8 Easy Slow Cooker Meal Ideas for the Holidays and Beyond

Check out these delicious Thanksgiving dishes and recipes, inspired by Baylen's slow cooker cuisine. Catch new episodes of Baylen Out Loud every Tuesday at 9/8c!

November 19, 2025

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8 Easy Slow Cooker Dishes for the Holidays and Beyond

On this season of Baylen Out Loud, Baylen began cooking more at home for herself and Colin. She even cooked an entire meal for her family using some tic-friendly tools! Cooking with Tourette Syndrome can be a difficult task, but she found that using a slow cooker made it much easier and safer.

Regardless of if it’s difficult or easy for you to get dinner on the table on any given day, the holidays add in a whole new level of hectic. Never fear! The trusty slow cooker is a great tool to use for holiday cooking. Many of your favorite recipes can be set-it-and-forget-it while you prep other dishes. Here are eight meals, side dishes, and appetizers to try this holiday season. 

Spicy Grape Jelly Meatballs

Any good holiday party needs a good appetizer. These sweet and spicy meatballs are easy to make and only require a few ingredients. The recipe starts with a bag of frozen meatballs with the addition of barbecue sauce, grape jelly and a few other ingredients. The result is a flavorful, easy to eat, start to any holiday meal.

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a staple side at any Thanksgiving dinner. Using the slow cooker to get the potatoes to the right consistency will save you a ton of hands-on time. Simply let them sit in the slow cooker with a mixture of butter, salt pepper, and water for 4 hours until they get tender. After that you'll mix in sour cream milk and season to taste.

Apple Butter

It may seem daunting to make your own apple butter, but it's simple and can be made overnight if you use your slow cooker. Combine apples, applesauce, and apple juice along with sugar and spices and when you wake up, you'll have delicious apple butter and an equally delicious smelling house. Jar up the extra (it makes 12 pints!) to share with friends and family as a holiday or host gift throughout the season.

Slow Cooker Ham with Apricot Dijon Glaze

If you need to free up your oven, using the slow cooker to make a ham is a great option. This recipe starts with making an apricot Dijon glaze prior to making the ham. You'll use the glaze when you cook the ham and again before you carve it to get that beautiful glossy exterior.

Creamed Corn

Creamed corn is a beloved side dish for many holiday tables. This recipe uses fresh corn, but you can use frozen corn if needed. After 4 to 6 hours, you'll have a deliciously sweet and creamy side dish that both adults and kids will devour.

Apple Cider

The slow cooker is not only a great vehicle to make apple cider, it's also a great way to keep apple cider warm throughout your party — or any other warm drink for that matter. just make sure you turn it on low so it doesn't burn. Although you do have to slice the apples for this recipe, you do not have to peel them or take out the seeds. Everything goes straight in for a delicious apple cider that also smells impeccable.

Stewed Green Beans

These super tender green beans are made with a ham hock or a turkey leg if you prefer. You'll cook them for 3 to 4 hours along with slices of red pepper. The ham hock adds a nice savory flavor to the dish.

Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing

This savory sausage stuffing is sure to be a hit at the holiday table. A simple mix of carrot, celery, onion, and thyme, along with stale crusty bread and chicken broth go in with the sweet Italian sausage. The stuffing will cook for about 4 hours before serving. 

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