Published . Last updated By Elizabeth Lindemann   /  This post may contain affiliate links.
These Slow Cooker Classic Thanksgiving Recipes are such an easy way to put your crockpot to good use this holiday season! How many times have you prepared Thanksgiving dinner only to have your oven fill up completely? Or worry about cooking times overlapping?
Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be stressful if you are hosting or in charge of bringing something- especially if you have a slow cooker! You can cook LITERALLY ALL of your favorite classic Thanksgiving dishes using your trusty crockpot, saving you labor, stress, and most of all- oven space.
You can make everything from the Thanksgiving turkey to cranberry sauce to co*cktails to sides to dessert in your slow cooker. And you can usually assemble everything the day before in the crockpot. Just turn it on the next day! So bust out one of the best small kitchen appliances for busy people and plan on one of these classic Thanksgiving recipes in your slow cooker!
(By the way, here’s my favorite slow cooker that I use all the time!)
1
Juicy Slow Cooker Boneless Turkey Breast
Prepare for the juiciest, most flavorful turkey of your life with this EASY slow cooker turkey breast! Included is timing for bone-in turkey breast as well. Just make a butter based rub, add some onions for flavor in the bottom of your slow cooker, slather the turkey in the rub and cook for a few hours! You'll never go back to making a whole roast turkey again - it's THAT good.
2
Classic Slow Cooker Stuffing
Photo Credit:peasandcrayons.com
Save precious oven space with this classic Slow Cooker Stuffing recipe! Since converting her mom’s Thanksgiving stuffing to the crock-pot, Jenn from Peas and Crayons has been OBSESSED with the results. It comes out perfectly tender on the inside and crisp on the outside!
3
Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
Photo Credit:www.culinaryhill.com
This Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole is made from scratch, can easily be made ahead, and won’t taken up any space in your oven on Thanksgiving. You only need a few ingredients for this classic side dish, and there are instructions for using breadcrumbs instead of fried onions if you prefer.
4
Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes
Looking for an easy and decadent potato dish aside from mashed? Try these slow cooker scalloped potatoes! With gruyere and parmesan, flavored with thyme and onions, and cooked to perfection with lots of butter and chicken broth, you'll definitely want these flavorful potatoes on your holiday table.
5
Slow Cooker Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
Photo Credit:senseandedibility.com
These greens are simple to make and are full of flavor.You can use turkey drumsticks, wings, or necks for this, so it's a great way to use the lesser-eaten parts of the Thanksgiving turkey. Plus, there are instructions for making these collard greens vegan or vegetarian as well!
6
Easy Creamy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes (Make Ahead!)
Photo Credit:www.saltandlavender.com
TheseCrockpot mashed potatoesare the creamiest, dreamiest buttery mashed potatoes that are perfect for making ahead of time to free up the stove! Plus they're NO BOIL and NO DRAIN mashed potatoes so they're super easy to make.
7
Crockpot Cranberry Sauce
Photo Credit:lexiscleankitchen.com
ThisCrockpot Cranberry Sauce is an easy update on the classic Thanksgiving staple! It is such a great combination with tart cranberries, along with sweet apples and just the right amount of citrus. This slow cooker cranberry sauce uses hands-off cooking so you can focus on other aspects of your holiday meal! It contains no refined sugars and is bound to be a new family favorite!
8
Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Photo Credit:www.sixsistersstuff.com
Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes are so simple and delicious. Throw them in the crock pot in the morning and let them slowly cook all day long while you prepare your other dishes.
9
Slow Cooker Ham with Marmalade Glaze
Photo Credit:theforkedspoon.com
ThisSlow Cooker HamRecipeis a pre-cooked spiral cut ham topped with a finger-licking-good brown sugar and apricot marmalade glaze. The best way to cook any holiday ham, save your oven and let the Crockpot do all the work for you. Don't forget to make split pea soup with the leftover ham bone!
10
Cornish Game Hens With Grand Marnier Sauce
Photo Credit:whatagirleats.com
Cornish game hensare a close relative to chicken and pheasant and are a great alternative to Turkey for a small Thanksgiving. This is an elegant but easy recipe for the slow cooker; Cornish game hens with Grand Marnier sauce.
11
Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia)
OK so this recipe for Greek Green Beans is technically written for the stovetop but it's so easy to do in your slow cooker (with instructions in the recipe card notes) that I had to include it in this list. I'm honestly not a huge fan of green bean casserole and I always make this as an alternative to it for Thanksgiving - it's lighter, and packed full of bright fresh flavors.
12
Slow Cooker Turkey Marsala
Photo Credit:www.platingpixels.com
Another great option for a small Thanksgiving get together without the fuss of a whole turkey. Slow Cooker Turkey Marsala makes a festive holiday-themed alternative to chicken marsala. Turkey breast slow cooked to tender perfectly in a rich and velvety marsala sauce.
13
Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs
Photo Credit:www.thetravelpalate.com
We had to include an appetizer recipe in this list of Slow Cooker Thanksgiving recipes! This sweet and tangy cranberry meatball recipe is a great party appetizer that uses up leftover or canned cranberry sauce. This easy recipe is made in the crockpot or slow cooker with frozen meatballs, bbq and chili sauce. Ready in about 3 hours.
14
Crockpot Cornbread Dressing with Bacon
Photo Credit:www.upstateramblings.com
Confession: being from New England, the first time I heard "dressing" for Thanksgiving I thought it meant salad dressing. Whether you call it dressing or stuffing, the cornbread version is a Southern classic. Give your family a little dose of Southern cooking with this crockpot cornbread dressing with bacon!
15
Easy Crock Pot Creamed Corn
Photo Credit:whitneybond.com
Crock Pot Creamed Corn is a family favorite, that’s so easy to make! This delicious side dish takes only 5 minutes to prep, then the slow cooker does the rest of the work! Free up space in your oven on Thanksgiving by serving this Creamed Corn right from the slow cooker. You can use white or yellow corn, frozen or canned corn, making this recipe both easy & versatile!
16
CrockPot Sweet Potatoes
Photo Credit:kalynskitchen.com
Make these delicious and perfectly seasoned CrockPot Sweet Potatoes for a holiday meal, and you’ll have room in the oven for other dishes! These sweet potatoes are flavored with an awesome spice mix that includes coriander, fennel, oregano, and aleppo pepper - they're anything but ordinary!
17
Slow Cooker Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Photo Credit:ifoodreal.com
Watching your carb intake? There are no potatoes in these cauliflower "mashed potatoes" - just healthy cauliflower goodness with butter, garlic, salt, and chives!
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup with Curry and Ginger
If you're into it, soup is a great first course at Thanksgiving dinner. And this butternut squash soup with warming curry and ginger is a great way to kick off your meal!
19
How to Cook a Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker
Psst... you don't have to make Turkey for Thanksgiving. You can just make a chicken. It's fine. Here's how to make a whole chicken in your slow cooker! As a bonus, you also get chicken stock with this recipe.
20
How to make Homemade Chicken Stock from Freezer Scraps
This recipe is technically for homemade chicken stock, but you can use the same method with turkey bones. Because a turkey is so big usually, I will often divide the carcass into two or three parts for different batches. Just let everything simmer in your slow cooker for the best homemade turkey stock of your life!
21
(Crock Pot) Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider -- Easy Recipe!
Photo Credit:www.thereciperebel.com
The perfect holiday drink, this Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider is made with apple, cranberry and orange juices! Perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas party. Personally, I'd add a little bourbon to my cup :-)
22
Mulled Wine For A Crowd
Photo Credit:www.majhofftakesawife.com
This mulled wine recipe is easy to make in a slow cooker. Featuring fresh oranges, apple slices and cinnamon it will be a crowd favorite!
23
Crockpot Pumpkin Cake
Photo Credit:www.plattertalk.com
A delicious pumpkin cake from your slow cooker that goes together quickly and takes just a couple of hours to cook/bake!
24
Lazy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Photo Credit:thelazyslowcooker.com
Crockpot pumpkin cheesecake barsare an easy, delicious, and moist dessert full of the flavors of fall. This treat is made with a traditional pie crust covered with a sweet and smooth pumpkin layer all topped with creamy and delicious cheesecake.
This post originally appeared on Bowl of Delicious on November 19, 2015. It has been republished with new recipes and more pertinent information.
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Comments
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats
Thank you for including me! Pinned, yummed and tweeted.
Reply
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks for sharing your amazing recipe with us!
Reply
Leesa B
These crockpot recipes look delicious and easy – just in time for the holidays! It would be great if you would also publish holiday recipes for pressure cookers (Instant Pot). I’m usually juggling things on the stove, in a Crock Pot and in a Instant Pot at the same time. Thank you and happy holidays!
Reply
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks for this feedback – I’m going to add this to my list of post ideas and hopefully will get to it by next Thanksgiving!! I got rid of my instant pot in cleaning-to-move-marie-kondo-fury, and now I need to get a new one haha. I find lots of slow cooker recipes now have instructions for the instant pot as well (I try to add this to mine).
Reply
Kalyn Denny
Thanks so much for including my CrockPot Sweet Potatoes. And I think using the slow cooker or the Instant Pot is essential for a big meal like Thanksgiving!
Reply
Elizabeth Lindemann
I agree, it’s completely essential! Thanks for sharing your delicious recipe with us!
Reply
Marta
What a great roundup of slow cooker recipes! I love using it so I don’t have to babysit everything at the same time, so this will come in handy during the holidays.
Reply
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks so much for sharing your amazing recipe with us!
Reply
Sara
Can’t wait to bust out my slow cookers on turkey day! It saves so much time!!!
Reply
Elizabeth Lindemann
Right? It’s vital every Thanksgiving!
Reply
Janelle
Yum to all of it! Thanks for using my cranberry sauce recipe!
Reply
Elizabeth
You’re welcome! Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Reply
KalynsKitchen
What a nice collection of ideas. I’m certainly a convert to cooking those spicy sweet potatoes in the crockpot; thanks for including them!
Reply
Elizabeth
Thank you for making such a great recipe! I love any and all things spicy :-)
Reply
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen
What an awesome round-up! Thanks for sharing my recipe!
Reply
Elizabeth
Thanks, Christin! And thank YOU for creating such awesome recipes!
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