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Utilizing your slow cooker can help ensure the recipes you’re making turn out warm, comforting and delicious. Not to mention, all you need to do is set up your slow cooker and let it be, making it super easy to get dinner on the table (if you plan ahead). Whether it’s a hearty beef stew or spicy chicken enchiladas, these dishes are worth the wait. Plus, with complex carbs like whole-wheat pasta and rice and lower counts of saturated fat and sodium, these selections are well-suited for a diabetes-friendly eating pattern. Recipes like our Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips and Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone are cozy, nutritious options for chilly nights.
01of 18Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & TurnipsView RecipeThe spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe–cinnamon, allspice and cloves–may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.
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Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips
View Recipe
The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe–cinnamon, allspice and cloves–may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.
02of 18Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean StewView RecipeThis load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad.
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Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew
This load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad.
03of 18Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone SoupView RecipeA winter classic, this crock pot version of minestrone is heavy on the vegetables and light on the pasta, keeping carbs in check while providing plenty of flavor.
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Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup
A winter classic, this crock pot version of minestrone is heavy on the vegetables and light on the pasta, keeping carbs in check while providing plenty of flavor.
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Slow-Cooker Arroz con Pollo (Chicken & Rice)
05of 18Slow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with SherryView RecipeThis comforting and creamy slow-cooker soup is loaded with earthy, umami flavor from the mushrooms and soy sauce. Puréeing only some of the slow-cooker mushroom soup gives the dish complex texture and eye appeal. Garnish with additional black pepper and chopped fresh thyme, if desired.
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Slow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with Sherry
This comforting and creamy slow-cooker soup is loaded with earthy, umami flavor from the mushrooms and soy sauce. Puréeing only some of the slow-cooker mushroom soup gives the dish complex texture and eye appeal. Garnish with additional black pepper and chopped fresh thyme, if desired.
06of 18Pork & Pineapple TacosView RecipePlan ahead so you can use your slow cooker to prepare the pulled pork for these tacos. This recipe is a better-for-you twist on the classic tacos al pastor. Pork loin is a lean cut that’s a healthier option than traditional pork shoulder, which has more fat.
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Pork & Pineapple Tacos
Plan ahead so you can use your slow cooker to prepare the pulled pork for these tacos. This recipe is a better-for-you twist on the classic tacos al pastor. Pork loin is a lean cut that’s a healthier option than traditional pork shoulder, which has more fat.
07of 18Pasta Puttanesca with BeefView RecipeThis easy slow cooker ground beef and pasta recipe makes a great meal any night of the week.
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Pasta Puttanesca with Beef
This easy slow cooker ground beef and pasta recipe makes a great meal any night of the week.
08of 18Slow-Cooker JambalayaView RecipeThis hearty jambalaya is bursting with chicken, smoked turkey sausage, and shrimp. It takes just 25 minutes to prep in the morning and then your slow cooker will work its magic and deliver a tasty meal at the end of the day.
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Slow-Cooker Jambalaya
This hearty jambalaya is bursting with chicken, smoked turkey sausage, and shrimp. It takes just 25 minutes to prep in the morning and then your slow cooker will work its magic and deliver a tasty meal at the end of the day.
09of 18Slow-Cooker Vegetable LasagnaView RecipeThis vegetarian lasagna couldn’t be easier, thanks to jarred pasta sauce and no-boil lasagna noodles. Prep it in the morning and let your crock pot do the work.
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Slow-Cooker Vegetable Lasagna
This vegetarian lasagna couldn’t be easier, thanks to jarred pasta sauce and no-boil lasagna noodles. Prep it in the morning and let your crock pot do the work.
10of 18Savory Bean Spinach SoupView RecipeLet a slow cooker complete this vegetarian soup. Serve it in cups as a sandwich side or ladle it into bowls for a light meal.
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Savory Bean Spinach Soup
Let a slow cooker complete this vegetarian soup. Serve it in cups as a sandwich side or ladle it into bowls for a light meal.
11of 18Hearty Vegetable Beef StewView RecipeThe slow cooker makes this veggie-packed beef stew super-easy and extra-savory.
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Hearty Vegetable Beef Stew
The slow cooker makes this veggie-packed beef stew super-easy and extra-savory.
12of 18Chicken & Cornmeal DumplingsView RecipeThis version of chicken and dumplings provides plenty of vegetables with 5 grams of fiber per serving. Dumplings are made with 1 part flour and 1 part cornmeal to make them standout from a traditional flour dumpling. This hearty dinner option is the perfect comfort meal.
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Chicken & Cornmeal Dumplings
This version of chicken and dumplings provides plenty of vegetables with 5 grams of fiber per serving. Dumplings are made with 1 part flour and 1 part cornmeal to make them standout from a traditional flour dumpling. This hearty dinner option is the perfect comfort meal.
13of 18Slow-Cooker Chicken MarsalaView RecipeThis slow-cooker chicken Marsala recipe gets its full flavor from plenty of mushrooms and fragrant shallots. Whole-wheat pasta soaks up the rich sauce. Round it out with a simple green salad for a comforting healthy dinner.
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Slow-Cooker Chicken Marsala
This slow-cooker chicken Marsala recipe gets its full flavor from plenty of mushrooms and fragrant shallots. Whole-wheat pasta soaks up the rich sauce. Round it out with a simple green salad for a comforting healthy dinner.
14of 18Hungarian Beef GoulashView RecipeThis streamlined goulash skips the step of browning the beef, and instead coats it in a spice crust to give it a rich mahogany hue. This saucy dish is a natural served over whole-wheat egg noodles. Or, for something different, try prepared potato gnocchi or spaetzle.
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Hungarian Beef Goulash
This streamlined goulash skips the step of browning the beef, and instead coats it in a spice crust to give it a rich mahogany hue. This saucy dish is a natural served over whole-wheat egg noodles. Or, for something different, try prepared potato gnocchi or spaetzle.
15of 18Slow-Cooked Ranch Chicken and VegetablesView RecipeThis creamy, veggie-packed chicken dinner comes together easily in your slow-cooker-and makes enough for another night’s casserole (see associated recipe)!
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Slow-Cooked Ranch Chicken and Vegetables
This creamy, veggie-packed chicken dinner comes together easily in your slow-cooker-and makes enough for another night’s casserole (see associated recipe)!
16of 18Pork & Green Chile StewView RecipeLet your slow cooker work–while you’re at work!–and come home to a delicious bowl of hearty stew for dinner. Full of potatoes, hominy, green chiles, and chunks of pork sirloin, this filling stew recipe takes just 25 minutes to prepare in the morning.
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Pork & Green Chile Stew
Let your slow cooker work–while you’re at work!–and come home to a delicious bowl of hearty stew for dinner. Full of potatoes, hominy, green chiles, and chunks of pork sirloin, this filling stew recipe takes just 25 minutes to prepare in the morning.
17of 18Shredded Chicken TacosView RecipeThis taco recipe is a great choice for midweek dinners, even if it’s not Taco Tuesday! Instead of beef, we use moist, boneless chicken thighs and to make things easier for you, the taco filling is cooked in a slow cooker, so you can prepare it in the morning and come home to a delicious meal.
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Shredded Chicken Tacos
This taco recipe is a great choice for midweek dinners, even if it’s not Taco Tuesday! Instead of beef, we use moist, boneless chicken thighs and to make things easier for you, the taco filling is cooked in a slow cooker, so you can prepare it in the morning and come home to a delicious meal.
18of 18Slow-Cooker Stout & Chicken StewView RecipeChicken thighs can take plenty of cooking without getting tough or drying out, which makes them perfect for the slow cooker. Here we braise them in Guinness stout along with hearty vegetables, with just the right amount of bacon for added savoriness.
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Slow-Cooker Stout & Chicken Stew
Chicken thighs can take plenty of cooking without getting tough or drying out, which makes them perfect for the slow cooker. Here we braise them in Guinness stout along with hearty vegetables, with just the right amount of bacon for added savoriness.
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