There is nothing better than walking through the front door and realizing dinner is already finished. When you use a slow cooker, the house smells warm and cozy long before you even take off your shoes. These recipes take the work out of your evening so you can just sit down and eat. It feels like the kitchen is giving you a big hug the moment you get home.
Slow Cooker Leftover Turkey Curry
This is a warm meal where turkey and spices cook together in a creamy sauce. The sauce gets thick and rich after sitting in the pot for a few hours. Walking into the house and smelling those spices makes me feel like I'm finally off the clock.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Leftover Turkey Curry
Slow Cooker Baked Beans With Bacon
These are soft beans cooked with pieces of smoky bacon and a sweet sauce. The sauce turns dark and thick as it cooks very slowly all day. This is exactly the kind of side dish I love to have ready when we're doing a big family spread.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Baked Beans With Bacon
Slow Cooker Neiman Marcus Chicken
This dish uses a creamy sauce that covers the chicken while it cooks for a long time. The meat stays very soft and soaks up all the flavor from the sauce. It is my go-to when I want a meal that feels a little fancy without any of the actual effort.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Neiman Marcus Chicken
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup
This is a thick soup filled with chicken and soft little potato dumplings. Every spoonful feels warm and keeps you full for a long time. Coming home to a big pot of this soup makes the whole evening feel easy and relaxed for the kids.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Slow Cooker Swamp Potatoes with Smoked Sausage
Potatoes and smoky sausage cook together until the potatoes are very soft. The dish gets a lot of flavor from the meat without you having to do any extra work. The smell of the sausage makes the whole house feel lived-in and happy.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Swamp Potatoes with Smoked Sausage
Slow Cooker Carrot Soup
This is a smooth soup made from carrots that have been cooked until they are very soft. The taste is simple and a little bit sweet, which makes it feel very light. I like having a pot of this ready because it keeps the kitchen feeling calm.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Carrot Soup
Slow Cooker Turkey Pot Pie
This is a filling meal with turkey and soft vegetables in a creamy base. Everything in the pot blends together to make a dish that tastes just like home. That familiar smell makes dinner feel like it's been waiting for you.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Turkey Pot Pie
Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken
Chicken cooks slowly with a sweet and tangy cranberry sauce. The flavor gets stronger as it sits, making the chicken taste great after a few hours. You can smell the sweetness the minute you open the door.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken
Slow Cooker Osso Buco
Meat becomes fall-apart tender as it cooks low and slow. The sauce turns rich with deep flavor. Meals like this make the whole house feel warm long before dinner starts.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Osso Buco
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Marsala
Mushrooms and chicken cook together in a savory sauce that has a tiny bit of sweetness. The chicken stays moist and takes on the flavor of the mushrooms. The slow cooking fills the room with a smell that makes everyone in the house hungry.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Marsala
Crock Pot Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
This is a big piece of pork that roasts slowly alongside thick chunks of carrots and potatoes. The juices from the meat mix with the vegetables to make a full, hot meal. It makes the house smell like a Sunday roast even on a Tuesday.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Slow Cooker French Onion Meatballs
These meatballs cook in a brown onion sauce until they are cooked through. The onion flavor builds up slowly and spreads through the whole kitchen. It is the kind of hot dish that makes you feel welcome the moment you arrive.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker French Onion Meatballs
Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Beef and vegetables sit in a dark, rich sauce until the meat is very tender. The vegetables soak up all the liquid so that every bite is full of flavor. I love that the slow cooker makes this fancy meal feel so easy to have on a weeknight.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Easy 5-ingredient Crockpot Chicken and Rice
Chicken and rice cook together into a soft, comforting dish. The flavors mix together easily without you needing to add many ingredients. This simple dish fills the house with a warm, home-cooked smell that I love.
Get the Recipe: Easy 5-ingredient Crockpot Chicken and Rice
Crockpot Cranberry Pot Roast
This roast cooks into thin, soft slices inside a sweet and bright fruit sauce. The taste is very rich and goes perfectly with the tender meat. That sweet scent makes it hard for me to wait for everyone to get to the table.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Cranberry Pot Roast
Slow Cooker Cranberry BBQ Turkey Sliders
Turkey cooks in a smoky BBQ sauce until it is soft enough to shred with a fork. The flavor is very bold and sweet, which makes it perfect for putting on small buns. You will know dinner is going to be good before you even take it out of the pot.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cranberry BBQ Turkey Sliders
Slow Cooker Cranberry Short Ribs
These ribs cook for many hours until the meat is incredibly soft and juicy. The sauce gets thick and dark as it bubbles slowly in the pot. Walking into the house feels like you arrived exactly when dinner was at its best.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cranberry Short Ribs
Slow Cooker Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken
This is chicken cooked in a white sauce with bits of bright, dried tomatoes. The chicken stays soft and the tomatoes add a lot of flavor to the creamy sauce. The smell alone makes the kitchen feel very cozy and complete.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken
Beef Cheeks
These are a special cut of beef that cooks until they are as soft as butter. The texture is so tender that the meat almost melts in your mouth. A meal like this makes a long day feel worth it before you even take your first bite.
Get the Recipe: Beef Cheeks
