33 Holiday Slow Cooker Recipes to Feed a Crowd

The holidays are busy for everyone. If you're having guests over, one way to save time and effort is to utilize your slow cooker as much as possible. Most crock pot recipes are make-ahead, or can be kept hot and ready to eat for hours while your guests are watching football, Thanksgiving parades, or waiting for dinner to be served. These dip, appetizer, slider and snack recipes are simple to make and will feed the whole gang during your holiday parties. (But watch out for these Deep-Fried Disasters and Other Thanksgiving Mistakes to Avoid.)

Spinach dip is one of those party foods that will always be gone at the end of the day. This recipe uses frozen chopped spinach to keep it simple, and includes bacon for something different. If you'd rather keep it vegetarian, just leave the bacon out, and add some chopped artichoke hearts instead. Diced red bell pepper or pimentos would make this a fun green and red combo for Christmas.

Recipe: The Frugal Girls

For daytime get-togethers or brunches, did you know you could put monkey bread in a slow cooker? The simple recipe is pretty much the same as the classic: canned biscuit dough, butter, sugar and cinnamon. Instead of going in a pan, they go into a crockpot and come out gooey and delicious.

Recipe: Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt

Nut mixes are great for snacking, but the holidays call for something a little more special than just picking up a jar at the store. This curried version uses cashews and almonds and coats them with a sweet and spicy mix of curry powder, cumin, and cayenne. It'll make your house smell amazing as they're cooking, too.

Recipe: Wendy Polisi

When it's cold out and you're entertaining, a hot drink makes everyone feel cozy and welcomed. This hot toddy recipe is super simple, and chances are you already have all the ingredients on hand. The lemon slices and nutmeg are fragrant with the whisky. Keep it in the slow cooker all day if you want.

Recipe: Alton Brown

It is very hard to resist eating hot and tangy buffalo chicken dip, especially if you're watching football. Some versions of the recipe are pretty involved, but this recipe uses pre-cooked shredded chicken along with just five other ingredients. Mix it all up in the slow cooker, turn it on, and you're done.

Recipe: A Kitchen Addiction

It's easy enough to hold sloppy joes made with canned sauce in a crock pot, but with a little more effort, you can make the sauce from scratch for something really special. The base of this recipe is ketchup and chili sauce, plus bell pepper, onion, garlic and seasonings. The longer you let it simmer, the better it gets. Serve it with full-size or mini rolls.

Recipe: Spend with Pennies

For another dip recipe that brings the heat, try jalapeno popper dip. It's super easy, you just mix cream cheese, mayo, canned chopped green chiles, cheese and pickled jalapenos in a slow cooker and turn it on until it's hot and bubbly. Use crackers, chips or vegetables for dipping.

Recipe: Flour on My Face

Everyone loves seeing a slow cooker of mini weenies, but this recipe for barbecue sausage bites takes them beyond anything you've had before. The mini smoked sausages are mixed with sliced bratwurst and smoked kielbasa for an assortment of meats. They're cooked in a fruity, sweet, and tangy sauce thanks to barbecue, orange marmalade, and pineapple.

Recipe: Taste of Home

Sweet snacks are always welcome around the holidays. This dip tastes just like a freshly baked pumpkin pie, and it'll smell like it as it's warming in the crock pot, too. It's uncomplicated with just four ingredients, and the walnuts are even optional. Serve it with pretzels, Nilla wafers, or gingersnap cookies.

Recipe: A Year of Slow Cooking

This retro classic is back in style. Though you make the meatballs from scratch in this version, you cook them right in the crock pot, so there are very few dishes to wash. Beef broth and drippings from the meatballs get turned into the creamy sauce, and don't leave out the optional lingonberry or red currant jam because it adds a little tart sweetness.

Recipe: Food Network

Mini sandwiches are a hearty option for holiday parties. These sandwiches combine two holiday ingredients, turkey and cranberries, into a unique barbecue-inspired dish. The sauce is homemade, but only takes a few minutes since you just plop everything in a blender. Then you cook turkey thighs in the cranberry barbecue sauce until they're falling apart. Serve it right from the crock pot and let guests make their own sandwiches.

Recipe: Food Network

Reuben lovers probably don't expect to find their favorite sandwich at a party, but they'd love this Reuben dip. It's just five ingredients, including corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese, that are blended together and heated together in a crock pot. Serve it with rye crisps or toast for dipping.

Recipe: Julie's Eats and Treats

Italian sausages make great sandwiches, especially when they're slow cooked with bell peppers, onions, and marinara sauce. Cut the sausages in half or thirds before cooking for smaller sandwiches.

Recipe: All Recipes

Not only does this hot drink recipe include apple cider, but cranberry juice and orange juice, too, for a more refreshing combination. Cinnamon sticks, allspice, and cloves give it an unmistakable holiday flavor.

Recipe: Taste of Home

You know those spiced nut vendors that smell so good at fairs? Your house will smell like that when you make these cinnamon sugar candied almonds. Just mix the nuts in an eggwhite and vanilla mixture, then add in sugar and cinnamon. Cook them for a few hours in the slow cooker — that's when your house will smell amazing — and they come out as an irresistible party snack.

Recipe: Persnickety Plates

A sweet variation on Chex Mix, this version uses cinnamon Chex, plus brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger, and more cinnamon to form a sweet and spiced coating on the cereal. Pecans and chopped dried apples make it even more unique.

Recipe: Crock-Pot Ladies

Did you ever think of keeping hot dogs warm in a slow cooker? Most people don't, but it's a great trick. If you have lots of people coming over, you can keep as many dogs hot as can fit standing up in your slow cooker, and that's probably dozens. Put out a toppings bar with things like pickle spears, cream cheese, and spicy ketchup, and let guests go to town.

Recipe: Delish

The classic, easy party meatball recipe includes chili sauce and a sweet ingredient, like jelly. This one uses jellied cranberry sauce along with red pepper jelly for some heat. The result is a sweet, hot and tangy sauce with a beautiful red hue that clings to the cocktail meatballs.

Recipe: Spicy Southern Kitchen

This dip is a staple at parties, and with this version, you don't even have to get a pan dirty. The pork sausage cooks right in the crock pot first, then you add the Velveeta and Rotel and let it all melt together. It's hard to find a better crowd pleaser with only three ingredients.

Recipe: 365 Days of Crockpot

Chicken wings are always a hit, but frying them can make a huge mess and can be a real hassle. These crock-pot chicken wings are coated in an Asian-inspired sauce with soy, ginger, green onions, and honey. You won't get crispy chicken skin in a slow cooker, but you will get meat that's fall-off-the-bone tender.

Recipe: The Spruce Eats

This crab and artichoke recipe is great for families that enjoy seafood around the holidays. A full pound of sweet lump crab meat is mixed with cream cheese, artichokes, and seasonings including Old Bay and worcestershire sauce. Serve it with hearty dippers that will stand up to the weight of the dip, like baguette toasts or pita chips.

Recipe: The Blond Cook

Change up your holiday turkey game by serving it with the Japanese-inspired flavors of teriyaki. Turkey breast is simmered in a crock pot with a sauce made from soy, brown sugar, cider vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Shred it once it's falling apart, and thicken the sauce to serve on party rolls.

Recipe: Taste of Home

While the traditional Chex Mix recipe includes only the cereal and pretzels, this one adds mixed nuts and cheese crackers for even more variety. You pour everything into the crock pot, then stir in melted butter, plenty of Worcestershire and seasonings. The dry ingredients soak up all that flavor and turn into a savory party snack.

Recipe: Don't Sweat the Recipe

Fruit dips are often overlooked, but this hot butterscotch dip is one you'll want to have for every football watching party. It's super easy to throw together, with evaporated milk and butterscotch chips melted together. Rum extract really enhances the flavor, but if you don't have that, a splash of actual rum would be delicious too.

Recipe: Gooseberry Patch

For a hot drink that kids and adults will love, make this peppermint hot chocolate. You mix the ingredients right in the slow cooker, so there are no extra dishes, and then just turn it on. Once it's hot, melt some extra dark chocolate into it for even more richness. A splash of peppermint schnapps for the grown-ups can't hurt.

Recipe: Food Network

Pulled pork sandwiches are always a party hit, plus they're cheap and easy to make. Try this recipe next time that includes a can of root beer in the braising liquid, along with onion soup mix. The root beer and pork drippings are combined with your favorite barbecue sauce for serving, giving it an extra sweet twist.

Recipe: Recipe Girl

You might get a little sick of holiday spices and heavy meals in winter, so shake things up with this fresh, creamy salsa verde corn dip. It starts with a jar of store-bought salsa verde, along with a bag of frozen corn, garlic, cumin, and lots of cheese. Bright cherry tomatoes and cilantro added at the end are a festive and fresh touch.

Recipe: Melanie Makes

Though this recipe will take a little bit of time to put together, there are only three ingredients so it couldn't be much easier. Bacon strips are wrapped around mini smoked sausages, placed in a slow cooker, and then topped with brown sugar for a sweet, sticky glaze. If the bacon isn't staying in place, use small toothpicks.

Recipe: Chasing Saturdays

No one can get enough snacks with buffalo sauce, including these buffalo chicken meatballs. The sauce they cook in is just bottled buffalo sauce, so you'll have plenty of time to make the simple chicken meatballs. Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.

Recipe: Damn Delicious

Make-your-own tacos are a great, easy, and filling addition to a holiday party spread. These shredded beef tacos include canned cranberry sauce and chipotle chiles for a festive sweet and spicy touch. Once you shred the beef, you can serve it right out of the crock pot with tortillas and any toppings you want.

Recipe: Better Homes & Gardens

This simple slow cooker pulled-pork recipe gets a hefty hit of bourbon. Just add all the ingredients to the crock pot, including ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire, and it makes a delicious barbecue sauce as it cooks. It would be great served on sweet Hawaiian rolls.

Recipe: Lemons for Lulu

Chili is great for cold weather and watching football, but it's pretty heavy for a party with lots of other snacks. Try this lighter chili version made with chicken breasts, white beans and canned green chiles. Unlike beef chili, you don't even have to brown anything before you add it to the crock pot, so it's super fast and easy.

Recipe: Delish

Pizza is always good, including in dip form. This cheesy pizza fondue uses all the ingredients of a good pizza — pizza sauce, mozzarella, and oregano — and mixes it with ground beef to make it extra hearty. Dip items like breadsticks, garlic toast, fresh bell pepper and mushroom slices into the cheesy mixture.

Recipe: Taste of Home

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