Even as we welcome in an exciting new year, we want to take a moment to thank all our loyal readers for an amazing 2014! So … Thank you!!! Thank you!!!
It was our first full year of posting recipes here at Two Healthy Kitchens, and (thanks to all of you!) 2014 pretty much blew all our expectations right out of the water!
Our readers are the very best (ahem … that’s you!), and we just can’t thank you enough for all your loyal support and encouragement, and for helping us to share easy, healthy recipes with other busy people! The excitement is spreading, and more new people are finding THK and embracing healthier, easy, delicious meals … every single day!
In case you missed any of them, here’s the recapof our most popular recipes from 2014, as chosen by you (based on how many times each recipe was viewed throughout the year). No doubt, our readersare big fans ofchicken recipes that make busy weeknights easier, and you can’t get enough of our slow cooker recipes!
Hint taken … we’ve got more of both coming up for you in 2015!
We’ve only included our own recipe posts here, but technically our informational post on “Is It Safe to UseFrozen Meat in Your Crock-Pot?” was our second-most popular post of the year!
Surprised? Yep –we sure were, too! With that post, we were just hopingto answer a reader’s question about cooking frozen chicken in her slow cooker … and maybe help a few other readers who were wondering the same thing. We were shocked when that simple post grew to crazy-popular proportions –we realized lots of otherpeople were worrying over the safest way to cook meat in their slow cookers, too! We’re sure glad we were able to help!
Also super-popular this year was our round-up post on the Top 10 Easy, Healthy Crock-Pot Chicken Recipes from other top bloggers, so if you’re one of our chicken recipe lovers, be sure to check that one out, too!
Now without further ado, here are the most popular THK recipes of the past year … as chosen by YOU!
1) 3-Ingredient Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos
What began as one of Gretchen’s all-time easiest, most requested, family-favorite dinners exploded asour most crazy-popular recipe to date! In just five minutes (no kidding!), these delicious chicken tacos are in the slow cooker and cooking away … and dinner is ready when you are! Ridiculously easy, and sure to become your go-to for busy evenings!
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2)Crock-Pot Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder
Thisdeliciously simple corn chowder has been a long-time favorite with Shelley’s family, and our readers definitely loved it, too! It’s a hearty, satisfying, comfort food meal, with the sweetness of corn and just a hint of smokybacon. Best part? Just toss everything in the slow cooker!
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3)Farmers’ Market Overnight Breakfast Egg Casserole
This awesome egg bake waspopular all year long, but really gained popularityas an easy make-ahead breakfast around the holidays! We noticed that lots of readers especially loved that this casserole is made without bread, so it’s perfect for people who are trying to eat gluten-free!
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4)Greek Yogurt Coleslaw
We created this super-easy, so-much-healthier Greek yogurt slaw recipe specifically to go with ourCrock-Pot North Carolina BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches. But, our slaw quickly surpassed the sandwiches in rankings(although they still made it to the respectable position of #8 on today’s list!). No doubt about it …this coleslaw isn’t just the best buddy of BBQ! It’s perfect practically anytime… and with so much less guilt, too!
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5)Easy Candied Pecans (Just 5 Minutes and 4 Ingredients!)
We posted this recipe in mid-November, and in just a short time, it vaulted its way into our Top 10! These candied pecans are deliciously easy, and readers seemed to love that they’re wonderful last-minute holiday gifts –perfect for teachers, neighbors, and even as hostess gifts! (Psssst … they’re also great on our Salad with Goat Cheese, Pears, Candied Pecans and Maple-Balsamic Dressing … which was the whole reason we created them in the first place!)
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6)Crock-Pot Crazy Pineapple Chili
This “crazy” chili has won contest after contest! Italiansausage and pineapple create an amazing flavor twist that wins the hearts of even skeptical chili lovers! Plus, it’s so quick and easy in the slow cooker –perfect for busy weeknights, game days and tailgating, and all those officechili cook-offs!
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7)Un-Stuffed Pepper Skillet
Gretchen adapted the classic comfort-food flavors of stuffed green peppers that she remembers from her childhood … but made it all so much quicker and easier! Tender, crisp green peppers combine withground beef, rice and tomatoes in this super-popular, quick skillet dinner. Totally kid-approved, and perfect for busy nights!
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8)Crock-Pot North Carolina BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
In honor of her family’s favorite vacation spot (North Carolina’s OBX), Shelley created this much healthier take on North Carolinabarbecue. This fabulous version has a deliciously quick, five-ingredient sauce that you mix up right in your slow cooker. Bursting with all that NC BBQ flavor … but so quick and healthy! (And psssst … see #4 above for the absolute perfect accompaniment!)
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9)Healthy Crock-Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
All the indulgent flavor of buffalo chicken dip in a super-easy, much healthier sandwich! And once again, the slow cooker makes these amazing chicken sandwiches easy enough for even the busiest of evenings … but also portably perfect for sharing at picnics and tailgate parties, too!
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10)Chicken Fajita Quinoa Bake
This slam-dunk family-pleasing recipe combines the flavors of chickenfajitas in a simple baked casserole … with the addition of uber-nutritious quinoa instead of rice! The very best part of all? The quinoa cooks right along with the rest of the casserole –all in one step!Seriously delicious, and soooooo easy!
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Don’t you just love bonuses? We sure do!
And we’ve got two bonus recipes for you today! These two are among our own personal favorites from the year, but just didn’t make the Top 10! Since you guys got to pick your faves, we thought we would pick ours, too. It was tough –like trying to choose a favorite child –but here’s what we decided on:
Gretchen’s Pick:Microwave Popcorn (Easy Recipe for How to Make Popcorn That’s Perfectly Quick, Healthy and Delicious!)
Gretchen had so much fun testing (and retesting!) this simplepopcorn recipe – and her youngest had fun eating all the popcorn! It was totally worth all the trials – we’ve got thetips and secrets to help you make super-fast microwave popcorn without any oil or butter … and using just a simple paper bag!
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Shelley’s Pick: Kentucky Derby Chocolate-Pecan Cookie Bars
The first time Shelley’ssontasted these, he closedhis eyes and happily said, “Best dessert.EVER.” They’re so rich,dense, and bursting with brown-sugary, chocolaty, pecan-y goodness … a marvelous cross betweenachocolate chip cookie and a decadent pecan pie … but withnobutter or added oil!
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Update: More Top Healthy Recipes
As the years go by, we’ll pop back to update this post, since we thought you might like to be able to check out some of our other most popular recipes from various years. Lots and lots of easy, healthy recipes you’ve just gotta try next! Enjoy!
- OUR 25 MOST POPULAR RECIPES OF A DECADE!
- Top Easy, Healthy Recipes of 2023
- Top Easy, Healthy Recipes of 2022
- Top Easy, Healthy Recipes of 2021
- Top Easy, Healthy Recipes of 2020
- Top Easy, Healthy Recipes of 2019
- Top Easy, Healthy Recipes of 2018
- Top Easy, Healthy Recipes of 2017
- Top Easy, Healthy Recipes of 2016
- Top Easy, Healthy Recipes of 2015
- Top Easy, Healthy Recipes of 2013
