Food and Recipes Slow Cooker Recipes 15 Of Grandpa's Favorite Slow-Cooker Recipes Smells like Sunday supper! By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is a Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 4, 2024 Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox The slow cooker has long been a must-have tool in Southern kitchens for many reasons. It’s so easy to use that even if Grandpa isn’t the resident chef of the family, he can toss the ingredients in and turn it on. Plus, it makes plenty of food, whether for him and Grandma to eat all week or for a big family meal. And with slow-cooker liners, cleanup is a breeze. One of the best things about the slow cooker, though, is the delicious dishes it produces. Some of Grandpa’s go-to comfort food recipes come straight from the slow cooker. Hearty Slow-Cooker Beef Recipes 01 of 15 Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton When you picture Sunday supper at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, we have a feeling that pot roast might be one of the first images that comes to mind. Serve the tender meat and veggies with a scoop of homemade mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfy meal. get the recipe 02 of 15 Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings Iain Bagwell Chicken and dumplings is a legendary Southern comfort food dish, and we’re willing to guess Grandpa loves it. This version, which is topped with drop dumplings, comes together easier than ever in the slow cooker. get the recipe 03 of 15 Easy Chili Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox “This is our recipe for Easy Chili, and when I say Easy Chili, it really does not get any easier than this,” says Test Kitchen Pro Ivy Odom. Whether the temperature has just dipped below 60 or it’s gameday, no grandfather I know ever turns down a comforting bowl of chili. My grandmother always prepared it with mini cheese toasts on the side for dipping. get the recipe 04 of 15 Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Christina Daley "Pure nostalgia, grandma's house, ‘home,’ whatever descriptor you use, it all comes back to one thing: This dish takes you back, and in the best way," said one Test Kitchen Pro who tested this recipe firsthand. The fact that you can make it in your slow cooker just adds to the allure of this recipe. get the recipe 05 of 15 Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall There are some side dish recipes that Southerners admittedly “cook to death,” and that’s the only way we want to enjoy our collard greens. Instead of checking on them and stirring on the stovetop, simply add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and let it do its job. get the recipe 06 of 15 Classic Slow-Cooker Beef Stew Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle If Grandpa isn’t feeling his best or it’s an extra chilly day, a warm bowl of homemade beef stew will always do the trick. This easy recipe gets to cook low and slow for at least six hours (if not a full eight), so the flavors are full and hearty. get the recipe 07 of 15 Georgia-Style Boiled Peanuts Alison Miksch If it’s been a while since Grandpa got to go on a road trip, bring his favorite gas station snack to him with this two-ingredient recipe. To make them Cajun-style, add a package of boil-in-bag shrimp-and-crab boil and Grandpa’s favorite hot sauce to the slow cooker before cooking. get the recipe 08 of 15 Slow Cooker Goulash Jennifer Causey Egg noodles are the ideal vessel to soak up all the goodness of this meat-and-veggie stew. “Delicious. My company polished this off and left me with no leftovers,” wrote one five-star reviewer. get the recipe 09 of 15 Slow-Cooker Ham Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Kelsey Moylan; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Tell Grandpa there’s no need to pick up the honey-baked ham this holiday season. Our new slow-cooker recipe is too easy to add to the menu instead. He’ll enjoy creative ham leftovers for days. get the recipe 10 of 15 Easy Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham You need just five ingredients to make Grandpa this versatile pulled pork recipe in the slow cooker. Whether with barbecue sauce on a sandwich, with a side of veggies, over nachos, or atop a spud, he can enjoy it countless ways throughout the week. get the recipe 11 of 15 Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland Grandpa has been enjoying this Southern-favorite appetizer through decades of parties. One sweet-and-savory bite will take him right back. “It is a dump and stir recipe in the slow cooker,” says Test Kitchen Pro Ivy Odom. “And most recipes in the slow cooker take forever, but these only take two and a half hours, and you can keep them warm at your party. It’s just a win-win situation.” get the recipe 12 of 15 Black-Eyed Pea Soup With Ham Hocks Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis With smoked ham hocks, black-eyed peas, and collard greens, this slow-cooker soup has everything Grandpa needs to start the New Year off on a lucky note. Don’t forget a side of fresh cornbread from the skillet. get the recipe 13 of 15 Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Photo: Howard Lee Puckett Red beans and rice is a timeless New Orleans dish that exudes comfort in every bowl. This simple version is as easy as putting the ingredients in the slow cooker and pressing “start.” get the recipe 14 of 15 Slow-Cooker Pork Roast Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall This slow-cooker supper is much more budget-friendly than a beef tenderloin recipe, and it’s easier, too. Don’t you dare throw out those juices from the slow cooker! They’re liquid gold. get the recipe 15 of 15 Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese Hector Sanchez Macaroni and cheese is a staple side dish of Southern meat ’n three restaurants, and we’d bet it’s part of Grandpa’s go-to order. You probably never thought to make it in your slow cooker, but trust us (and all the five-star reviewers) on this! get the recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit