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Cheap And Easy Family Dinners

This list of Cheap and Easy Family Dinners has weeks’ worth of fun, fresh family meals that serve at least four people and without a lot of work!

The post Cheap And Easy Family Dinners appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Feeding a family on a tight budget is NO JOKE! We created this Cheap and Easy Family Dinners roundup to help keep dinnertime fresh and alleviate that recipe rut. Every delicious recipe in this round up comes together fast, requires minimal hands-on prep time, and makes at least four big servings for about what you’d spend for one serving at a restaurant. WIN!

SHEET PAN DINNERS

One of the quickest, easiest ways to get dinner on the table quickly is to throw everything on a sheet pan and bake it up. Plus, there’s only one pan to clean up, which is perfect for busy weeknights! Feed the whole family with these five cheap and easy sheet pan meals:

1. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Sheet pan full of chicken fajitas with rice and tortillas on the side

These easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas are a simple hands-off way to get that smoky-sweet flavor of traditional griddle fajitas.

4.95 from 260 votes

$13.90 recipe / $3.48 serving Get the Recipe

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas is a Budget Bytes staple! Why? Because it achieves the same smoky flavor of traditional fajitas without a smokin’ hot skillet. We bet this easy, delicious dinner will also earn a spot in your dinner rotation!

2. Sheet Pan Kielbasa, Potatoes, and Green Beans

Sheet Pan Kielbasa Potatoes and Green Beans

Sheet pan roasted kielbasa potatoes and green beans with a spatula

Sheet pan meals don't get any easier or more delicious than this Sheet Pan Kielbasa Potatoes and Green Beans dinner.

4.87 from 45 votes

$9.47 recipe / $2.37 serving Get the Recipe

Sheet Pan Kielbasa, Potatoes, and Green Beans is an excellent, hearty meal for a busy weeknight. This easy dinner recipe brings together smoked kielbasa and frozen veggies, so it comes together quickly with minimal prep.

3. Sheet Pan BBQ Meatballs

Sheet Pan BBQ Meatballs

Overhead view of sheet pan with bbq meatballs, pineapple, peppers, and onions, tongs on the side

These Sheet Pan BBQ Meatballs are easy, colorful, and delicious. Plus the leftovers hold up great, so they're meal prep friendly!

4.80 from 30 votes

$7.84 recipe / $1.96 serving Get the Recipe

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you will love the sticky-sweet caramelized pineapple rings prepared alongside our Sheet Pan BBQ Meatballs! You can serve up serious summer-BBQ vibes with this drool-worthy dinner all year long (without sweating over a hot grill)!

4. Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner

Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner

Make an entire dinner for two at one time with this fast and easy Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner. Perfect for meal prep!

4.94 from 63 votes

$6.27 recipe / $3.14 serving Get the Recipe

Do you love a classic meatloaf? If so, this Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner is for you! It’s a simple twist on the traditional version but gets dinner – complete with two sides – on the table in less than an hour.

5. Sheet Pan Pizza

Sheet Pan Pizza

Sheet Pan Pizza is a low-effort recipe guaranteed to make any occasion special and satisfy cravings for take-out pizza at half the cost.

5 from 5 votes

$9.89 RECIPE / $1.41 SERVING Get the Recipe

For an unforgettable family meal, you’ve got to try out this Sheet Pan Pizza! This easy recipe produces restaurant-quality pizza at half the cost.

ONE POT DINNERS

You can’t go wrong with a one-pot dinner. One pot pasta and rice dishes typically make about four servings each, create a well-rounded meal, and require minimal prep and cleanup! Whether it’s Meatless Monday or you need a meal to match your family’s favorite protein, these five cheap and easy one pot dinners will have you covered:

6. One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta

One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta

Close up of cheeseburger pasta skillet being scooped out with a spoon

Cheeseburger Pasta is a fast and easy homemade version of hamburger helper that cooks all in one pot for easy cleanup!

4.79 from 71 votes

$5.03 recipe / $1.26 serving Get the Recipe

Ditch the box of Hamburger Helper and try this homemade version instead! Check out the full recipe for One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta to learn how we achieve the signature taste of the original with a special, budget-friendly ingredient you already have on-hand.

7. Cheesy Sausage Pasta

Cheesy Sausage Pasta

Cheesy Sausage Pasta is a quick and easy meal for quick weeknight dinners. Everything cooks in one pot for fast prep and minimum clean-up!

4.76 from 91 votes

$7.07 recipe / $1.77 serving Get the Recipe

This cheap, easy Cheesy Sausage Pasta has everything you’d ever want in a dinner recipe: a hearty serving of veggies, a hint of spice from the sausage, quick-cooking egg noodles, and ooey-gooey melted cheese on top! Plus, it all comes together in the same skillet and will hit the dinner table in less than 30 minutes!

8. Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet

Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet

Close up of chicken and rice being scooped out of the skillet with a wooden spoon.

This easy one pot Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet makes a comforting weeknight dinner during those long, dark winter months! Makes great leftovers, too!

4.95 from 36 votes

$7.12 recipe / $1.78 serving Get the Recipe

This Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet is the ultimate, budget-friendly comfort food. Since rice is so filling, it helps stretch expensive proteins and frozen vegetables in a way that still satisfies the whole family. You’ll love this cheesy, decadent, and easy one-pot dinner!

9. One Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Rice

One Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Rice

overhead view of lemon garlic shrimp and rice in a skillet

You only need one pot and 8 ingredients to make this easy and flavorful Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Rice. Fast, easy, and delicious!

4.74 from 41 votes

$7.53 recipe / $1.88 serving Get the Recipe

Buying budget-friendly seafood options like frozen shrimp whenever they’re on sale help mix up your dinner rotation without breaking the bank. Try this fresh, filling, and easy One Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Rice.

10. One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta

One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Close up of pasta being twirled around the tongs in the skillet

This creamy mushroom pasta is a rich, umami-filled delight that cooks quickly and easily in one pot. The perfect dinner for busy nights.

4.86 from 35 votes

$3.74 recipe / $0.94 serving Get the Recipe

This One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta is a perfectly uncomplicated recipe for a meat-free, busy weeknight dinner. If you’re craving something more complex, you can “beef” it up (literally) or add a few handfuls of leafy greens or top it with grilled chicken.

EASY SOUP AND STEW RECIPES

Some meals are not tied to a season when you are eating on a budget. Soups and stews are so easy to have on hand and can feed everyone no matter the temperature outside. These five cheap and easy soups and stews will be the center of your meal:

11. Chicken Noodle Soup

The Best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Close up overhead view of a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is made 100% from scratch, with plenty of chunky vegetables, herbs, and a homemade broth, just like Grandma used to make!

4.91 from 157 votes

$9.10 recipe / $1.14 serving Get the Recipe

When I need a hug in a bowl, I turn to Chicken Noodle Soup. This classic recipe cooks everything in one pot for ultimate simplicity.

12. Chicken Stew

Chicken Stew

This chicken stew is a rich and hearty mix of tender chicken thighs, vegetables, and a light but flavorful herb-infused gravy.

4.92 from 109 votes

$12.22 recipe / $2.04 serving Get the Recipe

This Chicken Stew is the perfect dinner for Chicken Noodle Soup lovers looking for a heavier version of the classic, cozy meal. Adding potatoes gives the broth extra thickness and creaminess, which upgrades it from a light soup to a hearty, filling stew.

13. The Best Homemade Chili

The Best Homemade Chili Recipe

This is the BEST homemade chili recipe. It's super easy and delicious, plus there are plenty of ways to customize it and make it your own.

4.89 from 136 votes

$9.28 recipe / $1.55 serving Get the Recipe

When it comes to quick, easy, and budget-friendly dinners, nothing quite compares to a big pot of chili. This really is the Best Homemade Chili on the block, and the leftovers are even better!

14. Taco Soup

Taco Soup

Taco soup is an easy and hearty soup with all the flavor of your favorite tacos in a warm and delicious bowl of soup.

5 from 2 votes

$11.84 recipe / $1.97 serving Get the Recipe

Homemade taco seasoning and ranch seasonings make this Taco Soup extra flavorful, but you can use store bought seasoning packets to make it even faster!

15. Easy Vegetable Beef Soup

Vegetable Beef Soup

This super easy vegetable beef soup is a filling and flavorful option for lunch, dinner, or your weekly meal prep!

4.74 from 15 votes

$11.13 recipe / $1.86 serving Get the Recipe

If you’re trying to feed many hungry mouths and make the most of your food budget, you really can’t go wrong with this Easy Vegetable Beef Soup. This big-batch soup will effortlessly feed a family of 6, makes excellent leftovers, and is a great choice for batching and freezing.

16. Creamy Tortellini Soup

Creamy Tortellini Soup

This Creamy Tortellini Soup features a rich tomato broth, hearty cheese tortellini, a medley of vegetables and tons of comfort in one bowl!

4.40 from 28 votes

$10.69 recipe / $1.34 serving Get the Recipe

Combining store-bought swaps (like frozen tortellini and dumplings) with fresh ingredients is a great way to create simple, semi-homemade meals like this Creamy Tortellini Soup! We love this cozy vegetarian soup and its rich tomatoey broth!

EASY CASSEROLE RECIPES

Casserole recipes make the best family dinners! They are easy to make and are a great way to pack tons of flavor and ingredients into every bite! If you’re looking for big meals to feed your family, you will love these four easy casserole recipes:

17. Chicken Alfredo Bake

Chicken Alfredo Bake

Transform stovetop chicken alfredo into a super-cheesy, decadent casserole with this Chicken Alfredo Bake recipe! It’s super easy to make (or make ahead!), and so delicious there won’t be any leftovers!

4.20 from 10 votes

$12.80 RECIPE / $2.13 SERVING Get the Recipe

This Chicken Alfredo Bake is the dictionary definition of the ULTIMATE creamy, cheesy, rich pasta bake. It is guaranteed to become a family favorite! Once you whip up our easy, Homemade Alfredo Sauce, you only need a couple of (cooked) chicken breasts, a bag of frozen veggies, half a box of pasta, and BOOM… dinner is ready!

18. Classic Baked Ziti

Classic Baked Ziti

Close up of a wooden spoon in the casserole dish full of baked ziti

Like a freeform lasagna, this Baked Ziti has layers of pasta, homemade red sauce with Italian sausage, and three types of melty cheese!

4.88 from 41 votes

$12.16 recipe / $1.52 serving Get the Recipe

Our recipe for Classic Baked Ziti is another super easy pasta bake guaranteed to satisfy your whole family! Make it a complete meal with a Simple Side Salad and Homemade Freezer Garlic Bread.

19. Chicken And Biscuit Casserole

Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

This Chicken and Biscuit Casserole is cozy, comforting, super versatile, and delicious enough to become a family favorite dinner.

4.75 from 12 votes

$8.75 RECIPE / $1.46 SERVING Get the Recipe

This super-simple, super-versatile Chicken And Biscuit Casserole makes a delicious family dinner using whatever you’ve got in the fridge or freezer. You won’t regret doubling, or even tripling, the Cheddar drop biscuit topping. (Especially if you plan to bake this casserole in a dish with more surface area to cover than the 8×8” dish we used!)

20. Chili Cornbread Skillet

Chili Cornbread Skillet

This hearty and comforting Chili Cornbread Skillet is an easy, one-pot meal that is sure to make the whole family happy. Freezer friendly!

4.69 from 64 votes

$7.49 recipe / $1.25 serving Get the Recipe

If you love the classic combo of Vegetarian Chili and Homemade Cornbread, you’ve got to try our Chili Cornbread Skillet! This fun, vegetarian dish is the perfect mashup of the two Southwestern staples in a way that’s reminiscent of a Vegetable Pot Pie.

VEGETARIAN FAMILY DINNERS

Replacing expensive meat with cheaper protein sources (like beans, lentils, and chickpeas) is a great way to cut your grocery bill in half. Whether your family always eats vegetarian, or you’re looking to mix things up with some vegetarian meals, we have tons of easy and filling meatless dinners on our website! Add variety to your family’s dinner rotation with these six Cheap and Easy Vegetarian Family Dinners:

21. Sheet Pan Portobello Fajitas

Sheet Pan Portobello Fajitas

Sheet Pan Portobello Fajitas are an easy and flavorful vegetarian dinner idea that all cooks on one pan for easy cleanup!

4.78 from 27 votes

$10.81 recipe / $2.70 serving Get the Recipe

For a vegetarian spin on the classic Mexican restaurant dish, give our Sheet Pan Portobello Fajitas a try! We swap out the chicken in our classic Sheet-Pan Fajita recipe, opting for slightly spicy, super-smoky portobello mushroom caps instead. We promise you won’t miss a thing!

22. One Pot Veggie Pasta

One Pot Veggie Pasta

This one pot veggie pasta is an easy, satisfying, and quick dinner. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand and make it your own!

4.93 from 14 votes

$7.99 recipe / $2.00 Get the Recipe

If you’ve got a ton of fresh vegetables on hand, and looking for an easy, cheesy, and cheap dinner, look no further than this One Pot Veggie Pasta! The combination of tomatoes, zucchini, and squash gives the dish ratatouille vibes, but we also add mushrooms to balance out the flavors and make this a hearty one-pot meal!

23. Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

This Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili makes a huge batch, is packed with flavor and nutrients, and can be made for only about 5 dollars!

4.90 from 86 votes

$4.64 recipe / $0.77 serving Get the Recipe

Slow cookers are a great asset when it comes to preparing long-simmered soups and stews without tending to them for hours and hours. We added some lentils to this vegan chili recipe which helps make this Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili thicker and heartier and packs some extra protein!

24. Spicy Coconut Vegetable Stir Fry

Spicy Coconut Vegetable Stir Fry

This rich and spicy coconut vegetable stir fry is adaptable to whatever vegetables are lingering in your fridge, making it a great sweep the kitchen recipe!

4.80 from 62 votes

$5.93 recipe / $1.48 serving Get the Recipe

For a dairy-free and vegetable-forward easy dinner, check out this Spicy Coconut Vegetable Stir Fry! This summery, tropical dish is also super-versatile, perfect for cleaning out the crisper, and pairs well with all types of protein, rice, legumes, or whatever you have in the pantry!

25. Spanish Chickpeas and Rice

Spanish Chickpeas and Rice

This one pot Spanish Chickpeas and rice has big flavor thanks to liberal dose of spices, artichoke hearts, and fresh lemon.

4.81 from 129 votes

$7.39 recipe / $1.84 serving Get the Recipe

Chickpeas (or Garbanzo Beans) are another great way to make a quick, filling, and cheap dinner without meat! Paella inspires this recipe for Spanish Chickpeas and Rice, but you won’t need any of the expensive seafood or saffron!

The post Cheap And Easy Family Dinners appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Best Slow Cooker Recipes

Want to maximize your time AND money? Slow cookers to the rescue. These slow cooker recipes will keep your fridge stocked with little effort.

The post Best Slow Cooker Recipes appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Want to maximize your time AND money? Slow cookers and Crockpots are your friends. They will help you make big batches of soups, stews, and meats to stash in your freezer or eat all week. These slow cooker recipes will keep your fridge stocked with little effort. Get chopping and put those ingredients in your slow cooker and walk away! It is that simple.

Collage of six recipe photos highlighting best slow cooker recipes

easy slow cooker recipes

Using a slow cooker is a great place to start for beginners. These recipes are easy but not short on flavor. Let the slow cooker do all the work so you can take all the credit!

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Pasta sauce in a slow cooker garnished with parsley

Let the slow cooker do all the work for you when you make this big batch of freezer-friendly homemade spaghetti sauce.

4.87 from 45 votes

$4.40 recipe / $0.63 per cup Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce – What more could you ask for than throwing some ingredients in the slow cooker, forgetting about it for 8 hours, and returning to a rich, delicious homemade sauce? This marinara sauce can be divided into portions, frozen, and you’ll have delicious homemade pasta sauce on hand for quick busy weeknight dinners.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Three pulled pork sandwiches with pickles on a wooden cutting board.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is an easy way to cook the most tender and juicy pork ever. It's great on tacos, sandwiches, burritos and more.

4.80 from 5 votes

$9.48 recipe / $1.19 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – Something magical happens when you cook pork slowly. It turns into the most mouth-watering tender and juicy meat you’ve ever had. And meat this tender is good with everything, so if you make this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork on Sunday, you’ll have meat to last you all week.

Slow Cooker Cabbage and Sausage

Close up overhead view of cabbage and sausage in the slow cooker

Slow cooker cabbage and sausage is an easy, hands-free way to make a delicious, filling, and cozy meal. Perfect for meal prep!

4.32 from 16 votes

$7.80 recipe / $1.30 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Cabbage and Sausage – Cabbage and sausage cooked together in a slow cooker turns out tender and brothy (almost like a cabbage and sausage soup) and is delicious.

Slow Cooker Sesame Beef

This tender, rich, and flavorful Slow Cooker Sesame Beef is extremely versatile and only requires a few ingredients that can be found at most grocery stores.

4.70 from 39 votes

$10.27 recipe / $1.71 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Sesame Beef – This Slow Cooker Sesame Beef uses only a few ingredients. This beef is ultra flavorful, so use it sparingly and combine it with other less expensive filling ingredients for delicious, budget-friendly meals.

Slow Cooker Hot Buttered Apples

Slow Cooker Hot Buttered Apples are an easy and versatile dessert that is perfect for using up your glut of autumn apples!

4.90 from 19 votes

$5.10 recipe / $0.85 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Hot Buttered Apples – These slow-cooked apples are a lot like the filling for an apple pie and are very versatile. Serve them a la mode, spoon them over your pancakes, waffles, or oats, use them as a filling for a dessert “quesadilla,” or even serve them alongside pork chops.

SLOW COOKER BEEF RECIPES

Forget about that chewy and dry pot roast from your childhood. These slow-cooked beef recipes will get your tastebuds dancing! Plus, these big-batch recipes allow you to cook once and eat great all week.

Giant Slow Cooker Meatballs

A plate with spaghetti, marinara, and a giant slow cooker meatball.

As easy as 1-2-3, these Giant Slow Cooker Meatballs are a fun, easy, and effortless answer to weeknight dinner.

4.92 from 12 votes

$8.00 recipe / $2.00 serving Get the Recipe

Giant Slow Cooker Meatballs – These meatballs are a fun way to change up a simple spaghetti dinner. They simmer away in marinara, the flavors blending into each other, creating a luxe-rich sauce for the spaghetti.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Close up overhead view of beef stew in a bowl.

Use your slow cooker to make this incredible Beef Stew full of aromatic rosemary and garlic, fork-tender beef, and colorful vegetables.

4.84 from 164 votes

$14.08 recipe / $1.41 per cup Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Beef Stew – This slow cooker beef stew is indulgent in all the best ways. Browning the meat before it goes into the slow cooker caramelizes the proteins and adds depth to the flavor you can’t get just by letting it boil away in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Meatball Subs

Side view of a meatball sub on a plate with the baking dish in the background.

These Slow Cooker Meatball Subs are extra tender and flavorful thanks to a low and slow simmer in marinara sauce.

5 from 6 votes

$19.43 recipe / $2.43 each Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Meatball Subs – These slow cooker meatball subs are incredibly tender, flavorful, and just all-around decadent, thanks to that low and slow simmer in marinara sauce. It’s magical!

Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew

This super easy Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew is simple, comforting food at its best. And the leftovers are even better the next day!

4.50 from 32 votes

$9.88 recipe / $1.65 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew – This hamburger stew is similar to traditional beef stew but made with ground beef instead of stew meat. Using ground beef is less expensive than stew meat, and you get a little beef in every bite!

SLOW COOKER SOUP RECIPES

Let the slow cooker create the slow simmer that gives soups depth and deliciousness. Unlike their stovetop counterparts, these classic soup recipes are entirely hands-off.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

This Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup offers a deep, comforting, smoky flavor with simple ingredients and minimal effort.

4.90 from 49 votes

$9.79 recipe / $1.63 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup – Like most slow cooker recipes, this Chicken Tortilla Soup is ridiculously easy and very forgiving. It’s a great meal to prepare when you know you can’t give your full attention to the stove.

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Overhead view of a ladle lifting chicken noodle soup out of the slow cooker

Slow cooker chicken noodle soup is an incredibly easy and soothing winter recipe that will fill you up and warm you from the inside out!

4.95 from 18 votes

$9.22 recipe / $1.15 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup – Homemade chicken noodle soup from scratch is one of our absolute favorite comfort foods. Not only is it effortless, but even the smell of it simmering away is soothing and gives hygge vibes.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

Packed with vegetables, flavor, protein, and fiber, this ultra-flavorful and low-calorie Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup is an all around winner!

4.71 from 122 votes

$4.81 recipe / $0.79 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup – This awesomely flavorful and easy slow cooker black bean soup practically makes itself. It’s vegan, super filling, high in fiber, protein, full of veggies, and costs nothing. Need we say more?

Easy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Close up overhead view of a bowl full of slow cooker white chicken chili

The slow cooker does all the work with this easy, flavorful, and healthy white chicken chili. This "dump and go" dinner will become a family favorite!

4.82 from 125 votes

$10.23 recipe / $1.71 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili – This is the perfect example of why people love slow cookers. You dump everything in the slow cooker, stir it, turn it on, and walk away. When you return, you have this hearty white bean chicken chili ready for topping with cheese and diving in with tortilla chips.

VEGETARIAN slow cooker RECIPES

Are you looking for more options for your meatless meals? These vegetarian slow cooker recipes will gather all the vegetable goodness in one pot!

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

This Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili makes a huge batch, is packed with flavor and nutrients, and can be made for only about 5 dollars!

4.90 from 84 votes

$4.64 recipe / $0.77 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili – Make this chili your own with various toppings, and take advantage of this opportunity to use up some leftover vegetables from your fridge!

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Lentils

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Lentils are an easy, hands-off, fiber filled, freezer friendly vegan dinner.

4.74 from 126 votes

$9.86 recipe / $0.99 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Lentils – Slow cookers are fantastic because they’re primarily hands-off, contain their heat well, and don’t cause dreaded ambient heat rise in the kitchen. So, while you can make these Coconut Curry Lentils on the stove top, save yourself some steam and sweat by cooking them in the slow cooker.

(Not) Refried Beans

Use your slow cooker to make these incredibly flavorful (not) refried beans with next to no effort. They’re versatile, delicious, and freezer friendly.

4.77 from 65 votes

$2.51 recipe / $0.28 serving Get the Recipe

Not Refried Beans – These (not) refried beans have an incredibly complex flavor thanks to the jalapeño, chili, and other spices. The beans are so good and flavorful that you’ll be tempted to serve them as your main dish. Dress them up with roasted corn, crumbly cheese, and maybe some grilled zucchini, and you can make a bowl out of them!

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Close up of mashed potatoes in the slow cooker with melted butter and a wooden spoon

Slow cooker mashed potatoes are the perfect hands-off method for making rich and creamy mashed potatoes for the Holidays!

4.41 from 32 votes

$2.99 recipe / $0.50 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes – Using the slow cooker cuts out the “babysitting the boiling pot” step in making mashed potatoes, freeing you up to concentrate on the rest of your meal. It also eliminates boil overs, draining the potatoes, checking them with a fork to see if they’re tender, using multiple pots and dishes, and gives you another free burner on your stovetop.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN RECIPES

Don’t let that extra uncooked chicken go to waste, and make one of these savory slow cooker chicken recipes. We’ve found that using chicken thighs is better for your budget, and the flavors, especially in the slow cooker, are better!

Taco Chicken Bowls

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls are the ultimate “set it and forget it” easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love.

4.87 from 181 votes

$10.31 recipe / $1.72 serving Get the Recipe

Taco Chicken Bowls – This taco chicken bowls recipe is definitely “slow-cooker 101”. The combination of tender pulled chicken, salsa, spices, and beans just can’t be beaten! Plus, it can be served in several ways so the leftovers will go far.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Close up side view of shredded buffalo chicken in the slow cooker with tongs

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken is tender, juicy, tangy, and rich all at the same time! Perfect for sandwiches, nachos, salads, pizza, and more.

4.90 from 19 votes

$12.65 recipe / $1.58 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken – The slow-cooked chicken is tender, spicy, tangy, and rich all at the same time, and there are a hundred different ways you can use it! Sandwiches, dips, salads, pizza, and more.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Seasoned chicken breast and tangy BBQ sauce are slow cooked until tender and delicious. Perfect for sandwiches, nachos, pizza, and more.

4.86 from 7 votes

$8.34 recipe / $2.09 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken – You can have this tasty chicken in the slow cooker doing its own thing while enjoying a lazy summer day or any time of year! Plus, unlike a hot oven, the slow cooker won’t make your AC work overtime.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

This Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala boasts a rich and aromatic sauce, and tender juicy chicken. Make four servings for the price of one take out!

4.47 from 125 votes

$8.82 recipe / $2.21 serving Get the Recipe

Slow Cooker Tikka Masala – Tender chicken drenched in a rich tomato sauce full of aromatic spices makes this one of our all-time favorite slow cooker recipes! You don’t want to miss it!

Let us know which recipe you will try first, how you it turned out, and which was your favorite!

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