Cold days make it easier to appreciate a dinner that can spend hours cooking while you handle everything else. These 15 slow cooker recipes cover chicken, beef, pork, chili, stew, soup, meatballs, and a hearty casserole, with most of the long cooking happening unattended. A few need a quick finishing step such as shredding meat, stirring in dairy, or adding noodles near the end. The mix gives you plenty of ways to come back to a hot supper without spending the whole afternoon at the stove.
Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken
Tangy pepperoncini and buttery juices give Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken plenty of flavor with very little prep. Chicken breasts cook with au jus mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini juice, chopped peppers, and butter until tender enough to shred. The recipe takes about 4 hours and 5 minutes and serves four. Stir the shredded chicken back into the juices, then serve it over mashed potatoes or rice, or pile it onto toasted buns for sandwiches.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Rich mushroom sauce coats tender beef in Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff, giving this cold-weather supper a creamy finish without much stovetop time. Chuck roast cooks with onion, mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, Worcestershire, and seasonings for about 6 hours 10 minutes. The recipe serves six. Sour cream goes in near the end, while the egg noodles cook separately. Spoon the beef and sauce over the hot noodles just before serving.
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Crockpot Marry Me Chicken
Silky cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes makes Crockpot Marry Me Chicken feel substantial after a cold day. Chicken breasts slow-cook with chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil until tender. The recipe takes 4 hours and 5 minutes and serves three. Spoon the chicken and sauce over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes, then add a green vegetable on the side if you want something fresh against the creamy sauce.
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Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage
Long, gentle cooking gives Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage tender brisket surrounded by potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. This version starts by brining the beef for several days, then slow cooks it with beef broth and pickling spice for 8 hours. The full recipe takes 5 days, 8 hours, 30 minutes, including brining, and serves eight. Slice the brisket across the grain and serve the vegetables alongside with some of the cooking broth spooned over everything.
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Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Brown gravy turns Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs into an easy cold-night main with almost no shaping or searing. Frozen meatballs cook with beef broth, brown gravy mix, onion soup mix, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce for about 6 hours and 5 minutes. The recipe serves six. A cornstarch mixture thickens the sauce near the end. Spoon the meatballs and gravy over mashed potatoes or egg noodles so the extra sauce has somewhere to go.
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Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf
Taco seasoning and crushed nacho cheese chips give Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf a different direction from the usual ketchup-topped loaf. Ground beef is mixed with onion, green chiles, eggs, milk, taco seasoning, chips, and Monterey Jack before cooking low and slow. The recipe takes 6 hours and 10 minutes and serves six. Slice the meatloaf once it has rested, then add salsa, sour cream, avocado, or a simple salad at the table.
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Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Creamy broth with green chiles makes Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili a thick bowl built for a cold evening. Chicken cooks with white beans, corn, onion, chicken broth, green chiles, seasonings, cream cheese, and heavy cream for about 4 hours and 25 minutes. The recipe serves six. Shred the chicken before stirring everything together, then finish each bowl with avocado, cilantro, lime, tortilla strips, or extra cheese depending on what you have on hand.
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Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
Tater tots over a creamy beef filling make Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole a hearty option when supper needs to stay simple. Ground beef, corn, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, cheddar, onion, and seasonings cook under a layer of frozen tots. The recipe takes 5 hours and 10 minutes and serves six. Brown the beef before it goes into the slow cooker, then let the rest cook together until the potatoes are tender and the cheese has melted.
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Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
Small meatballs and tender vegetables give Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup enough substance to handle supper in one bowl. Frozen meatballs cook with chicken broth, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder for most of the day. The recipe takes 5 hours and 10 minutes and serves six. Small pasta and spinach go in near the end so they do not overcook. Finish the bowls with Parmesan and bread if you want something extra on the side.
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Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast
Pepperoncini brine cuts through the richness of Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast while ranch and au jus season the pork as it cooks. Pork shoulder goes into the slow cooker with butter, pepperoncini peppers, ranch seasoning, au jus gravy mix, and some of the brine. The recipe takes 8 hours and 5 minutes and serves eight. Shred the pork once tender, then serve it over mashed potatoes, rice, or buns with a little of the cooking liquid spooned over.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Thick broth around beef and vegetables makes Slow Cooker Beef Stew a full cold-day supper from one pot. Chuck roast cooks with onion, carrots, potatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme until tender. The recipe takes 8 hours and 10 minutes and serves eight. The long cook gives the vegetables time to soften and the beef time to break down. Ladle it into bowls with bread for dipping when supper is ready.
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Slow Cooker Nacho Meatballs
Cheesy sauce with green chiles turns Slow Cooker Nacho Meatballs into an easy main or party-style supper option. Frozen meatballs cook with Rotel tomatoes, Velveeta, taco seasoning, heavy cream, and scallions for about 4 hours and 5 minutes. The recipe serves six. Stir the sauce well once the cheese has melted, then spoon the meatballs over rice or serve them with tortilla chips, warm tortillas, or a simple salad to make the dish more substantial.
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Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Fork-tender beef with carrots and potatoes makes Slow Cooker Pot Roast the kind of supper that can handle the whole plate at once. Chuck roast cooks with onion, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, beef stock, red wine, thyme, and rosemary for about 5 hours 10 minutes. The recipe serves eight. Slice or pull apart the beef when tender, then spoon the vegetables and cooking juices alongside. A little bread is enough if you want something extra.
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Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken
Herby ranch seasoning gives Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken an easy creamy sauce while potatoes and carrots cook alongside the meat. Chicken breasts go into the slow cooker with baby potatoes, baby carrots, ranch seasoning, cream of chicken soup, and heavy cream. The recipe takes 8 hours 5 minutes and serves six. Because the vegetables cook with the chicken, very little needs to be added at serving time beyond some parsley or a simple green vegetable if wanted.
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Sweet and savory cooking liquid keeps Slow Cooker Pulled Pork moist while the pork slowly becomes easy to shred. Pork loin cooks with olive oil, brown sugar, mustard, soy sauce, bay leaves, dark beer, salt, and pepper. The recipe takes 6 hours 10 minutes and serves 12. Shred the pork directly in the slow cooker, then leave it uncovered briefly so the sauce can thicken. Serve it on buns or rolls, or use it for tacos and nachos.
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