20 Weeknight Crockpot Recipes for People Who Are Just Done

ByAnne Jolly

It’s 6 PM and you’ve used up every ounce of decision-making energy on things that actually matter. The last thing you want to do is figure out what’s for dinner. That’s where your crockpot comes in. It just handles things while you collapse on the couch.

A plate of mashed potatoes topped with sliced turkey and stuffing, garnished with chopped parsley, on a woven placemat with a fork beside it.
Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Stuffing. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Crock Pot Beef and Noodles

Closeup of Slow Cooker beef with egg noodles.
Crock Pot Beef and Noodles. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

When you’re too tired to even think about dinner prep, this beef and noodles recipe has your back. The slow cooker turns tough beef into fall-apart tender pieces that mix perfectly with noodles for a no-stress weeknight meal.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Beef and Noodles

Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs

Slow cooker country style ribs on a tray on top of mashed potatoes with corn.
Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

These country style ribs are perfect for those nights when you need dinner to basically make itself. Peach preserves, honey, and BBQ sauce create a sticky glaze while the ribs cook down to tender perfection with almost zero effort from you.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs

Crock Pot Ham and Potato Soup

Ham and Potato soup in a gray and white bowl with a spoon.
Crock Pot Ham and Potato Soup. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This ham and potato soup is what you make when you’re running on empty but still need to feed people. Toss everything in the slow cooker and come back to a creamy, cheesy soup that tastes like you actually tried.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Ham and Potato Soup

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs

Slow cooker bbq chicken legs in the crock pot after cooking.
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

When standing over the grill sounds like actual torture, these BBQ chicken legs save the day. The drumsticks cook in tangy barbecue sauce until they’re fall-off-the-bone tender while you do literally anything else.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs

Crock Pot Ramen

Top view of slow cooker chicken ramen in the Crock Pot.
Crock Pot Ramen. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This crockpot ramen is for those nights when you can’t even deal with boiling water. Dump everything in, walk away, and come back to a steaming bowl of actual ramen that required practically nothing from you.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Ramen

Slow Cooker Dr Pepper Ribs

Two glazed barbecue ribs placed on top of creamy macaroni and cheese in a metal tray, with a red and white checkered cloth partially visible.
Slow Cooker Dr Pepper Ribs. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

These Dr Pepper ribs need about 10 minutes of your time and then you’re done. The slow cooker handles everything else and turns out sticky, caramelized ribs that taste way more complicated than they actually are.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Dr Pepper Ribs

Birria Chili

A bowl of chili topped with lime slices, red onion, crumbled cheese, and chopped herbs in a black pot.
Birria Chili. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This birria chili is what happens when you need to feed a bunch of people but you’re completely out of energy. Ground beef, birria seasoning, and chipotle peppers go into the crockpot and you get bold, crowd-pleasing chili that also freezes great for future exhausted-you.
Get the Recipe: Birria Chili

Italian Wedding Soup

A slow cooker filled with soup containing meatballs, carrots, spinach, celery, pasta, and broth on a marble countertop.
Italian Wedding Soup. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

When you need comfort food but can’t summon the energy for complicated cooking, this Italian wedding soup delivers. Meatballs, pasta, and veggies simmer away in rich broth while you recover from whatever the day threw at you.
Get the Recipe: Italian Wedding Soup

Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Stuffing

A plate of mashed potatoes topped with sliced turkey and stuffing, garnished with chopped parsley, on a woven placemat with a fork beside it.
Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Stuffing. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

These pork chops with stuffing are basically a complete Sunday dinner that requires almost nothing from you. Everything cooks together in one pot so you get tender chops and savory stuffing without the usual hassle.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Stuffing

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

A crock pot filled with chicken and lemons.
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This chicken thighs recipe proves you can make something legitimately good on days when you’re running on fumes. Simple ingredients turn into a flavorful meal while the slow cooker does all the actual work.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup

A bowl of creamy potato soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and crumbled bacon, next to a spoon and a blue and white checkered napkin.
Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

After a long day, this loaded potato soup is exactly the kind of easy win you need. Make it in your slow cooker, then pile on whatever toppings sound good because you’ve earned it.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup

Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup

Bowl of copycat Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup in a bowl with breadsticks in the background.
Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This copycat Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup means you don’t have to leave your house for comfort food. The slow cooker combines creamy broth with chicken and veggies while you stay in your sweatpants where you belong.
Get the Recipe: Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup

Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A bowl of broccoli cheddar soup with broccoli and carrots.
Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Getting Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup at home is now an option for those nights when going out feels impossible. This rich, cheesy soup cooks itself in your crockpot and tastes just like the restaurant version without requiring you to put on real pants.
Get the Recipe: Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

Sausages cooked in tomato sauce with sliced green and yellow bell peppers in a black slow cooker, on a marble surface with a blue striped napkin nearby.
Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This sausage and peppers recipe is completely hands-off and that’s exactly what you need right now. Juicy sausage cooks with peppers and onions into a perfect weeknight dinner that works on its own or stuffed into rolls.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

Olive Garden Chicken Pasta

Olive garden chicken pasta on a fork.
Olive Garden Chicken Pasta. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This copycat Olive Garden chicken pasta lets the slow cooker handle everything while you decompress. Chicken simmers all day in creamy, cheesy sauce until it falls apart and creates the kind of comfort food that makes bad days better.
Get the Recipe: Olive Garden Chicken Pasta

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

A bowl of chicken chili topped with cheese and green onions, surrounded by tortilla chips.
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

When you need something easy that still feels like a real meal, this chicken taco soup comes through. It’s a dump-and-go recipe packed with tender chicken, beans, and bold taco flavors for busy weeknights when cooking feels impossible.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

Swamp Potatoes

Close-up of cooked sausage slices, potatoes, and green beans mixed with herbs.
Swamp Potatoes. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

These viral swamp potatoes (sausage, potatoes, and green beans) are about as low-effort as dinner gets. Toss everything in the crockpot and you get a hearty, flavorful meal without any of the usual weeknight stress.
Get the Recipe: Swamp Potatoes

Crock Pot Baked Ziti

A bowl of pasta with meat and tomatoes.
Crock Pot Baked Ziti. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This crockpot baked ziti is pure comfort that requires basically zero effort from you. Layers of ziti, marinara, cheese, and sausage meld together in the slow cooker for a stress-free meal that actually feeds everyone.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Baked Ziti

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken on a white plate on rice topped with parsley.
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This creamy chicken is what you make when you’re completely drained but still need to get dinner done. Quick prep gets you tender chicken in a flavorful cream sauce that tastes way better than your energy level suggests.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken

Slow Cooker Chili Mac

Cheese covered slow cooker chili mac in the crock pot with a wooden spoon.
Slow Cooker Chili Mac. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This slow cooker chili mac combines two comfort foods into one pot so you don’t have to think. Chili meets mac and cheese in an effortless one-pot dinner that delivers maximum comfort with minimum effort.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chili Mac