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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » The Best Slow Cooker Recipes | Easy Dinners

    The Best Slow Cooker Recipes | Easy Dinners

    Published: Apr 24, 2020 · Modified: May 11, 2020 by Lucy · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    A collage of dinners that have been made using a slow cooker.

    A collection of the best slow cooker recipes... delicious family favourites, easy midweek dinners, simple soups and more!

    A collage of dinners that have been made using a slow cooker.

    Slow cooker recipes are the ultimate comfort food! Whether it's a bowl of nourishing healthy soup, a 'takeaway' pulled pork burger, a one-pot family roast or a creamy pasta... you just can't beat a slow cooker meal!

    Browse our budget-friendly, flavour-packed slow cooker recipes that the whole family will love.

    Simply click on any of the links below to be taken directly to the full recipe (all my recipes are completely free!). 

     

    Slow Cooker Family Dinner Recipes

    When it comes to fuss-free family dinners, it doesn't get any easier than a slow cooker meal. Simply throw everything into your slow cooker in the morning and have dinner ready and waiting that night.

     

    Slow Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken

    This is the ULTIMATE winter comfort food. It's creamy, it's FULL of flavour and it's an absolute hit with the whole family (including kids!). 

    Creamy Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe
    Creamy Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken with sun-dried tomatoes, baby spinach and parmesan cheese is the ultimate winter comfort food. Serve with pasta for a simple meal the whole family will love. 
    5 from 44 votes
    Creamy Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken with sun-dried tomatoes, baby spinach and parmesan cheese is the ultimate winter comfort food. Serve with pasta for a simple meal the whole family will love. #creamy #tuscan #slowcooker #crockpot #chicken #dinner #family #recipe #meal 

     

    Slow Cooker Roast Beef

    Just imagine how AMAZING a roast beef that's been slowly cooking away all day is going to taste! This is the easiest way to achieve beautifully tender and melt-in-your-mouth beef. You can cook the beef on it's own or add vegetables for an easy one pot dinner. 

    Slow Cooker Roast Beef Recipe
    This Slow Cooker Roast Beef is the perfect winter dinner... one pot, plenty of vegetables and moist pull-apart roast beef that melts in your mouth.
    5 from 12 votes
    This Slow Cooker Roast Beef is the perfect winter dinner... one pot, plenty of vegetables and moist pull-apart roast beef that melts in your mouth.

     

    Slow Cooker Roast Chicken Dinner

    Talk about a 'winner winner, chicken dinner'! This one pot slow cooker dinner is an absolute family favourite. There's no need to sear the chicken - simply place it straight into the slow cooker, add your vegetables and turn that baby on. 

    Slow Cooker Roast Chicken & Vegetables Recipe
    Our healthy slow cooker roast chicken & vegetables recipe is the perfect mid-week family meal (includes tips for getting a crispy skin!)
    5 from 6 votes
    A whole chicken placed in a slow cooker with spices.

     

    Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Pasta

    When it comes to comfort food, it doesn't get any better than a big bowl of pasta served with rich beef ragu that's slowly cooked away all day. Serve with parmesan cheese and a side of garlic bread. Alternatively, skip the pasta and serve with mashed potato or polenta. 

    Slow Cooker Italian Beef Ragu Pasta Recipe
    This Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Pasta has a beautiful, rich tomato based sauce, beef that literally melts in your mouth and of course a good sprinkling of parmesan cheese. This is comfort food at it's best!
    5 from 1 vote
    This Slow Cooker Italian Beef Ragu Pasta has a beautiful, rich tomato based sauce, beef that literally melts in your mouth, and of course, a good sprinkling of parmesan cheese. This is winter comfort food at it's very best!

     

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

    This is one of our all-time favourite slow cooker recipes! The sweet and rich pulled pork is perfect for burgers, tacos, pizzas or enchiladas. This makes a big batch so freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months. 

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe
    The most delicious sweet and juicy fall-apart slow cooker pulled pork recipe that's perfect for burgers, tacos and salads. 
    5 from 19 votes
    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Burger

     

    Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

    Everyone's favourite creamy pasta is taken to a whole new level with slow cooked tender beef. This is the ultimate mid-winter dinner! Serve with pasta (always my choice!), mashed potato, rice or creamy polenta. 

    Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe
    A family favourite slow cooker beef stroganoff recipe filled with tender beef in a creamy mushroom sauce and served with pasta. 
    5 from 14 votes
    A family favourite slow cooker beef stroganoff recipe filled with tender beef in a creamy mushroom sauce and served with pasta. 

     

    Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne

    The flavours in this classic dinner intensify as it simmers away in the slow cooker all day. Serve with all your favourite toppings - including sour cream, grated cheese, spring onions, corn chips or rice!

    Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne Recipe
    A healthy and family-friendly Mexican Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne recipe made with beef, beans and tomato and served with rice, corn chips, sour cream and spring onions.
    5 from 17 votes
    A bowl of rice rice, slow cooker chilli con carne, sour cream and corn chips.

     

    Healthy Slow Cooker Soups

    Mouthwatering and flavour-packed soups is exactly what you get when you whip out your slow cooker! Plus there's nothing more comforting than the smell of soup cooking away all day!

     

    Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup

    There's boring old soup and then there's THIS amazing flavour-packed Mexican inspired soup. Serve with lots of corn chips and sour cream for a healthy Mexican feast. 

    Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup Recipe
    This flavour-packed Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup is the healthy recipe... a tomato, bean, corn and chicken soup served with sour cream, avocado and corn chips!
    5 from 6 votes
    A bowl of tomato, chicken, corn and bean soup.

     

    Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

    If you've got a cold, then you need this soup in your life! Packed full of nourishing vegetables and chicken, this is classic healthy comfort food is sure to make you feel a million times better in no time!

    Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
    This classic Slow Cooker Noodle Soup is packed full of vegetables, chicken and noodles making it a hearty and delicious family meal. It really is the perfect winter soup!
    5 from 9 votes
    A bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of a slow cooker and herbs.

     

    Slow Cooker Pea & Ham Soup

    This rich and comforting soup is packed full of flavour and full of pull-apart tender ham. Cooking the ham hock with the veggies and split peas in the slow cooker gives the most amazing tasting soup!

    Slow Cooker Pea & Ham Soup Recipe
    A hearty and healthy Slow Cooker Pea & Ham Soup that can be prepped in the morning and ready for dinner at night... the perfect winter soup! 
    5 from 6 votes
    A hearty and healthy Slow Cooker Pea & Ham Soup that can be prepped in the morning and ready for dinner at night... the perfect winter soup! 

     

    10 Tips For Cooking With A Slow Cooker (Crockpot)

    Slow cookers (also known as crock pots) are a brilliant little piece of cooking equipment. Not only are they relatively inexpensive to buy, they make the most incredibly delicious meals!

    1. Use cheap cuts of meat - one of the best things about a slow cooker is that the cheaper the cut of meat, the better a slow cooker will cook it! Look for cheap cuts such as pork shoulder, lamb shoulder, chuck steak, beef short ribs, lamb shanks, chicken thighs or beef brisket.
    2. Thickening liquid - when using a slow cooker to cook meat (with the exception on soups), you wont need to use very much liquid at all as the liquid doesn't evaporate like it does during stove-top or oven cooking. If you find that you have too much liquid at the end of cooking time, you can thicken the liquid using a mixture of cornflour and cold water (1-2 teaspoons of cornflour mixed with a little cold water and stirred until dissolved). 
    3. Raw defrosted meat - as meat cooks so slowly in crockpot/slow cooker, it's important to use raw defrosted meat (do not place frozen meat directly into the slow cooker).
    4. Searing meat - Some slow cooker recipes call for searing the meat before placing it into the slow cooker, whereas other recipes don't require any searing. While it's not essential to sear meat (even in the recipes that call for it), it does add flavour and locks in extra moisture. Some slow cookers now come with functions that allow you to sear in the slow cooker before switching over to slow cooker mode. 
    5. High or low setting - for maximum flavour and tender meat, use the low setting on your slow cooker wherever possible. If you're pushed for time, choose the high setting.
    6. Set and forget - most slow cooker recipes don't need to be stirred or checked at all. Simply pop everything in and leave it to do it's thing (i.e. slow cooker recipes are great for putting on before work and having dinner ready when you walk through the door). If you do want to check your slow cooker meal, do so only once or twice (as heat escapes overtime you open the lid!).
    7. Leave dairy until the end - only add cream, milk, sour cream, greek yoghurt etc to the slow cooker in the last 15-20 minutes of cooking.
    8. Don't overfill your slow cooker - many slow cookers have 'max' lines but a general rule is not to fill the slow cooker any more than two-thirds. 
    9. Cooking vegetables - cooking vegetables for too long in the slow cooker can lead to mushy vegetables! Cook hard vegetables such as potatoes and carrots for longer than soft vegetables such as beans, capsicum etc.
    10. Storing meals - once you've finished cooking your meal in the slow cooker, remove any leftovers and place into a seperate plastic container in the fridge (do not leave leftovers in the ceramic pot as it keeps the food hot and doesn't allow it to cool quickly enough. 

     

    More Easy Family Dinners

    If you're looking for easy family dinners, then browse our collection of 30+ freezer meals! All are budget-friendly and made from basic ingredients… pastas, lasagne, soups, slow cooker meals, vegetarian options, quiches, tarts and more!

    A collection of images of homemade main meals that can be frozen.

     

    WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Facebook or Instagram. And if you love baking, then please come and join my Facebook cooking club group or subscribe to my YouTube channel. 

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    1. Mrs Janice Chappell

      September 05, 2020 at 1:58 am

      I enjoy your recipes, I would like a free recipe book , and follow you on Face Book I am 75 yrs old and love your simple but clear instructions

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