20 Crock Pot Thanksgiving Recipes

These delicious crock pot Thanksgiving recipes make it easy to prepare the big meal before the big day so that you can enjoy your family and friends and not slave away in the kitchen!

Thanksgiving can be similar to planning a wedding. There’s so much planning and work that goes into wedding planning, and then its over in the blink of an eye. Very much like Thanksgiving. You clean the house, make multiple trips to the store (because inevitably you forgot something. Or is that just me?) and then the cooking marathon begins. Then everyone eats and it’s over (except for the cleanup… ugh!).

I don’t know about you, but I like the traditions surrounding the holidays and the opportunity to be with family, with a little football thrown in the mix. That’s why I love the idea of these fix and forget it slow cooker Thanksgiving recipes. The prep can be done before the family and friend time begins, then poof! It’s ready to eat! You can still enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving fare without trying to MacGyver how everything will fit in the oven and what goes in and comes out when (I have yet to master that).

So are you ready to rally the troops (or more specifically, their crock pots) and knock these Thanksgiving recipes out before the party gets started?! Oh, and check out these other Thanksgiving hacks if you’re hosting!

I recommend a large crock pot (like this one) if you’re cooking for a large group. The multi-cookers are great too… they have so many great functions to prepare so many kinds of meals with ease.

PRE-GAME (a.k.a Breakfast)

Usually in my family we eat in the late afternoon or early evening, so it’s nice to have breakfast to prevent a starvation based gorge-fest at dinner time! These recipes are perfect for popping in the slow cooker the night before and waking up to some fuel for the big day ahead.

Crock Pot Breakfast Scramble

Recipe and Photo by Damanda Lynn

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

Recipe and Photo by The Yummy Life

Slow Cooker Overnight Blueberry French Toast

Photo and Recipe by Happy Domesticity

Crock Pot Pumpkin Spiced Latté

Photo and Recipe by Thriving Home

THE MAIN EVENT (a.k.a. The Turkey!)

Easy Crock Pot Turkey

Turkey in the slow cooker?! Yeah, that’s what I said. But how delicious does this look?! And although the bird is the star of the Thanksgiving meal, it’s often the most problematic… its overcooked. It’s not cooked enough but everything else is ready, and you know where else this can go…

Recipe and Photo by Practical Stewardship

Crock Pot Swiss Steak

Although it’s not the traditional turkey main dish, this Crock Pot Swiss Steak is such a great recipe for a crowd and on top of mashed potatoes is an amazing comfort food meal!

Recipe at Lydi Out Loud

THE SIDES

A good side can steal the show!

Crock Pot Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

Stuffing is probably my favorite of all of the Thanksgiving recipes. I love this creative twist with cranberries and pecans.

Recipe and Photo by The Creative Bite

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Recipe and Photo by Creme De La Crumb

Ultra Creamy Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Recipe and Photo by Cook Crave Inspire

Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole

I recently heard that green bean casserole is more of a Midwest Thanksgiving tradition. I highly recommend it for anyone – no matter your region!

Recipe and Photo by The Magical Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

Recipe and Photo by Damn Delicious

Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes

Candied sweet potatoes is one of Ryan’s favorites Thanksgiving recipes that his mom made every year. The marshmallows are a must!

Recipe and Photo by Six Sisters Stuff

Slow Cooker Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash

Recipe and Photo by Recipe 4 Living

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe and Photo by Two Peas & Their Pod

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Recipe and Photo by Gimme Some Oven

THE HYDRATION

Because you need some liquid to wash down all of the food!

Crock Pot Mulled Apple Cider

Feel free to add some brandy or the spirit of your choice! 😉

Recipe and Photo by The Marvelous Misadventures of a Foodie

Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

Photo and Recipe by The View from Great Island

Crock Pot Cranberry Cider

Recipe and Photo by Kleinworth & Co.

THE SWEET ENDING

You will definitely want to save room for dessert with these scrumptious recipes!

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Dump Cake

Recipe and Photo by 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Crisp

Recipe and Photo by Eat at Home

Slow Cooker Skinny Pecan Pie

Photo and Recipe by Skinny Ms.

How excited are you at the thought of saving countless kitchen hours with these Thanksgiving recipes?! I know I am!