17 Slow Cooker Recipes for Main Dishes, Soups, and Casseroles

Some days are better when dinner spends time in the slow cooker. You can pick a main dish for a fuller plate, a soup for a bowl meal, or a casserole when you want something cozy. Let one recipe cook low and slow, then serve it when the house starts to smell like dinner.

Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken

Tangy, buttery juices soak into every strand of Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken, a four-serving main that takes 4 hours 5 minutes. Chicken breasts are cooked with au jus mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini juice, chopped peppers, and butter before being shredded into the cooking liquid. The result is loose enough to spoon over mashed potatoes or rice, yet sturdy enough for toasted buns. Keep it in mind when dinner needs a versatile meat that can carry several different plates.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

After a long, low simmer, Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff turns cubed beef and mushrooms into a creamy six-serving dinner in 6 hours 10 minutes. Cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and sour cream build the sauce, while egg noodles cook separately and catch it at serving time. It suits an evening when a substantial bowl is needed without tending a skillet. Spoon it over warm noodles and add parsley if a little color is wanted at the table.
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Crockpot Marry Me Chicken

Silky sauce surrounds tender chicken in Crockpot Marry Me Chicken, which makes three servings in 4 hours 5 minutes. The chicken is briefly seared, then slow-cooked with broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Fresh basil finishes the dish without adding extra work near dinner. Serve it with pasta, rice, or potatoes when a smaller household wants a full main dish with enough sauce to cover the side.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Deeply browned edges and a creamy finish give Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs more structure than a basic dump-and-cook dinner. Six servings take 4 hours 15 minutes, with bone-in thighs, sweet onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, broth, heavy cream, and Parmesan. Searing is optional, but it adds color before the slow cooker takes over. Plate the thighs with the sauce spooned on top, alongside rice or bread that can take up the extra liquid.
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Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage

Built for an unhurried weekend meal, Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage serves eight after a five-day brine and 8 hours 30 minutes of cooking and prep. Brisket is cured with salt, brown sugar, pickling spices, garlic, and curing salt, then cooked with broth, carrots, red potatoes, and cabbage. This is the long-planned recipe in the group, not a same-day dinner. Slice the beef against the grain and serve it with the vegetables and a little broth.
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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

A glossy glaze gives Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin a polished finish while the slow cooker handles most of the 4-hour-15-minute total. The six-serving recipe pairs pork tenderloins with smoked paprika, apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, Dijon, Worcestershire, garlic, and ginger. A quick sear adds color, and a flour slurry thickens the cooking juices at the end. Slice it for a plated dinner with vegetables, rice, or mashed potatoes when neat portions matter.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Big, spoon-sized pieces make Slow Cooker Beef Stew substantial enough to stand alone as dinner. The eight-serving pot takes 8 hours 10 minutes and combines chuck roast, onion, carrots, russet potatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and thyme. Everything cooks together until the beef and vegetables are tender. Ladle it into deep bowls with bread on the side, or serve it over mashed potatoes when an even heavier plate is needed.
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Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole

Under a blanket of soft tater tots, Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole brings ground beef, corn, creamy soup, sour cream, cheddar, onion, and garlic into one six-serving dish. Total time is 5 hours 10 minutes, including browning the beef before everything goes into the cooker. A brief broil can brown the top, though the casserole is ready without it. Scoop it straight from the insert for a casual dinner or transfer it to a baking dish for cleaner portions.
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Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf

Taco-night flavors run through Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf, a six-serving main with a 6-hour-10-minute total. Ground beef is mixed with onion, green chiles, taco seasoning, crushed nacho cheese chips, Monterey Jack, eggs, and milk, then finished with taco sauce and Colby Jack. The slow cooker keeps the loaf contained while the topping melts. Slice it for dinner and set out tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, olives, or jalapeños so each plate can be finished differently.
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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Crisp-edged shreds make Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas useful for much more than one dinner format. The recipe serves eight in 5 hours 25 minutes, using pork shoulder seasoned with cumin, oregano, chili powder, onion, garlic, orange, lime, and chicken broth. After shredding, a short broil is optional for browned edges. Fill tortillas, build rice bowls, or pile the pork onto nachos when a larger batch needs to stretch across several servings and toppings.
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Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup

Clear broth, small meatballs, and tender vegetables give Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup a lighter place among the richer mains. Six servings take 5 hours 10 minutes, with frozen beef or turkey meatballs, chicken broth, carrots, celery, small pasta, spinach, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. The pasta and spinach go in near the end so they keep their texture. Serve bowls with grated Parmesan or crusty bread when dinner calls for something warm but not heavy.
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Slow Cooker Nacho Meatballs

Cheesy and spoonable, Slow Cooker Nacho Meatballs can move from appetizer tray to main dish without changing the recipe. Six servings take 4 hours 5 minutes, and the cooker combines frozen homestyle meatballs, tomatoes with green chiles, Velveeta, taco seasoning, and heavy cream. Stirring now and then helps the sauce stay smooth. Serve the meatballs over rice or mashed potatoes for dinner, or keep toothpicks nearby when they are part of a game-day spread.
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Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Coated from cooker to plate, Slow Cooker Pork Chops make four servings in 4 hours 5 minutes. Four boneless chops cook with heavy cream, Parmesan, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning until the sauce forms a rich gravy. The ingredient list stays short, and the chops sit in a single layer for even coverage. Spoon the sauce over each portion and add mashed potatoes, noodles, or green vegetables when dinner needs a simple protein with an easy side.
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Slow Cooker Ribs

Sticky edges and tender meat define Slow Cooker Ribs, a four-serving main finished in 4 hours 20 minutes. Baby back ribs are rubbed with brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, then slow-cooked with barbecue sauce. A short oven finish caramelizes the surface after the ribs leave the cooker. Cut between the bones and serve with slaw, corn, or potato salad when the menu needs a barbecue-style centerpiece without hours at the grill.
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Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken

One cooker holds the full plate in Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken, which serves six after 8 hours 5 minutes. Chicken breasts sit over baby potatoes and carrots, then cook beneath a mixture of ranch seasoning, cream of chicken soup, and heavy cream. The vegetables soften in the same sauce, so no separate side pan is required. Ladle some sauce over each serving and add bread only when something extra is needed to catch what remains.
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Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Thick enough to hold its toppings, Slow Cooker Potato Soup makes six bowls in 3 hours 10 minutes. Potatoes, broth, bacon, onion, and garlic cook first, followed by milk, flour, and butter for body; cheddar, sour cream, and green onions finish each serving. Some of the potatoes are mashed or blended while chunks remain for texture. Set the toppings out separately when serving a group, so each bowl can be kept simple or loaded.
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Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast

Fork-tender shreds make Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast easy to portion for eight people after 8 hours 5 minutes. Pork shoulder cooks with ranch seasoning, au jus mix, butter, pepperoncini peppers, and brine, with optional broth for cookers that run hot. The pork is shredded directly into its juices at the end. Serve it over mashed potatoes, stuff it into rolls, or pair it with roasted vegetables when a large main dish needs several serving options.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast