I started using a slow cooker in 2024 and I’ve fallen unexpectedly in love with this quotidian device.
This may sound incredibly obvious to those of you who have long loved this kitchen appliance. But despite many years of a career that had both my husband and I working outside of the house most of the day, I never adopted the make-ahead ease of the slow cooker. I’ve always had an outsized fear of leaving the house with any device plugged in, much less something that is intended to get and stay hot for prolonged periods of time.
Rather than adopting the slow cooker for make-ahead convenience, I came to my love of this device via a decidedly unusual path.
If you listened to my conversation with Anne back in What Should I Read Next episode 487, you may have heard me mention that my husband and I are building an Earthship and living off-grid in New Mexico. Well, this has meant that for much of the past two years and until quite recently, I haven’t had a standard kitchen at my disposal. Specifically, I’ve lacked a cooktop or standard oven—which makes meal preparation just a little bit tricky.
Enter the slow cooker.
I picked up a standard model at my local shop more out of necessity than interest, and then proceeded to cook nearly every meal in this device for months on end. I’ve come to love the diversity, reliability, and simplicity of the one-pot meals it can create.
That said, the experience hasn’t been without its hiccups. There’s nothing more annoying than finding a delicious-looking slow cooker recipe that then goes on to require an extensive stovetop saute prep session, or a separate roasting routine. I’ve learned to refine my search terms and to adapt recipes when I just don’t have the equipment (or time!) to jump through extra hoops.
Wading through millions of online slow cooker recipes has also been a bit of a challenge. Like many families, we have food sensitivities to grapple with: in our case, tomatoes are on the avoid list, despite being a staple of many slow cooker recipes.
Regardless of these small challenges, over the past two years, I’ve slowly put together a recipe list of crowd-pleasers and simple recipes. I’m including three of my favorites here:
1. Slow-Cooker Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Pie. (Taste of Home)
I live in the land of green chile so this recipe is a favorite. Since I’m not a fan of corn tortillas, I substitute flour tortillas with no impact on the immediate product. They don’t hold up well to re-heating, though, so plan ahead and make this for a larger crowd or be prepared for some soggy next-day tortillas if you also use this substitution.
2. Shredded Chicken Gyros. (Taste of Home)
My recipe sourcing is quite broader than only this website, but it just so happens that my top two recipes come from Taste of Home. This Greek-inspired recipe is incredibly delicious and so generous with substitutions. No lemon-pepper seasoning? I’ve used lemon juice & black pepper with no impact on the end flavor. Can’t get pita bread? My small rural grocery store doesn’t carry them, so I swap in my beloved flour tortillas with no regrets. And, they’re just as good with chopped cucumber and plain greek yogurt if you can’t get your hands on (or forget to buy) tzatziki.
3. Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches. (Delish)
I adore coleslaw and my husband tolerates it, unless it’s served on top of pulled pork. Thus, this is a common compromise meal on our calendar. It’s so simple and results in a truly tasty meal. I’ve never had liquid smoke on hand, and haven’t missed it.
As I’ve grown more comfortable and confident with my slow cooker, I’ve enjoyed branching out from slow cooker classics like chilis and stews. While I can’t claim to be a culinary mastermind, I’ve been quite proud of successfully making less-common slow cooker fare, like banana bread, lasagna, hard boiled eggs, and brownies.
2025 came to an end with a kitchen plot twist: I got an Instant Pot. Will it replace my beloved crock pot? It’s too soon to say but I’m pretty sure I’ll find room for both in my long-term kitchen rotation.
Do you have a favorite slow cooker recipe? I’d love to hear about it; please leave a comment below. (Bonus points if it doesn’t include tomatoes.)
P.S. 8 beautiful, practical cookbooks you’ll turn to again and again, 20 easy and delicious go-to weeknight dinner recipes that count among our family’s greatest hits, and My favorite spices and seasoning blends.
About the author
Holly Wielkoszewski is our What Should I Read Next Media Production Specialist. Her go-to genres are Fantasy and Sci-Fi. You can follow Holly on her Substack: A Liminal Life.
32 comments
Hi Holly!
I was so excited when you mentioned the Earthship. My husband and I have lived in an Earthship for the past 30 years just outside of Denver, CO. It has been an amazing experience and it is always fun to see people’s expressions when you tell them you live in a tirehouse.
Kam, that is so cool! I’d love to hear more about your Earthship experience.
We have been making this recipe for slow cooker red beans, rice and chicken sausage from Mel‘d Kitchen Cafe for about a decade. It works great in the Instant pot as well: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice-with-chicken-sausage/
Anything from this blog receives our hearty recommendation!
There is a whole category for the best slow cooker recipes: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-best-recipe/the-best-slow-cooker/
Thanks for sharing this recipe and website! I found a recipe there for slow cooker beef stroganoff which I want to try. My son-in-law enjoys this dish and her recipe sounds like just what I’ve been looking for.
Let me be the first to say slow cooker chipotle-honey chicken tacos on NYT Cooking. Smokey and sweet, there are never any leftovers when I make them. If I’m feeling extra lazy, which is often, I’ll substitute chipotle pepper sauce for chipotle peppers in adobo so that I don’t have to chop them.
Another family favorite is jalapeno pulled pork also from New York times cooking. We use the hot jalapenos, and after cooking it left the meat with a nice tang but nothing super hot. Thank you for sharing your love of the slow cooker with us! I’m really enjoying this series and I’m excited to see what recipes other people share.
This sounds absolutely delicious, Rada — I have some chipotle peppers in adobo sitting in my pantry that are approaching their expiration date, and now I know exactly how I’m going to use them. Thanks for sharing!
I love homemade bread, but I hate heating up my house in the summer (no a/c here) by turning on the oven. Enter this crock pot bread recipe:
https://littlespoonfarm.com/slow-cooker-sourdough-bread-recipe/
Yum! I will check this out for sure.
I had to avoid tomatoes for a few years. Google nomato sauce for some great substitutes. My favourite included simmered beets and carrots with herbs and some vinegar for acidity. Worked great in a slow cooking cooker!
Thanks for the tip Patricia, I will definitely take a look!
I’m going to try your recipes! I also get frustrated when extra steps are needed outside the slow cooker or instant pot. I use both but probably my instant pot more, I love that you can saute things right in the pot! It makes hard boiled eggs so easy to peal and perfect summertime corn on the cobb. This is an IP family favorite that doesn’t include tomatoes, what we call “Chicken Lemon Rice” in our house! https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-lemon-chicken-and-rice/ I usually use chicken breasts because that’s what I have on hand (I’ve even added them frozen!) and also add diced carrots. Quick and easy! Looking forward to the other suggestions in comments!
Thank you Kristin, I will check this one out!
This sounds like a great recipe. We love anything flavored with lemon. I also like the website. Found some other recipes to try.
https://themodernproper.com/slow-cooker-swimming-rama
This was a recent hit! Just note that spice levels of curry paste vary by brand.
Looks so tasty — thanks Christina!
I don’t have a link to share since this was given to me years ago by a work colleague. It’s so simple and tasty. Think the Pot Roast in Gravy that you can get at Costco but better and cheaper and you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand. I serve with mashed potatoes and a veggie.
Ingredients:
3-4 pound Chuck Roast
1/2 cup Flour
1 Envelope Onion Soup Mix
1 Enevelope Brown Gravy Mix
2 cups Water
Directions:
1. Cut roast in half; rub with 1/4 cup flour. Place in slow cooker.
2. In a bowl combine soup and gravy mixes and remaining flour. Stir until combined. Pour over roast.
3. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.
4. Slice roast.
Enjoy!
I love super simple recipes like this one – thanks for sharing, Tina.
I have seen the Earthship area near Taos. Unforgettable! Thanks for the recipes.
Enjoy, Linda!
This is my go to Pepper Steak for the Crockpot:
2 lbs Sirloin Steak cut into strips • 1 tsp Garlic Powder • 1 tsp Ground Ginger • 1½ tsp Salt • 2 tbsp Minced Garlic • 3 tbsp Soy Sauce • ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce • 1 tbsp Brown Sugar • 3 tbsp Cornstarch • ½ cup Chicken Broth you can also use beef broth • 2 tbsp Light Olive Oil • 1 14.5 oz Fire-Roasted Tomatoes • 1 Medium Onion sliced • 2 Bell Peppers INSTRUCTIONS • Brown the Steak – Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, then add the beef strips. Season beef with garlic powder, ground ginger, and salt. Sauté until the steak is browned on all sides. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker. This only takes like 5 minutes • Make the Savory Sauce – Using the same skillet, reduce to medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, and chicken broth. Whisk until smooth and slightly thickened. • Slow Cook – Pour the sauce over the beef in the crockpot. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and stir. Cover and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours. • Add Vegetables – In the last 1.5 hours of cooking, add sliced onions and green bell peppers. Stir gently, cover, and continue cooking on LOW for 1 additional hour, until the beef is tender and the vegetables are softened. You don’t want to cook the veggies for the entire duration. If you do, they will end up mushy.
Oh, thank you Jody! I don’t have a good pepper steak recipe. I’ll look forward to trying this one.
I make applesauce almost every week in my crockpot. Also beef stew. It is my favorite piece in my kitchen.
Yum — I definitely need to make applesauce. Thanks for the idea!
I use Tin Eats recipe for slow cooker turkey breasts. The recipe calls for broiling at the end but i never do this. It is the juiciest turkey breast ever. It is perfect when there are only 2or 3 in your family and dont want a big turkey. Im sure it works if the breast is bigger than 4 lbs
What a great idea, thank you Diane.
I second the Chipotle Honey Chicken Tacos from NYT!
This Butter Chicken recipe has tomatoes, but is one of my family’s absolute favorites, so I had to share, https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018803-slow-cooker-butter-chicken?unlocked_article_code=1.IFA.5dNy.v_juH3tJCL3l&smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share
Thank you Stephanie!
This is my go-to chicken dish for cold weather – Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken with Mushrooms, serve over rice or noodles. If you don’t have a stove, just skip the browning, and remove the skin before cooking. https://frommycarolinahome.com/2015/09/29/slow-cooker-bourbon-chicken-with-mushrooms/
If you like corned beef, this recipe is foolproof – https://frommycarolinahome.com/2018/03/11/corned-beef-in-the-slow-cooker/
And a pot roast is lovely too – https://frommycarolinahome.com/2017/02/02/savory-slow-cooker-pot-roast/
Enjoy!!
Holly, it is so wonderful to know that you are actively helping the environment. The environment is one of the three reasons I am a vegetarian, besides my health and not wanting to hurt any animals! Speaking of which, do you have any great vegetarian crockpot recipes?
I love this vegetarian lasagna, La Buice! https://pinchofyum.com/super-easy-skinny-veggie-crockpot-lasagna
I’d recommend Skinnytaste.com for a treasure trove of slow cooker recipes. Here’s one I like:
https://www.skinnytaste.com/slow-cooker-moroccan-chicken-olive-tagine/
Thank you, Linda.
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