Simply Whole  Moms

22 Christmas Slow Cooker Recipes That'll Give Your Oven A Break

Give your oven a well-deserved break this holiday season with these super-clever Christmas slow-cooker recipes.

With your trusty Crockpot, you can really make some miracles happen in the kitchen, all the way from appetizers to the after-dinner nightcap. 

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1. Crockpot Green Bean Casserole

1. Crockpot Green Bean Casserole

This recipe makes green bean casserole even simpler; instead of using an oven, it can be mixed and cooked in your slow cooker. Save all that oven space for the ham!

2. Crockpot Mac & Cheese

2. Crockpot Mac & Cheese

Homemade macaroni and cheese is a process. But this slow cooker mac & cheese makes cooking up the staple a breeze. Everything—including the pasta!—cooks in a slow cooker. And in the end, you have just ONE DISH to clean.

3. Crockpot Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

3. Crockpot Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are an important part of the holidays, but they sure do require a lot of babysitting. You’ve got to bring water to a boil, then make sure the potatoes don’t overcook in the water, drain them, then go back to the pot to put it all together.

4. Crockpot Spaghetti Squash 

4. Crockpot Spaghetti Squash 

News flash! You don't have to turn on your oven to make perfectly cooked spaghetti squash. Once you've cooked up your squash, why not put it to good use? Our four-cheese spaghetti squash is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

5. Slow Cooker Short Ribs 

5. Slow Cooker Short Ribs 

Few things feel as special—and as satisfying—as a well cooked beef short rib. This version is fall-off-the-bone tender and insanely flavorful, thanks to a quick sear before slow cooking and a Korean-inspired sauce that would make anything taste good.

6. Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs 

6. Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs 

Grape jelly meatballs might not sound like an ideal combo, but trust us, it is! The sweet jelly mixed with smoky BBQ sauce is a match made in heaven. We added some sriracha to give it a bit of a kick.

7. Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip

7. Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip

Fact: A holiday party is only as good as the Buffalo dip you serve. The best part? Your slow cooker will keep it warm and ready for dipping! Go all out and make a batch of homemade soft pretzels to serve with it.

8. Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

8. Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

Wine is the ultimate way to warm up in the winter, and mulled wine is hard to beat. Sweet, spicy, and super-comforting, this recipe takes a regular ol' bottle of red and makes it an amazing after-dinner drink.

9. Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder 

9. Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder 

The spiced garlicky herb sauce is absolutely heavenly and will make this the best pork shoulder of your life. For serving, we'd recommend some herb roasted potatoes and a bright, leafy sautéed green like Swiss chard.

10. Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip

10. Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip

If spinach-artichoke dip is one of those things you get really excited about at a party but you feel like it takes too much effort, this slow cooker version is for you. Don’t bother turning on the oven (especially when you have other appetizers to bake—cranberry brie bites, perhaps?).

11. Brown Butter Carrots

11. Brown Butter Carrots

These sweet glazed slow cooker carrots are seriously perfect for any occasion. Trust us, you'll be happy to have this light and fresh side on hand.

12. Slow Cooker Pot Roast

12. Slow Cooker Pot Roast

When it comes to comfort food, there’s nothing better than a pot of warm, fragrant pot roast and potatoes. Some people might be intimidated at the thought of cooking such a large piece of meat, but in reality, pot roast is one of the easiest things you can make

13. Crockpot Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

13. Crockpot Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Whether you're cooking for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or just Saturday night family meal, you can make your main dish—that classic holiday ham—right in your slow cooker! This leaves plenty of room in your oven for all those sides.

14. Slow Cooker Chex Mix

14. Slow Cooker Chex Mix

This mix goes fast whenever we set it out at parties. Make it even easier to inhale this snack by prepping a batch big enough to actually stick around for awhile.

15. Crockpot Red Wine Hot Cocoa

15. Crockpot Red Wine Hot Cocoa

Let your Crockpot prepare your party drinks this holiday season with this adult version of hot chocolate!

16. Crockpot Turkey Breast

16. Crockpot Turkey Breast

Who says you have to turn on your oven to make delicious turkey? After trying this easy recipe, not us. All you need to do is mix up a simple brown sugar rub, coat the meat, and let your slow cooker do the rest!

17. Slow Cooker Cheesecake

17. Slow Cooker Cheesecake

We'll take any short cut to achieving a perfectly creamy, fluffy cheesecake. Turns out, slow cookers were the real secret weapon all along!

18. Crockpot Whole Chicken

18. Crockpot Whole Chicken

We know it sounds crazy, but you can replicate the deliciousness of a rotisserie chicken at home... in your slow cooker. To get that iconic crispy skin, add a brown sugar spice rub and do a quick broil after slow cooking to get that beautiful, caramelized finish.

19. Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

19. Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

Also known as potatoes au gratin, this classic dish of sliced potatoes layered with cream and cheese is usually baked and served bubbling hot. Here, we’ve changed up the recipe to be cooked in a Crockpot, so you can just set'em and forget'em. It will free up your oven for that beautiful roasted ham.

20. Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa

20. Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa

The slow cooker continues to amaze us. You can make slow cooker salmon and slow cooker bread—and who knew it can make incredible hot cocoa, too?! Now you know. The best part? It keeps for a couple hours, so you can come back from playing in the snow for seconds (or thirds... or fourths).

21. Slow Cooker Bourbon Smokies

21. Slow Cooker Bourbon Smokies

Lil smokies belong at every holiday and potluck. Hit them with a shot of bourbon for a little something extra that shakes up the expected. It's a welcome addition and goes well with all of those party dips!

22. Crockpot Baked Apples

22. Crockpot Baked Apples

We love these apples for many reasons: They save you oven space, you can set it and forget it, and cooking them in your slow cooker keeps your kitchen much cooler. But wait up. Is your house freezing and you actually want to turn on the oven? We've been there too.