16 Slow-Cooker Sunday Dinners You'll Want to Make This Fall

This slow-cooker turkey and butternut squash chili is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The sweetness of the butternut squash tames the kick from cayenne, making this easy crock-pot chili just right for kids and adults alike. For those who prefer a spicier chili, just pass hot sauce at the table.

This comforting and creamy slow-cooker soup is loaded with earthy, umami flavor from the mushrooms and soy sauce.  Puréeing only some of the slow-cooker mushroom soup gives the dish complex texture and eye appeal. Garnish with additional black pepper and chopped fresh thyme, if desired.

The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe--cinnamon, allspice and cloves--may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.

This is a soup with a long history (references to it in English go back to 1784) that can now be conveniently made in a modern appliance. Although it's technically an English soup, its origins are decidedly Indian. (The name loosely means "pepper water" in the Tamil language of Southern India.) The sweetness of apple and coconut milk counterbalances the garlic, ginger, curry and cayenne.

Let your slow cooker do the heavy lifting to make a Sunday dinner that yields leftovers for another night. Tuck the rest of the spiced beef and your favorite fixings into corn tortillas or spoon over baked sweet potatoes.

This brisket is seasoned with tangy mustard, sweet turbinado sugar and pungent garlic. Substitute brown sugar for the turbinado, if desired, and use the tube variety of tomato paste so any leftovers stay fresh longer. We recommend serving this braised beef over mashed potatoes, but it'd be just as delicious over rice, spaghetti squash or pasta.

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.

Adjust the heat level in the dish by choosing either hot or mild Italian sausage. You can add red pepper, too, to make it extra hot. Serve this slow-cooker minestrone with crusty bread, if desired.

Perfectly seasoned red potatoes and baby carrots accompany this filling brisket dish.

This simple Italian-inspired recipe combines pork shoulder with aromatic fennel. As the pork cooks, its juices drip down to flavor the sweet potatoes that are nestled in the bottom of the slow cooker. Serve with steamed green beans for a complete meal.

Be sure to use waxy potatoes, such as red or Yukon Gold, in this crockpot potato soup recipe. The result will be creamier than if you use starchy varieties like russets. Load your bowl up like a classic baked potato or see Tip (below) for more ways to mix it up.

Combine orange juice, cornstarch, soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, salt and crushed red pepper with chicken and butternut squash in this delicious slow-cooker recipe. Serve over high-protein quinoa, which contains all nine essential amino acids.

We call for lamb shoulder because it's tougher than other cuts and holds up well throughout the long cook time. If you can't find shoulder, use boneless leg of lamb in this slow-cooker butternut squash stew.

This hearty Southwestern-inspired stew may take a while in your slow cooker, but it's so worth it! Full of sweet potatoes, black beans, and hominy, it will satisfy your tastebuds and keep you full for hours.

The turkey tenderloin in this recipe marinates in a Dijon mustard and sage mixture while the wheat berries cook in the slow cooker. Then they're both combined with apple wedges and cooked just a bit longer with the marinade. Delicious!

If you're ready for something different, try this hearty slow-cooked chili made with sweet potato, pearled barley, and red beans.