Happy Anniversary to 365 Days of Slow Cooking!
8 years ago I started this blog on a whim. I was restless. I was stuck inside with two tiny kids. I wanted to add some pep to my life. I wanted something to occupy my mind but be useful at the same time. Eventually, I wanted to create a small income for myself.
It’s crazy to think back to 8 years ago. It’s crazy that I’m still doing this blog and actually still loving it. I always remember how old my blog is because I started when my son was just 6 months old. Now he’s a sports loving, freckled face, loud and happy elementary aged boy. Just like my son is growing up so has my blog. I started with knowing so very little about slow cookers and cooking in general to feeling so very confident in the kitchen. I still like to keep my recipes quick and simple but my cooking has evolved over the years.
Although I’ve loved this blog for myself and what it has done for me, none of that would have happened if no one had read it, pinned it or shared it on facebook. I’m so very grateful for you. You come to my blog and you get recipes for your family and then you come back and comment about how it went. You make this blog so fun and for that I am so very thankful.
I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes through the years with you and the most popular as well. I hope you will enjoy this blast from the past!
—>Save this for later on Pinterest<<—
2009
On day 44 of my 365 days of slow cooking project I made a slow cooker apple crisp. This was the most viewed page that year with a staggering 596 hits. This is so funny to me for some reason. Less than 600 people yet it was my most popular post.
I’m not going to say this Fruit, Nut and Wheat Berry Salad was my most absolute favorite recipe of 2009 but I’ll say that it was one of my favorites. I continue to make it today. It’s a great addition to a potluck. My husband likes eating it for breakfast.
2010
Slow Cooker Chicken and Spinach Lasagna was the most popular post that I wrote in 2010. This is actually a pretty tasty recipe and I’m glad that I figured out how to make lasagna in the crockpot!
My mom used to make this No Peek Beef Stew when I was growing up in the oven. But it works perfectly in the slow cooker and I still use this recipe today. The secret ingredient in this recipe is a can of tomato soup!
2011
It’s funny that this honey garlic chicken was the most popular recipe of 2011 because I honestly don’t even remember what it tasted like!
My most used recipe from 2011 has defnitely been these buttermilk  mashed potatoes.  I make them all the time. My husband often requests these.
2012
Three years after I started was when the ball really got rolling for my blog. I invested in a better camera and it’s when pinterest started becoming popular and also when my first cookbook 365 Days of Slow Cooking came out. This slow cooker baked potato soup had almost 40,000 views in 2012.
My two most made recipes from 2012 are this basic shredded chicken and this healthy chicken barley soup. I love both of these recipes and use them often!
2013
Olive Garden’s copycat recipe for Pasta E Fagioli was voted #1 most popular in 2013 and I can see why, it’s comforting and it’s almost just as good as going out to eat.
My favorite recipe from 2013 was this Thai Coconut Soup with Lemongrass. It tastes just like the kind of soup that you order at a Thai restaurant.
2014
It seems like soup is king on this blog because 2014’s most popular recipe was a chicken enchilada soup with refried beans making up the creamy consistency of the soup.
The recipe that I make the most from 2014 is probably this Cafe Rio Chicken. I make it a lot because it’s so fast to get it in the crockpot and it is versatile in the ways that you can use it.
When I asked my daughter Reagan what her favorite recipe is that I make in the slow cooker she said this Parmesan Sausage and Kale Soup.Â
2015
The most popular recipe that I wrote in 2015 was a meatless meal of Mexican Rice with avocado in the casserole crockpot.
In 2015 I made this recipe for Healthy Turkey Lentil Chili. It’s a great recipe because it’s healthy and tastes great. I also make this Mustard Tarragon Chicken when I’m short on time.
2016
Finally, last year in 2016 the most viewed new recipe that I wrote was this Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole. A simplified classic made in the slow cooker instead of the oven.
My favorite recipe from last year is this tomatillo chicken filling. It is so flavorful. I love it on salads or in tacos.
Final Thanks
Anyhow, thanks for following along with my blog whether you’re a brand new reader or if you’ve been here from the beginning! I truly appreciate it. Please continue to share my recipes with your friends and I’ll continue to create new slow cooker recipes that you can enjoy with your family.
Send Me Free Slow Cooker Recipes
Thanks for stopping by! Do you love crockpot recipes? Wish you had more good ones that your family would actually eat? Get all my new recipes delivered to your email inbox by signing up here. I usually send out 1-2 new recipes per week. And you can unsubscribe at any time. This is a free service! Try it out. You’ll eat better and be more inspired to make family dinner happen at your house.
From your first cookbook, I’ve been a huge fan of yours! I have shared your cookbook with MANY, too many to remember. I love how yummy, and easy the recipes are. Plus many are healthy as well.
Thank you Jackie. This means so much to me!
Always love your recipes!
Please create more Meatless recipes…have some vegans in our family that I’d love to make more meals for.
Thanks so much!!!! Looking forward to your ideas in 2017!
Thank you Stacy! I know! I really need to make more meatless crockpot recipes. Thanks so much for the suggestion.
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing the most viewed and your favorites. They all look so tasty. I need to get busy!
Thanks Mare!!
I found your blog a couple of months ago. I really like the assortment of recipes. The cauliflower/broccoli soup is one of my favorites.
Thanks Susan!!!
Congrats on a wonderful, successful blog! I own two of your cookbooks and have been following your blog ever since I read about you in the BYU alumni magazine. My favorite recipes are definitely some of your soups: lasagna soup, meatball soup, tomato basil soup, chicken enchilada soup, and zuppa toscana. Just a few nights ago I made pasta e fagioli for the first time. Yum! Thank you.
This is so nice to hear! thanks so much Jen. You are awesome!
Thank you so very much for this post and sharing your favorites! I’ve pinned most of them! The best part is that many of these are healthy too! Double win.
You’re welcome Kathy! Thanks for following along!