These 40 frugal main dish slow cooker meals can save retreat planning budgets like you wouldn’t believe. The budget for the first Loving Christ Ministries retreat in 2013 started with….nothing.
That’s right. We had a dream, a calling, but we had no money at all. We still pushed forward and found a way to make the retreat happen. Along the way, we took note of every single idea we had for saving money.
While hiring a cook or having meals catered would have been easiest, our budget simply wouldn’t allow it. Food is an easy category to overspend in. Fortunately, it’s also an area where you can save money as well.
Benefits of Main Dish Slow Cooker Meals for a Retreat
Planning slow cooker main dishes can help you in several areas.
First of all, ingredients don’t typically cost much. The main dishes below have five ingredients or less. None cost very much but still make delicious, filling meals.
Second, prep time is quick and easy. That helps a ton when you’re busy with other retreat details. The fact that they have only a few ingredients helps with this, too.
Third, the workload can easily be distributed if you have your planning team come together to each make a Crockpot meal. Cooking doesn’t have to be the sole responsibility of one person. This helps everyone as they can pitch in for tasks but not be overwhelmed.
And last, clean up is a breeze. If you have a team of ladies from the retreat helping in the kitchen, they’ll be able to clean up quickly and be able to be a part of the next worship session or activity.
Try one or more of these simple and delicious main dish slow cooker meals.
Main Dish Slow Cooker Meals - Perfect for Retreats and Large Groups
To feed everyone at your next retreat, consider these main dish slow cooker meals. They're simple, delicious, and easy to clean up!
Crock-Pot Mississippi Pot Roast (Paleo, Keto & Whole30) + VIDEO
Gluten-Free Rotisserie Style Shredded Chicken {Instant Pot or Slow Cooker, Dairy-Free}
Slow Cooker Taco Meat Recipe
A simple slow cooker taco meat recipe that will easily feed a large group. Perfect for women's retreats and other large gatherings.
More Food Planning for Retreats
You can find other food planning ideas and recipes here on the blog. Keeping a handle on the menu can really help your retreat budget. It’s important to offer plenty of good, comforting food without spending too much.
If you have a food planning group as part of your initial team, encourage them to provide at least one slow cooker main dish per day. They (and the rest of the ladies at the retreat) will be so glad they did!
More Retreat Planning Ideas
- 101 Retreat Theme Ideas for Christian Women
- Free – New Beginnings Retreat Theme
- Free – Joy in Jesus Retreat Theme
- How to Plan a Women’s Retreat
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