Casseroles are some of the most comforting foods that come out of your kitchen. But they take some prep work, and that’s not always the best after a long, busy day. Enter: the slow cooker. Lots of your favorite casserole recipes translate to your Crock-Pot so you can do any prep work hours ahead of time. Here are some homey, delicious casserole recipes you can set and forget in your slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Spinach Lasagna
The beauty of this vegetarian recipe is that you don’t have to do any cooking for your prep work. Just mix together some jarred sauce and chopped vegetables, then layer it right in your slow cooker with lasagna noodles, cheese, and spinach. Don’t forget to spray your pot with cooking spray first.
Recipe: Betty Crocker
Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole
Why not make breakfast in the slow cooker? You put it together the night before, and it’s hot and ready in the morning. This one is a kitchen sink-type dish with frozen potatoes, breakfast meat of your choice, bell peppers, and a savory egg custard that holds it all together.
Recipe: Spend with Pennies
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
You can absolutely make enchiladas in your slow cooker. Just heat up some enchilada sauce, mix shredded chicken (rotisserie works great!) with cheese and sour cream, and assemble right in the crock pot. You can roll your enchiladas, or layer them for a time saver.
Recipe: Kalyn’s Kitchen
Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes
This is a traditional scalloped potatoes recipe that’s flavored with thyme and layered with gruyere cheese. The only unusual thing is that it’s cooked in a slow cooker instead of the oven, but it works well. Let it cool a bit before serving so the sauce thickens.
Recipe: Food Network
Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole
Tater tot casserole is a family favorite, and now you can make it ahead of time with a slow cooker. This recipe includes tater tots on the top and bottom of the casserole, since you get less space on top compared to a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Recipe: The Magical Slow Cooker
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Easy Tamale Dinner
If you’ve ever had that famous Bisquick recipe for “impossible” cheeseburger pie, you’ll like this Tex-Mex version. It’s made with ground turkey, corn, tomatoes, and chili powder mixed into a cornbread batter for an all-in-one tamale pie in your crock pot.
Recipe: Taste of Home
Crockpot Cheesy Ravioli Casserole
Frozen ravioli is the key to the convenience of this dish. The recipe calls for beef ravioli, but you can use cheese or spinach ravioli for a vegetarian meal. Otherwise, the rest of the recipe is just sauce, cheese, and seasonings. Feel free to add ground sausage or other vegetables if you have them.
Recipe: Six Sisters Stuff
Crockpot Mac and Cheese
This is a great way to make macaroni and cheese ahead of time, and also keep it hot for a long time for gatherings. You cook the pasta separately, then combine it with the cheeses and dairy in the slow cooker until it’s all creamy and gooey.
Recipe: Budget Bytes
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4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler
What’s a cobbler besides a casserole, really? So you bet you can cook it in the crock pot and not the oven. This is a super simple recipe that uses fresh or frozen peaches and boxed cake mix so you can have a special treat any night of the week.
Recipe: AllRecipes
Slow Cooker Sausage and Waffle Bake
If you’re a fan of sweet and savory breakfast dishes, you’ll love this slow cooker recipe. It’s made with frozen waffles cut into pieces, along with spicy pork breakfast sausage and maple syrup. Lining the side of the crockpot with aluminum foil strips ensures that nothing sticks to the pot.
Recipe: Taste of Home
Crockpot Chicken and Rice
Chicken and rice casserole is a comforting, versatile dish. This one is seasoned with Italian herbs and garlic, but you can easily swap those out for poultry seasoning and thyme for a more homestyle version. Because the instant rice is only put in near the end of cooking, it doesn’t get mushy.
Recipe: Spend with Pennies
Slow Cooker Pizza Casserole
This recipe is like jazzed up baked pasta. It’s full of ground beef and sliced pepperoni, plus pizza sauce, of course. A can of cream of mushroom soup makes everything a little creamy, too. If you like other things on your pizza, like mushrooms or olives, they’d go great in this dish as well.
Recipe: Taste of Home
Bread Pudding in the Slow Cooker
Another dessert that translates beautifully to the slow cooker is bread pudding, which is normally baked in a casserole. This is a classic, simple recipe that’s flavored with vanilla and nutmeg and studded with raisins. A splash of bourbon wouldn’t be remiss, either!
Recipe: AllRecipes
