Some nights, ordering dinner sounds easier than dealing with another pan on the stove. These 17 slow cooker recipes give you pork, beef, chicken, meatballs, soup, sausage, and hearty casseroles that can cook for hours with only a little work at the beginning or end. A few need browning, shredding, or a quick gravy step, but the long middle stretch belongs to the slow cooker. That leaves you with a full dinner waiting when you are ready to eat.
Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops
Tomato-rich sauce around tender pork chops gives Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops the kind of dinner that feels far more involved than the prep. The 4-hour-10-minute recipe serves 6 with bone-in pork chops, beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. The chops are browned first, then cook slowly until tender. Part of the sauce is blended at the end for a thicker, smoother finish.
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Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Smoky-sweet sauce clinging to shredded chicken makes Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken easy to pile onto buns, bowls, or wraps instead of placing an order. The 6-hour-10-minute recipe serves 6 with chicken breasts, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, barbecue sauce, and apple cider vinegar. The seasoned chicken cooks directly in the sauce until it pulls apart easily. Shred it with two forks, then stir it back into the slow cooker before serving.
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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples
Sweet apples and tender sweet potatoes around sliced pork make Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples feel like a full dinner already built into the cooker. The 4-hour-15-minute recipe serves 6 with pork tenderloin, sweet potatoes, Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries, onion, garlic, ginger, and warm spices. Everything cooks together until the pork reaches 145°F and the sweet potatoes soften, leaving only slicing and serving at the end.
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Birria de Res
Chile-rich broth and shreddable beef give Birria de Res the kind of depth that makes takeout easier to forget. The recipe serves 8, with a listed 15 minutes of prep and about 5 hours of cooking, using chuck roast, onion, celery, garlic, beef broth, cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, and several dried chiles. The beef is seared first, then slow-cooked until tender. Strain the broth and serve the shredded meat with its consommé.
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Slow Cooker Herb-Crusted Pork Roast
Herbs pressed over a browned pork roast give Slow Cooker Herb-Crusted Pork Roast a Sunday-dinner feel without keeping you in the kitchen all afternoon. The 4-hour-10-minute recipe serves 6 with pork shoulder, rosemary, sage, thyme, white wine, chicken broth, garlic, carrots, celery, shallots, and baby potatoes. The roast is seared before going into the cooker, where the vegetables cook alongside it. The cooking liquid can be thickened into gravy before serving.
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Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
Cheesy cornbread over beef, beans, corn, and green chiles makes Cowboy Cornbread Casserole a full one-dish dinner with plenty going on in every scoop. The 4-hour-10-minute recipe serves 8 with ground beef, taco seasoning, Rotel, pinto beans, corn, green chiles, red bell pepper, cornbread mix, and cheddar. The beef is browned first, then everything cooks low until the cornbread sets. Cheese goes on during the final 20 to 30 minutes.
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Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast
Tender beef with potatoes and carrots makes Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast the kind of dinner that can replace a restaurant order without creating a pile of dishes. The 6-hour-10-minute recipe serves 6 with rump roast, yellow baby potatoes, baby carrots, beef broth, onion, rosemary, and thyme. Everything goes into the slow cooker with very little prep. Cook until the roast is fork-tender, then slice or shred it and serve with the vegetables.
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Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken
Smoky green salsa around tender shredded chicken gives Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken plenty of flavor for tacos, bowls, burritos, or nachos. The 4-hour-10-minute recipe serves 6 with chicken breasts or thighs, Hatch chile salsa, sliced onion, garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika or chipotle powder. The seasoned chicken cooks over the salsa and onions until it shreds easily. Stir the meat back into the sauce so every bite stays coated.
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Slow Cooker German Pot Roast
Beer, mustard, bacon, pickles, and tender beef make Slow Cooker German Pot Roast a full dinner that does not need a separate takeout bag of sides. The 6-hour-10-minute recipe serves 6 with chuck roast, carrots, baby potatoes, red cabbage, onion, garlic, thyme, German beer, and dill pickles. The roast is seared first, then the vegetables join partway through cooking. A sour cream gravy made from the cooking liquid finishes the meal.
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German Pork Loin
Mustard-coated pork with onion gravy gives German Pork Loin a hearty, old-school dinner feel with most of the cooking handled in the slow cooker. The 4-hour-10-minute recipe serves 8 with pork loin, German mustard, onion, garlic, white wine, chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaves. The pork is seared before going into the cooker over softened onions. Once it rests, the cooking liquid is thickened with flour and spooned over the sliced meat.
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Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
Meatballs, small pasta, carrots, celery, and spinach make Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup a full bowl that can take the place of a last-minute soup order. The 5-hour-10-minute recipe serves 6 with frozen meatballs, chicken broth, carrots, celery, small pasta, spinach, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. The meatballs and vegetables cook first, then the pasta goes in near the end. Fresh spinach is stirred through just before serving.
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Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde
Tender shredded pork in a green chile and salsa verde sauce makes Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde easy to serve over rice or tuck into warm tortillas. The 6-hour-15-minute recipe serves 6 with pork shoulder, onion, salsa verde, green chiles, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Everything cooks low until the pork pulls apart with a fork. The shredded meat goes back into the sauce for another 10 to 15 minutes.
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4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken
Soft stuffing over tender chicken and creamy gravy makes 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken feel like a full casserole with almost no ingredient hunting. The 4-hour-5-minute recipe serves 4 with chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, boxed stuffing mix, and water or chicken broth. The chicken goes into the slow cooker first, then the soup and stuffing mixture covers the top. Cook until the chicken reaches 165°F, with no separate sauce or side pan required.
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Mississippi Meatballs
Pepperoncini, ranch seasoning, and buttery gravy give Mississippi Meatballs a tangy, rich sauce that works over mashed potatoes or rice. The 4-hour-10-minute recipe serves 6 with homemade beef meatballs, au jus mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini peppers, pickling liquid, water, and butter. The meatballs are browned first, then finish slowly in the seasoned sauce. Give everything a gentle stir at the end so the meatballs are well coated before serving.
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Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers
Colorful peppers and browned Italian sausage make Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers useful for pasta, polenta, or toasted hoagie rolls. The 3-hour-15-minute recipe serves 6 with Italian sausage links, onion, garlic, red, yellow, and green bell peppers, Italian seasoning, and marinara sauce. The sausage is seared and the onions are softened before everything goes into the slow cooker. Three hours on high leaves the sausages cooked through and the peppers tender.
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Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
Buttery pepperoncini sauce around shredded chicken gives Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken a bold, tangy finish with very little active cooking. The 4-hour-10-minute recipe serves 6 with chicken breasts, onion, chicken gravy mix, ranch dressing mix, pepperoncini peppers, pickling liquid, and butter. Everything goes into the cooker in layers and cooks until the chicken is very tender. Shred it at the end, then return the meat to the juices before serving.
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Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
Tater tots over creamy beef, corn, and cheddar make Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole the kind of dinner that already has meat, starch, and plenty of richness in one cooker. The 5-hour-10-minute recipe serves 6 with ground beef, corn, condensed soup, sour cream, cheddar, onion, garlic powder, and frozen tater tots. The beef is browned first, then everything cooks together until hot and bubbly. An optional broil can crisp the tots before serving.
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