When you have a long day, the last thing you want to do is go home to make a complex dinner. These recipes are ideal for frontloading your day, as you can prep them when you have a lull in the middle of the day and have a hot dinner when the evening rolls around.
“I love using my slow cooker, especially in fall when it gets cooler out,” says Siobhan Deremer. “It’s easy to throw things in, toss them periodically throughout the day, and have a meal without a ton of immediate prep.”
“As a remote worker, I also love that it fills the house with amazing smells and gets me hyped to eat the meal when it’s done. Perfect for dinner and leftovers!”
Below, you’ll find a selection of different recipes that can be cooked over several hours. These can fit a range of different diets and eating plans, with something for everyone.
Buffalo mac and cheese is an indulgent dish, but this recipe layers in some other ingredients to make it a more balanced dish. Carrots and cauliflower join the mix with the other ingredients in the slow cooker, adding in fiber.
This recipe is versatile — you can cook it on high for 2 hours or low for 4, so this recipe can fit into a variety of timelines.
It’s also important to note that this recipe is high in sodium (1,143 mg per serving) and saturated fat (11 g per serving). To lower both of these values, you can use low-sodium hot sauce and low-fat shredded cheese and cream cheese.
Chicken posole is a traditional Mexican soup that features shredded chicken and hominy, which are large, nixtamalized dried corn kernels. Nixtamalization is the process of soaking and cooking dried corn in an alkaline solution — usually water and calcium hydroxide (lime) — to enhance nutritional value.
It is important to note that this recipe is high in sodium, with over 2,464 milligrams (mg) per serving. To reduce this amount, you can use low sodium versions of the salsa and chicken broth called for in the recipe. You could also replace half of the chicken broth with water.
The chicken in this recipe is cooked in the slow cooker for 4 to 6 hours with green salsa, carrots, and all of the seasonings, ensuring that it reaches a tender, pull-apart consistency.
Meanwhile, the cauliflower is pulsed in a food processor and cooked in a skillet with green onions and zucchini. It’s finished with cilantro and a drizzle of lime juice, being added to the chicken at the end.
Chicken is a great source of protein that, when compared to other meats, is relatively low in calories, so you can be sure that this meal leaves you feeling satisfied until breakfast.
This slow cooker stuffing features a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as green apples, dried cranberries, and celery. With 22 grams of protein, it makes a great meal on its own or a filling side dish.
This recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving or just a regular busy weeknight, as you can leave it to cook and focus on other dishes or tasks.
The turkey sausage is removed from its casing and browned for around 6 minutes in a skillet, then transferred to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. From there, the whole recipe is cooked in the slow cooker for 4 to 5 hours, until sweet potato is tender.
This is not your average risotto! This vegetarian dish calls for carrots, onions, cauliflower, and, of course, chickpeas, making this a nutritious, fiber-packed meal. It also calls for barley as the grain.
Compared to white rice, barley is higher in nutrients such as fiber and iron. Fiber is important for supporting processes such as digestion, while iron supports your energy levels and your immune system.
The best part: you don’t need a traditional slow cooker, like an Instant Pot, to make this dish. It’s cooked for 2 hours in a skillet, giving you all the benefits that come with cooking with a slow cooker without requiring the actual device. So convenient!
