Make your work week a little easier by making a few of these all-day-long slow cooker recipes. Simply pop the ingredients in, turn your slow cooker on in the morning and come home to a hearty and satisfying meal.
Slow Cooker Recipes Every Working Parent Needs to Know
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Pork Roast Dinner
I am single and love to cook, so I often cook for friends that either don't cook or who work nights. They love new recipes, and this was one of their favorites. The leftover meat makes great barbecue pork sandwiches the next day.—Lisa J. Chamberlain, St. Charles, Illinois
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Brisket Sandwich
Our brisket sandwich recipe features slow-cooked savory brisket and a sweet barbecue-style sauce.
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French Onion Soup with Meatballs
I got the idea for how to make this soup after I went to a brewhouse restaurant that put ale in their gravy. I make this every time the weather starts to cool down in the fall—it's comfort food for the soul. —Crystal Holsinger, Surprise, Arizona
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Chicken Tamale Pie
Because it cooks almost entirely in the slow cooker and uses a boxed cornbread mix, this two-layer chicken tamale pie is an easy and mostly hands-off dinner.
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Rump Roast Recipe
Our rump roast recipe is the perfect any-night meal. It's a hearty meat-and-vegetable dish with the ease of the best set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker recipes. Dinner will be a breeze with this one!
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Baja Pork Tacos
This delicious pork tacos recipe is my copycat version of the most excellent Mexican food we ever had, when we were visiting Flagstaff, Arizona. The original recipe used beef instead of pork, but this comes mighty close to the same taste. —Ariella Winn, Mesquite, Texas
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Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Slow-cooker corned beef is packed with cabbage and other hearty vegetables. It's easy to pull together for St. Patrick's Day, but you can enjoy it any time of year.
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Tender Salsa Beef
This is my Mexican-style twist on comfort food. To keep it kid-friendly, use mild salsa. —Stacie Stamper, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
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Italian Shredded Pork Stew
Need a warm meal for a chilly night? Throw together this slow-cooked stew that’s brightened with fresh sweet potatoes, kale and Italian seasoning. The shredded pork is so tender, you’re going to want to make this dish all season long. —Robin Jungers, Campbellsport, Wisconsin
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Philly Cheese Sandwiches
I'm a big fan of cheesesteaks, and in this throw-together recipe my slow cooker does all the work. It's a win-win. —Christina Addison, Blanchester, Ohio
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Creamy Celery Beef Stroganoff
Cream of celery soup adds richness to a recipe that has become a family favorite. It’s so simple to prepare and, oh, that flavor! —Kim Wallace, Dennison, Ohio
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Meatball Cabbage Rolls
My mother often had these cabbage rolls simmering in her slow cooker when my family and I arrived at her house for weekend visits. The mouthwatering meatballs tucked inside made these stand out from any other cabbage rolls I've tried. —Betty Buckmaster, Muskogee, Oklahoma
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Slow-Cooker Beef with Red Sauce
A homemade rub spices up this tender beef; vinegar and gingersnaps add depth to the sauce. You can substitute graham crackers for the cookies. —Laurie Tietze, Longview, Texas
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Satay-Style Pork Stew
Thai cuisine features flavors that are hot and sour, salty and sweet. This one-dish pork satay balances all of them using ginger and red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, garlic, lime juice and creamy peanut butter. —Nicole Werner, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Korean Pulled Pork Tacos
I created this unique pulled pork recipe so we could replicate our favorite food truck tacos at home. They're a little sweet, a little spicy and totally delicious any time of year. —Julie Orr, Fullerton, California
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Stamp-of-Approval Spaghetti Sauce
My father is very opinionated, especially about food. This recipe received his almost unreachable stamp of approval. I have yet to hear a disagreement from anyone who has tried it! —Melissa Taylor, Higley, Arizona
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Mediterranean Pot Roast Dinner
I first made this recipe one cold winter day. My family (adults, kids and dogs) were having a blast sledding and playing in the snow all day, and when we came inside supper was ready! This pot roast is perfect served with mashed potatoes, rice or dinner rolls. —Holly Battiste, Barrington, New Jersey
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Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
This dump-and-go chicken cacciatore recipe is just the slow cooker meal you need for busy weeknights.
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Gingered Short Ribs with Green Rice
I love the flavors of Korean cuisine, so I created short ribs for the slow cooker. The dish is beautiful, too! — Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
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Slow-Cooker Potato Soup
This slow-cooker potato soup takes all the flavor of a loaded baked potato—butter, bacon and onion—and turns it into an easy Crockpot potato soup you can serve any day of the week.
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Slow-Cooker Kalua Pork & Cabbage
My slow-cooker pork has four ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to prep. The result tastes just like the luscious slow-roasted kalua pork that's served in Hawaii. —Rholinelle DeTorres, San Jose, California
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Slow-Cooked Corned Beef
It’s not luck; it’s just an amazing Irish recipe. With this in the slow cooker by sunrise, you can be sure to fill seats at the dinner table by sundown. —Heather Parraz, Rochester, Washington
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All-Day Red Beans & Rice
My family loves New Orleans-style cooking, so I make this authentic dish often. I appreciate how uncomplicated it is. And its smoky ham flavor is scrumptious. —Celinda Dahlgren, Napa, California
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Slow-Cooker Carnitas
We shared these flavor-packed tacos with friends from church who came over to help us move. They're so good, I put them on my blog, manilaspoon.com! The slow cooker makes this recipe extra easy, and I love that whenever I make it, I'm reminded of the wonderful people back in Michigan. —Abigail Raines, Hamden, Connecticut
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Slow-Cooker Burgundy Beef
When my adult children are coming over for dinner, this is the request. All three of them, and their significant others, love this dish. Yum! — Urilla Cheverie, Alfred, Maine
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Manchester Stew
While in college, I studied abroad. At the time, I was a vegetarian and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious and diverse vegetarian food in Britain could be. After returning to the States, I re-created my favorite restaurant dish and named it after the University of Manchester. When the enticing aroma fills my kitchen, I feel as if I'm back in England! —Kimberly Hammond, Kingwood, Texas
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Roast Beef and Gravy
This slow-cooker roast beef and gravy is unbelievably easy. On busy days, I put this main dish in the crock and forget about it. My family likes it with mashed potatoes and fruit salad. —Abby Metzger, Larchwood, Iowa
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Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup
Slow-cooker split pea soup is so easy, all you have to do is dump everything into the cooker. This soul-warming soup comes together in a snap!
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Beef Brisket in Beer
One bite of this super tender brisket and your family will be hooked! The rich gravy is perfect for spooning over a side of creamy mashed potatoes. —Eunice Stoen, Decorah, Iowa
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Moroccan Vegetable Chicken Tagine
Take a trip to Morocco with this rich, exotic dish. A tagine is a North African slow-cooked stew named after the pot it’s cooked in.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs
If you're looking for a change from typical barbecue ribs, you'll enjoy this recipe my mom always prepared on birthdays and special occasions. The tender ribs have a slight sweet-and-sour taste that my family loves. I usually serve them with garlic mashed potatoes and a salad or coleslaw. —Dorothy Voelz, Champaign, Illinois
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Slow-Cooked Beef Vegetable Soup
Convenient frozen veggies and hash browns make this meaty soup a snap to make. Simply brown the ground beef, then stir everything together to simmer all day. It's wonderful served with bread and a salad. —Carol Calhoun, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
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Slow-Cooker Flank Steak Fajitas
As a busy teacher, I think it's so nice to come home to a warm meal after a day in the classroom. I'm not the only one who thinks so: These slow-cooker flank steak fajitas go fast at potlucks, too. —Mary Holmgren, Mackinaw, Illinois
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