Slow-Cooker Suppers

Recipe: Peppered Beef Soup

Described by one online reviewer as “easy to put together,” this delicious Peppered Beef Soup is great on an autumn or winter dinner table, or perfect for that football-season lunch in front of the television. Made with a sirloin tip roast, it is full of beef in every spoonful. You’ll also love the rich vegetables. You can freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for up to three months. Be sure to add a bit of canned broth when reheating to reach the desired consistency. Scoop a bowl of this right out of the slow cooker, or for a pretty finish, serve in Toasted Bread Bowls.

Recipe: Spaghetti Casserole

Spaghetti is great any way you cook it, but a great spaghetti bake or spaghetti casserole takes all that goodness and kicks it up a notch. All your favorite ingredients are featured in this easy slow-cooker version of Spaghetti Casserole. When you layer the ingredients, then let them cook for a few hours, you get a great combination of flavors that truly have time to blend together. Here, you will really appreciate the subtle, smoky flavors of the fire-roasted tomatoes and the aromas of the basil and the Italian seasoning. The Cheddar cheese will cook to a delicious crust, while the freshly grated Parmesan adds just the right amount of salty bite.

Recipe: Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken

This dish gets touches of sticky sweetness from both honey and from the apricot brandy that forms part of its delicious broth. Even after simmering for hours, this liquid forms the foundation for a reduction that is whisked with butter, then poured over the chicken just as it is served. When you add a base of basmati rice to this recipe, it complements the honey glaze perfectly. You're going to love the sweet and savory flavor combination in our delicious Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken. And best of all, the slow cooker is going to do most of the work for you.

Recipe: Soulful Chicken Soup

No dish is quite as soothing as a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup. A slow cooker could not make the road to comfort food any easier: Simply toss in the ingredients, switch it on, and then walk away. You’ll savor this soup, seasoned with fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and a bay leaf. We love old-fashioned, wide egg noodles for this recipe. To make sure they aren't mushy and overcooked, don't leave them in the slow cooker for more than 10 minutes. Stir in a little lemon juice for a bite of citrus, which works wonders with the subtle flavors of the chicken soup, and enjoy.

Recipe: Beer-Braised Pot Roast

Described by one online reviewer as “by far the best pot roast I have ever had,” everyone agrees that the preparation required for this dish is well worth the effort. The true challenge with this dish is that it takes eight to ten hours of slowly cooking on low to become its fork-tender best, but your patience will be rewarded with a coffee-and-beer braised and basted delight surrounded by a bed of fantastic vegetables. We suggest you serve this with some hot, cooked grits to capture every delicious drop of juice from the sauce—you won’t want to let any go to waste.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti

It takes 20 minutes of preparation and eight hours of patience to fully enjoy this slow-cooker delight. And, that 20 minutes spent in the kitchen is all for prepping this gorgeous, hearty sauce, spicy with crushed red pepper and piquant with just a touch of white wine. Once the sauce simmers in the cooker, all that's left to do is cook a pound of pasta, and serve. You’ll love the flavors of shredded chicken, the rich, fire-roasted tomato sauce, and the bold, earthy flavor of the kalamata olives. Garnish your dish wish fresh herbs including basil and parsley, then top it with freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.

Recipe: Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese

In the South it is hard to beat the tastes of classic cafeteria-style goodness, and Uncle Jack’s Mac-and-Cheese certainly captures the taste in every single bite. Cooking this macaroni and cheese in a slow cooker is going to give it just the right baked-crust goodness that everyone loves. It is rich, creamy, and delicious, and gooey with the tangy taste of extra-sharp Cheddar cheese. This recipe yields enough to serve as a side dish for a crowd, or it could be the perfect dinner for a family of four. This fantastic recipe is by Pam Rawlinson, North Augusta, South Carolina.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Chicken Lettuce Cups

These lettuce cups pair the freshness of a salad with the heartiness of a taco. You can serve them as an appetizer, or dress them up for a light dinner. You’ll love the crispness of the Granny Smith apples, and the smoky crunchiness of the thick-sliced bacon. Think of the lettuce leaves as your healthy, edible taco shells. Top these with green onion slices mini pepper slices, or spicy pickles. If you want to bring a little more heat to ever bite, you can even sprinkle on some dried crushed red pepper, but go easy because you will want to savor the subtle tastes of this simple dish.

Recipe: Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce

This fun dish is two recipes in one: delicious, easy meatballs and a slow-simmered tangy tomato sauce. The secret here is the meat mixture—half ground chuck, and half ground pork. You can enjoy these bite-size delights with dinner rolls, or slider buns: whichever you prefer. Topped with half a slice of provolone cheese, each meatball is like a mini Italian cheeseburger. You will love every mouthful. If you have any extra sauce, you can toss it with your favorite green vegetable, spoon it over a bowl of creamy grits, or pair it with pork chops or other meats.

Recipe: Chicken Thighs With Carrots and Potatoes

For this recipe, you cook the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker, keeping all of the richness and juiciness together in a delicious broth. All you need is 20 minutes to get this chicken thigh recipe in the slow cooker, then you have a hearty chicken and veggie supper waiting for you when you get home. After cooking low and slow, the vegetables will be done to perfection, and the chicken will be flavored with salt, pepper, and paprika, and infused with the flavors and aromas of garlic and thyme. This is the perfect slow-cooker meal for keeping you warm on a cool autumn evening.

Recipe: Tangy Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder

Of all the Crock Pot recipes out there, this one will easily become your new go-to pork shoulder slow-cooker recipe, thanks to the sweet and tangy soy-and-vinegar flavor profile. Pull the pork, and serve it Southern-style over grits or sandwiched between buns, and ladle on plenty of sauce. You’ll simply love the flavors of the garlic—there are a dozen cloves in here—as well as the bay leaves, the onion, the brown sugar, and the soy sauce. It all goes to give this pork the perfect glaze. Once you have your first bite of this classic pork, you will understand why slow cooking it brings out the tender best in this cut.

Recipe: Brisket Tacos with Summer Salsa

Brisket can be a challenging meat to cook, and it takes time and attention to make this meat its magnificent best. Slow cooking a brisket helps to brings all its savory flavors to the fore making the meat tender and delicious. Seasoned with adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, honey, and Worcestershire sauce, these unique tastes will each combine and give the brisket a characteristic taste that is enhanced when you spoon it into the warm tortillas. You’ll love topping your tacos with more of this incredible, homemade sauce, then adding a spoonful or two of our Crunch Summer Salsa, creating a meaty, smoky delight.

Recipe: Slow-Cooked Cowboy Brisket and Beans

You’ll feel like you’re at home on the range and that your meals are being served right out of the chuck wagon when you dig into a plate of this Slow-Cooked Cowboy Brisket and Beans. This dish will be making your kitchen smell great for seven or eight hours until it is fork-tender and the meat literally falls apart. That’s when you know its’ ready. Serve this stick-to-your-ribs dish with garlicky slabs of thick Texas toast and a green salad to all of your cowpokes on the range; then take a bow as they tip their hats to the chef—and line up at the chuck wagon for seconds.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos

Beef nachos are a go-to, simple meal, and you can dress them up however you like. For this recipe, we take them to the next level by starting with a boneless beef rump roast rather than ground beef. Top your tortilla chips with the beef, cover it all with beans, tomatoes, onions, and cheese, and in a few minutes prepare to be amazed. 

Recipe: King Ranch Chicken

This slow-cooker version of the fan favorite King Ranch Chicken Casserole is sure to please the whole family. It is simple to make—just stir the ingredients together, then layer the mixture with corn tortillas in a slow cooker. This version of the recipe lets you prepare everything, then leave it to cook for the afternoon or evening. In a few hours it will be ready, and the only step you need to be aware of once it goes into the slow cooker is to take uncover it 30 minutes before it is ready to serve. You’ll love the delicious smells as the dish simmers.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos

Beef nachos are a go-to, simple meal, and you can dress them up however you like. For this recipe, we take them to the next level by starting with a boneless beef rump roast rather than ground beef. The rump roast is then seasoned with garlic, beef broth, and banana peppers before being slow cooked to tender perfection. It may take eight hours before the meat is fork-tender and shreds easily, but by then it will be the best nacho topping you have ever had. Top your tortilla chips with the beef, cover it all with beans, tomatoes, onions, and cheese, and in a few minutes more you’ll be amazed. You can also serve the delicious beef in slider buns with your favorite sandwich toppings for a heartier meal.

Recipe: Stovetop Red Beans and Rice  

Here's a simple, low-fat version of the Louisiana bayou favorite that has all the classic, cue-the-trombones flavor you'd expect in this hearty dish. Since we all love dishes that have the authentic taste of the South, red beans and rice are always on our dinner menu. This recipe captures these flavors, using andouille chicken sausage, red bell pepper, garlic, and Creole seasoning. It also has dried red kidney beans, brought to tender perfection in the slow cooker, resulting in the beautiful made-from-scratch flavor that this dish has. Prepare a big batch, and freeze your leftovers for later. This dish only gets better and better.

Recipe: Creole Chicken with Field Pea Succotash

You’ll love the simplicity of this Creole Chicken with Field Pea Succotash that you will become full-bodied and deliciously flavored after simmering throughout the day in your slow cooker. This recipe is made even easier by using a few packages of frozen vegetables to help it all come together—frozen field peas, a frozen gumbo mix, and frozen corn can all be tossed right in. Spice it up with a few teaspoons of Creole seasoning that bring just the right amount of heat. Complete the meal by trying this easy side: Drizzle sliced fresh tomatoes with oil-and-vinegar dressing; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Burgundy Beef Tips

Beef tips are a classic Southern meat-and-three dish—that’s a lunch cafeteria where you get one meat dish, and three vegetable dishes. Here we take that taste and turn it into a slow-cooker feast, letting the beef sirloin, mushrooms, and red wine all blend together for four hours until they’ve combined into mouthfuls of pure delight. You’ll want to stir this occasionally, so it works well if you can stay close by. Then, when it is time to dish it out, ladle out a few big spoonsful of rice before you top them with this so you have something to soak up every delicious drop.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Parmesan-Herb Pork Loin with Chunky Tomato Sauce

This is a great option when you would love a pork tenderloin but you’d like to cook it some other way than simply tossing it on the grill. This recipe allows you to let the pork cook slowly, and to really steep in the flavors that the slow cooker creates. You’ll coat the pork in Parmesan cheese, fresh rosemary, fresh oregano, and flat-leaf parsley before it goes into the cooker, so it is loaded with great ingredients. Prep the night before, start cooking in the morning, and it will be ready when you get off work. Or prep it and cook on high for a hearty weekend lunch or dinner in 3 to 4 hours.

Recipe: Coriander-Coconut-Braised Ribs

Southerners love ribs, but that often means a slab or a rack slathered in whatever their preferred barbecue sauce happens to be. This recipe takes that idea to a new level, braising the ribs low and slow in coconut milk, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and curry paste, for delicious Asian-influenced flavors. Once these come out of the slow cooker, you’ll love the sauce reduction you can pour over the top. Fresh lime will give the sauce just that little extra bit of citrus bite. Serve these ribs over rice, and top with a few jalapeno slices. This aren’t your traditional barbecue ribs, but we guarantee you will love them.

Recipe: Andouille Sausage Jambalaya with Shrimp

Andouille sausage is the foundation for this fantastic dish, and in this recipe we’ve mixed shrimp with the usual meat and vegetables.  You’ll love the smoky flavor of the fire-roasted tomatoes, and the slowly building heat of the Cajun seasoning will make you feel like you’re on the bayou. Traditionally, rice is cooked in the jambalaya liquid, but for this flavorful slow-cooker version, it's best to stir in the cooked rice at the end. To make this easy, we suggest that you use boil-in-bag rice that you cook separately. When it all comes together, you’ll love these truly Southern flavors.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Tomato Sauce

Everyone loves a beautiful, homemade tomato sauce, and this is a great way to turn the bounty from your vegetable garden into a savory tomato delight. And what better way to turn these extra summer tomatoes into a dinnertime star than to make your own slow-cooker tomato sauce. It will take four or five hours for the tomatoes to cook down, but the herbs and spices are the true stars of your homemade wonder—they’ll add the subtlety you love to your beautiful summer vegetables, turning those tomatoes into something you will want to spoon, ladle, and spread on every dish possible. Take it straight from the kitchen to the table, and enjoy every bite.

Recipe: Chicken-and-Squash Casserole

You can get all your countertop cooking done in a slow cooker, so this Chicken-and-Squash Casserole recipe puts yours to the perfect use. You’ll get a delicious casserole without all the kitchen cleanup. Making a slow-cooker casserole will also mean that every bite is tender. Your chicken and vegetables will be cooked to perfection. Start with tomatoes, onions, squash, and zucchini, then cover everything with Parmesan cheese. All that delicious cheese on top will bubble to a golden brown, and you will love its creamy, slightly salty taste. You will savor every bite. The slow cooker makes it simple; you make it taste amazing.

Recipe: Braised Fennel, Cannellini Beans, and Italian Sausage

The heart of this dish is the subtle and delicate taste of mild Italian sausage that is pre-cooked before being put into the slow cooker. This is combined with the fennel mixture. Sweet anise-flavored fennel bulb, plus a hint of fennel seed, is paired here with cannellini beans and bitter radicchio for a hearty fall dish. Cooked slowly over the course of an afternoon or evening all of the delicate flavors of these ingredients come together in a mixture of balance and bite. This dish is fantastic topped with freshly shaved Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Sunday Sauce

This recipe could easily be called Slow-Cooker Sunday Sauce because this is a great way to spend a weekend—making a delicious sauce that tastes fantastic and pairs with everything. Chopped, sweet Italian sausage makes this a great, bold sauce, and crisp pancetta brings the perfect salty crunch to each bite. Canned whole peeled tomatoes work best in this delicious sauce. Use a pair of kitchen shears to coarsely cut them in the can, or squeeze them by hand.  After seven or eight hours in the slow cooker, you will savor every spoonful. You’ll want to ladle this over fresh pasta as soon as it is ready.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

Start this recipe with an eye-of-round roast. You will love how this cut develops in the slow cooker over the course of several hours. By the time it is ready, it will be fork-tender and you will be able to shred it inside the cooker. This will let it marinate in the delicious juice, meaning it will be even more savory and tasty. One you pile it on a bun, you will want to take your first bite immediately. Put on a few dill pickle slices, and dig in. Make your favorite creamy coleslaw to serve with or on this barbecue sandwich. Freeze any leftover meat for up to one month.

Recipe: Black Bean Chimichangas

The first step in making these amazing chimichangas is preparing your slow-cooker black beans. That will take five to eight hours, but you’ll savor the aroma of these spicy black beans as they cook. Cumin, pepper, garlic, and ham will all be simmering away with the beans, getting ready to be rolled into a tortilla and taste amazing. Once they’re ready, you can take the next steps. Finishing off these great Black Bean Chimichangas takes less than 20 minutes, and fresh out of the oven you’ll have hot, homemade Mexican food ready to go, and better than takeout. Top them with fresh lettuce and tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, and olives.

Recipe: Beef With Red Wine Sauce

This is an easy way to make a simple one-dish dinner that is sure to wow your guests. This beef recipe, flavored with gravy and mushrooms, is a hearty, filling dish. Pair it with a salad or bread, for sopping up the sauce, and you're ready to eat. In the words of one online reviewer, “the roast was fork-tender!” That is just how it should be, and your slow-cooker beef will be just as delicious if you follow this simple recipe. The red wine sauce will make it even more rich and delicious, and you will savor every incredible bite.

Recipe: Spicy-Sweet Ribs and Beans

Ribs are a Southern favorite, and this recipe shows you how to enjoy their flavor without feeling like you have to be a pit master. There is one trick you can learn from time spent over the barbecue coals though—slow cookers don't brown food, so here we broil the ribs for extra flavor before adding them to the pot. We suggest you serve these with cornbread and a simple green salad with creamy Italian or ranch dressing. However they make it to the table you’ll need plenty of napkins because you will enjoy every bite of these saucy, Spicy-Sweet Ribs and Beans.

Recipe: Easy BBQ Ribs

Savory, tender, juicy, and slow-cooked to perfection, this recipe for Easy BBQ Ribs is our newest and best. Made with our homemade Rib Rub and Fancy Barbecue Sauce, this dish is finger-licking good. These come out of the slow cooker as half-slabs. You will want to broil these ribs for a few minutes after you take them out of the slow cooker to give your delicious barbecue sauce its characteristic caramelized glaze. Once they are hot from the broiler, dig right in. Grab a pile of napkins, or a roll of paper towels, and savor these Easy BBQ Ribs. Slop on as much extra sauce as you like.

Recipe: Italian Pot Roast

This recipe takes a simple boneless chuck roast from straightforward to savory sitting right there on your countertop. It takes eight to ten hours in the slow cooker, but then the roast is cooked to perfection and easy to shred with a fork. You’ll savor the mushrooms and onion. Stir in a few extra ingredients with the roast’s juices—once you have skimmed off the fat—and you have an incredible and delectable sauce. Stir the roast back in and this dish is ready to serve. Make a simple side with zucchini, peas, and onion, toss it with cheese-and-spinach tortellini, and top it with Parmesan and basil.

Recipe: Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken

Begin with a whole chicken, cut-up, and seasoned with salt, paprika, and garlic powder. A little cola will make your sauce Southern from the outset, and ketchup will keep it simple. Five to seven hours later, you will be waiting for the mouthwatering, sticky-sweet chicken to come out of the slow cooker so the juicy, falling-off-the-bone meat will be ready to go. Shred it, and serve it over some Sweet Potato Cornbread. Top it all with pickled peppers and onions, and some simple slaw. You just can’t get much more Southern—and you definitely can’t get any more delicious—than this.

Recipe: Texas-Style Barbecued Beef Brisket

If you wonder what’s Texas-style about this barbecued beef brisket it is the big, bold taste you get after slow-cooking this delicious cut of beef low and slow for several hours. Seasoned to perfection with chili powder, sweet onion, garlic, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce, you also get a hint of hickory thanks to a dash of liquid smoke. The pan juices will make the meat even better, so spoon them over every serving just before putting them on the table for your family to devour. They will love every fork-tender mouthful. This Texas-Style Barbecued Beef Brisket will be a lesson in bite-size wonder.

Recipe: Good Luck Greens and Peas with Ham

Southerners love to serve black-eyed peas, collard greens, and ham on New Year’s Day to bring good luck for the coming year, but we think that this combination is just as good for your luck—and your taste buds—any time of year. This slow-cooker recipe means you can relax to the savory smells of everything simmering in the kitchen, then grab a plate and enjoy it all when it is ready. The semi-boneless ham will be cooked to perfection, and you will love the taste and flavor you get when you cut it into thick, juicy slices. This goes perfectly with the greens, and a little fresh cornbread wouldn’t be too bad either. Seems like a lucky choice to us.

Recipe: Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches

You’ll love how tender and how pull-apart perfect this slow-cooked barbecue chicken is—so much so that you’ll pile your sandwiches high with this tender, tasty meat. Seasoned with the subtle flavors of garlic powder, paprika, and pepper, the secret here is pouring in half a cup of cola, some apple cider vinegar, and some bourbon so the sugars can help make a sticky-sweet glaze when they combine with all the other add-ins. The taste is simply a finger-licking delight. This tastes great served on a few slices of Sweet Potato Cornbread, and topped with some slaw or your favorite pickled veggies.

Recipe: Spiced Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes

Chunky meat means a hearty mouthful of flavor when everything comes together in this slow-cooker medley of fork-tender beef and savory vegetables. There is just a little hint of heat here from a few teaspoons of ancho chile powder, but you will love how it blends with the smoked paprika over the several hours it is simmers. Sweet onions add just that little bit of sugary perfection and sweetness, as does the tomato paste. Ladle out a big serving into a bowl and enjoy every spoonful. Have some cornbread or biscuits nearby to sop up every drop.

Recipe: Shrimp-and-Sausage Gumbo

Whether you want a taste of the beach or bayou, gumbo is the perfect dish for you. This recipe is full of large, beautiful shrimp, and spicy andouille sausage. It’ll take a few hours for for the base to come together, but it will seem like no time at all before you can toss the shrimp in. Thirty minutes after that you’re ready to have a bowl of this tasty treaty. Then you’ll enjoy a smoky, coastal classic that seems like it takes just a couple of minutes to prepare. When it's ready, you’ll love how it tastes served over a bed of herbed rice.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cheese Grits

Grits is simply a Southern delicacy, and well-cooked grits have a creamy consistency that is delectable, light, and delicious. Even better, grits are wonderful with any number of add-ins, so you can host a grits-bar brunch, and start with these simplified Slow-Cooker Cheese Grits. You’ll love the flavor of the Cheddar and Parmesan cheese combination. Then, offer a variety of toppings so that everyone can make their favorite version of this simple classic. These taste fantastic with green onions, or crumbled crunchy bacon. Or, simply let them be the foundation for our other Southern favorite—Shrimp-and-Grits—you can’t go wrong with that.

Recipe: Green Tomato Chile Verde

This Green Tomato Chile Verde sounds like it will be hot as blazes, but the poblano peppers bring a mild, mellow heat to this delicious dish. We also love the tang and body that green tomatoes give this comforting stew. A boneless pork shoulder—we used a Boston butt—makes this slow-cooker treat full of fork-tender meat, and browning it in a skillet before putting it in the pot simply brings out its delicate flavors. Sit back and savor the aromas while this simmers, then grab a bowl and delight in the tastes of this Green Tomato Chile Verde delight. Serve it with some tortillas and Green Tomato Salsa.

Recipe: Rosemary-Garlic Chicken Quarters

A chicken quarter can be a perfect serving size for dinner guests, so this recipe for Rosemary-Garlic Chicken Quarters can be a great choice when you are planning to have company join you for a meal. Since a slow cooker can’t brown meats, the key to this dinner-party-worthy dish is to be sure to brown the chicken before you put it into the pot. We brown our chicken in a cast-iron skillet, but a non-stick skillet will work just as well. Once this step is complete, it’s simply a matter of cooking the chicken, then adding the potatoes, before removing your perfectly-done dinner and serving it to all.

Cooking Video: How To Make Rosemary-Garlic Chicken Quarters

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Sliders with Pickled Peppers

Rev up your slow cooker the night before, and this recipe will be ready when you are. You’ll find your find your chuck roast cooked to fork-tender deliciousness, seasoned with garlic, pepper, red wine, and the tang of a few tablespoons of horseradish for that little bit of unexpected bite. These are perfect for game-day tailgating. Tote your slow cooker to the game, plug it in, and let your crowd build their own sandwiches. Hearty dinner rolls piled high with saucy beef are a pure delight. You may need two slow-cookers though, because this recipe is so delicious that everyone will be doubling up on their sliders.

Recipe: Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings

Make a classic chicken and dumplings recipe even more Southern by topping the vegetable-and-chicken-packed stew with cornbread dumplings.

Recipe: Four-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

This recipe literally does have four ingredients—including a can of beer and an envelope of packaged seasoning—so it is simple to make and tastes incredible. What’s even better is that you can make it in advance, or easily save any leftovers that you have. If you want to put this up for any length of time, be sure to freeze pot roasts and braised pork shoulders in their cooking liquid—it preserves the juicy flavor and tender texture while guarding against freezer burn. Portion cooled meat into zip-top freezer bags, add cooking liquid, and freeze up to 1 month.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos Al Pastor with All the Fixings

This recipe will give you a great-tasting pork that you can use to fill tacos, creating an eat-by-hand, casual dinner delight. Start by slow-cooking the pork shoulder in an aromatic bath of pineapple, beer (try a floral, spiced white ale like Hoegaarden or Blue Moon), and canned chipotles in adobo. Then shred the meat and set out a taco bar full of fresh flavors, bright colors, and crunchy textures. You can't go wrong here. We like bowls of crumbled cheeses, sliced radishes, chopped onions, avocado, shredded cabbage, and plenty of fresh cilantro. We used fajita-size corn tortillas for our taco bar—you’ll love their taste.

Recipe: Meatloaf

Made in the usual loaf shape, but prepared in a slow cooker, this savory meatloaf recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. This simple recipe uses two pounds of ground round, and is seasoned with onion soup mix and Worcestershire sauce. Brown sugar adds a little sweetness, and yellow mustard adds just a touch of spice. You will love the aromas as this cooks, and the slow cooker makes it to perfection. For an easy side: Prepare 1 (30-oz.) package frozen country-style shredded hash browns according to package directions. Stir in 1/4 cup each chopped fresh parsley, sour cream, bottled Ranch dressing, 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Recipe: Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing

Turkey and dressing is a comfort-food classic, and this recipe makes it easy to enjoy the taste of Thanksgiving during the festive season or at any time of year. This comforting slow cooker dish combines everything in a single pot, making the turkey tender and stuffing rich and delicious. The herb-cornbread stuffing is particularly Southern, and we love the way it tastes, full of chopped onion and celery like many a homemade stuffing is on a traditional Thanksgiving table. You’ll be asking, “Is it ready yet?” once you get a whiff of the how good this smells, and it will taste even better on your table.

Recipe: Wine-Braised Oxtails

Slow cooking oxtails (beefy cuts from the tail of a cow) with red wine and aromatic vegetables releases their rich flavor, creating a hearty, fork-tender stew that’s guaranteed to take the chill off a cold winter’s evening. These are delicately seasoned with fresh rosemary, and bay leaves, bringing their distinctive fragrances to the fore. You will love the taste of these cuts of meat, and you will savor how deliciously it all meshes together in the pot. Prepare this for a bold dinner and enjoy every intense and filling bite.

Recipe: Creamy Slow-cooker Chicken

Think of this recipe as the foundation for a number of fantastic dishes that you can create in the kitchen, and the slow cooker as the extra set of hands that makes it so simple. Combining chicken breasts, mushrooms, seasoning, a creamy soup, and white wine, the results of this versatile recipe can be used in lots of innovative ways. Shred the cooked chicken, and toss with hot cooked pasta. You can create any number of delicious casseroles, or jump-start a filling for easy enchiladas or a fast pot pie. However you choose to use this fantastic Creamy Slow-Cooker Chicken, it will be a fantastic time-saver in the kitchen.

Recipe: Chicken-and-Spinach Lasagna

This take on the hearty Italian classic features chicken slow-cooked with spinach and carrots. By using the slow cooker, you also get to layer the lasagna noodles in without having to pre-cook them. This just makes everything simpler, which can be fantastic when you are pressed for time and need a weeknight quick-fix dinner. If you need an easy side to accompany this Chicken-and Spinach Lasagna, you’ll love this recipe: Toss 1 (5-oz.) package mixed salad greens with 2 cups each refrigerated unsweetened pink grapefruit sections and diced avocado, 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, and 1/3 cup bottled poppy seed dressing.

Recipe: Lemon-Rosemary Chicken

You would be hard-pressed to find a quick-fix supper easier to prepare than our reader-favorite Lemon-Rosemary Chicken. All you need are 5 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time to make this citrusy lemon-rosemary chicken for dinner. We use a four-pound whole chicken, a lemon, some rosemary and garlic, butter, and some salt and pepper. Four or so hours in the slow cooker and this chicken is ready to go. A few extra minutes under the broiler means the skin is browned and crispy. Let it rest ten minutes, and this dish is ready to plate, carve, and devour. The hardest part will be waiting.

Recipe: Pork with Apples, Bacon, and Sauerkraut

Getting a dinner ready for guests doesn’t have to be difficult. This recipe shows you how to have a delicious and beautiful dinner ready to share with your family and friends. Thinly sliced pancetta (unsmoked Italian bacon cured with salt and spices) and a few quick twists of kitchen string can turn an inexpensive pork loin into a party-worthy dish. Firm apples work well in this dish because they hold up in the slow cooker, adding their texture and sweetness to the pork, sauerkraut, and cabbage. Once you add in the sauce made with apricot preserves, you have a true sweet-and-savory delight. A little Dijon mustard heats it up, and away you go.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

Start with a pork shoulder and you only need four more ingredients to make this great dish. You’ve probably always got two of them in your pantry anyway—chicken broth and salt—so grab some onions, and the seasoning blend, and this simple dish is ready to prepare. Give it eight to ten hours in the slow cooker and it will be fork tender, ready to shred, and mouthwateringly delicious. We suggest you save some of this great meat for some other recipes: it works great in Pork Noodle Bowls, or as a topping for Pulled Pork Nachos. However you enjoy it, you’ll love its rich, amazing taste.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

To save yourself time, and to make this dish manageable, look for jars of peeled garlic in the refrigerated cases in the produce section at most major supermarkets. While there, grab a package of poultry herbs, which includes fresh thyme, rosemary, and parsley and can substitute for the individual herbs. Add dried apricots to infuse the rich sauce with a fruity back note, then get all these delicious ingredients in your slow cooker and get ready to enjoy a delicious treat infused with fantastic flavors and overflowing with amazing aromas. You can serve this over couscous for a North African-inspired supper.

Recipe: Chicken With Artichokes and Wild Mushrooms

A special dinner such as Chicken with Artichokes and Wild Mushrooms can be easily achieved on busy weeknights thanks to your slow cooker. You will want to brown the chicken in a skillet first for added visual appeal and flavor. Wild mushrooms can be found in assorted packages at your local supermarket. Cook them in the chicken drippings for a few minutes before adding them to the slow cooker. You will be amazed with their richness, depth, and bold, earthy flavors. Garnish the chicken with fresh oregano, and serve it with some lemon wedges—you will love the fresh citrus bite.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Quinoa

Healthy and hearty, this quinoa chili will become a family favorite. Since the recipe calls for a bottle of beer, use your favorite seasonal brew to amp up the flavor. The alcohol will evaporate as the chili simmers in the slow cooker but you will be left with the sensational taste. And quinoa is a great grain to include in your chili—think of it as an alternative to rice. The jalapeño peppers and poblano peppers are mild, so don’t be too concerned with the heat. If you want your chili a little spicier, save some of the seeds and add them in to the slow cooker.

Recipe: Tortilla Soup

Anaheim peppers are long, slender chile peppers with a sweet, mild heat. If you can’t find Anaheim peppers, you can use poblano peppers instead. Look for Mexican tortilla soup broth on the soup aisle. This recipe calls for chicken thighs, which will add richness to the soup, and will cook down to be fork-tender. You’ll love the smoky flavor they get from the smoked cumin and from the peppers that you’ve blistered in the oven before peeling them, chopping them, and tossing them in. Once the thighs cook, shred them, and add them back in to the soup. Garnish this great soup with crisp tortilla strips, queso fresco—which is a creamy, white Mexican cheese, sliced avocado, cilantro, and some lime wedges.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

Sweet potatoes are a super side dish, and this recipe puts a spin on the classics. For sweetness, you’ll find a little orange juice, and crumbled bacon adds a savory crunch. Rosemary has its own delightful fragrance. Combined into one, this side dish is easy to make at any time, and perfect for a holiday table. What’s great is that you can get it going in your slow cooker and leave it to stew into a sweet-potato delight. When you’re ready to serve it, sprinkle the toppings over it: you’ll get fresh herbs and the right spices in every mouthful.

Recipe: Easy Brunswick Stew

Nothing is more comforting than a big bowl of hearty Brunswick stew. Full of pork shoulder and potatoes, and seasoned with a whole bottle of barbecue sauce, this dish is a comfort-food classic. For extremely tender meat that's easy to shred, you are going to want to try cooking this on low heat for a long time. Our recipe suggests letting this simmer in the slow cooker for ten to twelve hours. Cooking it on a higher heat for a shorter time yields a less tender result, which is what you want to avoid. You’ll love the smell as it cooks anyway, so by the time it is ready you’ll be ready to eat.

Recipe: Sausage-and-Bean Stew

This is a fantastically simple meal that you can make with your favorite smoked sausage. Simply brown the sausage first, then toss everything together in a slow cooker and wait. It will take several hours for the beans to be tender, but all the while the stew will be developing its distinctive, delicious flavor. You’re just a few steps away from a kid-friendly, company-worthy meal. You can also make this stew as thick as you like—just process a cup or two of the bean mixture in a blender until it has the consistency you prefer. Top this great Sausage-and-Bean Stew with some fresh parsley, or Parmesan cheese, or both.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili

This slow-cooker chili recipe is as easy as it is delicious. Browning the meat in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker brings out the rich flavor of the dish. For a distinctive taste, you can try adding your favorite flavor of craft beer when the recipe calls for a can of this sudsy beverage—all the alcohol will cook off while it is in the slow cooker, leaving just the taste to enhance the chili. This is a great chili to put together late in the morning. Let it simmer all afternoon, and it will be cooked to perfection when you are ready to sit down to dinner.

Recipe: Cowboy Pot Roast

You’ll want to take off your ten-gallon hat and step out of the saddle to settle in for a big bowl of this Cowboy Pot Roast. After getting browned in a Dutch oven, this eye-of-round roast gets slow-cooked to perfection over the course of five or six hours until its meat is tender and shreds easily. Simply seasoned, you can amp up its flavor on the plate by topping it with a few pickled jalapeño slices if you like, or you can just savor it as-is. Rich with tomato sauce and slathered in black beans and pinto beans, you will feel as if you are home on the range. That’s right pardner, your kitchen just became your chuck wagon.

Recipe: Mexican Stew

Classic posole, a delicious slow-simmered Mexican pork stew often reserved for special occasions, can typically be a time-consuming labor of love. But this one gives you all the comfort and flavor of the old-world version made in your slow cooker. The pork shoulder will slow cook to fork-tender deliciousness, while the dried ancho chiles simmer in the broth and bring just the right amount of heat to the rich stew. Serve this with some lime wedges and fresh, sliced radishes—they will take the edge off just a little, while leaving just the right amount of south-of-the-border delight and bite.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili

This chili is a savory, rich, and delicious vegetable delight. You will love the flavors of zucchini, squash, carrots, and more seasoned with the flavors of chili powder and pepper, and simmered in a rich sauce of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Add a dash of hot sauce to your bowl for extra heat. You can use a variety of your favorite beans, if you wish, in this recipe. Pinto beans, black beans, great Northern beans, or kidney beans all work well. This chili also freezes well. Simply let it cool fully, and it can be stored in freezer bags for up to two months.

Recipe: Smoky Turkey-and-Sweet Potato Chili

This dish starts lean thanks to the ground turkey, but then it really gets going. Chipotle chiles add a kick, but sweet potatoes balance the heat. Adjust the spice in this homey chili by increasing or decreasing the amount of chipotle to suit your taste. There is also just the right smoky undertone thanks to the paprika, and a hint of sweetness thanks to a little Mexican beer. Buy the large dried lima beans if you can find them because they cook up really well in the slow cooker. They also really look amazing and give the chili a decidedly Southern accent.

Recipe: Beef-and-Bean Chili

You’d be surprised just how fantastic a chili can be when you let a slow cooker work its magic on the recipe. This classic red chili starts with chunks of stew meat, then tosses in ground beef along with tomatoes, red beans, and spices. Fire-roasted tomatoes add a note of smokiness to the mix. If you can't find fire-roasted, use plain tomatoes and add a pinch of smoked paprika. Once it is all together, time works its magic, and in eight hours you’ll be filling a bowl to its brim with this bean-filled delight. Cover it with some cheese, some jalapeños, some radishes, or some avocadoes: or, throw caution to the wind and toss it all in. However you like your chili, this recipe tastes great.

Recipe: Pork Chili Verde

Pork rib pieces are the savory meat that makes this Pork-and-Black Bean Chili so delicious. Then, we add in fresh tomatillos. These look like small green tomatoes wrapped in a thin papery skin. Remove this skin, and rinse them before chopping. If you can't find them fresh, look for them canned on the Latin aisle at the grocery. Once it is all ready, the pork, tomatillos, and some spicy poblano peppers are set to simmer for eight hours until everything has cooked to a rich and tender perfection. This is how a chili should be: spicy, savory, and delicious. Grab a spoon and savor every bite.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Brisket

Beef brisket makes a great filling for tacos, and slow-cooking it for hours, covered in a spicy sauce, makes it even better. For this recipe, the brisket stews away over a bed of vegetables, topped with a cup of fresh cilantro. You will rave at the amazing aromas coming from the kitchen, but don’t be tempted to lift the lid before everything is ready.  When the brisket is fork-tender, it is ready to go. Shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro all make perfect toppings. Serve shredded beef brisket on top of tortillas with any of the above for a creative taco night.

Recipe: Easy Burritos

This is a great anytime meal recipe, and it makes the perfect solution if your suppertime plans need to be kept flexible. Get these Easy Burritos ready in the slow cooker, and if your company runs late, the meat for the burritos will hold for quite a while. You’ll be able to shred the sirloin roast in about five hours, and once it is done you’re set. Everything will then keep warm on low in the slow cooker, if necessary. Once guests are ready, top a tortilla with the filling, spoon on your favorite toppings, and top with pico de gallo if you like. These really are Easy Burritos.

Recipe: Spicy Slow-Cooker Beef Chili

Beef brisket makes a great filling for tacos, and slow-cooking it for hours, covered in a spicy sauce, makes it even better. For this recipe, the brisket stews away over a bed of vegetables, topped with a cup of fresh cilantro. You will rave at the amazing aromas coming from the kitchen, but don’t be tempted to lift the lid before everything is ready.  When the brisket is fork-tender, it is ready to go. Shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro all make perfect toppings. Serve shredded beef brisket on top of tortillas with any of the above for a creative taco night.

Recipes: Chalupa Dinner Bowl  

This pork-and-bean mixture is versatile. Serve it spooned over cornbread or rolled up burrito style in flour tortillas. Make hearty nachos, quesadillas, or tacos too. It can even be used as a meaty addition to huevos rancheros (fried corn tortillas topped with fried eggs and salsa).

Prices range from $25 for a basic, two-temperature-setting (Low/High) model to $125 or more for a programmable, multi-temperature model.

• Look for a stoneware insert. This dishwasher-, oven-, and microwave-safe insert makes cooking and cleaning a snap.
• Choose the right size: A standard 2.5-qt. model is fine for two; 3.5- to 5-qt. serves a family of four; larger families need at least a 6-qt. capacity.
• Determine what’s best for your schedule. Programmable models generally let you select a 4- to 6-hour cook time or 8- to 10-hour cycle. A warm setting comes on at the end, and keeps food warm until you’re ready.