20 slow cooker dinners

Slow Cooker Smoked Ham Congee

Congee is a savoury rice porridge that can be enjoyed any time of day. Smoked ham hock adds a unique depth of flavour to this Asian staple. Look for it near the cured meat section of your grocery store.To serve, place individual bowls of garnishes, such as sodium-reduced soy sauce, sesame oil, salted Virginai peanuts, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and sliced hot chiles, at the table and let everyone dress their own bowl to suit their tastes.

Slow Cooker Caribbean Curried Chicken

Madras curry powder, a mix of spices including fenugreek, coriander, cumin and turmeric, is often hotter than other curry powders. Slow cooking mellows out the heat leaving an intensely flavourful curry. Look for Madras curry powder in the spice or ethnic food aisles. Serve wrapped up in a warm roti or with rice.

Slow Cooker Tomato and Fennel Pork Roast

A double dose of fennel - seeds and vegetable - add a pleasant licorice-like taste to this pot roast with Mediterrean flair. For nice, even slices when serving the roast, separate it into the natural sections and then slice across the grain. The slices will be smallish, but they'll hold their shape. Serve over pasta for a fun (and stress-free) take on Sunday roast.

Slow Cooker Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

Traditionally called Bo Ssam - these ginger-packed lettuce wraps make a light, satisfying meal. Serve with Korean-style pickled vegetables or kimchi, the intensely flavourful Ginger Green Onions Sauce and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds for an authentic flair.

Slow Cooker Split Pea and Smoked Turkey Soup

This classic Quebecois soup gets new life with the addition of smoked turkey instead of the traditional ham hock. Look for smoked turkey thighs instead of the legs - they've got more meat and less sinew. You can find them near the deli counter at the grocery store.

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole with Pickled Onions

It almost seems that the slow cooker was made for this subtly spicy, rich mole sauce. In fact, you might be tempted to make a double batch of just the sauce and freeze half for another time - simply thaw it and reheat with cooked, shredded meat. Serve over rice or with warmed corn tortillas to soak up all the sauce.

Slow Cooker Mushroom Barley Risotto

Finally a flavourful risotto that doesn't need any stirring! Dried mushrooms work perfectly to create an earthy aroma, we've used dried porcinis here as they're readily available, but any dried mushroom will do. Hearty pot barley makes adds a healthful twist and doesn't become overly mushy - even after 8 hours.

Slow Cooker Aloha Short Ribs

Reducing the sauce at the end of the cooking is an essential step to achieveing sweet-and-sour short rib nirvana. Serve over white rice and with a drizzle of sriracha if you can stand a little heat. For best results, look for thick, meaty short ribs.

Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor

Inspired by the traditional Mexican tacos served with spicy thin pork slices and pineapple, this slow cooker version features pork shoulder broken into tender bite size chunks. If you don't want to serve these as tacos, try serving the pork on top of steamed white rice instead.

Slow Cooker Lentil and Kielbasa Stew

To save time in the morning, prep and chop all the ingredients for this stew the night before so all you have to do is toss them in your slow cooker and turn it on before heading out the door. Serve with crusty bread for a simple, hearty meal.

Slow Cooker Beef Dip Sandwiches

Make this restaurant classic at home on a weeknight with our slow cooker version. Super thin steaks and sliced onions make a tender and flavourful sandwich. Serve au jus (with juice) on the side for dipping each bite.

Best Ever Slow Cooker Seafood Chowder

There are few things more comforting than a bowl of rich, creamy seafood chowder. Sweet, licorice-like fennel naturally complements the seafood. Serve with oyster crackers or crusty bread and a simple green.

Slow Cooker Corn and Smoked Ham Chowder

The sweetness of corn is complemented and elevated with smoky flavours from the ham and paprika chive crema topping. Frozen corn niblets never tasted so good!

Slow Cooker Saffron Chicken and Apricot Tagine

Tagine is a stew eaten all over Morocco served in earthenware pots of the same name. All tagines start with a spice base, often including cinnamon, saffron, turmeric and cumin. Serve with lemon wedges over couscous or with flatbread to soak up the delicious juices.

Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken Curry

This mild, sweet curry has all the comforting flavours of a curry without too much spice, making it a great choice for the entire family. Serve over steamed rice or with warmed naan bread.

Slow Cooker Tender Beef and Tomato Ragù

Thanks to being cooked very slowly for a long period of time, the meat in this ragù is fork tender and soaks up all the tomato sauce around it. Serve over pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for a delicious meal.

Slow Cooker French Leek Soup

We've swapped beef broth for chicken broth and onions for tender leeks but kept all the flavour in this lighter version of classic French onion soup. When you get home, just toast the baguette, broil the cheese and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Orange and Ginger Beef Stew

This Asian inspired beef stew has a deep earthy flavour from the five-spice powder and a hint of orange and ginger. Boy choy can be quite sandy, so be sure to wash thoughly before chopping. Serve over brown rice.

Slow Cooker Rare Beef Pho

The essence of this Vietnamese pho lies in the long-cooking, rich beef broth which forms the base of the soup - the slow cooker is the ultimate tool for the task. Fresh, vibrant garnishes, like bean sprouts, assorted fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro and basil, thinly sliced onion, chilies and lime wedges, make each and every bowl of soup unique. Serve them at the table in separate bowls so each person can create the pho of their dreams.

Slow Cooker Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti

You won't believe how tasty and easy it is to make this classic dish in your slow cooker. A piping bag - or plastic bag - makes easy work of stuffing the manicotti. Serve with a tossed salad and garlic bread for an easy family-style dinner.