32 Sunday Dinners You Can Make in a Slow Cooker

February 07, 2021

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Credit: Dera Burreson

Make a healthy and flavorful Sunday dinner with minimal effort. These dinner recipes utilize your slow cooker so you can just load the ingredients and return to a filling and delicious meal. Recipes like Slow-Cooker Cabbage Soup with Sherry and Slow-Cooker Citrus Salmon with Melted Leeks will start your week off on a delicious note.

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Slow-Cooker White Bean, Spinach & Sausage Stew

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Reach for this recipe on a chilly morning when you know you'll want a steaming bowl of slow-cooker sausage stew for supper. To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten-free sausage.

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Slow-Cooker Carne Picada Tacos with Avocado Salsa

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Loosely translated as "minced meat," the traditional texture of carne picada ranges from finely chopped to ground. Here we start with brisket, which becomes nice and tender in the slow cooker, then shred and chop the meat before serving. The seasoning is flavorful but not too spicy. Blistered jalapeños added at the end will satisfy the heat-lovers in the family. Pile the brisket into warmed corn tortillas, with lettuce, the jalapeños, cheese and avocado salsa for a healthy dinner that'll wake up your taco night routine.

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Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Butternut Squash

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The sweetness of the butternut squash tames the kick from cayenne in this healthy turkey chili, making this easy crock pot chili just right for kids and adults alike, whether for weeknight dinners or tailgating parties. For those who prefer a spicier chili, just pass hot sauce at the table. This chili also freezes well, so save leftovers for hearty and healthy dinners and lunches for weeks to come.

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Pasta Puttanesca with Beef

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This easy slow cooker ground beef and pasta recipe makes a great meal any night of the week.

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Slow-Cooker Cabbage Soup with Sherry

Credit: Victor Protasio

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Sherry adds sweetness and flavor to this slow-cooker vegetarian cabbage soup. It's balanced nicely by the crushed red pepper, fire-roasted tomatoes and a pop of acidity from the sherry vinegar. Potatoes give the soup heft and substance. Serve with crusty bread.

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Sweet & Spicy Soy-Braised Short Ribs

Credit: Dera Burreson

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The sticky sauce on these ribs, made with tamari (or soy sauce), gochujang, grated pear and honey, is inspired by bulgogi, a staple of Korean barbecue. Don’t skip the step of running them under the broiler before serving—it gives the ribs the crisp edges you’d get from grilling. Serve with stir-fried baby bok choy and brown rice to sop up the delicious sauce.

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Slow-Cooker Citrus Salmon with Melted Leeks

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We've discovered the perfect pairing for this moist, lemony, slow-cooker salmon--slightly chewy leeks. Like other alliums, leeks become sweet and rich when roasted slowly for a long time. When cooked in the slow cooker they "melt," becoming jam-like but still retaining pleasant chewiness. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and thyme sprigs, if desired.

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Curried Shrimp with Cauliflower and Chickpeas

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In this delicious main dish, cauliflower is slow-cooked with curry powder and aromatic vegetables, and shrimp and chickpeas are added in towards the end of the cooking time. Served over brown basmati rice and sprinkled with cilantro and peanuts, this dish will get a thumbs up from anyone eating it!

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Kale, Wild Rice & Chicken Stew

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Chicken thighs get perfectly tender in just a few hours in the slow cooker. Plus, cooking everything together low and slow infuses all the flavors together for complexity in every bite.

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Slow-Cooker Tuna Steaks with Escarole-Chickpea Salad

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This fish salad is a unique twist on traditional slow-cooker fare. The slow-cooker tuna steaks carry the bright lemon and rosemary flavors well, which result in an aromatic and fresh fish that perfectly complements the lettuce and chickpeas. Chill it for an easy work lunch the next day. Garnish with fresh rosemary leaves, if desired.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken with Potatoes, Carrots & Herb Sauce

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Impress the in-laws, neighbors or any other dinner guests with this pretty dish. It's a slow-cooker chicken recipe that actually looks and tastes like it was oven-roasted. To save time, prep the vegetables a day ahead or in the morning, and then refrigerate until ready to brown the meat and start the slow cooker.

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Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

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This slow-cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe brings together tender beef and fresh mushrooms served over hot noodles with a creamy sauce.

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Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions

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Traditional pulled pork is barbecued, which gives it a smoky flavor. But the slow cooker happens to be the absolute easiest way to cook pulled pork--and you can get a hint of smoke by adding chipotle chile. Serve the pulled pork with potato salad, collard greens and grits. Or make it into a sandwich and serve it on a bun with coleslaw.

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Slow-Cooker Spanish Chickpea Soup

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This easy soup recipe is inspired by cocido, the hearty stew of assorted meats, chickpeas and vegetables considered a national dish of Spain. Each region, family and restaurant has its own variation, but this slow-cooker soup has enough meat to satisfy the carnivores and enough vegetables to make it healthy. Ask for a 4-ounce slab of Serrano ham or prosciutto at your deli counter instead of buying slices. If you don't have a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker, opt for the stovetop variation instead.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta

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This rustic stew cooks all day in the slow cooker so you can come home to a comforting, hot dinner. Not a fan of polenta? Try this healthy chicken dinner over pasta instead.

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Chicken Pho

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A classic Vietnamese dish, this Chicken Pho recipe is full of fragrant aromas as well as savory and spicy flavors.

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Slow-Cooker Shrimp Noodle Bowls

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The aromatic vegetables in the broth create a light yet distinct flavor of classic noodle bowls. Adding the lime juice, fish sauce and shrimp at the end keeps them from overcooking and their flavors from becoming diluted. If you have it, drizzle toasted sesame oil on top of this slow-cooker shrimp dish for nutty flair. For the prettiest appearance, use whole basil and cilantro leaves, instead of chopping them. Look for packaged lemongrass stalks near the plastic clamshells of herbs in the produce section of your supermarket.

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Mushroom-Sauced Pork Chops

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Mushroom soup and fresh mushrooms give earthy flavor to pork chops in this slow-cooker recipe.

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Slow-Cooker Cassoulet

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This classic French stew recipe is typically made with a variety of meats and simmered over the course of multiple days. In this easy, streamlined cassoulet, the slow cooker makes it a breeze to have a healthy dinner on the table when you get home.

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Corn Bread-Topped Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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For a twist on the classic chicken enchilada casserole, this slow cooker recipe is topped with homemade corn bread.

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Slow-Cooked Beef with Carrots & Cabbage

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In this main-dish recipe, the pot roast is slow-cooked with carrots and low-sodium beef broth. Toward the end of the cooking time, shredded cabbage is added in to round out the meal. Each of the two servings has just 215 calories.

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Slow-Cooker Pinto Bean Stew with Jalapeno-Corn Dumplings

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This healthy slow-cooker pinto bean stew recipe is bursting with veggies--onion, bell pepper, celery and corn--and topped with crunchy bits of radish and chile- and lime-flecked cornbread dumplings. If you're pressed for time, skip the dumplings and serve this pinto bean stew straight out of the crock pot, topped with crushed tortilla chips and a sprinkling of Monterey Jack cheese. Make sure to soak your dried beans before using them in the slow cooker to ensure even cooking.

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Cheesy Vegetable Pasta Alfredo

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This cheesy pasta recipe is made in a slow cooker but is relatively quick taking just 2 1/2 hours from start-to-finish. It's full of vegetables, whole-grain linguine and of course, lots of cheese!

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Slow-Cooked Ranch Chicken and Vegetables

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This creamy, veggie-packed chicken dinner comes together easily in your slow-cooker-and makes enough for another night's casserole (see associated recipe)!

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Slow-Cooker Southwest Quinoa Bowls

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This taco-bowl--style recipe will be a hit with both adults and children. The 10-minute sit time allows the cheese to melt into the quinoa, making this dish super decadent. If you cannot find Cheddar-Jack cheese, use Monterey Jack or sharp Cheddar. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, lime wedges and additional cheese, if desired.

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Beef & Barley Soup

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There's something so satisfying about a hearty bowl of beef and barley soup--especially when it's one you've made from scratch with reduced-sodium broth and chunks of delicious sirloin steak. This slow-cooker recipe is simple to prepare, serves six, and is a great alternative to canned soup!

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Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken

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Browning the chicken and sautéing the aromatics before everything goes into the crock pot is key to building the flavors in our version of this popular curry.

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Sauerkrat, Pork, and Potatoes

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Sauerkraut is at the heart of this simple German-style slow-cooker pork stew.

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Slow-Cooked Swedish Meatballs

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Combine ground pork and ground turkey breast to make these delicious Slow-Cooked Swedish Meatballs. Serve meatballs and creamy sauce over egg noodles.

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Slow-Cooker Flank Steak Au Jus Sandwiches

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Juicy flank steak, beefy sauce and caramelized onions come together easily to create this delectable hoagie sandwich. The flank steak is tender, moist and flavor-packed, making it a great base recipe not only for these sandwiches but also for any recipe that calls for shredded beef, such as Italian sandwiches or chili.

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Pork & Pineapple Tacos

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Plan ahead so you can use your slow cooker to prepare the pulled pork for these tacos. This recipe is a better-for-you twist on the classic tacos al pastor. Pork loin is a lean cut that's a healthier option than traditional pork shoulder, which has more fat.

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Lamb & Lentil Shepherd's Pie

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This twist on a traditional Shepard's Pie recipe uses lentils and is garnished with fresh mint.

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