I have a confession to make. I thought slow cooker meals were for people who had their lives completely together, like moms who prepare meals for the entire week on Sundays and even have those chalkboard menus in their kitchens. Clearly, that isn’t me. I’m the mom who at 4pm realizes I don’t even have a plan, there’s a 15-year-old that needs food the moment he gets home, and I have an 18-year-old who eats like a college football player (he’s not on a team, he just eats like one). To survive the school year, I rely on these easy crockpot meals.

The crockpot won’t judge you like your friends will. You can just toss stuff in and before you pick the kids up from school then by dinner time your house will smell like you actually made an effort. My husband walks into the kitchen at around 5 and says “what did you make?” like I have been busting my behind in there. I haven’t. I’ve been at my desk. Gigi’s been napping. This is the dream.

Here are 29 real family favorites for crockpot dinners, ranging from beef and chicken to soups and even some sides that can be prepared in the crockpot at the same time. These are tried-and-true recipes that my kids will eat without complaints (and if you have teenagers, you know that’s the highest compliment).

Slow Cooker Beef Dinners

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

To be able to call myself an adult I made my first pot roast. It was the easiest recipe to follow. I just had to buy a chuck roast, potatoes, carrots, and some beef broth. Once I threw everything in the pot I was ready to wait eight hours. That’s all it took to have meat so tender that it would fall apart at the mere glance of a fork. The veggies would absorb the meat’s flavor. My husband asks for this to be made almost every fall.

Taking peeks while it’s cooking is the hardest part. But you gotta trust the process. Get the recipe for Slow Cooker Pot Roast.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Beef strips wrapped in creamy mushroom sauce and served on egg noodles. The comfort food seems very complicated, but in reality the crockpot does all the work (except for the noodles). My kids have been eating this since they were really young and we have never had anyone say no to it. Get the recipe for Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff.

Simple Crock Pot Beef and Noodles Recipe

This brings real comfort food to my mind. Just beef, egg noodles, broth, and no frills. And in the deepest, best way, it brings satisfaction like a bowl of soft noodles and tender beef bring on a Tuesday night in Iowa.

My kids have always called this “noodle soup” even though it isn’t really soup and I haven’t bothered to correct them for years. Get the recipe for Crock Pot Beef and Noodles.

Crockpot Lasagna

Lasagna can be made in a crockpot and you don’t need to boil the noodles before you put them in the crockpot. This recipe changed my life a little. My family loves this recipe and goes after it immediately. There are layers of meat, sauce, ricotta, noodles, and mozzarella that are put together and cooked in the crockpot. I was surprised when I saw that the lasagna held up really well when I scooped it.

Pair it with garlic bread and a salad you made in three minutes. Get the recipe for crockpot lasagna.

Crockpot Baked Spaghetti

All the tastes of baked spaghetti – meaty red sauce, cheese bubbling on top, noodles that have absorbed all the sauce – without having to turn on the oven! This is one of the most simple crockpot dinners on the list and it makes a lot of food without having to put much thought into it. Get the recipe for Crockpot Baked Spaghetti.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I love making pork shoulder. I rub it in seasoning and cook it low and slow to the point that it literally falls off the bone. I then shred it and mix it with BBQ sauce. From there we get to decide what to do with it. It can be piled on buns, eaten over rice, and even stuffed into quesadillas the next day. The options are endless. This is a regular dish for us during the summer.

Reheating leftovers is a breeze… assuming you have any! Grab the recipe for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork.

Philly Cheese Steak Crock Pot Recipe

Cooked until tender, thin-sliced beef, onions, and peppers are put in a slow cooker and then combined with provolone cheese and melted on a hoagie roll. I have seen my 18-year-old eat three hoagies in a single sitting, and I’m not kidding when I say that. The heavy lifting is done by the slow cooker while your job is just to put the finished product together. Make sure you get the Philly Cheese Steak Crock Pot recipe.

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

This dish is worth it for the au jus alone. Juicy roast beef, crusty rolls, and a little cup of beefy broth for dipping. Tasty enough to feel fancy for company but is actually super easy to make. Just cook the beef all day, slice it up, or shred it, and you’re done.

My husband thinks I put in so much effort. I really didn’t. Enjoy the recipe for the French Dip Sandwiches in the crockpot.

Crock Pot Maid Rites (Iowa Loose Meat Sandwiches)

The type of food that makes most sense in Iowa is called a Maid Rite. What is a Maid Rite, you ask? A loose meat sandwich. Think, seasoned ground beef, placed on a soft bun along with some mustard and pickles. If you want to make Maid Rites for a large group, the best way to do it to make your life a lot easier is to make the ground beef in a crockpot. This way, you do not have to stand over the stove for a long time. It is a classic comfort food for state of Iowa. Get the Crock Pot Maid Rites recipe.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas: Crock Pot Dinner

Prepare for these Shredded Beef Enchiladas by slow cooking a beef roast. Once cooked, shred the beef and mix it with cheese and enchilada sauce, then roll the mixture into tortillas and place them in a baking dish. After doing this, bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes. The beef will be super tender and delicious from spending hours in the slow cooker, and this recipe is far better than one made with ground beef. To get the full enchilada recipe, just click on the highlighted text.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce

This enchilada night is on another level! Not only do we have slow-cooked pulled pork to roll into tortillas and give a generous smothering to, but we have an incredible Poblano Cream Sauce recipe. It’s got just the right amount of heat, and a richness that will elevate your experience to “dinner at a fancy restaurant” complexion.

Ideal for impressing guests while circumventing doing the work yourself using a crockpot. Get the Pulled Pork Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce recipe.

Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Make a simple pork roast that cooks for several hours in the slow cooker. Once ready, it will be so tender that you can cut it with a fork! For seasoning, all you need is some garlic, rosemary, and salt. The best part is that the slow cooker will create natural juices that you can use as a sauce on your other sides, and of course, for the pork. Get the Slow Cooker Pork Roast recipe.

Slow Cooker Chicken Dinners

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos

It’s that easy. All you do is combine salsa, taco seasoning, and chicken breasts, and let it cook on low for a few hours. Once it’s done, the chicken can be shredded using two forks. After that, you just have to pile the chicken into the tortillas. Your people can add whatever other toppings they like, but in this house that’s always cheese and sour cream. This one is done by my 15 year old on the days I have calls back to back.

It’s also good on rice bowls if the tortilla people are outvoted. Get the Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos recipe.

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken Recipe

When it comes to sweet and savory chicken, it’s all about the sauce! A delicious combination of sweet pineapple, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Plus, chicken that cooks until it’s fall-apart tender. You won’t be able to stop eating the sauce! Serve it over white rice and it will feel like a nice little break from a regular Tuesday!

The pineapple pieces become soft and caramelized and my kids fight over them. You have to get the recipe for the Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken.

Crockpot Chicken Sandwiches (Crack Chicken)

Shredded chicken mixed with cream cheese, ranch seasoning, and bacon, and then topped on buns. The name ‘crack’ is spot on, as people go back for seconds and even thirds, and look a bit guilty about it. This is a crowd favorite and it features ingredients I usually have in my pantry. Get the recipe for Crockpot Chicken Sandwiches.

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Pasta

All your favorite ingredients in crack chicken — cream cheese, ranch, bacon — are combined with pasta for a creamy, one-pot meal. This is the type of dinner that my kids walk into the kitchen and ask “oh, what’s that?” in a good way, not in the try-and-sneak-something-new way.

Prepare the pasta in a different pot and stir it in at the end. It merits using every single pot. Get the recipe for Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Pasta.

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

Chicken breasts are cooked with seasoning, onions, and peppers. Then, you shred the chicken and serve it with warm tortillas, cheese, and toppings your family fights over. The chicken absorbs the flavor, and the peppers become sweet. Simple preparation, rich taste, easy cleanup — Get the recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas.

Buffalo Chicken Crock Pot Sandwiches

If your house enjoys warmth even a tiny bit, these will be a regular. Chicken cooked in buffalo sauce until it’s so tender it falls apart and then gets shredded and piled onto buns with a drizzle of blue cheese or ranch. My oldest one puts it on everything — sandwiches, nachos, rice bowls. Once it’s cooked, it’s super versatile.

Buffalo Chicken Crock Pot Sandwiches recipe. Adjust the hot sauce to your liking. We go medium.

Crescent Roll Crack Chicken Recipe

Crescent rolls are filled with crack chicken filling and baked until golden brown. This is one of those recipes that seems like a snack, but is definitely a complete dinner. The creamy ranch chicken filling and buttery flaky crescents pair so well that these disappear from the pan faster than anything else I make. Get the recipe for Crack Chicken Crescent Rolls.

Crack Chicken Instant Pot Recipe

You can enjoy the same Crack Chicken flavors of cream cheese, ranch, and bacon, just prepared in the Instant Pot so you don’t have to wait all day! It’s ready in less than 30 minutes total, fully shredded, and can be used for sandwiches, wraps, or even eaten straight from the pot if you’re really feeling it. No judgement here. Get the recipe for Crack Chicken in the Instant Pot.

Huli Huli Pressure Cooker Chicken

Huli Huli is a type of Hawaiian chicken dish made with sweet, tangy, and ginger-infused pineapple glaze. Ingredients for this dish translate well into a pressure cooker. The sauce contains a variety of complex flavors and the chicken shreds easily which is best paired with rice. The whole family will enjoy this—and its a good chance you will be asked to make this meal again. Get the Huli Huli Pressure Cooker Chicken recipe.

White Chicken Chili

White chicken chili might sound fancy, but it is really just chicken, white beans, green chiles, and broth that is cooked together until thick and creamy. Add some sour cream and shredded pepper jack and it will become the meal your family will request an every chilly fall day!

Get the White Chicken Chili recipe now. Want to be a hero? Serve it with cornbread.

Slow Cooker Soups and Chilis

Crockpot Enchilada Soup

This is the soup I make when someone in the house is getting sick, when it’s gray and rainy for the fourth day in a row, and I just need something that feels like a hug. Chicken, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and broth cooked together until it’s thick and hearty and finished off with tortilla strips, shredded cheese, and sour cream. Done.

Not only does it reheat easily the next day, it somehhow tastes even better. Check out the recipe for the Crockpot Enchilada Soup.

Crockpot Beef Barley Soup

Stick-to-your-ribs soup with beef, barley, carrots, and celery in a rich broth. This is the kind of thing you want to simmer on a cold Iowa day when everyone is inside doing homework. As the barley cooks and thickens the soup, each bowl feels like an actual meal and not just broth. Get the Crockpot Beef Barley Soup recipe.

White Bean Turkey Chili

Turkey, white beans, green chiles, and spices come together for a leaner take on traditional beef chili, while still being so hearty no one is eating a second dinner to fill up. This is a great one to rotate in when you want something with more protein, but a little less weight. My family was super skeptical the first time I made it, and now they request it!

Try the White Bean Turkey Chili recipe! It’s fantastic, especially when you squeeze some lime on it and crush a few tortilla chips on top.

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup Dinner Recipe

I have been making this soup for years, way before my kids turned ten. The ingredients include chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken, cumin and chili powder. It is a must to have crispy tortilla strips for toppings. Shredded cheese is a must as well. Sour cream is optional, but I highly recommend it. You can find the Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup recipe online.

Slow Cooker Sides

Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes

Frozen diced potatoes, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and a shocking amount of shredded cheddar cheese? This is the potluck side dish that will vanish before everything else on the table. Pair with any of the above beef recipes, and you will make everyone happy.

My husband thinks of this as its own food group. Check out the recipe for Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes.

How to Make Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

Yes, you can use a crockpot to make perfect backed potatoes. Just wrap in foil, place in slow cooker, and then hours later you will have fluffy backed potatoes with a bit of crisp to the skin. No need to worry about babysitting the oven or timing. Just choose a protein from the list, and complete the meal. You can get the recipe for the crockpot backed potatoes here.

Crockpot Ravioli Casserole

Place the frozen ravioli, jarred marinara sauce, ground beef, and mozzarella cheese in the crockpot and layer them. Cook until the ravioli is soft and everything is hot and cheesy. You spend about 10 minutes of work and it tastes like real Italian food! My kids request this dish, so that says a lot.

Make sure to get the Crockpot Ravioli Casserole recipe. It’s a must to have garlic bread with this.

These 29 easy crockpot meals have saved dinner at my house more times than I can count. You should bookmark this page or pin the meals that look good to you. Remember that throwing a bunch of stuff into the crockpot at 9am is a good strategy for dinner. Your future self at 5pm will thank you.