Slow cooker is not just for main meals, but also side dishes. You can make slow cooked side dishes with simple ingredients, throwing everything in to make delicious side meals.
A slow cooker is also great to make your kids eat healthy and create delicious Sunday meals.
Green beans, potatoes, and tomatoes make this Thanksgivings side meal more flavorful. The vegetables are easy to get, and the bacon bits add the protein and delightful bits (you can remove the bacon completely for the vegetarian option). You can also place this dish on top of steamed brown rice for a healthy dish.
Cauliflowers taste better with spicy Pepper Jack cheese sauce. You can make a thick sauce by blending whole milk and cream cheese before stirring the cauliflowers in with butter, salt, and pepper, and put them in a Ziploc bag. Keep the Pepper Jack cheese in a separate bag. Use your crockpot to cook the bags’ contents.
Risotto perhaps does not come into mind when you think of slow cooker recipes. However, firm risotto grains such as the pearl barley ones are ideal for a crockpot. It tastes great with vegetable stock, spinach, onions, and chopped spinach. Halloumi cheese is firm and a little salty, perfect for slow cooking.
Warm, hearty, and thick, mac & cheese is favorite comfort food. Making it with a slow cooker creates a rich flavor and great texture. Combine several cheese types, whole milk, and butter in the crockpot to make a thick sauce that covers all the pasta.
Refried beans are savory, tender, and fulfilling. This side dish is perfect for filling quesadillas and burritos. You get a protein punch with classic spices that are not too spicy, perfect for kids. This recipe uses pinto beans, but you can experiment with other favorite beans.
Barbeque beans are favorite crockpot side dishes for a BBQ outing. They are savory, fulfilling, and perfect for your hamburger or hotdog. This recipe uses a pack of 15 beans, bacon bits, and chicken stock for protein-rich side dishes.
Bakes beans with maple syrup, molasses, onions, and tomatoes give you Canadian delight. This recipe is hearty and fulfilling, perfect for a cold day. The recipe is perfect for vegetarians, but you can add some bacon bits to make it savory.
Rice and beans give a lot of proteins and fiber. You can serve this Caribbean delicacy as a main meal or side dish. You can pair it with grilled fish or chicken. Adding chicken stock and coconut milk makes the dish more delicious.
Glazed carrots have buttery and sweet flavors for a delicious side dish. This recipe uses honey, orange, butter, black pepper, and various herbs to flavor the carrots. They are perfect for a Thanksgiving side dish.
Spice up your European meat dishes with braised apple and red cabbage. The dish is refreshing and flavorful, perfect to balance the hearty meat flavor. The mixture of sweet and tart will increase your appetite.
Crockpot green beans are ideal for any holiday dishes or Sunday roasts. However, you can also throw them on top of rice or noodles for extra fiber. Use bacon bits for an extra protein, or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
Many Southern-style green beans use vegetable stock for the base. You can switch to chicken or beef stock for savory flavor. Aside from bacon, you can use ham socks or even chicken bits for the extra protein.
Sweet potatoes with marshmallow toppings may not sound like “traditional” side dish recipes in a slow cooker. However, the sweetness is perfect for accompanying savory dishes. The open-style sweet potatoes have crushed pecans with butter as their filling.
This recipe uses small red potatoes, the type that allows you to cook them without peeling. A crockpot makes the potatoes soft and tender, perfect for side dishes. You can mix the mash with sour cream, minced garlic, and chopped herbs.
Make a healthy savory dip by mixing ranch sauce, shredded chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. You can use chicken stock or water. The dip is great for eating tortilla chips, crackers, or crunchy toasts.
This recipe is a twist of braised apple and red cabbage. Using cranberry gives this crockpot side dish a more beautiful look and refreshing twist. You can still use apples to keep the traditional flavor.
This tomato soup is delicious, a little chunky, and perfect for a vegetarian feast. The soup contains cauliflowers, chili flakes, and ginger for extra kicks. You can eat the soup with jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, or grilled feta cheese.
Sweet potato casserole is a staple on Thanksgiving dishes. Mix the potato with apple slices before topping it with chopped pecans. The slow-cooked casserole is perfect to eat any types of roast meat, not just turkey.
Backed Hasselback potatoes have the perfect size for Sunday night mild eating. You can pre-slice the potatoes before glazing them with honey and sriracha butter. Even with just salt and pepper, these potatoes have a rich flavor.
Having a large supply of Mexican black beans will give you extra ingredients. After making them in a crockpot, you can freeze and use them to fill tacos, burritos, or enchiladas. You can also mix them with salsa.
These slow cooked side dishes are easy, but they are healthy and perfect for everyone. You can start buying the crockpot now for a “delicious” investment.
