Some days dinner works best when most of it happens without you standing nearby. These 19 slow cooker recipes cover chicken, pork, beef, soups, meatballs, casseroles, ribs, chili, and mac and cheese, with cooking times ranging from a few hours to most of the day. A few need a quick sear, stir, shred, or finishing step, but the cooker handles the long stretch. That leaves more of the day open while dinner quietly moves along.
Slow Cooker Ribs
Sticky barbecue sauce and tender meat make Slow Cooker Ribs easier to fit into a busy day than an afternoon spent tending a grill. Baby back ribs cook with brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and barbecue sauce. The recipe serves four in about 4 hours 20 minutes, including a short broil at the end. Let the cooker tenderize the ribs, then caramelize the sauce briefly before serving.
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Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken
Tangy juices and fork-tender meat give Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken plenty of flavor from a short ingredient list. Chicken breasts cook with au jus mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini juice, chopped pepperoncini, and butter before getting shredded into the cooking liquid. The recipe serves four in 4 hours 5 minutes. Spoon it over mashed potatoes or rice, or tuck the chicken into toasted buns when dinner time arrives.
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Slow Cooker Mac n Cheese
Creamy noodles coated with melted cheese make Slow Cooker Mac n Cheese an easy way to keep the stove free while dinner comes together. Uncooked macaroni cooks with cheddar, mozzarella, whole milk, evaporated milk, butter, paprika, and optional mustard. The recipe serves eight in 3 hours 10 minutes. It needs a couple of stirs along the way, but most of the cooking stays contained in the slow cooker.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Rich sauce surrounding tender chicken gives Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs the look of a dinner that needed much more attention than it actually did. Bone-in thighs cook with onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, chicken broth, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan. The recipe serves six in 4 hours 15 minutes. Searing first is optional, so prep can stay short when you would rather get the cooker started and move on.
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Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast
Fork-tender pork sitting in peppery cooking juices makes Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast well suited to days when dinner needs hours without supervision. Pork shoulder cooks with ranch seasoning, au jus gravy mix, butter, pepperoncini peppers, brine, and optional broth. The recipe serves eight in about 8 hours 5 minutes. Shred the meat directly in the cooker, then serve it over potatoes or tuck it into rolls with some of the juices.
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Crockpot Marry Me Chicken
Silky Parmesan sauce around tender chicken gives Crockpot Marry Me Chicken a richer finish than the five minutes of prep suggest. Chicken breasts slow-cook with broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes after a quick sear. The recipe serves three in 4 hours 5 minutes. Add basil before serving, then spoon the chicken and sauce over vegetables, potatoes, rice, or pasta depending on what is already available.
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Pulled Pork Sliders
Soft rolls piled with saucy shredded meat make Pulled Pork Sliders easy to assemble once the slow cooker has finished the longest part. Pork shoulder cooks with barbecue sauce, beer, ketchup, and brown sugar before being shredded and paired with coleslaw and a tangy mayonnaise sauce. The recipe makes 16 sliders in 6 hours 15 minutes. Keep the buns separate until dinner so they stay soft without soaking up too much sauce.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
Creamy mushroom sauce turns Slow Cooker Chicken Breast into a useful shorter slow cooker option for days when you start dinner later. Chicken breasts cook with mushrooms, garlic, Marsala wine, broth, cream, paprika, garlic powder, and cornstarch. The recipe serves four in 2 hours 40 minutes. Spoon it over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles when the chicken is done so the sauce has something to settle into.
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Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
Little meatballs, pasta, and vegetables make Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup substantial enough for a full dinner without much active cooking. Frozen meatballs simmer with chicken broth, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder before small pasta and spinach go in near the end. The recipe serves six in 5 hours 10 minutes. Add Parmesan or bread at serving time if you want something extra beside the broth.
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Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken
Creamy sauce over chicken, potatoes, and carrots lets Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken cover most of dinner in the same pot. Chicken breasts cook with baby potatoes, carrots, ranch seasoning, cream of chicken soup, and heavy cream. The recipe serves six after a long slow cook of about eight hours. Spoon some of the sauce over each portion when serving, and dinner already has both the main and vegetables handled.
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Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Thick gravy coating tender meatballs makes Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs especially useful when making meatballs from scratch sounds unnecessary. Frozen meatballs cook with beef broth, brown gravy mix, onion soup mix, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce before a cornstarch slurry thickens everything. The recipe serves six in 6 hours 5 minutes. Spoon them over mashed potatoes, noodles, or cauliflower mash once the gravy is ready.
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Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Creamy broth filled with chicken, beans, and corn gives Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili enough substance to stand alone as dinner. Chicken cooks with white beans, corn, green chiles, onion, broth, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder before cream cheese and cream go in near the end. The recipe serves six in 4 hours 25 minutes. Add avocado, cilantro, cheese, or tortilla chips at the table and let everyone finish their own bowl.
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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Citrus-scented pork with crisp edges makes Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas easy to turn into several different dinners from one batch. Pork shoulder cooks with cumin, oregano, chili powder, onion, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, and broth until shreddable. The recipe serves eight in 5 hours 25 minutes, including a short broil. Use the finished pork for tacos, bowls, salads, or plates with avocado and fresh cilantro.
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Slow Cooker Nacho Meatballs
Cheesy sauce wrapped around bite-size meatballs gives Slow Cooker Nacho Meatballs enough flexibility for dinner or a casual snack-style meal. Frozen meatballs cook with tomatoes and green chiles, Velveeta, taco seasoning, and heavy cream. The recipe serves six in 4 hours 5 minutes with only a few minutes of prep. Spoon them over potatoes or rice for dinner, or set them out with toothpicks for easy sharing.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Tender beef and mushrooms in creamy sauce make Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff a useful choice when dinner can spend several hours cooking on its own. Beef cooks with onion, mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder before sour cream is stirred in near the end. The recipe serves six after roughly six hours in the slow cooker. Boil egg noodles separately, then spoon the stroganoff over them before serving.
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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
Glossy cooking juices around sliced meat give Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin a finished look even though the cooker handles the longest step. Pork tenderloin cooks with smoked paprika, apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, Dijon, Worcestershire, garlic, and ginger. The recipe serves six in about 4 hours 15 minutes. A quick sear and flour slurry add a little hands-on work, but most of the afternoon stays free for something else.
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Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Thick, creamy spoonfuls topped with cheese make Slow Cooker Potato Soup an easy bowl dinner when several pots sound like too much. Potatoes cook with broth, bacon, onion, and garlic before milk, butter, and flour thicken the soup near the end. The recipe serves six in about 3 hours 10 minutes. Add cheddar, sour cream, and green onions to each bowl and let the toppings handle the finishing touches.
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Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
A layer of tater tots over cheesy beef makes Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole feel more like a full casserole than a basic slow cooker mixture. Ground beef cooks with corn, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, cheddar, onion, garlic powder, and frozen tater tots. The recipe serves six in about 5 hours 10 minutes. A brief broil can crisp the top afterward, but the casserole is already cooked before that optional step.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Big pieces of beef, potatoes, and carrots make Slow Cooker Beef Stew substantial enough to go straight from cooker to bowl. Chuck roast cooks with onion, carrots, russet potatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and thyme. The recipe serves eight in about 8 hours 10 minutes. Start it early, then ladle it into bowls once the beef is tender and the vegetables have softened.
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