It’s dinner time, and you are craving something hearty, but not in the mood for a five-minute sandwich. Also, you do not have the energy to get your hands dirty. On days like these, the crock pot is a lifesaver. This magical kitchen gadget is synonymous with hands-off cooking.
While many of us whip out the crock pot to make a hearty beef stew, there is actually so much you can do with the crock pot, from satisfying crockpot chili dishes to fall-off-the-bone pulled pork.
If it’s too hot outside to fire up the grill for a honey barbecue chicken, make it in the crock pot. The chicken is first seared on the cast iron skillet to give it a nice crust and enhance the flavor of the herbs and spices coating the chicken.
After the crust turns golden brown, it is cooked in the crock pot with the honey barbecue glaze. You can have it on its own or on a sandwich.
The buffalo chicken chili is rich and creamy in the best way possible. The chicken is cooked with navy beans, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, buffalo wing sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Once the chicken is tender, you stir in cream cheese and cook everything until the cheese is melted. The whole dish takes almost 5 hours, but because all the magic happens in the crock pot, you only spend 10 minutes on the actual cooking. Chili recipes are one of the easiest to make in the crockpot.
A beef and broccoli dish is a quintessential Chinese-American takeout, but why spend money when you can make it at home. Thanks to the crockpot, it is easy and hand-off cooking at best.
Thinly sliced sirloin is cooked low and slow in a rich broth made with beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, Sriracha, garlic, and green onions. Once the meat is fall-apart delicious, throw in the broccoli for long enough to make it tender.
A slow-cooked salmon is as simple and delicious as can be. Season the salmon generously with salt and pepper, add broth and lemon juice, and cook on low heat for 2 hours.
You can use this recipe with other types of fish or switch it up by replacing the lemon juice and broth with white wine and adding melted butter and aromatics like rosemary or thyme.
While most soup recipes only emerge during the colder months, a hearty bowl of pozole is perfect all year round. This Mexican soup is loaded with veggies, super tender pork, and hominy corn.
A pozole is meant to be spicy, but you can adjust the heat to your liking by adding more or removing the chiles. Pozole recipes usually call for ancho chiles, chiles de árbol, and guajillo chiles, but feel free to use whatever you have.
Another heart soup dish you can make is a delicious and comforting bowl of taco soup. This is also a great dish if you do not have the time to put out a big taco bar spread.
Taco ingredients like ground beef, diced tomatoes, black beans, onions, and corn are thrown in the crock pot with beef broth, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. Once it is cooked, serve with sour cream, pickled jalapeños, and corn chips.
You can enjoy braised pork ribs any day of the week because it is that easy to make with a crockpot. Remember to soak the ribs overnight in beer to tenderize the meat.
The next day, cook it low and slow with spices, herbs, and barbecue sauce in the crock pot. Then, finish off the ribs in the oven to get that beautiful char and caramelization. Serve with rice, potatoes, or a salad.
Let the beef bones simmer in spices all day for a flavorful broth that your whole family will enjoy. They can customize the broth however they like with fresh herbs, lime juice, hoisin sauce, and sriracha.
Once the broth is ready, serve it with beef slices and noodles. Do not cook the noodles with the broth overnight. Serve them separately instead. We do not want soggy noodles and overcooked meat.
If you thought mac and cheese could only be baked in the oven, this crockpot mac and cheese might prove you wrong.
Finely grated cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, and Parmigiano-Reggiano with sour cream and condensed cream of chicken soup works well in a crock pot mac and cheese.
This recipe is great when you are out camping or when there is no oven.
Buttered rum is probably the most unique crockpot recipe you will come across. It is a cocktail containing rum, butter, hot water, a sweetener, and various spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
The spices and sweetener are combined and poured on melted cream and butter cooked on high heat in the crockpot. Once everything dissolves, rum and butter are whisked in and cooked for up to 4 hours.
A slow-cooked chili con carne is easily a crowd-pleaser. The best chili recipes are ones that bubble away on low heat for hours. This allows all the flavors to mingle and meld together.
That is why a chili con carne is a perfect crockpot dish. There is so much you can do with this dish. You can serve it with rice or on tacos and burritos. You can also make a Mexican lasagne out of it.
Meatballs are a meal of its own or a perfect condiment on a spaghetti and a hoagie roll. You can use any protein of preference or a combination of beef and pork, the best tender and flavorful meatballs. They will melt in your mouth,
Ground beef and pork are combined with onion, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, eggs, and cheese to make the meatballs. They are then baked and simmered for hours in a rich marinara sauce.
If your crock pot is large enough and you have guests coming over, make a rotisserie chicken. Cooking an entire bird in the crockpot can be intimidating, but it is deceptively simple.
All you need to do is place lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs inside the chicken and then rub it with olive oil and poultry seasoning. After that, place the chicken in the crock pot and cook for 8 to 10 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high. You can also find a recipe that works for you from our collection of rotisserie chicken recipes.
You do not need the oven or the cake pan to make this a decadent peanut butter chocolate cake. Make it in the crock pot, but resist the temptation to take a peek because you cannot open the lid while the cake is cooking.
Pour the cake batter into the crock pot after you spray it with a non-stick spray. Then cook the cake on HIGH for 2 hours and lather the cake with creamy peanut butter frosting.
A slow cooker pasta dish is an easy, dump-and-go recipe. There are many variations, but for this list, we will go with a simple creamy chicken pasta.
Start by seasoning the raw chicken and then cook it in the crockpot with the marinara sauce until it is cooked. Once cooked, add the pasta noodles and cream and cook till the pasta is al dente.
During summer, when cherries and apples are abundant, make a cherry apple crisp in your crock pot. This set-it-and-forget-it dessert is straightforward and delicious.
Simply mix the chopped fruits with sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Then, layer the oat mixture on top of the fruit. The oat mixture has oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, and melted butter. Cook on high and for about four hours.
This crockpot dessert has everything you are looking for in a classic apple pie. The warm apple filling with the lightly browned and slightly crisp top hits all the right spots.
You only need three ingredients: canned apple pie filling, box vanilla cake mix, and melted, cooled, and unsalted butter. It pairs perfectly with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Did you know you can make rich, chocolatey, and fudgy brownies in the crock pot? Well, if you did not, try out this recipe. The key to getting a crispy edge and gooey center of a brownie is to use aluminum foil.
Before you pour in the brownie batter in the crock pot, make a ring around the sides of your crockpot with big sheets of aluminum foil.
Related: 20 Easy Brownie Recipes That Your Children Will Love
If you can make a brownie in a crock pot successfully, then you can definitely make a perfect cheesecake in the crock pot. The pot retains moisture well, so you don't need a water bath to bake your cheesecake.
Spread graham crackers evenly on your pot and top it with the cheesecake mixture. Cover it and slow cook for 5 to 7 hours. Your cheesecake will not crack and come out ultra smooth and creamy.
A pumpkin bread pudding can be served as dessert to end your supper on a sweet note. It is also a great way to use leftover bread.
Cut bread into cubes and put it in a greased crock pot with cinnamon chips and chopped pecan. Then, pour in the pudding liquid and ensure all the bread cubes are coated.
Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours. Stab a knife in the center and if it comes out clean, it is ready.
