19 Slow Cooker Picks Perfect for the Laziest September Sundays

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Some September Sundays are made for doing almost nothing until dinner. These 19 slow cooker recipes keep the active work short, then let pork, beef, chicken, meatballs, potatoes, and hearty sauces cook for hours while the day stays slow. The lineup runs from carnitas and birria to scalloped potatoes, stroganoff, goulash, and a tater tot casserole. Most need only a brief prep or browning step before the slow cooker takes over.

Slow Cooker Carnitas Board

A platter of pork carnitas board on a wooden table.
Slow Cooker Carnitas Board. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Weekend cooking stays mostly hands-off with Slow Cooker Carnitas Board, which turns pork shoulder into tender shredded meat with crisped edges at the end. The recipe takes 4 hours 20 minutes and serves eight, with cumin, ancho chile powder, Mexican oregano, broth, jalapeño, onion, and garlic building the flavor. Set out tortillas, chips, guacamole, cheese, and salsa so Sunday dinner can linger without anyone rushing back to the kitchen.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Carnitas Board

Birria de Res

Two white bowls filled with slow cooker birria garnished with fresh lime wedges.
Birria de Res. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Deep chile flavor makes Birria de Res worth starting early on a slow September Sunday. The recipe uses a three-pound chuck roast with onion, celery, garlic, beef broth, cider vinegar, cumin, Mexican oregano, and several dried chiles, then cooks the beef until shreddable. The card lists 15 minutes of prep, 5 hours of cooking, and eight servings. Serve the meat with its consomé, tortillas, lime, onion, and cilantro.
Get the Recipe: Birria de Res

Mississippi Meatballs

A close-up of a meatball on a fork, with more meatballs in the background.
Mississippi Meatballs. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Rich gravy and tangy pepperoncini give Mississippi Meatballs plenty of Sunday-dinner character with only a short stretch of hands-on work. The recipe takes 4 hours 10 minutes and serves six. Ground beef meatballs cook with au jus mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini peppers, their brine, water, and butter. Spoon them over mashed potatoes or rice, or keep toothpicks nearby if the afternoon is more grazing than sitting down to one formal meal.
Get the Recipe: Mississippi Meatballs

Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops

Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops on a baby blue serving dish.
Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Saucy pork chops make Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops a solid choice when the plan is to stay on the couch as long as possible. The recipe takes 4 hours 10 minutes and serves six, using meaty pork chops, beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. A quick browning step comes first, then the slow cooker handles the rest. Serve the chops with the tomato-rich sauce spooned over the top.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops

Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken

A black bowl containing egg noodles topped with Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken and garnished with parsley, accompanied by a pickled pepper.
Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Buttery, tangy sauce gives Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken a big payoff for about 10 minutes of prep. The recipe takes 4 hours 10 minutes and serves six, combining chicken breast with onion, chicken gravy mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini peppers, pickling liquid, and butter. Once the chicken turns tender, it can be shredded for rice, mashed potatoes, or sandwiches. It suits a Sunday when dinner needs to happen without much checking or stirring.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken

Slow Cooker Herb-Crusted Pork Roast

Sliced Herb-Crusted Pork Roast on a rectangular white plate with a floral napkin in the background.
Slow Cooker Herb-Crusted Pork Roast. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Herbs and slow cooking give Slow Cooker Herb-Crusted Pork Roast the kind of dinner that makes a quiet September Sunday feel settled in. The recipe takes 4 hours 10 minutes and serves six. Pork shoulder cooks with rosemary, sage, thyme, white wine, chicken broth, garlic, carrots, celery, shallots, and baby potatoes. After the initial sear, the slow cooker takes over. Slice or pull the pork and serve it with the vegetables and cooking juices.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Herb-Crusted Pork Roast

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken garnished with chopped parsley in a white bowl on a light wooden surface.
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Smoky-sweet sauce keeps Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken simple enough for a Sunday with very little kitchen ambition. The recipe takes 6 hours 10 minutes and serves six, using chicken breasts seasoned with brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar provide the cooking liquid. Shred the finished chicken back into the sauce, then pile it onto buns or serve it beside potatoes and slaw.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples

A serving of Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples on a white platter.
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Apples and warm spices give Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples an early-fall feel without requiring much active cooking. The recipe takes 4 hours 15 minutes and serves six. Pork tenderloins cook over sweet potatoes with onion, ginger, garlic, Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries, brown sugar, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little cayenne. The meat and fruit make a complete Sunday plate that barely needs another side.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples

Slow Cooker German Pot Roast

A plate of German pot roast beef with a sauce being poured over it.
Slow Cooker German Pot Roast. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Dark beer and mustard bring a savory edge to Slow Cooker German Pot Roast, a six-serving dinner that cooks for 6 hours 10 minutes. Chuck roast shares the slow cooker with bacon, onion, dill pickles, garlic, thyme, carrots, baby potatoes, and red cabbage. The long cook turns the beef tender while the vegetables absorb the braising liquid. Serve it straight from the cooker when Sunday calls for a full dinner without a string of separate pans.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker German Pot Roast

Authentic Hungarian Goulash

Hungarian Goulash in two white bowls.
Authentic Hungarian Goulash. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Paprika-rich broth makes Authentic Hungarian Goulash a natural fit for a cool Sunday when soup and stew season is starting to sound right again. The recipe takes 6 hours 15 minutes and serves six. Stewing beef cooks with plenty of onions, garlic, beef broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, paprika, smoked hot paprika, thyme, and bay leaves. Ladle it into bowls with noodles or dumplings when the evening turns chilly.
Get the Recipe: Authentic Hungarian Goulash

German Pork Loin

German Pork Loin on a platter with a gravy boat nearby.
German Pork Loin. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Mustard, onions, and gravy give German Pork Loin a Sunday-dinner feel while the slow cooker does most of the work. The recipe takes 4 hours 10 minutes and serves eight. A two-pound pork loin is rubbed with German mustard, salt, and pepper, then cooks with onion, garlic, white wine, chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Slice it at the table and spoon the cooking juices or thickened gravy over each portion.
Get the Recipe: German Pork Loin

Vintage Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

A hand holds a serving spoon with cheesy scalloped potatoes above a dish, showing layers of sliced potatoes topped with melted cheese and herbs.
Vintage Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Creamy layers make Vintage Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe an easy side to leave bubbling away while the rest of Sunday moves slowly. The recipe takes 6 hours 5 minutes including resting time and serves eight. Thin russet potatoes are layered with yellow onion, Gruyère, heavy cream, salt, and black pepper. The cooker frees up the oven entirely, which is useful if another roast or baked dish is handling the main part of dinner.
Get the Recipe: Vintage Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde

Bowl of Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde with toppings and a spoon on a white wooden table.
Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Green chile sauce gives Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde plenty of flavor with just 15 minutes of prep before the long cook begins. The recipe takes 6 hours 15 minutes and serves six. Pork shoulder cooks with salsa verde, green chiles, onion, chicken broth, cilantro, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a hint of cinnamon. Shred the tender pork into the sauce, then serve it over rice or tuck it into warm tortillas.
Get the Recipe: Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde

Vintage Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers

Slow cooker sausage and peppers garnished with grated cheese and chopped parsley.
Vintage Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Saucy peppers and browned sausage make Vintage Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers especially suited to a Sunday when dinner should practically serve itself. The recipe takes 6 hours 15 minutes and makes 10 servings. Italian sausage cooks with yellow onion, garlic, red, yellow, and green bell peppers, Italian seasoning, and marinara sauce. Spoon everything over pasta or rice, or pile the sausage and peppers into crusty rolls for an easy, low-effort supper.
Get the Recipe: Vintage Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers

Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs

A white rectangular plate with slow cooker porcupine meatballs, garnished with fresh herbs.
Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Old-school meatballs get their signature texture in Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs, where long-grain rice cooks right inside the beef. The recipe takes 3 hours 10 minutes and serves four. Ground beef, rice, egg, onion flakes, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning simmer in crushed tomatoes with more seasoning, then balsamic vinegar and basil finish the sauce. Serve the meatballs with extra sauce and bread when the goal is a simple, filling Sunday dinner.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs

4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken

4 ingredient slow cooker chicken on a black platter.
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Minimal prep is the whole point of 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken, which needs only about five minutes before the lid goes on. The recipe takes 4 hours 5 minutes and serves four. Chicken breast cooks under a mixture of cream of chicken soup and stuffing mix with water or chicken broth, plus salt and pepper. Scoop some of the sauce from the bottom over each serving, and add a green vegetable if dinner needs something fresh alongside.
Get the Recipe: 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken

Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef

A wooden spoon holds a serving of beef stroganoff with mushrooms and creamy sauce above a pot filled with the dish.
Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Fork-tender beef and mushroom gravy give Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef a strong Sunday payoff after a mostly unattended cook. The recipe takes 7 hours 45 minutes and serves six. Stew beef cooks with onion, mushrooms, garlic, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and seasonings before sour cream finishes the sauce. Spoon it over wide egg noodles once evening arrives, with very little last-minute work beyond thickening and serving.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef

Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast

A plate of slow cooker rump roast with potatoes, carrots, onions, and a sprig of rosemary on a white dish.
Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Roast, potatoes, and carrots all cook together in Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast, cutting down on the number of things that need separate work. The recipe takes 6 hours 10 minutes and serves six. Rump roast sits with yellow baby potatoes, baby carrots, onion, beef broth, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. By dinner, the beef is tender and the vegetables are ready beside it, making this especially useful for a low-energy Sunday.
Get the Recipe: Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast

Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole

A close-up of a tater tot casserole with ground beef, creamy sauce, melted cheese, diced yellow peppers, and chopped parsley on a white plate.
Hearty Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Tater tots across the top make Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole the casual end-of-weekend dinner that asks very little once everything is mixed together. The recipe takes 5 hours 10 minutes and serves six. Ground beef, corn, condensed soup, sour cream, cheddar, onion, and garlic powder form the base beneath the potatoes. The slow cooker handles the long heat, while a brief broil is optional if you want the tots browned before serving.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole

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