A slow cooker can handle a lot of the main course while you get through the rest of the day. Pick a soup, casserole, or bowl-style meal that matches what you have in the fridge and let the pot do its steady work. By the time you are ready to eat, you have a warm dinner to ladle, spoon, or pile onto plates.
Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken
Tangy, buttery juices coat Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken after 4 hours and 5 minutes in the slow cooker. Chicken breasts cook with au jus mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini juice, chopped peppers, and cubed butter before being shredded into the sauce. The recipe makes four servings and can go over mashed potatoes or rice. Pile it onto toasted buns when dinner needs a sandwich-style main with very little final prep.
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Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage
Built for a full Sunday dinner, Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage serves eight with brisket, carrots, red potatoes, cabbage, beef broth, and pickling spices. The brisket requires three to five days of brining before its 8-hour slow cook, so this is a plan-ahead recipe rather than a same-day option. Slice the beef and arrange the vegetables around it, then save extra meat for sandwiches the next day.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Silky sauce and tender meat give Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs a substantial finish after 4 hours and 15 minutes. Six bone-in thighs cook with onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, chicken broth, heavy cream, and Italian seasoning. The recipe serves six, with Parmesan added at the table. Spoon the chicken and sauce over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes when you need a main course that already includes plenty of sauce.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Rich mushroom gravy carries Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff through a 6-hour-and-10-minute cook that yields six servings. Cubed beef, onion, mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and sour cream form the base, while egg noodles cook separately. The slow cooker handles the beef and sauce until tender. Serve it in wide bowls over noodles for a dinner that travels well from the cooker to the table.
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Crockpot Marry Me Chicken
Gently creamy and lightly spicy, Crockpot Marry Me Chicken cooks for 4 hours and 5 minutes and makes three servings. The sauce combines chicken broth, heavy cream, garlic, red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, and grated Parmesan, with basil added at the end. A brief sear gives the chicken color before slow cooking. Pair each serving with pasta, rice, or potatoes so none of the sauce is left behind.
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Slow Cooker Pork Chops
Fork-tender meat under a thick garlic sauce makes Slow Cooker Pork Chops a straightforward four-serving main. Boneless chops cook for 4 hours and 5 minutes with heavy cream, Parmesan, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. There is no long ingredient list or separate gravy step after cooking. Serve the chops with mashed potatoes, noodles, or green vegetables on a night when the sauce can carry the rest of the plate.
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Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Thick, spoonable, and loaded with toppings, Slow Cooker Potato Soup turns six servings into a full bowl meal in 3 hours and 10 minutes. Potatoes simmer with chicken broth, bacon, onion, and garlic before butter, flour, and milk create the creamy finish. Cheddar, sour cream, and green onions are added when serving. Set the toppings out separately so each bowl can be finished to suit the person eating it.
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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
Glossy sweet-and-savory glaze sets Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin apart from heavier pork dinners. Two tenderloins cook for 4 hours and 15 minutes with apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, ginger, and mild heat. The recipe serves six, and a flour slurry thickens the juices after the pork rests. Slice it across the grain and spoon the glaze over rice or vegetables.
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Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Deep brown gravy surrounds Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs during a 6-hour-and-5-minute cook for six. Frozen meatballs simmer with beef broth, brown gravy mix, onion soup mix, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, then a cornstarch slurry thickens the liquid. The meatballs require only a few minutes of setup before the slow cooker takes over. Serve them over mashed potatoes or egg noodles for an easy bowl-style dinner.
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Shredded and saucy, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork makes 12 servings from a two-pound pork loin. The meat cooks with dark beer, brown sugar, mustard, soy sauce, bay leaves, olive oil, salt, and pepper before being pulled directly in the cooker. The instructions include extra uncovered cooking so the liquid can thicken after shredding. Use the pork for buns, tortillas, rice bowls, or nachos when one batch needs several serving options.
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Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken
All-in-one cooking makes Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken an 8-hour-and-5-minute dinner for six. Chicken breasts sit over baby potatoes and carrots beneath a mixture of ranch seasoning, cream of chicken soup, and heavy cream. The result already includes the protein, vegetables, and creamy sauce in one cooker. Serve it in shallow bowls with bread nearby for catching the sauce at the bottom.
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Slow Cooker Ribs
Smoky seasoning and sticky sauce cover Slow Cooker Ribs through 4 hours and 20 minutes of cooking and finishing time. Baby back ribs are rubbed with brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, then slow-cooked with barbecue sauce. A brief oven finish helps the sauce caramelize before serving. The recipe makes four servings and works well with slaw, corn, beans, or potato salad.
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Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf
Cheesy taco flavor runs through Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf, a six-serving dinner that cooks for 6 hours and 10 minutes. Ground beef is mixed with onion, green chiles, taco seasoning, crushed nacho cheese chips, Monterey Jack, eggs, and milk, then topped with taco sauce and Colby Jack. The foil-lined cooker helps with lifting and cleanup. Finish slices with tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, or jalapeños and add rice or beans.
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Slow Cooker White Chili Chicken
Pale, creamy broth makes Slow Cooker White Chili Chicken a hearty bowl without the tomato base of red chili. Chicken, white beans, corn, green chiles, onion, broth, cumin, and oregano cook before cream cheese and heavy cream are stirred in. The recipe serves six in 4 hours and 25 minutes. Top the bowls with cilantro, sliced jalapeños, avocado, or shredded cheese for a weeknight dinner that can be portioned for later.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Hearty and deeply savory, Slow Cooker Beef Stew serves eight after 8 hours and 10 minutes in the cooker. Chuck roast cooks with onion, carrots, russet potatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and thyme. Large cuts of vegetables help the stew keep a spoon-and-fork texture. Ladle it into deep bowls and add bread for soaking up the broth.
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Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
Soft tater tots form the top layer of Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole, a five-hour-and-ten-minute dinner for six. Browned ground beef, corn, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, cheddar, onion, and garlic powder make the creamy base beneath the potatoes. The casserole can be broiled briefly after slow cooking when a browner top is preferred. Serve generous scoops with a crisp salad or steamed green beans.
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Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
Light yet filling, Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup makes six servings in 5 hours and 10 minutes. Frozen beef or turkey meatballs cook with chicken broth, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder before small pasta and spinach are added. The broth stays clear while the pasta gives each bowl more substance. Bring grated Parmesan and crusty bread to the table for an easy soup-centered dinner.
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Slow Cooker Nacho Meatballs
Bold nacho flavor turns Slow Cooker Nacho Meatballs into a six-serving main or shareable party dish in 4 hours and 5 minutes. Frozen homestyle meatballs cook with tomatoes and green chiles, Velveeta, taco seasoning, and heavy cream, with scallions added at the end. For a main course, spoon them over rice, mashed potatoes, or baked potatoes. They can also stay in the cooker on warm for casual serving.
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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Brightly seasoned and easy to portion, Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas cooks for 5 hours and 25 minutes and makes eight servings. Pork shoulder, onion, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and red pepper flakes produce shreddable meat. A quick broil can crisp the edges after cooking. Use the carnitas in tortillas or bowls with red onion, avocado, cilantro, rice, or beans.
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