When Dad needs dinner started without spending the afternoon at the stove, a slow cooker can take care of the long simmer. These 19 dishes range from shredded chicken and roasts to meatballs, soup, and a casserole, with a few quick prep steps where needed. Serving sizes run from four to ten, so there are choices for a smaller table or a hungry family.
Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken
A saucy, shred-ready main gives Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken plenty of range for Dad’s dinner plan. It cooks on high for four hours and makes six servings, combining chicken breasts or thighs with Hatch chile salsa, onion, garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika. The tender meat works in tacos, rice bowls, burritos, or salads. A short setup leads to a long hands-off cook, so the cooker handles most of the work after the lid closes.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken
Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers
Bright colors and tomato sauce make Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers a relaxed pick for a family supper. It cooks for three hours and serves six, combining Italian sausage links with onion, garlic, red, yellow, and green peppers, Italian seasoning, and marinara. Pile the mixture into rolls or spoon it over rice, then let the slow cooker keep the meal warm while everyone comes to the table. It gives Dad a simple main with very little last-minute work.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers
Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
Peppery, buttery sauce gives Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken a rich finish with little hands-on time. The four-hour cook makes six servings from chicken breast, yellow onion, chicken gravy mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini, their briny liquid, and butter. Once tender, shred the chicken into the sauce and spoon it over potatoes or rice, or use it for sandwiches. It’s a useful choice when Dad wants dinner to cook while he takes care of something else.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
Retro Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples
Autumn color fills the slow cooker in Retro Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples. The four-hour dish serves ten, pairing pork tenderloin with sweet potatoes, apples, onion, ginger, garlic, and warm spices. The fruit and vegetables cook alongside the pork, making it easy to serve as a complete family-style main. Dad can get the ingredients going earlier, then bring a generous roast and sides to the table without tending an oven all afternoon.
Get the Recipe: Retro Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples
Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
Set beneath a crisp tater tot topping, Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole turns familiar dinner staples into a hearty six-serving meal. It cooks for five hours with ground beef, corn, condensed cream soup, sour cream, cheddar, onion, garlic powder, and frozen tots. The slow cooker takes care of the long cook while the casserole layers meld together. It’s a practical option for Dad to start before a busy afternoon and serve straight from the crock at dinner.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Sticky, tender shreds make Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken an easy main for sandwiches or a simple plate with sides. The chicken cooks for six hours and yields six servings, with brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, BBQ sauce, and apple cider vinegar. When the meat is soft enough to pull apart, mix it through the sauce and serve it on buns or alongside potatoes and vegetables. Dad can set it cooking, then leave the oven free for other plans.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef
Slow-simmered gravy turns Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef into a Sunday-style dinner with minimal stove time. Plan about 7 hours 45 minutes for six servings of stew beef, onion, mushrooms, garlic, beef broth, Maggi seasoning, Worcestershire, Dijon, and sour cream. The beef becomes fork-tender as the sauce develops; stir in the tempered sour cream near the end and serve over separately cooked egg noodles. Dad can set the crockpot early and finish the noodles at dinnertime.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef
Birria de Res
Beneath a long simmer, Birria de Res develops a deep chile broth and tender beef for a family taco night. The batch serves eight, using chuck roast, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, Mexican oregano, and dried chipotle, guajillo, pasilla, and ancho chiles. Allow about 15 minutes to prep before the five-hour simmer. Shred the beef into tortillas and serve some of the broth alongside for dipping, with Dad handling the slow-cooker start.
Get the Recipe: Birria de Res
Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast
Fork-tender slices and soft vegetables make Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast a straightforward six-serving dinner. The roast cooks for six hours with baby potatoes, carrots, beef broth, onion, rosemary, and thyme. The vegetables share the pot, so the main and sides finish together without juggling extra pans. Dad can season and load the cooker before the day gets busy, then serve the roast with the cooking juices for an easy family meal.
Get the Recipe: Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken
Short on prep, 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken makes a four-serving dinner from chicken breast, cream of chicken soup, stuffing mix, and water or broth. It cooks for four hours, with the stuffing adding a savory top layer as the chicken turns tender below. Serve it with a green vegetable or salad for a complete plate. The small ingredient list and simple setup give Dad a manageable way to get dinner underway without a long recipe checklist.
Get the Recipe: 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken
Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops
Tomato-rich gravy keeps Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops tender through a four-hour cook. The six-serving dish combines pork chops with flour, beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, onion, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. Serve the chops and sauce over mashed potatoes or rice to catch the juices. The cooker does the long simmer after a brief prep, giving Dad a practical main to start before the evening rush.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops
Mississippi Meatballs
Glossy pepperoncini gravy coats Mississippi Meatballs for a six-serving supper that cooks in four hours. The meatballs use ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, garlic and onion powders, au jus mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini, and some of their liquid. Spoon them over mashed potatoes or noodles to make the savory sauce part of the meal. It’s an easy slow-cooker choice for Dad to get going ahead of dinner, with little to finish once the meatballs are tender.
Get the Recipe: Mississippi Meatballs
Old Fashioned Slow Cooker Herb-Crusted Pork Roast
Sunday-dinner flavor builds in Old Fashioned Slow Cooker Herb-Crusted Pork Roast while the pork cooks for four hours. The six-serving roast uses pork shoulder, rosemary, sage, thyme, white wine, chicken broth, garlic, carrots, celery, and baby potatoes. A little prep helps season and arrange the roast, but the slow cooker takes over for the long stretch. Slice the pork and spoon over the pan juices for a family meal with vegetables cooked alongside.
Get the Recipe: Old Fashioned Slow Cooker Herb-Crusted Pork Roast
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Hearty and creamy, Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice brings chicken, vegetables, and rice together in one pot. It cooks for four hours and serves six, combining chicken breast with cream of chicken soup, milk, onion, celery, carrots, red bell pepper, instant rice, cheddar, and peas. The rice and chicken make it filling without a separate starch. Dad can set it up before the afternoon gets crowded, then ladle out dinner with a salad or green vegetable.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Slow Cooker German Pot Roast
German-style flavors set Slow Cooker German Pot Roast apart from a basic roast dinner. The six-serving meal cooks for six hours with chuck roast, bacon, onion, dill pickles, German beer, mustard, garlic, thyme, carrots, and potatoes. The meat softens in the tangy cooking liquid while the vegetables become part of the meal. Dad can start the pot earlier in the day, then serve slices with the rich sauce for an easy family dinner.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker German Pot Roast
German Pork Loin
Old-world seasoning brings a savory, slightly tangy note to German Pork Loin. The four-hour slow cook yields eight servings, with pork loin, German mustard, onion, garlic, white wine, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves, and a little flour for gravy. Slice the pork and spoon the sauce over the top, with potatoes or noodles alongside. It gives Dad a roast-style dinner that can cook while the rest of the day carries on.
Get the Recipe: German Pork Loin
Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
Light broth and tender meatballs make Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup a warming six-serving meal. It simmers for five hours with meatballs, chicken broth, carrots, celery, small pasta, spinach, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. The pasta and greens round out the bowl, so serve it with bread for an easy supper. Dad can set the slow cooker earlier in the day and let the broth develop while he gets on with other plans.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
Tender rounds with rice tucked inside make Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs a home-style dinner for four. They cook for three hours in crushed tomatoes with ground beef, long-grain rice, egg, onion flakes, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and balsamic vinegar. The rice cooks inside the meatballs as they simmer, creating a filling main to serve with bread or a green vegetable. Dad can form the meatballs, start the cooker, and let it handle the rest.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde
Southwestern flavors give Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde a lively finish after a six-hour cook. The six-serving dish pairs pork shoulder with salsa verde, green chiles, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and fresh cilantro. The pork turns tender in the chile sauce, ready to pile into tortillas or serve over rice. Dad can start it ahead of dinner and bring the pot to the table for a meal that needs little attention at the end.
Get the Recipe: Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde