Football season has a way of filling the afternoon before anyone thinks seriously about dinner. These 19 slow cooker recipes handle most of the cooking while the game is on, with beef roasts, pork, chicken, meatballs, carnitas, sausage, and a hearty potato side in the mix. Some are built for bowls and plates, while others can sit on warm for people eating between quarters. That leaves the slow cooker doing the steady work while everyone else keeps an eye on the score.
Authentic Hungarian Goulash
Deep paprika and tender beef make Authentic Hungarian Goulash the kind of slow cooker dinner that suits the first weekends of football season. Six servings take 6 hours and 15 minutes, with stewing beef, onions, garlic, beef broth, tomato paste, paprika, smoked hot paprika, thyme, bay leaves, and balsamic vinegar. The long cook gives the beef time to soften while the sauce develops. Serve it with noodles, potatoes, or bread when the game runs straight into dinner.
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German Pork Loin
Mustard-rich gravy gives German Pork Loin a savory finish that works well for a cool game-day afternoon. The recipe serves eight in 4 hours and 10 minutes, with pork loin, onions, garlic, white wine, chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaves. A quick browning step comes first, then the slow cooker handles the rest. Thicken the cooking liquid into gravy at the end and serve sliced pork with potatoes or vegetables once everyone is ready to eat.
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Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
Thick, cheesy, and built for spooning into bowls, Cowboy Cornbread Casserole feeds eight in 4 hours and 10 minutes. Ground beef, taco seasoning, Rotel, pinto beans, corn, green chiles, and red bell pepper make up the base, while cornbread mix cooks over the top and cheddar finishes it. The slow cooker keeps the main dish contained while the game is on. Add sour cream, salsa, avocado, or cilantro at serving time for an easy game-day dinner.
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4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken
Simple enough to start before kickoff, 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken serves four in 4 hours and 5 minutes. Chicken breast cooks with cream of chicken soup, stuffing mix, and water or chicken broth, with salt and pepper added as needed. The stuffing turns this into more than plain shredded chicken, so the slow cooker is already handling both the meat and a substantial side. Spoon it onto plates with a green vegetable when dinner needs almost no last-minute work.
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Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops
Tomato-rich sauce makes Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops substantial enough for a football Sunday dinner without much stove time. Six servings take 4 hours and 10 minutes, with pork chops, beef broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, onion, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. The chops are browned first, then cook slowly until tender, and part of the sauce is blended smoother before serving. Mashed potatoes, rice, or bread give that sauce somewhere useful to go.
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Slow Cooker Carnitas Board
A build-your-own setup gives Slow Cooker Carnitas Board plenty of game-day range while the pork does most of its cooking unattended. Eight people can eat from the 4-hour-20-minute recipe, made with pork shoulder, cumin, ancho chile powder, Mexican oregano, broth, chile, onion, and garlic. The pork gets shredded and briefly crisped before serving. Set out tortillas, chips, guacamole, cheese, pickled onions, and salsa so everyone can make tacos, nachos, or bowls between quarters.
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Slow Cooker German Pot Roast
Deep savory flavors develop throughout the afternoon in Slow Cooker German Pot Roast, a six-serving dinner with a 6 hour and 10 minute total time. Chuck roast cooks with bacon, onion, dill pickles, German beer, mustard, garlic, thyme, carrots, baby potatoes, and red cabbage. Sour cream goes into the gravy near the end. Because the meat and vegetables cook together, this is a strong choice when the game-day meal needs to come from one pot instead of several pans.
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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples
Sweet and savory fall flavors meet in Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples, which serves six in 4 hours and 15 minutes. Pork tenderloins cook with sweet potatoes, Granny Smith apples, onion, ginger, garlic, dried cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, and optional cayenne. The fruit and vegetables cook right alongside the meat, so very little needs to be added later. Slice the pork and spoon the sweet potatoes and apples around it for dinner.
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Mississippi Meatballs
Tangy pepperoncini flavor runs through Mississippi Meatballs, a six-serving slow cooker dish with a 4 hour and 10 minute total time. Ground beef meatballs cook with au jus gravy mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini peppers, pepperoncini liquid, and butter. The sauce stays right in the cooker, which makes the dish easy to keep warm while people eat at different points during the game. Serve the meatballs with toothpicks for snacking or spoon them over mashed potatoes for dinner.
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Birria de Res
Rich chile sauce and tender beef give Birria de Res the kind of depth that works especially well for a long football afternoon. The slow cooker recipe serves eight, using chuck roast, onion, celery, garlic, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, Mexican oregano, chipotle, guajillo, pasilla, ancho, and arbol chiles. The beef cooks until it can be shredded into the sauce. Serve it with tortillas for tacos or spoon it into bowls with some of the cooking liquid.
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Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
Rich gravy and pepperoncini give Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken plenty of flavor with only a short setup before the cooker takes over. Six servings take 4 hours and 10 minutes, using chicken breast, yellow onion, chicken gravy mix, ranch dressing mix, pepperoncini peppers, pickling liquid, and butter. The chicken cooks until tender enough to shred into the sauce. Pile it onto sandwich rolls, mashed potatoes, or rice when everyone is finally ready to leave the screen and eat.
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Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken
Smoky chile flavor builds slowly in Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken, which makes six servings in 4 hours and 10 minutes. Chicken breast or thighs cook with Hatch chile salsa, onion, garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika or chipotle powder, then shred directly into the sauce. The simple ingredient list leaves plenty of room for toppings at serving time. Use the chicken for tacos, rice bowls, nachos, or sandwiches when game-day dinner needs to work for several different appetites.
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Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef
Long, low cooking gives the beef in Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef time to become tender before the creamy finish goes in. Six servings take 7 hours and 45 minutes, with stew beef, onion, mushrooms, garlic, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, Maggi seasoning, sour cream, and egg noodles. The sauce thickens near the end before the sour cream is added. Spoon it over wide noodles for a hearty dinner after a full afternoon of football.
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Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
Old-school meatballs take on an easy slow cooker format in Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs, which serves four in 3 hours and 10 minutes. Ground beef is mixed with long-grain rice, egg, onion flakes, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning, then cooks in crushed tomatoes with balsamic vinegar. The rice cooks inside the meatballs, adding extra heft without another pot on the stove. Spoon the tomato sauce over each serving and add bread, mashed potatoes, or spaghetti if needed.
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Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast
A full roast dinner can cook through most of the game with Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast, a six-serving recipe that takes 6 hours and 10 minutes. Rump roast, yellow baby potatoes, baby carrots, beef broth, onion, rosemary, and thyme all cook together until the meat and vegetables are tender. There is no need to coordinate separate pots for the main and sides. Slice the beef and serve everything with the cooking juices when the afternoon game gives way to dinner.
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Vintage Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers
Bright peppers and plenty of marinara make Vintage Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers easy to serve whether people want a full plate or something handheld. Ten servings take 6 hours and 15 minutes, with Italian sausage, yellow onion, garlic, red, yellow, and green peppers, Italian seasoning, and marinara sauce. The filling stays warm in the slow cooker as the afternoon goes on. Spoon it into buns, over pasta, or onto polenta and add grated cheese if wanted.
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Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Smoky-sweet sauce coats every strand of Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken, which serves six after 6 hours and 10 minutes. Chicken breasts cook with brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, barbecue sauce, and apple cider vinegar until tender enough to shred. Once mixed back into the sauce, the chicken can stay warm for easy serving. Pile it onto buns for sandwiches, spoon it over baked potatoes, or serve it with slaw when football afternoon turns into dinner.
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Vintage Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Creamy layers make Vintage Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe a substantial side for a game-day table that already has meat covered. Eight servings take 6 hours and 5 minutes, using russet potatoes, onion, Gruyère, heavy cream, salt, and black pepper. The long slow cook softens the potatoes while the cheese and cream form the rich sauce around them. Pair the potatoes with roast beef, sausage, pork, or shredded chicken when the main dish needs an easy side waiting nearby.
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Slow-Cooker Pork Chile Verde
Tangy green chile sauce gives Slow-Cooker Pork Chile Verde a bold finish while the slow cooker handles six hours of the work. The recipe serves six in 6 hours and 15 minutes with pork shoulder, onion, salsa verde, green chiles, cumin, oregano, chicken broth, cinnamon, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. The pork becomes tender enough to pull apart into the sauce. Spoon it over rice, tuck it into tortillas, or serve it in bowls with sour cream during a long game-day afternoon.
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