Tender meatballs are served with a slow cooked sauce made with tomatoes, chipotle peppers, and orange zest.
Method: crock pot, stovetop
Time: 2-5 hours
Crock Pot Cooking
Don't overlook the slow cooker as being just as valuable a kitchen tool as your stove or oven. While it's long been recognized as an ideal way to cook roasts and stews, it can do so much more - and we'll show you how.
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Pro Tip:
The crock pot should be filled 2/3rds full when cooking for best results. Scale recipes up or down to fit your size crock pot.
Crock Pot 101
A properly working crock pot uses as about as much electricity and resources as a light bulb - making it more economical than using your stove! Also, it won't heat up your kitchen in the summer months.
crock pot cooking time conversion chart
| Crockpot | ||
| Oven Or Stovetop | High Temp 300F | Low Temp 200F |
| 15-30 minutes | 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours | 4 - 8 hours |
| 35-45 minutes | 3 - 4 hours | 6 - 10 hours |
| 50 minutes - 3 hours | 4 - 6 hours | 8 - 16 hours |
Cooking Times
Times listed with the recipes are guidelines - actual cooking times may vary based on the brand of crock pot, size, amount of liquid or food, how full your crock pot is, how dense the ingredients are, and the temperature of the foods when you add them.
Meatballs With Sweet Orange Chipotle
Pork And Fettuccine Casserole
Made with spinach fettuccine, pork tenderloin, onions, butter, paprika, caraway seed, salt and pepper, tomatoes, red wine, sour cream
Method: crock pot, stovetop
Time: 2-5 hours
Beefy Braised Short Ribs
Making a dish as rich and flavorful as red wine-braised short ribs with just one pot (read: one dish to clean) is a stroke of genius.
Method: stovetop, crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Apple Cider Stew
Made with onion, dried thyme, salt, carrots, potatoes, apples, apple cider, beef or venison stew meat
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes in the crock pot? Yes! Wrapped in foil, the potatoes are slowly baked and create gentle steam resulting in tender and fluffy baked potatoes.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
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Mexican Meatballs
Looking for a recipe that is easy to prepare but with tons of flavor? These zesty Mexican meatballs in a rich vegetable sauce are delicious over rice or pasta.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Orange Glazed Carrots
Carrots are slow cooked until tender and mixed with an orange-pecan sauce.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Savory Pork Roast
This is such an easy way to make a great roast. Boneless pork loin is simply seasoned with salt and pepper and then injected with slivers of garlic. The crock pot keeps the meat moist...
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Braised Lamb Shanks With Barley
Barley doesn't come up in too many recipes these days, and that's a shame. The hearty grain works beautifully in savory dishes like this braised lamb, which you can do...
Method: crock pot, stovetop, oven
Time: 2-5 hours
Rosemary And Red Pepper Chicken
Made with cornstarch, vermouth, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, dried rosemary, dried oregano, turkey Italian sausages, skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, black...
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Lowfat Turkey Sausage Stew
If you're looking for a hearty fall-flavored stew without all the extra fat, here it is. Apples and sauerkraut add some sweet and tangy flavors to this warming sausage stew....
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Herbed Thanksgiving Stuffing
This stuffing does so many things right, but here's what really sets it apart: adding a sweet, tart, apple to balance out the savory flavors. Truly a stand-out stuffing...
Method: crock pot, stovetop
Time: 2-5 hours
Chile Verde With Green Salsa
This version of chile verde is made with pork, green salsa, green chiles, tomatoes, onion, and garlic.
Method: crock pot, stovetop
Time: over 5 hours
Big Easy Red Beans and Rice
This New Orleans style red beans and rice recipe is made easy in the crock pot. The beans are cooked with a ham bone for extra flavor. Then smoked sausage is added and the...
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Slow Cooked Baked Beans
If you're looking to impress dinner guests or just craving a hearty staple, slow-cooked baked beans are basic but brilliant. With layers of flavor from bacon to brown sugar...
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Black Eyed Peas With Ham And Peppers
Made with salt and pepper, dried black-eyed peas, ham, tomatoes, green chiles, jalapeno pepper, chicken broth, celery
Method: crock pot, stovetop
Time: over 5 hours
Caramel Apples
Melting caramel in the crock pot makes these fall favorite treats extra easy. Simply melt, then dip the apples!
Method: crock pot
Time: 1-2 hours
Rolled Pork Tenderloin And Sweet Potatoes
Stuffed pork loin, sweet potatoes, and gravy all in one slow cooker batch. An apple and cranberry filling gives wonderful flavor to the pork loin and the sauce...
Method: crock pot, microwave
Time: over 5 hours
Turkey And Vegetable Stew
Made with garlic, ground thyme, dried basil, black pepper, boneless, skinless turkey breast, all-purpose flour, white wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Coconut Chicken Curry
Made with black pepper, boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, vegetable oil, potatoes, onion, coconut milk, chicken broth, curry powder, hot pepper sauce, salt
Method: stovetop, crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Cuban Pork
Pork is marinated overnight in a citrus and spice mixture and then slow cooked with sliced onions until tender enough to shred. Serve it on tortillas with pico de gallo, lettuce, and...
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Sausage And Vegetable Risotto
Made with sweet Italian sausages, water, onion, butter, white wine, arborio rice, zucchini, kosher salt, fresh baby spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method: crock pot, stovetop
Time: 1-2 hours
Hot Cranberry Toddy
With a crockpot of hot toddy not only do you have a tasty beverage on hand, you'll also infuse your whole house with a sweet, spiced aroma.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Home-Style Short Rib Dinner
If short ribs aren't a regular sight on your dinner table, they're about to become one. Cooked with a hearty mixture of carrots on potatoes, these fall-off-the-bone crockpot...
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Curry Cauliflower Soup
A healthy, veggie-packed soup is such a perfect cool weather lunch. This tomato and cauliflower bowl is sure to leave you feeling revitalized and full of energy for the rest of...
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Basil And Orange Carrots
An easy and delicious side dish. The carrots are cooked in a savory basil and orange sauce until they are tender and flavorful. This is a great way to get your kids to eat...
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Chicken and Broccoli Cheese Noodles
Easy and cheesy! Broccoli cheese soup makes a delicious and simple sauce slow cooked with chicken and served with pasta.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Corn Bread
A plate of barbecue just isn't complete without a piece of cornbread, lending some sweetness and soaking up all the extra saucy goodness. This batch is cooked up in a crockpot, so it's easy...
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Cranberry Orange Relish
Made with cranberries, sugar, orange peel, orange juice
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Creamy Stuffing
Stuffing is a delicious and classic dish that is often served during holiday meals. There are many different ways to make stuffing, but this one uses cream soup as a base.
Method: crock pot, stovetop
Time: 2-5 hours
Hot Apple Cider
Cider slow-cooked with whole nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and crystallized ginger is an absolute ambrosia for cold nights.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Pumpkin Bread
Made with soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, flour, pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, sugar, oil
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Garden Fresh Minestrone Soup
Squash, carrots and green beans slow-cooked in broth with tomatoes and pasta make a fresh and healthy soup whether from the garden or the produce aisle.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
This recipe for sweet and sour meatballs is one example of how you can whip up something tasty with minimal effort in no time flat simply by starting with some pre-cooked...
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Mulled Wine
Red wine infused with warming cinnamon and cloves and topped off with a bright slice of lemon makes a magnificent mug for those chilly winter evenings.
Method: crock pot
Time: 1-2 hours
Vegetarian Cassoulet
Made with fresh lemon thyme, fresh rosemary, olive oil, onion, carrots, navy beans, mushroom broth, vegetable bouillon, bay leaf, fresh parsley
Method: stovetop, crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Ginger Ale Applesauce
An easy applesauce recipe with a delicious ingredient twist: ginger ale! A little cinnamon and brown sugar helps add a little additional flavor as well.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Dump Lemon And Garlic Chicken
Throw some chicken thighs into a bag with oil, garlic and lemon and freeze it until you need it, then just thaw it overnight and leave it in the crockpot all day with no...
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Fresh, homemade tomato sauce makes a world of a difference in pastas, pizzas, and everything in between. A real tomato sauce takes all day to make, so just let the crockpot do the...
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Homestyle Applesauce
What better way to enjoy apples, even when it's not apple season, than with homemade crock pot applesauce.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Turkey or Chicken White Bean Stew
Made with olive oil, onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, carrots, celery, salt, tomatoes, cannellini beans, chicken broth
Method: stovetop, crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Hot Cranberry Drink
Made with cinnamon sticks, sugar, whole cloves, orange, cranberry juice cocktail, apple cider
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Pork Roast And Sauerkraut Dinner
A delicious fall meal made with sauerkraut, apples, boneless pork, and potatoes served with a mustard sauce.
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Easy Turkey and Dumplings
Made with onion, celery, carrots, bay leaf, bone-in turkey breast half, turkey gravy, all-purpose flour, Cheddar cheese, parsley
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Raspberry Fudge Brownies
These slow cooker chocolate raspberry brownies are absolutely decadent. Made from scratch using simple ingredients and cooked to perfection in canning jars in the slow cooker.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Brown Sugar And Peaches Oatmeal
Perfectly done oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, and fresh peaches.
Method: crock pot
Time: over 5 hours
Slowcooked Mashed Potatoes
The crockpot comes to the rescue, along with an electric mixer to whip up creamy, buttery potatoes in a snap.
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Batter-Topped Peach Cobbler
With sliced peaches on the bottom and peach nectar in the batter, this cobbler gets a fruity double dose. Just imagine a melty scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the hot...
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
Souse up your cranberry sauce this holiday season. Red wine enhances the flavor of the cranberries in ways you won't believe!
Method: crock pot
Time: 1-2 hours
All Meat Chili Spread
Made with ground beef, tomato paste, tomatoes, salt, chili powder, garlic
Method: crock pot
Time: 2-5 hours
A can of cream of mushroom soup can be a real dinner saver. It works great in casseroles and can turn into a sauce or gravy in a pinch.
Ah, the unassuming envelope of onion soup mix. It's more than just for onion soup (or dip). It adds tremendous flavor (and convenience) in all these recipes.
Make your mornings a little less hectic with these overnight breakfast recipes. Prep the night before and enjoy a warm, comforting meal in the morning.