Budget Slow-Cooker & Crockpot Recipes

Find healthy, delicious budget slow-cooker and crockpot recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup

Rating: 4 stars
13
Make a big batch of low-calorie veggie-packed soup with ease in this load-and-go crock pot recipe. After simmering away in the slow cooker, portion it into individual serving containers and store in the fridge or freezer for fast, healthy lunches or an easy, satisfying snack. This weight-loss vegetable soup fills you up without a lot of calories, plus it's an easy way to eat more vegetables.
By Hilary Meyer

Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Chicken & Orzo

Rating: 4.18 stars
16
Perk up basic chicken breast and whole-wheat orzo with the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean, like lemon and olives. This load-and-go recipe makes a complete and satisfying meal; just add a green salad.
By Carolyn Casner

Slow-Cooker Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Rating: 5 stars
1
Turn classic chicken parm into meatballs with this easy load-and-go appetizer recipe with a cheesy surprise inside. Making meatballs for a party? Switch your crock pot to warm for serving all party long.
By Devon O'Brien

Slow-Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup Freezer Pack

Rating: 2.67 stars
2
Your favorite restaurant soup just got easier and healthier with this freezer-to-crock-pot recipe. If you keep a special bottle of olive oil on hand for stand-out dishes, this is the recipe to pull it out for. The headiness of the fruity olive oil truly elevates the flavors in this Italian meal-prep slow-cooker soup.
By Katie Webster

Greek Chicken & Vegetable Ragout

Rating: 3.75 stars
7
Chicken thighs stay moist and succulent during slow cooking, infusing the accompanying vegetables with superb flavor. This easy braise has a luxurious finish of avgolémono, a versatile Greek sauce made with egg, lemon and fresh dill.
By Patsy Jamieson

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna

Rating: 3.89 stars
18
Sure, the slow cooker's great for stews and soups, but it also happens to make a mean lasagna! In this ingenious slow-cooker recipe, all you have to do is chop your veggies, then layer the ingredients (raw) into the crockpot. Serve with: Garlic bread and a green salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Baby Back Ribs

Rating: 4.75 stars
4
This easy load-and-go crock pot recipe is a great dinner to make with your kids. Let the kids stir the sauce while you rub the ribs, then just let the slow cooker do the rest of the work! Serve with a colorful coleslaw and brown rice.
By Carolyn Casner

Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

Rating: 4.75 stars
4
Load the crock pot and go with this stew recipe that's prepped in the morning and simmers all day so you'll come home to a Sunday-worthy dinner (and your house smelling downright heavenly). Tender beef, melt-in-your-mouth potatoes and carrots in a rich broth--this could be the best and easiest beef stew you've ever made.
By Carolyn Casner

Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions

Rating: 4 stars
1
Thanks to fresh green beans, an easy homemade cream sauce and crispy onion topping, this green bean casserole recipe is healthier and more delicious than traditional recipes that use canned soup, beans and onions. Plus, the slow cooker saves you time cooking at the stove. Make sure to use fresh green beans, as frozen green beans will become mushy.
By Carolyn Casner

Slow-Cooker Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Rating: 4.5 stars
4
Skip the roasting in this butternut squash soup recipe and let your slow cooker do the work instead. Just load up all the ingredients into the crock pot, set it and forget it for an easy, healthy dinner or packable lunches.
By Carolyn Casner

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

Packed with protein and fiber, this soup doesn't need meat to be satisfying. Soaking and cooking the beans yourself, rather than opening a can, ensures you'll have wonderful flavor and texture. (And the slow cooker does most of the work!)
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

These easy Mexican enchiladas are filled with flavorful, shredded slow-cooked shredded chicken. Placed on a bed of fresh lettuce, this delicious recipe is sure to be the hit of any dinner occasion.
By Diabetic Living Magazine
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Inspiration and Ideas

Healthy Crock Pot Lasagna Recipe

Healthy Crock Pot Lasagna Recipe
Your slow cooker can make great crock pot lasagna! In this healthy slow-cooker recipe, layer ingredients and let the crock pot cook.
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Dip

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Dip
Chicken enchiladas take a new form in this creamy, crock pot dip. Grab the chips, it's fiesta time!
FREE Top 10 Crock Pot Cookbook!

FREE Top 10 Crock Pot Cookbook!
Eggplant & Chickpea Stew

Eggplant & Chickpea Stew
Rating: Unrated
7
Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions

Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions
Rating: Unrated
14
Slow-Cooker Stout & Chicken Stew

Slow-Cooker Stout & Chicken Stew
Rating: Unrated
24

Vegetarian Pinto Bean Sloppy Joes

Rating: 4.18 stars
7

This vegetarian Sloppy Joe recipe uses pinto beans and a heap of veggies tossed in a sweet, tangy sauce for the filling of a tad messy kid-friendly sandwich you can make in your slow cooker.

All Budget Slow-Cooker & Crockpot Recipes

Hungarian Beef Goulash

Rating: 3.25 stars
20
This streamlined goulash skips the step of browning the beef, and instead coats it in a spice crust to give it a rich mahogany hue. This saucy dish is a natural served over whole-wheat egg noodles. Or, for something different, try prepared potato gnocchi or spaetzle.
By Patsy Jamieson

Barbecue Pulled Chicken

Rating: 3.59 stars
15
This BBQ pulled chicken recipe is a fanciful reinterpretation of pulled pork that slow-cooks chicken in lots of tangy tomato sauce. Have sliced jalapenos, sliced red onions and some sour cream on hand to top this barbecue pulled chicken, which makes a hearty main course. You can turn it into an unbelievable sandwich or serve it on mashed potatoes or even whole-grain spaghetti. Serve with shredded napa cabbage tossed with low-fat mayonnaise, cider vinegar, celery seed and honey to taste.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Squash, Chickpea & Red Lentil Stew

Rating: 3.59 stars
15
Modeled on North African stews, this aromatic vegetarian main course can be served over brown rice or steamed spinach.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Swedish Yellow Split Pea Soup with Ham

Rating: 3.9 stars
6
This yellow split pea soup has fresh ginger to give it a bright flavor. Use the best ham you can find to get the most flavor.
By Jim Romanoff

Slow-Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos with Pico de Gallo

Rating: 3.67 stars
2
Use your crock pot for perfectly tender beef in this easy taco recipe. The quick fresh pico de gallo adds crunch, flavor and color, but your favorite fresh salsa will make a great taco topper in a pinch.
By Devon O'Brien

Slow-Cooker Pinto Bean Stew with Jalapeno-Corn Dumplings

Rating: 3 stars
8
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.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Irish Lamb Stew

Rating: 3.86 stars
6
Lamb stew is Irish penicillin: a rich stew full of potatoes, leeks and carrots that'll cure whatever ails you. In traditional fashion, nothing here is browned first, just all stewed together--in this case, in a slow cooker to make it extra easy. To keep it healthy make sure to trim the lamb of any visible fat before you cook it.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Chicken Enchilada Dip

Rating: 4.2 stars
4
A quick fresh-made blender enchilada sauce makes all the difference in this slow-cooker recipe for Mexican cheese dip. Serve it straight from the crock pot, with tortilla chips, to keep it warm and gooey.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Fennel & Pork Stew

Rating: 4.2 stars
3
This meltingly tender pork shoulder ragout has a savory broth that's full of fennel. White wine gives the stew a bright edge of acidity.
By Jim Romanoff

Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip

Rating: 5 stars
1
This healthy copycat recipe for classic Buffalo dip cooks in your slow cooker for an easy, hands-off appetizer you can keep warm for the whole game, party or any casual gathering. Serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks and tortilla chips for dipping.
By Carolyn Casner

Slow-Cooker "Corned Beef" & Cabbage

Rating: 4.5 stars
4
This warming slow-cooker stew has all the flavors of corned beef and cabbage but with much less sodium, plus it's ready in half the time of traditional corned beef and cabbage. Rather than curing the beef in a salty brine for at least a day, we just throw the beef and veggies into a crock pot with pickling spice for that delicous briny flavor without the long soaking period.
By Hilary Meyer

Pulled Pork Tenderloin with Vidalia Onion BBQ Sauce

Use your slow cooker to transform lean pork tenderloin into moist and tender meat ready for shredding in this healthy BBQ recipe. Serve the pulled pork as part of a BBQ platter with pickles and cornbread or pile it on a soft bun to make a delightfully messy sandwich.
By Virginia Willis

Slow-Cooked Beans

Rating: 3.73 stars
4
By cooking your own dried beans, you save money, reduce sodium and get better flavor along with, surprisingly, more vitamins and minerals. If you can't use the whole batch, freeze surplus cooked beans for later use in soups, salads and dips. The range of time for cooking beans is wide and varies with the age and the type of beans selected.
By Jerry Anne Di Vecchio

Cheese Fondue with Fennel & Tomatoes

Rating: 4.5 stars
2
The alpine cheeses in this healthy cheese fondue recipe by Laura Werlin are known for melting smoothly, which is key in a fondue. Adding vegetables brings texture and bonus nutrition, while complementing the buttery nuttiness of each cheese. To serve 12, plan to offer 6 cups of cut-up vegetables for dipping, such as steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets or strips of raw fennel and red bell pepper.
By Laura Werlin

Texas Beef and Beans

A hearty beef and beans dish has Texas-sized flavor. Just put the ingredients in your slow cooker, press the button, and you're done until dinner time.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Slow-Cooker Cassoulet

Rating: 3 stars
1
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.
By Stacy Fraser

Slow-Cooked Brisket in Onion Gravy

Rating: 4.22 stars
7
This brisket is cooked with beef broth and loads of onions that melt down into a luscious gravy. Serve the brisket and gravy over a mound of steaming mashed potatoes with a side of green beans or sliced carrots for a perfect Sunday dinner.
By Judith Finlayson

Slow-Cooked Sweet and Sour Cabbage

Rating: 5 stars
1
The combination of cloves, cabbage and cider vinegar gives this slow-cooker cabbage recipe its sweet-and-sour flavor. Don't skip the apples-the hit of natural sweetness is worth the time it takes to core and chop them.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Slow-Cooker German Potato Salad

Rating: 3.4 stars
3
This vinegary German-style potato salad recipe is a lighter alternative to typical mayonnaise-based potato salad. And, instead of boiling, the potatoes are simmered in the slow cooker. This healthy slow-cooker potato salad recipe tastes great when served warm or at room temperature. Fingerling potatoes make it especially pretty, but any type of yellow-flesh potato cut into 1-inch pieces will work.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Slow-Cooker Baked Beans

Rating: 2.83 stars
2
A must-have dish for any backyard barbecue, this classic baked bean recipe is made simple by simmering in a slow-cooker. Spiked with bourbon, maple syrup and molasses, these healthy baked beans have just the right amount of bacon to add a salty touch of smokiness.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Chicken Mole Tacos

This easy slow-cooker chicken recipe with mole poblano gets plenty of complex flavor from anchos (dried poblanos). Beer is an unconventional ingredient, but makes a nice bittersweet companion for the chiles. For more ways to serve this healthy mole, try these ideas: leave the chicken on the bone and serve with the sauce over brown rice; serve the shredded chicken on buns with creamy coleslaw; or stir vegetables and a can of rinsed beans into the saucy shredded chicken to make chili.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Veggies, Turkey, and Pasta

Smother pasta with this slow cooker vegetable and turkey sauce for an easy and satisfying meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Slow-Cooker Red Curry Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

Rating: 4.33 stars
2
Thai flavors--curry paste, fish sauce, lime and coconut milk--and a cabbage and cilantro slaw update this healthy slow-cooker pulled-pork sandwich recipe. A smaller slow cooker (such as a 4-quart model) is ideal for this healthy crock pot pulled-pork recipe. Look for red curry paste in jars in the Asian section of the supermarket.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Slow-Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Rating: 5 stars
1
This simple slow-cooker mashed potatoes recipe skips tedious peeling and boiling and helps save precious stovetop space by letting the slow cooker do the work. It's a great timesaving set-it-and-forget-it side dish recipe to round out any hearty meal. Buttermilk makes the mashed potatoes creamy while garlic and shallots add flavor.
By Carolyn Casner
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