Perry’s Plate turns eight years old today! That’s how old my first born is. She was almost the same age as this little guy when I started blogging. . .

Gah. I can’t even believe it’s been that long. This place has changed so much over the years, as well as our nutritional philosophy. I’ve also never known what it is like to run a blog without babies or small children underfoot.

Speaking of babies, did you know the secret to getting a baby to sleep well at night (well, THIS baby) is to feed him dinner, then breastfeed, then right before bed feed him some slow-cooked shredded meat and then breastfeed one more time and then — POW. Out for the night. I kid you not.

Shredded meat happens to be my little guy’s favorite thing to eat. (Along with clementines, sweet potatoes, marinated cucumbers and anything that resembles bread. He also loves sips of La Croix sparkling water and foraging under the kitchen table — *cough* 4th child.)

He loves all of it, but particularly shredded beef with Mexican-type flavors. He’ll fit in nicely here.

I’ve been using my slow cookers a lot lately, and it has made dinner prep SO much easier knowing there’s little to do right before we eat. It’s a lovely feeling — like someone has been cooking for you all day.

It never occurred to me until recently that I could use my 2.5 quart slow cooker to make a pot of food for the baby to eat all week. My little guy is a great eater — when I can keep him from throwing it everywhere. I thought for a while he was being picky, but really, he just likes to play in his food.

He loved this shredded chicken and vegetables I made for him — except the zucchini. Not a fan . . . yet.

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Slow Cooker Chicken and Veggies for Baby

Homemade baby food using a slow cooker! You can change up the vegetables and seasoning however you like. Using a slow cooker makes homemade baby food a snap. You can even puree it if your baby doesn't have teeth -- and it preserves the nutrients much better than boiling vegetables.

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Ingredients

• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 small zucchini, peeled and diced
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon no-salt seasoning blend
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 Tablespoon of melted ghee or coconut oil

Instructions

1. Put the carrots, zucchini, and sweet potatoes in a 2 or 3 quart slow cooker. Rub the chicken with the seasoning blend and sea salt. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
2. Pour the chicken broth along the side of the cooker and drizzle the chicken with the ghee.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours until the chicken is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
4. Remove the chicken and vegetables and dice them as small as you need to for your baby to eat.
5. Serve warm. Store the leftovers chilled in an airtight container.

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. You can substitute any vegetables that have a similar cooking time, like other root vegetables, squash, or potatoes.
2. I used chicken thighs because they have a higher fat content and are more moist and soft when cooked. Fat = good for babies.