Slow Cooker Recipes for the Holidays

So, you were invited to a holiday party potluck. You have already RSVP’d, and you’re looking forward to cozying up inside, spending time with family and friends, and celebrating the season. There’s just one thing left—figuring out what dish to bring!

Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving), Christmas, or New Year’s Eve; preparing, cooking, and then transporting a dish to share can be stressful. That’s where your slow cooker comes in. Check out our below suggestions for nine holiday recipes that are impossibly delicious and hand-chosen for three of the major holidays between now and January 1^st.

TL;DR: For some, your holiday dish is a tried-and-true recipe that you make every year. For the rest of us, there are these set-it-and-forget-it Slow Cooker Recipes for the Holidays.

Thanksgiving Slow Cooker Recipes

Featured Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken and Stuffing

Dish Type: Entree

Holiday: Thanksgiving

Serving Suggestion:

This is no joke—you really can prepare three elements of a classic Thanksgiving dinner at once in a slow cooker (and just three easy steps)! To prepare this meal, just layer chicken breasts, stuffing mixture (cream of chicken, sour cream, onion, celery, cranberries, rosemary, chicken broth, and Martin’s Potatobred Stuffing), and green beans in a greased slow cooker. Then, cook on high for 4 hours.

If you’re hosting, we recommend turning the slow cooker to warm until guests arrive and are ready to eat. Then, transfer to a serving plate in three sections to place on the table. If you’re transporting this dish, try transferring the cooked ingredients to an insulated casserole dish, then remove the cover when ready to serve.

Recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/slow-cooker-chicken-and-stuffing/

Southern-Style Meatballs

Dish Type: Appetizer

Holiday: Thanksgiving

Serving Suggestion:

If you have a particularly large family or friend group, smelling all of the delicious food while you wait for everyone to arrive can be difficult. Try combatting pre-meal impatience with a tasty appetizer, like these slow cooker meatballs!

To serve, set the slow cooker to warm and place these meatballs in a common area, along with some sliced Martin’s Party Potato Rolls for guests to create their own mini meatball sandwiches while they wait.

Recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/southern-style-meatball-subs/

Slow Cooker Sausage & Herb Stuffing

Dish Type: Side

Holiday: Thanksgiving

Serving Suggestion:

For those that like to put a spin on the classic holiday dishes, there’s this Slow Cooker Sausage and Herb Stuffing. It’s everything you love– moist Martin’s Potatobred Stuffing plus seasonal herbs like sage and thyme—with an added flair.

If you’re hosting, this dish can cook on the counter all day while you prepare for house guests. Then, once warm, transfer to an oven-safe bowl and let sit in a warm oven to create a crispy top layer. If you’re a guest, turn your slow cooker to warm. Then, either transfer to a stone or ceramic bowl and cover to keep warm or serve straight from the slow cooker! Or, try incorporating this recipe into Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast.

Recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/slow-cooker-sausage-herb-stuffing/

Christmas Slow Cooker Recipes

Featured Recipe: Slow Cooker Apple Pie Dip

Dish Type: Dessert

Holiday: Christmas

Serving Suggestion:

This delectable dip contains all the warm winter flavors you know and love—fresh apples, caramel, cinnamon, and nutmeg—all left to mingle in a warm slow cooker for two hours.

We recommend preparing Toast Crackers made with Martin’s Cinnamon-Sugar Swirl Potato Bread ahead of time. When ready to serve, transfer the dip into a serving bowl surrounded by the toast crackers or leave the dip in the slow cooker to stay warm all evening.

Recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/slow-cooker-caramel-apple-dip/

Slow Cooker Apple Butter Pork Chops

Dish Type: Entree

Holiday: Christmas

Serving Suggestion:

With the addition of apple butter, these slow cooker pork chops are perfect for the cozy season and incredibly easy to make for a small or large crowd. To prepare, add pork chops onions, garlic, and apple cider vinegar to a slow cooker and let cook for 4-6 hours on high.

Whether you’re hosting or attending, we recommend serving these pork chops directly from the slow cooker, so they’re nice and hot. You can even try breaking up the pork chops into chunks and serving with sliced Martin’s Dinner Rolls to make sandwiches.

Hint: You could also make these for New Year’s Day and serve with sauerkraut, per a common New Year’s tradition!

Recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/crockpot-apple-butter-pork-chops/

Slow Cooker Glazed Ham Dinner Platter

Dish Type: Entree

Holiday: Christmas

Serving Suggestion:

Being in charge of the Christmas ham is less intimidating than you might have thought with this tasty Slow Cooker Glazed Ham Dinner Platter recipe! With just a few ingredients (boneless ham, orange juice, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and honey) and a slow cooker, you can have a show-stopping Christmas ham cooked in just 3-4 hours while you’re preparing for the guests!

To serve, remove ham from slow cooker and place on a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Then, use the leftover strained juices from the slow cooker to create a glaze using cornstarch. Slice ham and serve warm, drizzled with sauce, alongside Martin’s Dinner Potato Rolls.

Hint: Leftover sliced ham makes delicious sandwiches on Martin’s 12-Sliced Slider Potato Rolls!

Recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/slow-cooker-glazed-ham-dinner-platter/

New Year’s Eve Slow Cooker Recipes

Featured Recipe: Slow Cooker Sweet Bacon Smokies

Dish Type: Appetizer

Holiday: New Year’s Eve

Serving Suggestion:

It’s hard to deny that the combination of crispy bacon, brown sugar, and a little butter takes any recipe to the next level. Stir in a few smokies in a slow cooker with that mixture to absorb all the delicious flavors for 1-2 hours. Your guests won’t believe how easy it was to make (and neither will you)!

We recommend keeping the cooked smokies in your slow cooker on the warm setting throughout the night and serving with top-sliced Martin’s Party Potato Rolls (as shown above). This way, guests can snack all night long as you wait until the clock strikes midnight!

Recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/slow-cooker-sweet-bacon-smokies/

Chicken Enchilada Bites

Dish Type: Appetizer

Holiday: New Year’s Eve

Serving Suggestion:

Packed full of flavor, these enchilada bites are the perfect way to welcome the New Year. Prepare the chicken – along with taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, canned tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro, and green chiles – in the slow cooker for a fall-apart tender base.

When ready to serve, prepare bread cups by baking Martin’s Butter Bread in muffin tin cups until golden brown. Then, fill each cup with the chicken mixture and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, and cilantro.

Hint: This recipe is best enjoyed when you are hosting, so the cups are as fresh as possible and don’t become too soft.

Recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/chicken-enchilada-bites/

Sauerkraut and Pork Roast Sandwich

Dish Type: Entree

Holiday: New Year’s Day

Serving Suggestion:

Reign in the New Year the traditional way with this tasty Sauerkraut and Pork Roast Sandwich on Martin’s Big Marty’s Rolls, made with just a few ingredients and few hours in the crock pot.

We recommend preparing this dish after you wake up on the first day of the year. That way, by dinner time, you have a hot and fresh meal ready to enjoy with friends and family as you celebrate the beginning of a brand new year!

Recipe: https://potatorolls.com/recipes/sauerkraut-and-pork-roast-sandwich/

Find even more holiday recipe inspiration on our website: https://www.potatorolls.com/recipes!