Home
Recipes
Slow-Cooker Recipes to Feed a Crowd

Slow-Cooker Recipes to Feed a Crowd

November 15, 2013

1404 Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Brisket

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor

Plug in and let Old Faithful help out with feeding a crowd. These recipes are delightfully savory and yield 8 servings or more.

Start Slideshow

1 of 13

Savory Goodness

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

We unlocked the secrets to succulent meats, tender but toothsome beans, and brilliant, robust flavors. Mission accomplished: These are our best-ever slow cooker recipes.

First, our Classic Slow Cooker Beef Stew will surely delight.

A nutty dark beer adds richness and depth to the stew. Be careful not to choose a beer that's super-hoppy; it will taste too bitter. To get 2 pounds of trimmed meat, you'll probably need to purchase a 2 1/2-pound roast.

Let us take meal planning off your plate. Get this recipe and thousands more with the Cooking Light Diet.

2 of 13

Slow Cooker Turkey Mole

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey

Shred meat and return to sauce for ease of serving, or place drumsticks on a platter. Serve over rice or with corn tortillas. To prepare the dish stovetop, simmer in a Dutch oven 4 hours or until meat pulls away from the bones.

3 of 13

Slow Cooker Sausage and Squash Lasagna

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

We were surprised and delighted by how well lasagna cooks up in the slow cooker. Be sure to use traditional noodles, and place them in the cooker uncooked. We tried the recipe with specially formulated no-bake noodles, and they didn't work as well.

4 of 13

Creamy White Bean Soup with Smoked Ham Hocks

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Creamy White Bean Soup with Smoked Ham Hocks

Creamy, starchy, and filling, this hearty, rustic soup is the epitome of comfort. And convenient: Beans go in dry—no need to soak.

5 of 13

Slow Cooker Chicken Verde

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

It's not hard to make your own salsa verde, with fresher flavor and much less sodium than jarred versions: Simply blacken tomatillos, chiles, and onions; then blend.

6 of 13

Tangy Italian Beef Sandwiches

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Tangy Italian Beef Sandwiches

Here's an example where the slow cooker excels: The beef slowly braises until it practically falls to shreds. We like the mixture on sandwiches, but it's also delicious over a baked potato and topped with sour cream.

7 of 13

Slow-Cooked Ragù

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

This meaty sauce is great ladled over any kind of pasta, and leftovers freeze well.

8 of 13

Hearty Oats and Grains

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Hearty Oats and Grains

When you have a house full of guests who'd enjoy a wholesome, hearty breakfast at their own pace, the slow cooker can come to your rescue. Get it going first thing, and let folks serve themselves when they're ready to eat.

9 of 13

Sweet and Tangy Short Ribs

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Sweet and Tangy Short Ribs

This saucy dish is worthy of a dinner party; just serve with a side of brown rice or rice noodles. Cola is the secret ingredient, yielding a luscious sauce with great body.

10 of 13

Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

Hearty canned chickpeas hold up beautifully in the slow cooker, where they're combined with fragrant spices and just a little stock. Since the chicken cooks on top of the chickpea mixture and is not submerged in liquid, it can cook longer without suffering texturally.

11 of 13

Easy Beef Osso Buco

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

View Recipe: Easy Beef Osso Buco

With just 30 minutes of preparation in the morning, this warm stew cooks in 8 hours while you are at work or running errands throughout the day and is ready to eat when you get home.

12 of 13

Spicy Chicken Cacciatore

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor

Serve this saucy dish over polenta or pasta. Transform leftovers into soup: Shred the chicken, and place in a pot with sauce. Add unsalted chicken stock, diced zucchini, and diced carrots; simmer until veggies are tender.

13 of 13

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Brisket

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor

This brisket is a slow-cooked combination of vegetables, spices, and divine flat-cut brisket roast that is sure to please the whole family on a chilly night.

Replay gallery

Account

Slow-Cooker Recipes to Feed a Crowd

1 of 13

Savory Goodness

1 of 13

2 of 13

Slow Cooker Turkey Mole

2 of 13

3 of 13

Slow Cooker Sausage and Squash Lasagna

3 of 13

4 of 13

Creamy White Bean Soup with Smoked Ham Hocks

4 of 13

5 of 13

Slow Cooker Chicken Verde

5 of 13

6 of 13

Tangy Italian Beef Sandwiches

6 of 13

7 of 13

Slow-Cooked Ragù

7 of 13

8 of 13

Hearty Oats and Grains

8 of 13

9 of 13

Sweet and Tangy Short Ribs

9 of 13

10 of 13

Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

10 of 13

11 of 13

Easy Beef Osso Buco

11 of 13

12 of 13

Spicy Chicken Cacciatore

12 of 13

13 of 13

Sweet and Tangy Slow Cooker Brisket

13 of 13

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Everything in This Slideshow