Give your oven a well-deserved break this holiday season with these super-clever Christmas slow-cooker recipes. With your trusty Crockpot, you can really make some miracles happen in the kitchen, all the way from appetizers to the after-dinner nightcap. As far as we’re concerned, setting it and forgetting it (with our slow cookers doing all the legwork) is how we prefer to maximize all the holiday cheer.
Cooking up an impressive centerpiece for your table absolutely does not have to involve a headache, a dry roast, or a crowded oven. Far from it! The slow cooker is our foolproof way to make sure you’ll have tender brown sugar-glazed ham, pot roast, or short ribs. No babysitting required! Which means you can devote more time and attention to baking all your Christmas cookies for Santa. We just hope you save room for dessert. Yup, your slow cooker can even make cheesecake and baked apples.
Slow cookers are our go-to for maximizing our cooking space while also minimizing time spent babysitting all those Christmas side dishes. We went ahead and tested all the best slow cookers, so you can find the perfect one to do all that holiday cooking for you while you can get to snowball fighting (and slow-cooker hot cocoa drinking).
For all our best tried-and-true Christmas tips, check out our classic Christmas dinner recipes, Christmas side dishes, and all the best Christmas appetizers to go with your favorite holiday cocktails. And if you’ve got home chefs and foodies in your life, we’ve got all the best kitchen gifts for everyone on your list.
Crockpot Green Bean Casserole
Is it even the holidays without this cozy side? This recipe makes green bean casserole even simpler; instead of using an oven, it can be mixed and cooked in your slow cooker. Save all that oven space for the ham!
Crockpot Mac & Cheese
Homemade macaroni and cheese is a process. But this slow cooker mac & cheese makes cooking up the staple a breeze. Everything—including the pasta!—cooks in a slow cooker. And in the end, you have just ONE DISH to clean.
Crock Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are an important part of the holidays, but they sure do require a lot of babysitting. You’ve got to bring water to a boil, then make sure the potatoes don’t overcook in the water, drain them, then go back to the pot to put it all together. With these mashed potatoes, everything happens right in the slow cooker.
Crockpot Spaghetti Squash
News flash! You don’t have to turn on your oven to make perfectly cooked spaghetti squash. Once you’ve cooked up your squash, why not put it to good use? Our four-cheese spaghetti squash is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Slow Cooker Short Ribs
Few things feel as special—and as satisfying—as a well cooked beef short rib. This version is fall-off-the-bone tender and insanely flavorful, thanks to a quick sear before slow cooking and a Korean-inspired sauce that would make anything taste good.
Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
Grape jelly meatballs might not sound like an ideal combo, but trust us, it is! The sweet jelly mixed with smoky BBQ sauce is a match made in heaven. We added some sriracha to give it a bit of a kick.
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Fact: A holiday party is only as good as the Buffalo dip you serve. The best part? Your slow cooker will keep it warm and ready for dipping! Go all out and make a batch of homemade soft pretzels to serve with it.
Slow Cooker Mulled Wine
Wine is the ultimate way to warm up in the winter, and mulled wine is hard to beat. Sweet, spicy, and super-comforting, this recipe takes a regular ol’ bottle of red and makes it an amazing after-dinner drink.
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
The spiced garlicky herb sauce is absolutely heavenly and will make this the best pork shoulder of your life. For serving, we’d recommend some herb roasted potatoes and a bright, leafy sautéed green like Swiss chard.
Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip
If spinach-artichoke dip is one of those things you get really excited about at a party but you feel like it takes too much effort, this slow cooker version is for you. Don’t bother turning on the oven (especially when you have other appetizers to bake—cranberry brie bites, perhaps?).
These sweet glazed slow cooker carrots are seriously perfect for any occasion. Trust us, you’ll be happy to have this light and fresh side on hand.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
When it comes to comfort food, there’s nothing better than a pot of warm, fragrant pot roast and potatoes. Some people might be intimidated at the thought of cooking such a large piece of meat, but in reality, pot roast is one of the easiest things you can make—and this recipe takes that simplicity to the next level by bringing in the slow cooker.
Crockpot Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Whether you’re cooking for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or just a Saturday night family meal, you can make your main dish—that classic holiday ham—right in your slow cooker! This leaves plenty of room in your oven for all those sides.
Slow Cooker Chex Mix
This mix goes fast whenever we set it out at parties. Make it even easier to inhale this snack by prepping a batch big enough to actually stick around for a while.
Crockpot Red Wine Hot Cocoa
Let your Crockpot prepare your party drinks this holiday season with this adult version of hot chocolate!
Crockpot Turkey Breast
Who says you have to turn on your oven to make delicious turkey? After trying this easy recipe, not us. All you need to do is mix up a simple brown sugar rub, coat the meat, and let your slow cooker do the rest! That way, your oven can take on more important tasks like baking pie.