Looking for crockpot dinner recipes that give you something different to put on the menu? Think pot roast with potatoes, cheesy pasta or shredded beef tucked into tacos.
These dinner ideas have plenty to choose from, whether you’re in the mood for a bowl of soup or something piled onto a sandwich.
Keep the sides simple or bring out a few extra toppings. Below is photo inspiration for your next meal, rather than full recipes with ingredient amounts and cooking times.
Slow cooker dinner ideas worth saving
pot roast and little potatoes
We’re starting off strong with this gorgeous pot roast surrounded by little potatoes and onion wedges. I love how the dark sauce coats everything, right down to the pieces pulling away from the roast.
I’d serve the potatoes alongside a portion of beef with some of that sauce spooned over both.
chicken soup with colorful toppings
If you love a soup with plenty going on, this one is for you. Shredded chicken, corn and dark beans fill the orange broth, with shredded cheese and a white dollop on top.
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The cilantro is such a pretty finishing touch. For your own bowl, you could add crushed tortilla chips just before serving.
chunky beef and vegetable stew
How good does this beef stew look? The big carrot pieces, whole little potatoes and green peas make this a bowl worth saving for dinner inspiration.
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There’s plenty of brown sauce between the beef and vegetables. I’d put a slice of bread on the side for that.
pulled pork with a sauce drizzle
This pulled pork may just be one of my favorites here. I love the dark edges next to the lighter strands of meat, plus that reddish sauce drizzled across the top.
Try serving yours in rolls with slaw if you want to turn this idea into sandwich night.
chili with kidney beans
Don’t want a dinner that needs lots of extras? This chili is a good one to consider.
There are kidney beans, crumbled meat and pieces of tomato throughout the pot.
You could keep your bowl plain or set out shredded cheese and chopped green onions for toppings.
chicken with greens and tomatoes
I am obsessed with the colors in this chicken dish. The dark leafy greens and red tomato pieces look so pretty against the pale golden sauce.
For a serving idea, pair it with plain pasta and spoon some of the sauce over the noodles.
cheesy pasta layers
Calling all cheese fans, this one is worth a look! The lifted portion shows pasta layered with red sauce and a pale filling, with melted cheese across the top.
Read also: 20 Comfort Food Recipes to Inspire Your Next Cozy Meal
I’d keep the side simple with a green salad. There’s already plenty happening in that scoop.
golden chicken over rice
If chicken and rice is your kind of dinner, save this one. Golden-brown chicken pieces sit over rice dotted with celery and onion.
The browned tops are what caught my eye. Use a tested recipe for the cooking and browning steps rather than expecting the photo to tell the whole story.
saucy meatballs and green peppers
These meatballs look so good with that glossy brown sauce. The whole green peppers tucked between them give you a different idea from the usual red-sauce pairing.
I’d serve a version like this over mashed potatoes so there’s somewhere for the extra sauce to go.
potato soup with loaded toppings
The toppings are my favorite part of this potato soup. There’s shredded orange cheese, little bacon pieces and sliced green onions scattered over the pale soup.
Read also: 20 Casserole Ideas With Cheesy Tops, Golden Crusts and More
If you want to follow this serving idea, save a few toppings for each individual bowl rather than mixing everything into the pot.
honey garlic chicken
Looking for another way to put chicken on the menu? This honey garlic chicken has a dark, glossy sauce around the larger pieces and smaller shreds.
Try serving it with rice and a side of broccoli. I’d leave room on the plate for a little extra sauce.
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shredded chicken with sesame seeds
I love this shredded chicken with the green onion rings and tiny sesame seeds. The reddish-brown sauce coats the strands right up to the forkful.
For something different from a rice bowl, you could serve your chicken in lettuce cups with sliced cucumber.
beef tacos with pink onions
How pretty are these taco toppings? The pink onion strips and crumbled white cheese stand out against the shredded beef.
Pile your beef onto tortillas, then follow this topping combination if it appeals to you. Don’t forget lime wedges on the side like the ones shown here.
ham and mixed bean soup
This is another soup to save if you like a bowl with lots of different pieces. Pink ham, mixed beans and orange carrot chunks fill the spoon.
I especially like the mix of bean colors here. A piece of cornbread would be my choice to serve alongside it.
mac and cheese with chives
Who doesn’t love a big scoop of mac and cheese? These curved noodles are covered in pale golden cheese sauce, with chopped chives and black specks across the top.
You don’t need an elaborate garnish to follow this idea. The little green pieces are enough.
glazed meat and sliced onions
If you’re looking for something generously covered in sauce, then this one is for you. Large pieces of meat sit among curved onion slices, with strands showing where the front pieces have pulled apart.
I’d pair a dish like this with slaw or a simple baked potato.
beef sandwiches for dipping
This sandwich may just be my favorite serving idea on the list. The shredded beef and melted pale cheese spill out from the square roll, right above a bowl of brown dipping liquid.
Serve your own version with a small dipping bowl on each plate. That’s the detail I’d definitely keep.
pepper and rice soup
Want a soup with more than broth in every spoonful? This one has rice, crumbled meat and red, yellow and green pepper pieces throughout the reddish base.
I love all those colors together. You could add a little shredded cheese to your bowl if you want an extra topping.
butter chicken and white rice
This butter chicken looks so inviting beside the white rice. The orange sauce fills half the bowl, with little white swirls and chopped herbs on top.
Try the same side-by-side arrangement when you serve yours. I’d add naan on the side for scooping up the sauce.
sweet potato and bean chili
Last but definitely not least, we have this colorful chili-style dinner. Orange sweet potato chunks sit among dark beans and crumbled meat, with melted cheese in the middle.
I love the generous scattering of green onions! Keep those as a topping if you want to follow this serving idea.