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  5. Count on These Slow Cooker Recipes the Week of Thanksgiving

Count on These Slow Cooker Recipes the Week of Thanksgiving

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors Updated July 22, 2022
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Slow-Cooker Cornbread Turkey Dressing
Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Hosting Thanksgiving is no easy to-do. It's more than just a feast for the family: The house needs to look its best, the table must be set beautifully, and the food should be cooked to perfection. No pressure. During those busy weeks leading up to Turkey Day, there's nothing like a slow-cooker recipe to keep you calm. To help your planning and cooking schedules this November, we've got the best slow-cooker Thanksgiving recipes for you all in one place. These will save you time and oven space so that you can get everything finished before your guests arrive. From classic slow-cooker vegetables for Thanksgiving like green beans and squash to slow-cooker sides like sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and yams, you won't be missing out on anything this Thanksgiving. If you've never cooked a turkey but want to try something homemade, we've got the easiest turkey recipes around. For one of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes, both the turkey and the stuffing cook in the slow cooker at the same time. Genius, we admit. (Mama said so.) And don't even think about worrying about dessert—there's something for everyone, Cranberry Upside-Down Cake included. Hosting Thanksgiving is stressful, so make it easier on yourself with these delicious recipes. 

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Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole

Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole
Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole

This classic holiday recipe is just as delicious but so much easier when made in your slow cooker. An essential recipe for a Thanksgiving classic, green bean casserole holds a special place in our hearts, and permanent residence in our slow cookers.

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Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving in the South without sweet potato casserole, and it has never—we mean NEVER—been this easy to make. Just peel and cube your sweet potatoes and throw them in your slow cooker with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and a few other yummy ingredients.

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Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks Recipe
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

You can get old-fashioned collards that taste just like Mama's with the help of your slow cooker and smokey ham hocks. This classic Southern side is a must-have on the Thanksgiving table, hassle-free thanks to this recipe.

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Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese

Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese
Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese

Make the kids' favorite holiday side in the slow cooker and save the oven for the turkey and dressing. Keep this recipe close, because comforting mac and cheese is always a good choice, especially when it's made hands-free in the slow cooker.

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Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon
Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

A little salty, a little sweet, and oh-so-delicious, this might be your new favorite way to eat sweet potatoes. Do you prefer your holiday sweet potatoes with marshmallows or bacon? That might just be an impossible question.

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Slow-Cooker Green Beans

Thanksgiving Sides: Root Vegetable Gratin
Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Green Beans

Whether in a casserole or on their own, green beans deserve a spot at the Thanksgiving table. And, these have bacon. Serve with sprigs of fresh thyme for a vegetable side that looks and tastes gourmet, but was easy as pie.

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Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing

Slow-Cooker Cornbread Turkey Dressing
Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing

Combine your ingredients in a bowl, pour them in the slow cooker, press "start," and you've got homemade cornbread dressing just like Mama's. Thanks to this wonderful appliance, classic cornbread dressing is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

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Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole
Credit: Victor Protasio

Recipe: Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

Got extra sweet potatoes and holiday company? Say hello to your day-after-Thanksgiving brunch casserole.

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Slow-Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Spirited Cranberry Sauce
Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is the ultimate supporting actor on Thanksgiving day: It's not the main character, but the meal wouldn't be complete without it. Instead of standing captive at the stovetop to make it, leave it to the slow cooker.

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Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing

Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing
Credit: Photo: Oxmoor House

Recipe: Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner's biggest stars in one slow cooker is what we call winning. As far as your guests need to know, this turkey and stuffing were labors of love, when in reality, Thanksgiving dinner came together virtually effort-free (only 20 minutes of prep time!).

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Squash and Green Chile Casserole

Squash and Green Chile Casserole
Credit: Greg Dupree

Recipe: Squash and Green Chile Casserole

Add a touch of Southwest flavor to your go-to squash casserole this holiday season with this version that includes green chiles and tomatillos. Use green zucchini and yellow squash to make Tex-Mex casserole as pleasingly colorful as it is scrumptious.

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Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs

Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs

Keep rumbling tummies satisfied before the meal with this retro appetizer that only takes a few store-bought ingredients. Combined with chili and barbecue flavors, the not-so-secret ingredient, grape jelly, builds the perfect touch of sweetness that your guests will love but won't quite be able to put their finger on.

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Turkey with Shallot-Mustard Sauce and Roasted Potatoes

Turkey with Shallot-Mustard Sauce and Roasted Potatoes
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Turkey with Shallot-Mustard Sauce and Roasted Potatoes

If you're serving a smaller crowd, this is the easy turkey recipe you should make this Thanksgiving. With a classic herb blend and savory mustard sauce, this turkey is anything but bland.

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Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens

Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens Recipe Image
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens

You can make this veggie side dish a week or two in advance and freeze it in air-tight bags, or make it a day or two in advance and refrigerate in the slow cooker insert (if you have room!). Let the insert stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then return it to the slow cooker to reheat.

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Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Credit: Oxmoor House

Recipe: Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Leave off the cranberry salad—this cranberry upside-down cake is how we'll be eating our cranberries this Thanksgiving. Or keep both. There's never too many tart and sweet cranberry confections on the holiday table.

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Chocolate-Cinnamon Latte Cake

Chocolate-Cinnamon Latte Cake

Recipe: Chocolate-Cinnamon Latte Cake

We bet that even after the biggest Thanksgiving dinner, you'll still manage to find room for this chocolaty cake. This decadent and slightly spicy dessert goes great with a cup of coffee to end the night.

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Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili

While you're cleaning up from the Thanksgiving feast, let the slow cooker do all the work making this day-after Turkey Chili. The days leading up to the Thanksgiving feast may be for cooking, but this recipe ensures that the days following are for well-fed rest.

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Slow-Cooker Apple Butter

Slow-Cooker Apple Butter
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Apple Butter

Homemade biscuits deserve a seasonal companion. Skip the stirring that traditional Apple Butter recipes call for and opt for this hands-off method instead.

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Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter

Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter

Accidentally grab too many cranberries at the store? Make this Cranberry-Pear Butter and bottle it in mason jars as a take-away present for your Thanksgiving dinner guests. This will crown you as the ultimate Thanksgiving host as far as we're concerned.

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Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder

Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder
Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder

We can't get enough corn on the Thanksgiving table. This creamy soup is the perfect not-too-heavy starter that will satisfy taste buds eager for fall flavor without filling up appetites before the turkey is even served.

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Apple and Pear Crisp

Apple and Pear Crisp
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Food Styling: Vanessa Rocchio; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford

Recipe: Apple and Pear Crisp

Granny Smith and McIntosh apples combined with pears add up to a delicious and occasion-worthy take on a go-to apple crisp. Scoop this slow cooker dessert into bowls and top each serving off with a hardy scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Loaded Potato Soup

Loaded Potato Soup
Credit: Photo: Johnny Autry

Recipe: Loaded Potato Soup

There's few foods more comforting than a loaded baked potato, but this soup rendition takes the cake. Put your slow cooker to work then rejoice in this soup as a Thanksgiving appetizer or side that's soothing enough to warm your holiday crowds' hearts and stomachs.

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    1 of 22 Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole
    2 of 22 Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
    3 of 22 Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks
    4 of 22 Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese
    5 of 22 Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon
    6 of 22 Slow-Cooker Green Beans
    7 of 22 Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing
    8 of 22 Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole
    9 of 22 Slow-Cooker Cranberry Sauce
    10 of 22 Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing
    11 of 22 Squash and Green Chile Casserole
    12 of 22 Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
    13 of 22 Turkey with Shallot-Mustard Sauce and Roasted Potatoes
    14 of 22 Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens
    15 of 22 Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
    16 of 22 Chocolate-Cinnamon Latte Cake
    17 of 22 Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili
    18 of 22 Slow-Cooker Apple Butter
    19 of 22 Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter
    20 of 22 Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder
    21 of 22 Apple and Pear Crisp
    22 of 22 Loaded Potato Soup

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