6 weeknight slow cooker meals;
With the little baby we added to our family last year, we always need an easy weeknight meal. So I turn to weeknight slow cooker meals for easy, delicious, ready-to-eat meals. Here are six of my favorite set-and-forget meals that will have your house smell delicious when you walk in the door!
table of contents;
1. fall off the bone ribs;
All you need are five ingredients! And two of them are salt and pepper. These set-and-forget fall off the bone baby back ribs are so, so easy. Just season and rub your baby back ribs with brown sugar and your favorite barbecue sauce and then pop them in the slow cooker. I think the hardest part of this recipe is curling the rack of ribs to fit inside the slow cooker.
Pair these baby back ribs with a veggie like corn on the cob or roasted parmesan zucchini for a well rounded meal perfect for any weeknight. Keep this recipe in mind when you’re grabbing ingredients for other weeknight meals. It has so few ingredients, it’s super easy to throw some BBQ sauce and ribs in your grocery cart (assuming you have brown sugar at home).
2. thai peanut chicken;
This Thai-inspired recipe is one of my favorites on this list of weeknight slow cooker meals. It’s so, so tasty and it makes a big batch that you can enjoy for multiple days. Plus you can serve it over noodles or rice, which keeps it feeling fresh even if you eat it for multiple days. As someone who likes to change up meals, even something as simple as swapping the base carb makes me want to keep going back for more.
3. beef bourguignon;
This recipe over at The Recipe Critic is one of my go-to’s for cold winter nights. Rich and hearty beef stew is always a winner when it comes to winter comfort foods. It’s crazy how this beef simply melts in your mouth. That’s the power of low and slow cooking.
Plus this is another number on the list weeknight slow cooker meals that contains all the food groups you need for a balanced meal. Tender beef, earthy carrots and mushrooms, and starchy baby potatoes. Personally I’m not a huge fan of thyme though, so I tend to swap in oregano or extra parsley.
slow cooker beef bourguignon;
This beef simply melts in your mouth, and cooks alongside hearty veggies in a rich sauce. Perfect for cold months!
GET THE RECIPE4. pesto chicken salad;
When it comes to slow cooker meals, I immediately go to dinner recipes. But that’s injustice! Don’t forget about lunch.
Another family favorite, this slow cooker pesto chicken salad was inspired by a little sandwich shop in New Jersey (that unfortunately no longer exists). But luckily, I recreated this amazing chicken salad that makes the best chicken pesto sandwiches.
5. slow cooker lo mein;
Craving chinese takeout? Make your own lo mein in the slow cooker. Fresher, healthier, and chock full of ingredients tailored specific to you. I love stuffing this slow cooker lo mein full of veggies like baby corn, snow peas, carrots, and waterchestnuts. When you add in the umami-bomb, slightly spicy pulled pork, you get a full rounded meal without any of the guilt. Definitely put this lo mein on your weeknight slow cooker recipes rotation, you won’t regret it!
6. cheesy chicken and dumplin’s;
My family loves coming home to this comfort recipe. Cheesy chicken and dumplings doubles down on the chicken, taking tender shredded chicken and smothering it in a creamy chicken sauce. Honestly, you could make this a double chicken stew right here.
But no, of course we need to take it one step further. Top with parmesan-crusted “dumplin’s” and add some extra shredded cheese to take this delicious weeknight meal over the top.
So which of these decadant, easy weeknight slow cooker meals are you making tonight? A lot of times I’ll throw the ingredients in the basin of the slow cooker the night before, and then all you need to do it pop it out of the fridge into your base and hit the “on” button.
Then go off and do your thing and come home to a delicious meal. Most of these weeknight slow cooker meals will leave your house smelling fantastic too!
