A crockpot meal plan takes the two hardest parts of dinner off your plate: deciding what to make and finding time to make it. This one covers four full weeks of fall and winter dinners using all 26 slow cooker recipes on Sip Savor Mix, each one tested in a real home kitchen.
The plan is built around how weeks actually go. Sundays get the big braises that need a little stovetop work or a long cook. Weeknights get recipes you can load in 15 minutes or start after lunch. Big batch recipes land on Saturdays so the leftovers carry into the next week, and weeks 3 and 4 each include a leftovers night so nothing goes to waste.
Every day lists the real total time and hands on prep from the recipe card, plus how many people it serves. Each week also has a shopping note built from the ingredients the recipes genuinely share, so one trip to the store covers more of the week.
How this crockpot meal plan works
Follow it in order or start with any week. The weeks are independent, and the only carryover is optional leftovers. If a night does not suit your schedule, swap it with another night in the same week. Most families will find that the short cook recipes, like honey garlic chicken or Tuscan chicken, fit the busiest days.
All of the recipes were tested in a 6 quart oval crockpot. They serve 6 to 10 people, so a family of four will have leftovers most nights. Pack them for lunches, freeze them in labeled bags or plan a leftovers night of your own.
A few rules apply to every dinner in the plan. Put meat in fully thawed, never frozen. Keep the lid on until the recipe says to check, since every peek adds 15 to 20 minutes. And reheat leftovers to 165°F.
Week 1: Classic comfort
The first week eases in with the dinners most families already love. It opens with a Sunday pot roast, moves through two chicken nights and a takeout style beef night, and ends with a big batch of pulled pork that feeds you well into week 2.
Shop smart this week: Six of the seven recipes start with a yellow onion and every one uses garlic, so buy a 3 pound bag of onions and two heads of garlic. The chicken noodle soup, chicken tacos and white chicken chili all use chicken thighs, so one family pack covers three dinners. The tacos and white chili also share cumin, chili powder and oregano.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Root Vegetables
Start the month with the dinner that makes the house smell like a holiday. Sunday is the right day for it because the chuck roast gets a quick sear before it goes in, and you have the time. Carrots, potatoes and parsnips cook underneath in the juices, so the sides are built in. Save any leftover beef for sandwiches on Monday.
Week 1, Sunday | Total: about 8 hours 35 minutes | Prep: 25 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Root Vegetables recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Monday gets the gentlest dinner of the week. Bone in thighs, carrots, celery and herbs go in raw in about 15 minutes, and the noodles go in at the end on HIGH. It makes 8 servings, so pack the extra in single portions for lunches.
Week 1, Monday | Total: about 7 hours 15 minutes | Prep: 15 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Taco Tuesday, crockpot style. The chicken cooks in salsa, lime and a homemade seasoning blend, then shreds right in the juices. At just over 5 hours total, it works even if you start it at lunchtime. Set out tortillas, cheese, avocado and whatever toppings are in the fridge.
Week 1, Tuesday | Total: about 5 hours 10 minutes | Prep: 10 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
Midweek needs a break from the usual, and this takeout style dinner delivers. Thin strips of chuck roast simmer in a garlic ginger soy sauce, and the broccoli goes in for the last 20 minutes so it stays crisp. Put a pot of rice on while the broccoli cooks.
Week 1, Wednesday | Total: about 5 hours 20 minutes | Prep: 20 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Thursday uses the rest of the chicken thighs and the same cumin and oregano from the taco night, so there is nothing new to buy. Cream cheese and lime at the end make it creamy and bright. It serves 8, which leaves a container for the freezer.
Week 1, Thursday | Total: about 6 hours 45 minutes | Prep: 15 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara
Friday feels like a treat with homemade meatballs in marinara. The meatballs bake for 12 minutes before they go in. Mix and shape them the night before and keep them raw in the fridge, then bake them while you make the sauce in the morning. Serve them over spaghetti or in toasted rolls with mozzarella.
Week 1, Friday | Total: about 5 hours 5 minutes | Prep: 35 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Saturday is for the big batch. A 5 pound pork shoulder feeds 10, which covers dinner tonight, sandwiches for lunch and a bag in the freezer for a busy night later in the month. Rub it Friday night and it goes in the pot in two minutes.
Week 1, Saturday | Total: about 9 hours 15 minutes | Prep: 15 minutes | Serves: 10
Get the full Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe with the printable card
Week 2: Soups and sandwiches
Week 2 leans into the coziest combination there is. Two hearty soups, a French dip night and a pot of beef chili carry you through the colder evenings, with a sweet and sticky chicken dinner and an easy one pot chicken and rice in between.
Shop smart this week: Garlic shows up in all seven dinners and onions in six, so restock both. Thyme and bay leaves appear in three recipes, and so do butter and chicken broth, so a large carton of broth and one jar of dried thyme cover the week. If you froze pulled pork last week, it makes a great Saturday lunch.
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
Sunday starts the week with melty, shreddable beef on toasted rolls. The roast cooks all day in beef broth, onions and Worcestershire, and the strained liquid becomes the au jus for dipping. Leftover beef keeps for 4 days and makes excellent quesadillas.
Week 2, Sunday | Total: about 8 hours 50 minutes | Prep: 20 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham
Split pea soup is the cheapest dinner of the month and one of the easiest. Dried peas, a ham bone or smoked hocks and chopped vegetables go in with no soaking. It thickens a lot as it cools, so thin leftovers with broth when you reheat them.
Week 2, Monday | Total: about 8 hours 45 minutes | Prep: 15 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
The fastest dinner of week 2 lands on Tuesday. Chicken thighs cook in honey, soy sauce and garlic for under 4 hours, then a cornstarch slurry turns the sauce into a glaze. Start it after lunch if you work from home, or on HIGH after school pickup.
Week 2, Tuesday | Total: about 3 hours 40 minutes | Prep: 10 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup
Wednesday is baked potato soup night. The potatoes cook soft in broth, half get mashed in the pot, and sour cream, cheddar and butter finish it. Cook the bacon topping the night before so dinner is just ladle and top.
Week 2, Wednesday | Total: about 7 hours 55 minutes | Prep: 15 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Thursday is a true one pot night. Chicken thighs and vegetables cook in thyme and broth, then the rice goes in for the final hour on HIGH. You use the same thyme and broth from Monday and Sunday, so there is almost nothing extra to shop for.
Week 2, Thursday | Total: about 5 hours 15 minutes | Prep: 15 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
End the work week with something you can eat with your hands. Italian sausage, a pile of peppers and onions and a garlicky tomato sauce cook all afternoon. Pile it onto hoagie rolls, or serve it over pasta for a sit down dinner.
Week 2, Friday | Total: about 5 hours 45 minutes | Prep: 15 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Beef Chili
Saturday means a pot of chili for game day or a cold night in. Ground beef, two kinds of beans, toasted spices and a little cocoa make it rich. It feeds 8, freezes for 3 months and is even better on day two.
Week 2, Saturday | Total: about 7 hours 40 minutes | Prep: 20 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Slow Cooker Beef Chili recipe with the printable card
Week 3: Around the world
By week 3 it is time for new flavors. French, Indian, Italian and Mexican inspired dinners all come out of the same crockpot, and a silky squash soup gives you a meatless night. Friday is a leftovers night so the fridge gets cleared before the weekend.
Shop smart this week: Tomato paste and diced tomatoes each show up in three recipes, so buy the paste in a tube and keep two cans of tomatoes on hand. Limes and cilantro are shared by three dinners too. Onion and garlic are in almost everything again.
Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
The most special dinner of the month belongs on a Sunday. Bacon, red wine, mushrooms and pearl onions turn chuck roast into a French style stew. About 35 minutes of stovetop work comes first, then the crockpot takes over. Serve it with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
Week 3, Sunday | Total: about 9 hours 5 minutes | Prep: 35 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
Monday is meatless and easy. Cubed squash, apple, onion and sage go in raw, and an immersion blender turns them silky at the end. Buy pre cut squash to bring the prep down to about 10 minutes. It freezes beautifully without the cream.
Week 3, Monday | Total: about 6 hours 20 minutes | Prep: 20 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
Tuesday brings a mild, creamy coconut curry with chicken thighs, potatoes and peas. Toasting the spices with the onion for a few minutes first is what gives it depth. Make a pot of basmati rice or warm some naan and dinner is done.
Week 3, Tuesday | Total: about 5 hours 50 minutes | Prep: 20 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Chicken Curry recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna
Wednesday is lasagna without the work. Frozen cheese ravioli stand in for noodles and layer with sausage marinara, ricotta and mozzarella. It cooks in about 4 hours, so start it at lunchtime. Let it rest 15 minutes before serving so the layers hold together.
Week 3, Wednesday | Total: about 4 hours 15 minutes | Prep: 20 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Thursday is a lighter chili made with ground turkey, two kinds of beans and fire roasted tomatoes. It shares the diced tomatoes and cumin from earlier in the week. Top it with lime and cilantro, which you already bought for the weekend carnitas.
Week 3, Thursday | Total: about 7 hours 20 minutes | Prep: 20 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Slow Cooker Turkey Chili recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Friday is leftovers night, and Saturday is carnitas. Pork shoulder braises with orange, lime, cumin and oregano until it shreds, then broils for crispy edges. It feeds 10, so freeze a bag for burrito bowls in week 4.
Week 3, Saturday | Total: about 9 hours 35 minutes | Prep: 15 minutes | Serves: 10
Get the full Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas recipe with the printable card
Week 4: Crowd favorites
The last week saves the most requested recipes for the finish. The famous Mississippi pot roast, a creamy Tuscan chicken and old fashioned chicken and dumplings are all here, along with a smoky tortilla soup and a hearty vegetarian chili. Friday is another leftovers night.
Shop smart this week: Three dinners use chicken thighs again, so one family pack covers most of the week. Smoked paprika and oregano each appear in three recipes, and so does chicken broth. The Mississippi pot roast needs one packet each of ranch seasoning and au jus mix, so grab those on the first trip.
Mississippi Pot Roast
Week 4 opens with the easiest roast there is. A chuck roast, ranch seasoning, au jus mix, a stick of butter and a few pepperoncini, and nothing else. Prep takes about 5 minutes. Leftover beef on Monday makes outstanding sliders.
Week 4, Sunday | Total: about 9 hours 5 minutes | Prep: 5 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Mississippi Pot Roast recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Monday is a smoky, brothy soup with chipotle, black beans and corn. Everything but the beans and corn goes in raw in the morning. Crush tortilla chips on top if you do not want to bake the strips, and set out avocado and lime.
Week 4, Monday | Total: about 6 hours 55 minutes | Prep: 15 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Tuesday gets a restaurant style dinner in about 4 hours. Chicken cooks with garlic and sun dried tomatoes, then cream cheese, cream, Parmesan and spinach turn the juices into a rich sauce. Serve it over pasta or mashed potatoes.
Week 4, Tuesday | Total: about 4 hours | Prep: 10 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
Midweek goes meatless with a three bean chili built on sweet potato and fire roasted tomatoes. Blooming the spices in a little oil first is the one extra step, and it is worth it. Nobody at the table will miss the meat.
Week 4, Wednesday | Total: about 7 hours 20 minutes | Prep: 20 minutes | Serves: 8
Get the full Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Thursday is a rustic Italian braise with bone in thighs, peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes. The thighs get a quick sear first, so slice the peppers and onions the night before to keep the morning short. Spoon it over polenta or pasta to catch the sauce.
Week 4, Thursday | Total: about 6 hours | Prep: 30 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore recipe with the printable card
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Friday is leftovers or that bag of carnitas from the freezer, and Saturday closes the month with chicken and dumplings. The chicken and vegetables simmer all day, and a simple dough of flour, butter and milk steams on top in the last hour. It is the coziest possible finish.
Week 4, Saturday | Total: about 7 hours 50 minutes | Prep: 20 minutes | Serves: 6
Get the full Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings recipe with the printable card
How to make the month even easier
Do a 30 minute prep session on Sunday afternoon. Chop the onions, carrots and celery for the first half of the week, mix any spice rubs and store everything in labeled containers. Weeknight mornings then take five minutes.
Freeze with a plan. The chilis, pulled pork, carnitas, split pea soup, butternut squash soup and meatballs in marinara all freeze well for up to 3 months. Freeze flat in zip top bags, label them with the date and thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.
Keep a few backups in the pantry. Canned beans, crushed tomatoes, broth, rice and pasta mean you can always build a dinner if a night goes sideways. The fall pantry guide lists exactly what to stock.
Want more ways to use these recipes? The dump and go crockpot dinners list shows which ones need no precooking at all, the easy crockpot recipes list sorts them by when to start the cooker, and the two week fall meal plan mixes in stovetop and oven dinners.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a month of crockpot dinners cost?
It depends on your store and region, but slow cooker meals are among the most affordable dinners you can make because they rely on inexpensive cuts like chuck roast, pork shoulder and chicken thighs, plus dried peas, beans and potatoes. Buying family packs of chicken thighs and sharing ingredients across each week keeps the total down.
Can I follow this crockpot meal plan with a smaller slow cooker?
The recipes were tested in a 6 quart cooker. A 5 or 7 quart model works for all of them. For a 4 quart cooker, halve the recipes, which also suits a household of two. The cooker should be half to two thirds full for even cooking.
What if my family does not like one of the recipes?
Swap it for any other slow cooker recipe on the site with a similar cook time. The easy crockpot recipes list groups every recipe by how long it takes, so you can find a replacement that fits the same day.
Can I leave the crockpot on while I am at work?
Yes. Slow cookers are designed to run unattended on LOW. Set it on a clear, flat counter away from the wall and make sure the lid sits properly. Many models switch to WARM automatically when the cook time ends, which holds food safely for a couple of hours.
How do I keep leftovers safe through the week?
Cool leftovers and refrigerate them within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. Eat them within 4 days or freeze them. Reheat everything to 165°F, and never leave cooked food sitting in the crockpot on WARM overnight.
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