12 Slow Cooker Dinners That Will Save Your Weeknights

Transform a traditional slow-cooker pot roast into tasty little sandwiches topped with a crispy cabbage- carrot salad.

This rustic dish brims with flavor from falling-off-the-bone tender lamb shanks served over a hearty mixture of white beans and tomatoes. Round out the meal with thick slices of Italian bread.

Enjoy holiday flavors all-year-round with this stunning main dish. Fresh orange juice and whole cranberries create a sweet-tart sauce that ensures a juicy and flavorful pork loin. 

Although the drumsticks will be done after 3 1⁄2 to 4 hours in the slow cooker, we recommend placing them under the broiler just before serving to brown them and to set the glaze.

This dish includes a savory gravy to serve over the tender chicken thighs and baby potatoes.

When you don’t have a paella pan, the slow cooker is perfect for making this hearty seafood and rice dish. Buy peeled and deveined shrimp to keep prep time minimal. When you add the shrimp to the cooker, place them around the outer edge so they will cook quickly and evenly.

The slow cooker is a surprising but easy way to prepare crab legs, and this buttery, garlicky mixture is a perfect cooking liquid and serving sauce. Look for crab leg clusters in the frozen foods section of the grocery store.

Fill sweet bell peppers with a cheesy rice-and-vegetable mixture for a filling meatless meal. Instead of peeling and chopping a fresh squash, look for refrigerated prechopped butternut squash to save prep time. 

This French dish boasts succulent meats—both chuck roast and short ribs—hearty vegetables, and a rich broth. The leeks and celery become tender and slightly chewy over the long roasting time, giving the dish varied textures.

Tender, tangy, spicy, sweet—these meatballs might become your new go-to dish. They cook in the slow cooker for only about an hour and a half, so they’re a great dinner solution on days when you don’t have much time for dinner prep. Consider wearing gloves when shaping the meatballs to make cleanup a cinch.

With the glamour of a fancy entrée yet all the ease of slow-cooker prep, this is ideal to serve on a holiday or special Sunday supper. Let the lamb and sauce be the star of your meal, and serve with blanched beans or roasted carrots.

Although cooked vegetables in the fajitas contribute color and flavor, they don’t add much texture, so you might want to add a mix of shredded raw red and green cabbage for a little crunch.