12 Slow Cooker Drop Dinners That Practically Make Themselves

updated Nov 15, 2023
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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Slow cooker drop dinners (or dump dinners, as they’re also commonly known) are exactly what they sound like. These simple dinner essentials ask nothing more of you than dumping the ingredients into the slow cooker, plopping on the lid, and letting the slow cooker do its work. Okay, you might need to chop an onion or measure some broth, but that’s the extent of the upfront prep work. Hours later you’ve got a warm, satisfying dinner.

So, the real question is not if you’re going to make a drop dinner, but what kind of drop dinner are you in the mood for. There’s a lot to choose from: soups, curries, tender shredded beef — even lasagna and whole chicken. Here are 12 slow cooker drop dinners to get you started.

Slow Cooker Drop Dinners

1 / 12
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

Drop everything in the cooker in the morning and by the end of the day you’ve got a full-flavored broth loaded with soft, tender beans and all the spiced undertones you expect from black bean soup.

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2 / 12
Slow Cooker Shredded Balsamic Beef

In classic drop-dinner fashion, you’ll add the beef and a simple five-ingredient pantry sauce straight to the slow cooker in the morning, then leave it to cook all day. Take your pick between serving it over egg noodles or polenta, layering it on a sandwich, or stuffing it into a tortilla for tacos, burritos, or quesadillas.

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3 / 12
Easy Slow Cooker Potato Soup
This slow cooker twist on classic potato soup is the perfect fall dinner for a crowd.
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4 / 12
Easy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
This easy slow cooker lasagna soup is everything you love about the classic Italian casserole, but it's so much easier to make.
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5 / 12
3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork
This three-ingredient slow cooker root beer pulled pork will totally convince you to give this Southern combination a try.
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6 / 12
Slow Cooker Coconut Lentil Curry
This slow cooker coconut lentil curry is seasoned with garam masala & turmeric, laced with tomatoes, & finished with coconut milk for a touch of richness.
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7 / 12
Simple Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
This dead-simple pulled pork acts as the base for tacos or BBQ sandwiches with a salt, pepper, and brown sugar rub. So easy, you'll want to commit it to memory.
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8 / 12
Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna
Casual layers of tender pasta pockets filled with cheese, tangy tomato sauce, and mild mozzarella baked in the slow cooker.
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9 / 12
Slow Cooker Easy Lentil Soup
Wholesome and satisfying, this vegetarian lentil soup is how to reboot after a season of overindulgence.
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10 / 12
Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker
This recipe delivers the most delicious payoff imaginable — meat so tender and juicy it practically falls right off the bone.
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11 / 12
Slow Cooker Golden Chickpea Soup
This is wholesome comfort food at its finest, with a taste and texture that's equal parts hearty as can be, yet bright and totally nourishing.
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12 / 12
Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Chicken
Slow cooker BBQ shredded chicken is an easy weeknight dinner that can be made with chicken breasts, thighs, or a combo of the two.
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