Looking to amp up your beef stew but unsure where to start? A slow cooker can help create layers of flavor in any weeknight dinner, from hearty stews to healthy chicken dishes. It can take your comfort food to the next level, like a fall-off-the-bone pulled pork sandwich, perfectly cooked chicken thighs, or a pot roast with tender beef. All it takes is a few simple ingredients and minimal hassle (if you can plan ahead).
Related: The Best Slow Cookers
Even desserts can benefit from a crock pot; cheesecake cooked in a slow cooker gets an incredible silky texture as the machine steams the cake as it bakes. mkgallery has plenty of easy slow cooker recipes including glazed pork ribs with white beans and meatballs that are delicious served in a bowl, with spaghetti or on a hoagie roll. Read on for our very best crock pot and slow cooker recipes.
Harissa White Bean Stew with Turmeric Yogurt
Cookbook author Sarah DiGregorio adds depth and heat to her hearty white bean stew by adding harissa twice: first for the long simmer in the slow cooker, then at the end, to finish the dish with some bright heat. This stew will keep in the fridge for up to four days, so it's a perfect make-ahead meal.
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Slow Cooker Glazed Pork Ribs with White Beans
This warming eastern European short rib stew is best served in deep bowls over buttery noodles.
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Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja
This Cuban stew, featuring shredded flank steak, tomatoes and olives, can be made up to two days in advance.
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Slow-Cooker Sour Cream Cheesecake
Cheesecake cooked in a slow cooker has an unbelievably silky texture because the machine steams the cake as it bakes. The toughest part about making it is resisting the urge to peek inside the slow cooker—the lid must stay closed to retain heat.
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Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork
Serve the pulled pork with coleslaw and pickles, or mound it on hamburger buns and top with coleslaw and thinly sliced onion and dill pickles.
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Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
If you love garlic, you are going to adore this flavorful recipe.
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Slow Cooker Korean Beef Stew with Napa Cabbage and Pickles
Napa cabbage and thinly-sliced sour pickles add texture and tang to this hearty stew. Searing the pieces of beef chuck before putting them in the slow cooker gives the stew a rich flavor.
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Slow Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Brisket
A few hours in the slow cooker and this beef dish will be melt-in-your-mouth delicious by the time you're ready to eat it.
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Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
This warming eastern European short rib stew is best served in deep bowls over buttery noodles.
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Slow Cooker Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
These meatballs are served in a bowl, but they are equally delicious with spaghetti or on a hoagie roll.
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Slow Cooker Coconut Pork Curry
Grace Parisi cooks pork shoulder with bold ingredients like fresh ginger, garlic, curry powder, cumin and turmeric. The flavors intensify and penetrate the meat after four hours in the slow cooker.
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Slow Cooker Ginger-Beef Noodle Soup
This gingery soup features meaty shiitake mushrooms, shredded beef chuck and chewy Japanese udon noodles.
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Slow Cooker Sunday Sauce on Spaghetti
Have an Italian palate but don't exactly have the time on Sunday like an Italian grandma? "Cheat" with this recipe and your slow cooker.
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Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks with Lemon, Dill and Feta
Lamb shanks are slow cooked to perfection with herbs and spices, giving this dish a complex flavor through a simple method.
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Slow Cooker Chickpea and Ham Hock Stew
mkgallery's Marcia Kiesel credits split pea soup, one of her favorites, as the inspiration for this hearty stew. Like split peas, chickpeas need to simmer for a long time, making them great for a slow cooker.
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Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken with Apricots, Olives and Almonds
This flavorful chicken dish is slow cooked in Moroccan spices for an authentic tasting dish.
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Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Chicken Stew
The Thai accents in this fragrant chicken stew come from creamy coconut milk, fresh ginger, salty fish sauce and lime.
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