A slow cooker roaster is a magical cooking appliance that lets you toss in a bunch of ingredients, turn the knob, and leave the room. After a few hours, you come back to a delicious, ready-to-eat-meal. With one-step preparation, you can easily plan a meal when hosting the next tailgate or football watching party. Here’s a few slow cooker recipes to choose from as you start the tailgate party planning!
Slow Cooker Bourbon Meatballs
"A far cry and step up from the usual tomatoey meatballs, this recipe has been honed through dozens of very appreciative tailgates and parties, says Heather. Plus they require zero attention as they sit out in their crock pot being devoured throughout the game."
25–30 frozen meatballs, 15 ounce-size (about half the bag of meatballs)
½ cup good bourbon
½ cup honey
½ cup ketchup
¾ cup brown sugar
dash lemon juice
Spray the interior of a 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place the frozen meatballs in the bottom. Mix together the remaining ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Pour over the frozen meatballs. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Meatballs can stay in the slow cooker on a warm setting for 3–4 hours after the first hour of cooking.
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
"Sweet and tangy family-style BBQ pork. Start with a boneless shoulder roast or substitute a boneless loin roast for a lower fat BBQ. Perfect for the next tailgate or football watching party. Easy recipe to prepare the day before, then heat and serve on gameday!"
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed
1 package McCormick® Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
Place pork in slow cooker. Mix seasoning package, ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar until blended. Pour over pork and cover. Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove pork from slow cooker. Shred pork and return to slow cooker. Mix and heat with sauce before serving. Serve on sandwich rolls or slider buns.
Beef Burgundy Stew
"This hearty stew is perfect for your next gathering! We found that Burgundy best enhanced the flavor of this stew. If you don’t have any on hand, other dry red wines will do. This classic recipe is also known as Beef Bourguignon."
6 bacon slices, chopped
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 (16-oz.) package frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms, quartered
6 small red potatoes, quartered
2 large carrots, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
1 (14-oz.) can beef broth
1 cup Burgundy, dry red wine or beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving drippings in pan. Set bacon aside.
Brown beef in batches in reserved bacon drippings until browned on all sides.
Combine bacon, beef, onions and next 10 ingredients in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 7 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.
Whisk together cornstarch and water. Stir into stew. Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour or until slightly thickened. Serve.
Slow Cooker Cajun Jambalaya
"Jazz up dinner for your family and try something different using a slow cooker. This spicy New Orleans favorite of rice cooked with sausage, chicken and shrimp will also be a hit at the next tailgate or football watching party!"
1 pound lean turkey sausage (or sausage of your choice), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bell peppers, coarsely chopped
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 cup sliced celery
2 pounds chicken thighs, skin removed
1 package McCormick® Slow Cookers Savory Pot Roast Seasoning
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Red Pepper, Ground
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups instant rice
Place sausage, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and celery in slow cooker. Top with chicken.
Mix seasoning, water and red pepper until blended. Pour over chicken. Cover and Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH.
Gently stir in shrimp and rice. Cover and Cook 15 to 20 minutes longer on HIGH or until shrimp turn pink and rice is tender.
Triple Chocolate-Covered Peanut Clusters
"Satisfy your craving for sweet-and-savory treats with this super easy candy recipe. Make ahead and freeze It. Clusters may be frozen up to one month."
1 16-oz. jar dry-roasted peanuts
1 16-oz. jar unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
18 2-oz. chocolate bark coating squares, cut in half
2 cups (12-oz. package) semisweet chocolate morsels
1 4-oz. package German chocolate baking squares, broken into pieces
1 9.75-oz. can salted whole cashews
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine first 5 ingredients in a 31⁄2- or 4-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW 2 hours or until melted. Stir chocolate mixture. Add cashews and vanilla, stirring well to coat cashews.
Drop nut mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls onto wax paper. Let stand until firm. Store in an airtight container. Makes 5 pounds or about 60 clusters.
Slow Cooker Chili
"Everybody loves a great pot of chili, especially on a cold day. While you could spend time creating a batch on your stovetop, or grill, why not let your slow cooker do most of the work. Just toss in your favorite ingredients, go run some errands, and come home to a great dinner."
2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 package McCormick® Slow Cooker Chili Seasoning
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 16-ounce cans kidney beans, drained
1 15.5-ounce can tomato sauce
Toppings: Sour cream, chopped green onions, sliced fresh jalapeño, shredded sharp cheese, scoop-size Frito corn chips or chips of your choice
Brown ground beef or turkey in large skillet on medium-high heat. Drain fat. Place beef or turkey, seasoning, tomatoes, beans and tomato sauce in slow cooker. Stir well. Cover. Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Stir before serving. Serve with shredded cheese and other toppings that you choose.
Slow Cooker Triple Chocolate Brownies
"Who knew you could cook dessert in a slow cooker? This triple chocolate brownie recipe is sure to be a hit at the next tailgate or backyard BBQ party!"
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Lightly coat a 5-quart crock pot insert with cooking spray. Line the bottom and sides of the insert with parchment paper, then lightly spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and espresso powder.in a small bowl.
Place butter and chopped bittersweet chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave another 30 seconds and stir again. Continue microwaving in 30 second intervals until melted.
Add sugar to chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until flour is just moistened. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.
Pour into crock pot, smoothing out the top with a rubber spatula. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 hours. Uncover and continue to cook on LOW for another 30 minutes.
Remove crockpot insert, run a knife around the edges to loosen the brownies. Cool insert on a wire rack for about 2 hours. Remove the brownies from the slow cooker and cut into pieces.
Note: The middle may not look done but will firm up as the brownies cool.