want to come home after a long day at work and it’s also perfect for reheating for lunch the next day. It is filling, comforting and contains flavor in every tablespoon.

Ingredients:

• Half-bulb fennel, heartless

and diced 2

• yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced 1

• celery rib, diced
• 2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon

• dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/

• 4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1

• bottle clam juice 1
• cup whipping cream

3

• tablespoons (45 ml) cornstarch 675
• grams skinless salmon fillets, cut into 3/4-inch

pieces

• 24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 5 sea scallops, cut horizontally

in half

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions: Add

fennel,

1. potatoes, onion, celery, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, clam juice and two cups of water to the slow cooker and stir all together

.

2. Simmer for about eight hours, at this point potatoes and fennel should be tender

.

3. Remove the bay leaves.
4. In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cream until the mixture is smooth, then stir it in the slow cooker. Add scallops, shrimp and salmon. Cook the soup over high heat for about 30 minutes. The fish should be flaky and the soup should be slightly thick.

Asian-style salmon and vegetable

fillets

Who knew you could make delicious Asian cuisine in a slow cooker? Try this Simple Nourished Living recipe and you will experience the wonderful flavors of your favorite cuisine without having to master the art and technique of Asian cuisine. The perfect balance of sweet and savory, you’ll struggle to convince your family that this isn’t takeaway.

Ingredients

: 10 ounces salmon fillets 1

• frozen package Asian sautéed vegetables mix (12 to 16 ounces)

Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons

• honey 2 tablespoons
• lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional

Directions: Add frozen

vegetables

1. to the slow cooker as a base

.

2. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper to taste and place them on top of the vegetables.
3. Mix the soy sauce, honey and lemon juice and then drizzle it on the salmon and vegetables.
4. Add the sesame seeds on top.
5. Simmer for 2-3 hours, depending on how well done you enjoy your salmon.
6. Serve with brown rice and be sure to drizzle all the slow cooker sauce over the fish.

Seafood Stew

If you’re not a fan of creamy soup, then a

seafood stew

might be for you. This recipe from Slow Cooker Gourmet explores all sorts of delicious flavors, from spicy to spicy and everything in between. It’s a hearty soup that will have your family asking for seconds (or thirds) even after they’re full. It’s that good!

Ingredients:

1

• can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup white

• wine
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound Dutch baby potatoes

• or other white/yellow baby potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2

• medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon

• dried cilantro

1/2 teaspoon

• celery

salt 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1

• /4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

2

• pounds seafood Directions

:

1. Add everything except seafood in the slow cooker and cook over high heat for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours. Potatoes should be cooked thoroughly at this point.
2. Add the seafood and cook for 30-60 minutes over high heat.
3. Serve with a side of bread for a hearty meal.

Gamb

Scampi

Shrimp

lobsters are traditionally cooked on the stove, but when you have a large family to feed, cooking large quantities can be time-consuming, fussy, and involve more burners than your trusted stove can offer. This recipe from LiveStrong ditches the stove for the slow cooker so you have more time to relax with the family while the slow cooker does the work for you.

Ingredients

: 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup white wine 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons chopped

• garlic 2 teaspoons

parsley, chopped

• 1 pound large raw shrimp, 16 to 20 beads, thawed

Instructions

:

1. In the slow cooker, mix the chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice, olive oil, chopped garlic and chopped fresh parsley.
2. Add the thawed shrimp. The ratio should be one pound of shrimp for every 1/4 cup of broth and 1/2 cup of wine.
3. With the lid on, simmer for 2-1/2 hours or over high heat for 1-1/2 hours.
4. To serve, first remove the shrimp and place them in bowls. Then pour the remaining mixture over it evenly.

Using a slow cooker is a great way to free up time for yourself while also letting your favorite ingredients shine, from tilapia to thyme. Especially when you’re cooking for a big family, any of these recipes promise a delicious meal that you can enjoy with the people you love.

Photos: Robyn Mackenzie / Shutterstock, RoJo Images / Shutterstock, Jeff Coulson, picjumbo, martellostudio / Shuttestock, LiveStrong