Crock-Pot Recipes That Will Save Your Life in College (2024)

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Courtesy of McCormick

If you're in the dorms and tired of the food you get with your meal plan, or if you're in your first apartment and just trying to eat something else besides ramen noodles and mac and cheese, try these Crock-Pot recipes. Slow-cooker meals are perfect for make-ahead dishes you can freeze, meal prepping, group gatherings or when you have no time to be standing over a stove cooking four things at once.

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When you start to notice the fall foliage near you, it's time to bring out that slow cooker for a classic beef stew.

For the Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe, click here.

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If you don't know how to grill and you're going to a backyard barbecue or a tailgate, this slow cooker chili could be a great addition to bring.

For the Slow Cooker Chili recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

Weekend brunch has never been easier. Pop on a movie or chit-chat with your roommates while this slow cooker breakfast apple cinnamon French toast cooks. If French toast isn't your jam, maybe one of our 50 best brunch recipes will be.

For the Slow Cooker Breakfast Apple Cinnamon French Toast recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Seasonal Cravings

This chicken with olives and peppers is a Mediterranean-flavored dish that is a perfect chicken recipe for busy weeknights.

For the Slow Cooker Chicken with Olives and Peppers recipe, click here.

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This easy dessert recipe you can make with five ingredients or fewer is the perfect girls night or date night dessert. There are only two ingredients for the chocolate-covered strawberries, and you can have fun with extra toppings.

For the Easiest Chocolate Covered Strawberries recipe, click here.

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A sort of mix between a soup and a stew, this sweet potato kale soup is tasty and healthy. In fact, most of the ingredients in it are foods that boost your immune system.

For the Sweet Potato Kale Soup recipe, click here.

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Because these slow-braised beef short ribs cook for so long, it's ideal to start this dish before calling it a night so it's ready for lunch the next day. Or you can start it early in the morning and have it ready in time for dinner.

For the Slow-Braised Beef Short Ribs recipe, click here.

Courtesy of CONAGRA

French toast is a delightful meal to enjoy as a breakfast in bed, and this slow cooker banana French toast casserole might be even better since it takes so little time to prepare.

For the Slow Cooker Banana French Toast Casserole recipe, click here.

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Monkey Bread is an iconic American breakfast and this recipe calls for only five ingredients — perfect for those times you have almost nothing left in your fridge.

For the Slow Cooker Monkey Bread recipe, click here.

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You might think of mashed potatoes as a Friendsgiving staple, but making this dish in the slow cooker as a side for your other meals ensures you'll have leftovers to last a few days.

For the Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Bits and Bites Blog

Make these slow cooker barbecue pulled pork tacos for a game day meal or taco Tuesdays with your crew. Everyone will love the tender meat and they can customize the toppings however they like.

For the Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos recipe, click here.

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Instead of pulled pork tacos, you can also turn the delicious meat into a dip. Pack extra chips — this appetizer will go fast.

For the Carolina Pulled Pork Slow Cooker Dip recipe, click here.

Courtesy of the Idaho Potato Commission and recipe author Kathy Hester

Carbs are necessary college nutrients, and these potato rolls will be just what you need to pair with soups or stews. Besides, who would rather eat stale store-bought bread when you can make warm, home-cooked bread?

For the Slow Cooker Whole Wheat and Spelt Idaho Potato Rolls recipe, click here.

Courtesy of the Idaho Potato Commission and recipe author Elizabeth Lindemann

These scalloped potatoes pair well with a chicken dinner or pork dish. Make sure you have Gruyere and Parmesan cheese on hand before cooking.

For the Slow Cooker Scalloped Idaho Potatoes recipe, click here.

Courtesy of the Idaho Potato Commission and recipe author Betsy Haley

When the weather starts to get chilly and the leaves start to change on your college campus, it's time to start making soup. Try this ham, black-eyed pea and potato slow cooker soup for a cozy weeknight dinner.

For the Ham, Black-Eyed Pea, and Idaho Potato Slow Cooker Soup recipe, click here.

Courtesy of the Idaho Potato Commission and recipe author Cheryl D Lee

These slow cooker pork ribs and potatoes are an easy home-cooked meal idea for the nights when you have too much studying to do and don't want to spend time in the kitchen.

For the Slow Cooker Pork Ribs and Idaho Potatoes recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

Making dinners that don't require a lot of fancy ingredients is one easy way to start saving money. This slow cooker goulash is a yummy beef and potato soup to warm you up.

For the Slow Cooker Goulash recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Perdue

Try this honey mustard slow cooker chicken when you want to up your chicken game. The sweet tangy sauce is easy to make and you can serve it over a bed of rice — a pantry staple that has a long shelf life and a low price tag for a college budget.

For the Honey Mustard Slow Cooker Chicken recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Perdue

If you want to have a cheap date night that won't make you look like a cheap date, this slow cooker balsamic chicken with peppers and onions is just elegant enough that your date will be impressed and your bank account won't be hurting.

For the Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken With Peppers and Onions recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Perdue

Make one of your favorite Mexican dishes right in your apartment. Serve the slow cooker chicken salsa verde in taco shells or over tortilla chips.

For the Slow Cooker Chicken Salsa Verde recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Perdue

Although it's an affordable protein source for college students, chicken can get kind of boring to cook all the time. Switch things up with this slow cooker red curry chicken recipe.

For the Slow Cooker Red Curry Chicken recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Perdue

Turn your slow cooker on before you go to classes and extracurriculars, and this chicken with garlic and white wine dish will be ready when you come back at the end of the day.

For the Slow Cooker Chicken With Garlic and White Wine recipe, click here.

Courtesy of the National Pork Board

While biscuits and gravy and shrimp and grits are two things every Southerner has on their breakfast table, a tender cut of ham is also a staple. This slow-cooker version can be ready for a brunch with your roommates in just four hours.

For the Sweet Southern Slow-Cooker Ham recipe, click here.

Courtesy of The Magical Slow Cooker

We all need a little something sweet to get us through studying, don't we? While this isn't a no-bake dessert per se, you don't technically have to turn the oven on for this caramel apple pie dip.

For the Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Pie Dip recipe, click here.

Courtesy of The Magical Slow Cooker

College isn't about making recipes that are going to impress your guests because more than likely, your guests are going to be just as happy with some cheap pizza and ice cream. For an easy recipe that requires no baking, try this peanut butter chocolate cake in your Crock-Pot.

For the Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake recipe, click here.

Courtesy of The Magical Slow Cooker

If you're not willing to pay for the best brunch in every state, but you still want to enjoy a Sunday brunch with your roommates, this slow cooker crustless broccoli cheese quiche is a cheese lover's dream.

For the Slow Cooker Crustless Broccoli Cheese Quiche recipe, click here.

Courtesy of The Magical Slow Cooker

Maybe broccoli and cheese isn't your favorite, and if that's the case, this slow cooker jalapeno bacon crustless quiche might be. For those willing to go hotter than the jalapeno, add one of the world's hottest sauces to the top after cooking.

For the Slow Cooker Jalapeno Bacon Crustless Quiche recipe, click here.

Courtesy of The Magical Slow Cooker

These slow cooker porcupine meatballs in tangy sauce call for lots of ingredients you probably have in your fridge. So if your food is nearing the expiration dates, use them up in this dish.

For the Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs in a Tangy Sauce recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

There's a right way and a wrong way to cook pasta, and this slow cooker chili beef and pasta dish sure is the right way when you have no time during an exam week.

For the Slow Cooker Chili Beef 'n Pasta recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

If you fall prey to bad cooking habits because you don't have the time to learn how to cook exquisite meals every night, no one is blaming you. Luckily, this slow cooker beef stroganoff takes only a few minutes to prepare and then you can just leave it sitting until you're ready to eat later.

For the Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

While tamales can be traced back to 7000 B.C., slow cookers cannot. This slow cooker tamale pie draws on the flavors of this classic Mexican dish though, and it doesn't take long to make.

For the Slow Cooker Tamale Pie recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

If you love Louisiana Cajun and Creole recipes, then this slow cooker Cajun jambalaya is a must-try. Keep in mind that it does require more than a few ingredients, so this is best made in an apartment rather than a dorm room.

For the Slow Cooker Cajun Jambalaya recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Seasonal Cravings

There are probably a handful of Mexican dishes you've never heard of, but Mexican chicken soup is most likely not one of them. While it does take a while to cook, the ingredients are straightforward.

For the Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Seasonal Cravings

For this slow cooker balsamic pork, you will need an oven, so unless you use the community kitchen in your residence hall, this meal is best made in your apartment.

For the Slow Cooker Balsamic Pork recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Seasonal Cravings

That's right, this slow cooker beef brisket calls for only two ingredients. If home-cooked, easy recipes are what you're living by this semester, here are some recipes you can make using biscuit mix.

For the Two-Ingredient Slow Cooker Beef Brisket recipe, click here.

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