From DN Recipes by David Nagy · Food & Beverage
Article: These Were the 10 Most Popular Slow Cooker Recipes of the Year
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The 10 Most Popular Slow Cooker Recipes of 2019
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The slow cooker has been a popular appliance since the 1940s, yet it feels like every year we discover more smart, easy meals and snacks that can be made in it. This year is no exception. Despite the rise in the Instant Pot’s popularity (which works best as a slow cooker if you get an actual slow cooker lid for it) slow cooker recipes still proved more popular than ever in 2019. These 10 recipes in particular — from Trader Joe’s shortcut meals to an apple pie dump cake — were Kitchn’s most popular slow cooker eats in 2019.
1. Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Beef stroganoff is an example of what the slow cooker does best — namely, taking tough cuts of beef and making them fall-apart tender. The meat cooks in a creamy gravy of rich broth and hearty mushrooms, so you can come home and just boil some egg noodles to serve with it.
Get the recipe: Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
2. 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Apple Pie
Dump cakes were wildly popular in 2019, so it should come as no surprise that an apple pie-inspired slow cooker dump cake made this list. What is surprising is just how easy and delicious this recipe is. It takes just three ingredients and two hours for the butter to brown, the cake to bake, and for you to enjoy it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Get the recipe: 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Apple Pie
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3. Trader Joe’s Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
This is one of those shortcut dinners that doesn’t taste like anything has been cut out! Enhancing TJ’s Masala Simmer Sauce with a can of fire-roasted tomatoes and slow cooking a chicken breast in the mixture makes for a warm and comforting dinner with minimal effort. In other words, it’s a win.
Get the recipe: Trader Joe’s Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
4. Slow Cooker Shredded Balsamic Beef
If you’ve never had balsamic beef before, you’re in for a treat! This super-savory dump dinner slow cooks a chuck roast until you can pull it apart with forks. What you do next is totally up to you. The sweet and sour shredded beef is excellent on a buttery roll with a little cheese, or you can spoon it over rice or mashed potatoes for a bowl dinner. Actually, there aren’t many ways to go wrong here.
Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Shredded Balsamic Beef
5. Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef and cabbage is a dish that most of us only make a few times a year (cough cough, St. Patrick’s Day, cough). It’s kind of a shame, especially when this slow cooker version makes it easy enough to make every week. This popular step-by-step recipe will walk you through seasoning the corned beef and show you what liquids to use and when to add the vegetables. It’s a surefire recipe for perfect corned beef every time.
Get the recipe: How To Make the Best, Easiest Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
6. Slow Cooker Sausage and Lentil Stew
Making lentils in the slow cooker for the first time feels like a revelation — they turn out creamy and perfectly cooked. This stew is so easy it feels like just a step or two beyond cooking plain lentils, but it’s packed with flavor. Sweet onions and spicy sausage perfume the broth and a handful of kale towards the end turns the dish into a super-satisfying stew that we love for lunches or a weeknight dinner.
Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Sausage and Lentil Stew
7. Trader Joe’s Slow Cooker Spicy Mediterranean Chicken
The Mediterranean diet ruled 2019 with its smart but sensible guidelines for eating healthy fats, vegetables, and lean protein. So this recipe hitting our top 10 is not a surprise at all! You can eat this straight from the slow cooker or turn it into sandwiches or salads for meal prep too.
Get the recipe: Trader Joe’s Slow Cooker Spicy Mediterranean Chicken
8. Slow Cooker Chicken Posole
Posole — a Mexican stew with hominy corn, chicken, and poblano peppers — has all the hallmarks of a soothing chicken soup. Chicken thighs get cooked in a broth of peppers and onions until tender, but the hearty hominy and spicy, sweet toppings take it to another level. A generous squeeze of lime and you’ve got a soup that tastes delicious — complex and familiar at the same time.
Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Posole
9. Overnight Crock-Pot Breakfast Casserole
One mistake a lot of new cooks make is not taking advantage of the slow cooker to cook eggs. Overnight on low, a slow cooker can turn ham, cream, and sweet red onions covered with eggs into a casserole that will actually make you excited to jump out of bed and start your day.
Get the recipe: Overnight Crock-Pot Breakfast Casserole
10. Easy, Melt-in-Your-Mouth Crock-Pot Meatloaf
If you love the center slice of super-tender meatloaf (no crusted edges, please) this recipe is yours. Not only is each slice truly tender, but this recipe also gets its texture from a smart prep tip borrowed from Smitten Kitchen. Put this recipe on your to-make list ASAP.
Get the recipe: Easy, Melt-in-Your-Mouth Crock-Pot Meatloaf