Cozy Up With Fall’s Best Slow-Cooked Dishes
As the days turn crisp and the evenings stretch long, the pace slows, and so should dinner. It’s the season for cozy flavors that only get better with time, like rich, slow-cooked barbacoa, perfect for tacos, bowls, burritos, and more.
It’s also slow-cooker season. With its prolonged cooking process, the slow cooker works wonders in intensifying the flavors of ingredients. As they simmer for hours, they release their intrinsic flavors and juices, which mingle and marry, creating layers of depth and richness. Aromatics become more pronounced, meats turn succulent, and sauces and broths develop complexity that’s hard to achieve through quicker cooking methods. The result is a dish where every delicious bite is a nod to the slow cooker’s convenience and versatility.
Here are some slow cooker recipes that are outstanding for October:
Few things capture the feeling of a chilly day quite like our Slow Cooker Beef Stew bubbling away. It’s a nostalgic classic—tender beef, soft vegetables, and the kind of savory aroma that makes everyone hover near the kitchen. One bite, and it feels like fall has officially settled in.
Simply Recipes’ Slow Cooker Cider Pulled Pork is a great meal choice for Sunday supper. Boneless pork shoulder gets infused with the sweetness of apple cider and a fall-inspired rub made with pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, chili powder, dry mustard, and more. This succulent pulled pork delivers in taste and texture. Once you shred the pork, toss it with sauce, pile it onto buttered, toasted buns, top with pickles, onions, and extra sauce, and dig in!
Barbacoa brings a bit of smoky intrigue to the season’s cozy lineup. Hours of gentle cooking transform the beef into something deeply flavorful and impossibly tender, ready to be piled into tortillas or over rice. Try this Barbacoa (Slow Cooker) recipe from Downshiftology.
This Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup (Easy + Comforting) from Five Heart Home is soup with substance—earthy, velvety, and quietly filling. It’s humble, yes, but it never fails to disappoint. Served with crusty bread, this soup is a nutritious, delicious dish. Make extra and freeze for later!
If you loved canned minestrone when you were young, you’ll love making this Homemade Minestrone Soup (Slow Cooker) from Little Spice Jar. With its rich medley of vegetables and hearty broth, minestrone evokes memories of cozy family meals from days gone by. Each spoonful is a comforting embrace.
Another must-make soup in October is Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup from Well Plated by Erin. Made from scratch with wholesome ingredients, it’s the perfect remedy for chilly weather and the onset of the common cold. The warm broth, tender chicken, and hearty noodles provide comfort and help bolster the immune system.
Cooler weather sparks the joy of fall foods, and homemade apple butter embodies the season perfectly, making it a fantastic food gift to share with family and friends. Spread some autumn cheer by making My Baking Addiction’s Slow Cooker Apple Butter, then jar it up and share it with friends! There’s nothing like the unique deliciousness of apple butter on toast.
This October, let the season simmer with easy, unhurried dishes that reward you with rich flavor and a little extra calm.
