Believe It: 17 Thanksgiving Classics Made in a Slow Cooker

Your kitchen has limited real estate, and the price is high when holidays roll around. Every Thanksgiving, we hear the same complaint: There’s not enough space in the oven. And we concede that between roasting vegetables, baking pies, and cooking the hours-long turkey, it can seem nearly impossible for everything to arrive hot to the table, all at the same time. That’s why we’re introducing a new idea: the concept that you can cook your entire Thanksgiving meal in the slow cooker.

You heard us right—everything from a party mix to the turkey to the sweet pumpkin finish. So get inspired, grab a Crock-Pot (or 10), and give that oven a little breather already. We’ve rounded up the best Thanksgiving crock pot recipes we could find.

1. Stuffing

The Kitchen Is My Playground

If you’re of the stuff-the-turkey-itself persuasion, you won’t be doing this. But if you like to keep it separate, or you’re not cooking a whole turkey this year (just the turkey breast), this is a great way to have the stuff your oven with other dishes and your Crock-Pot with the stuffing. Get the recipe.

2. Collard Greens

Chowhound

Being a native of the South isn’t required to appreciate the deep flavor of collards, which you can flavor with ham hock or a turkey leg, which is quite convenient for this dinner, wouldn’t you say? You have to have some greens to balance out all the carbs and turkey. Get our Slow Cooker Collard Greens recipe.

3. Party Mix

Chowhound

Your guests have all arrived prepared and hungry, but you’re still adding the final touches to your 10-course meal. Tame the hungry revelers by serving them a holiday favorite, Chex party mix, to go along with their cocktails. Get our Slow Cooker Party Mix recipe.

4. Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup

Chowhound

Whet guests’ palates by starting off the big meal with a red pepper and butternut squash soup that’s light yet packs plenty of flavor and texture. Get our Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup recipe.

5. Turkey Breast with No-Fuss Gravy

Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

It’d be unrealistic to think a traditional whole roasted turkey could be made in a crock pot; most consumer slow cookers aren’t big enough to fit a whole bird. But you can use the slow cooker to braise bone-in turkey breast (then strain the braising liquid to create a fast and easy gravy). The result is impressively tender. Get Mel’s Kitchen Cafe recipe.

6. Slow Cooker Cinnamon Spice Pear-Applesauce

Get all those warming fall spices and fruits in this sauce that has no added sugar by Sarah Galla, the creator, recipe developer, writer, photographer behind The Nourished Seedling and a Chowhound contributor. Get our feature writer’s Slow Cooker Cinnamon Spice Pear-Applesauce recipe.

7. Slow Cooker Spiked Wassail

Chowhound

Wassail (from the Norse for “good health”) is an ancient drink for celebrating. It was originally ale or wine, sweetened and spiced, and often served warm. Here it gets an American makeover with cider and a bit of Calvados, warmed in the slow cooker. We think the ancient Norse would approve. Get our Slow Cooker Spiked Wassail recipe.

8. Slow Cooker Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Chowhound

If you’re not one yourself, knowing what to cook for vegetarians and vegans who show up at Thanksgiving is always a challenge. Here, a delicious quinoa salad seasoned with feta, scallions, and white beans is stuffed into sweet red peppers, then cooked slowly in the crockpot until luscious. It’s tasty and celebratory. Get our Slow Cooker Quinoa Stuffed Peppers recipe.

9. Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Damn Delicious

Here’s proof that you only need a crock pot and a hand-held mixer to make swoon-worthy mashed potatoes—no oven, potato masher, or extra bowls required. Get Damn Delicious’s Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe.

10. Green Bean Casserole

Even that old favorite, the green bean casserole with the crispy onions on top, can be made in a slow cooker insert. The key to success is building the sauce from scratch (no Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom here!), and to sprinkle the fried onions on at the end to preserve their crispiness. Get Center Cut Cook’s Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole recipe.

11. Dinner Rolls

BreadIn5

Zoë François, coauthor of the “Bread in Five Minutes a Day” series, has a superb method for making herbed dinner rolls that utilizes brioche dough and a slow cooker. Get BreadIn5’s Slow Cooker Dinner Rolls recipe.

12. Cranberry Sauce

Cooking fresh cranberries with softened, rehydrated dried cranberries in the crock pot gives this cranberry relish a memorable texture. Honey, cinnamon, apple, and orange zest add layers of dimension. Get Emily Bites’ Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce recipe.

13. Sweet Potato Casserole

I Wash… You Dry

This sweet potato casserole gracefully plays the dual role of side and dessert, thanks to its brown sugar, pecan, and butter topping. Get I Wash… You Dry’s Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.

Damn Delicious

Slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and totally cheesy, this is how Brussels sprouts should taste. Chungah Rhee, creator of Damn Delicious, makes her healthy and easy recipe look, well, you-know-what delicious. Get the recipe.

15. Pumpkin Cobbler

Pie crust won’t really bake properly in the crock pot, but you can still end your slow cooker Thanksgiving meal with a pumpkin and butter pecan cobbler that will satisfy all your pumpkin pie needs. Get The Gunny Sack’s Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cobbler recipe.

16. Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake

Chowhound

Little ones are the perfect sous chefs to help make this rich, simple, and satisfying crockpot cake recipe that’s ideal to serve at the kids’ table. You mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and chocolate chips, blend with butter, milk, and eggs before mixing and turning on the slow cooker. Two hours later (maybe a little more), you’ve got fresh, tender cake. Get our Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake recipe.

17. Mulled Wine

Kitchen Treaty

Top off the evening with a cozy mug full of cranberry- and orange-scented wine that’s been steeped with warming spices like clove and cinnamon. It’s a nightcap that family and friends will want to linger over into the night. Get Kitchen Treaty’s Slow Cooker Mulled Wine recipe.

For more Thanksgiving tips, hacks, and recipes, check out our Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide.

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— Header image: The Recipe Rebel.

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This Old School Chocolate Factory Will Make Your Holiday Dreams Come True

The holidays are the ultimate time for indulgence. And for most of us that means chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. While most of us gobble down the candy within minutes or opening a freshly gifted box, we rarely realize the time and effort that goes into crafting such deliciousness. In order to up our chocolate appreciation, we decided to get some insight into the candy-making process by going straight to the experts.

Because Willy Wonka wasn’t around (and let’s face it, it would probably be terrifying if he actually existed), we stopped by the next closest thing: Li-Lac Chocolates, the oldest chocolatiers in New York City. Since 1923, Li-Lac has been making intricate gourmet chocolate with astute attention to detail. For nearly 100 years, they’ve maintained original recipes and adhered to small-batch production methods. The use of custom molds and hand-dipping techniques also make for a old-fashioned approach in increasingly cold and modern world. It’s way more fresh (not to mention, heartwarming) than a stale Whitman’s sampler that’s been gathering dust on the shelves at CVS for the past two months. No disrespect to drug store candy, but sometimes you got to go fancy!

We spoke with Master Chocolatier and Co-Owner of Li-Lac Anwar Khoder as he showed us around the factory during their busiest time of year, catching a behind-the-scenes glimpse of his staff making some of their most popular holiday specialties. Chocolate turkeys (complete with candy corn accents!), yuletide box sets, and even a chocolate-molded Christmas cabin all get their time to shine.

It’s also fun to watch the copper vats (some actually date back to the 1920s) and conveyer belts, mix and pour the chocolate into the confections they’re about to become. There’s something so hypnotizing about those chocolatey swirls! So if you’ve ever dreamed of receiving a golden ticket, the video above is definitely for you.

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Farm&Oven Bakery Bites

The Bakery Bites include three bite-sized pieces per serving and are available in four flavors, including Beet Dark Chocolate, Carrot Cinnamon, Pumpkin Maple Pecan and Zucchini Lemon Poppy Seed.

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Chobani Expands Idaho Innovation Center

Chobani, LLC, maker of a Greek yogurt brand and the second largest overall yogurt manufacturer in the US, announced the expansion of its yogurt plant in Twin Falls, Idaho, by breaking ground on a 70,000-square-foot facility that will serve employees, guests and house the company's global research and development team.

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13 Ways to Make Use of Your Apple Orchard Haul

Ah, fall—it’s the most wonderful time of year (second only to Christmas, of course)! When the leaves are changing colors and the air becomes crisp, it’s peak season to get warm and cozy and relish in all that fall has to offer. If there’s one iconic activity to enjoy during this time of year, it’s definitely picking apples. Apple picking is an all-day affair; drinking hot cider while picking the best crop is hard work! Not to mention hauling your harvest home for a bounty of apple-filled recipes.

Using up pounds and pounds of fruit before it goes bad can definitely be a challenge. We’ve got a spread of unique ideas to use up your bushel of apples, from savory to sweet. Make a batch of apple butter in a slow cooker, or opt for apple salsa with crispy tortilla chips. You can also go for a stack of dehydrated apple chips, or an iconic apple pie, piled high in a crispy, buttery crust. Whatever way you choose, your house is going to smell amazing! Read on for fall-inspired treats and eats:

Apple Pan Dowdy

Bunny’s Warm Oven

Forget cobbler! This biscuit-topped apple bake is drenched in a thick, buttery caramel and baked until bubbly. Perfect for topping with vanilla ice cream, this Pan Dowdy is sure to please the whole family. Get the recipe.

Harvest Chicken Skillet with Sweet Potatoes Brussels Sprouts and Sautéed Apples

Well Plated by Erin

It doesn’t have to be all about the sweet! A one-pan skillet is perfect for using up a few apples. Nutrient-rich sweet potatoes, hearty brussels sprouts, and chicken breast chunks are balanced perfectly with slightly softened apples. Get the recipe.

Cinnamon Apple Chips

Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen

These crispy dehydrated apple chips are ideal for packing lunchboxes or snacks on the go. These chips don’t require any extra sweetness, especially when you use peak-of-season apples. Simply sprinkle with cinnamon for extra fall flavor. Get the recipe.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Alexandra Cooks

Apples…in soup!? It may seem strange, but adding chopped apples to this squash-centric soup adds extra bulk and sweetness, without adding any refined sugar. Whip up a double batch and freeze for winter! Get the recipe.

One Pan Pork Chops with Apples

The Chunky Chef

The classic combo of pork chops and apples is perfect for using up your bushel of fruit! This one pan supper celebrates the fall flavors of sage and rosemary, pairing beautifully with sweet, wilted apples. Get the recipe.

Jewish Apple Cake

Brown Eyed Baker

Looking to bake your bushel, without going the pie route? Go for a loaf of Jewish Apple Cake, perfect for an afternoon snack with coffee or tea, without going all out on the sugar. Get the recipe.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Dessert for Two

Have a few bruised apples at the bottom of your bag? Apple butter doesn’t need the prettiest crop when the spread is blended into a smooth puree anyway. Let this sauce simmer in your slow cooker all day and your house will smell like the glorious flavors of fall! Get the recipe.

Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

Creme de la Crumb

An apple a day, even at breakfast. Start your morning with hearty pancakes topped with sweet sauteed apples, tossed in sweet cinnamon. Get the recipe.

Apple Salsa

Six Sisters’ Stuff

Have a few tart apples that need to be used up? This sweet and salty apple salsa is great for crispy tortilla chips or makes a great topping for grilled fish. Get the recipe.

Autumn Apple Salad

House of Yumm

Crispy apples pair with crunchy nuts, creamy goat cheese, and savory bacon crumbles in this autumnal salad. Make a double batch of maple vinaigrette to make this recipe a million times over! Get the recipe.

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

The Oatmeal Artist

No need to seek a packet of instant—this oatmeal incorporates fresh apples, spiced cinnamon, and sweet raisins for a hearty breakfast. Pour over warmed milk for a decadent treat. Get the recipe.

Apple and Goat Cheese Flatbread

A Cup of Jo

Crunchy apples, creamy goat cheese, and peppery arugula top a crispy flatbread crust in this seasonal recipe. Perfect for a quick dinner or easy appetizer, you can absolutely switch out any type of apple depending on what your haul looks like. Get the recipe.

Mile High Apple Pie

Completely Delicious

If you’re going to make a pie, it’s time to go all out, Break out the deep dish pan and pile the sliced apples high. Get the recipe.

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Ajinomoto Acquires Cambrooke Therapeutics

Cambrooke Therapeutics, Inc. (Cambrooke), an innovator in therapeutic nutrition for inborn errors of metabolism and ketogenic diet therapy, announced it has been acquired by Ajinomoto Co. Inc. (Ajinomoto), a worldwide leader in amino acids, pharmaceuticals, high-quality seasonings, processed foods, beverages, and specialty chemicals, through its subsidiary Ajinomoto North America, Inc. Prior to the acquisition, Cambrooke was a privately-held business led by investors Galen Partners and Seventure Partners.

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Your Comprehensive Guide to Decorating with Flowers for the Holidays

In the Venn diagram of people who geek out about hosting holidays, I think there are two circles: people who live to plan the food, and people who dream about the décor. In the center, where the circles overlap, are my mom and Martha Stewart, high-fiving each other.

In other words, even if you love hosting during the holidays, there’s a good chance you’ve got a blind spot. For me, that blind spot is flowers: I adore them, but often forget about them until the last minute, if I remember them at all. But they add so much! People love flowers! Really, guests are always so impressed by fresh flowers and foliage, it’s a small detail that leaves a lasting memory. And if there’s any season to put a little extra love into your living space, it’s the holidays.

So what happens if you, like me, love the idea of adding a few blooms or foraged branches to your buffet table or stashing a sweet little bud vase in the powder room, but the moment of creative genius to actually do any of that stuff strikes while you’re feverishly whisking gravy? You phone a friend…who happens to be sort of a big-deal floral designer.

Stacey Carlton is an award-winning floral artist, educator, consultant, and overall goddess of all things plant life. Though we do share a love of good food, it’s safe to say that Stacey’s internationally-celebrated talents land her squarely in the décor category when it comes to preparing for holiday hosting. I sat down with Stacey to get some ideas about how food nerds can use flowers and plants to help set the ambience for a beautiful holiday season.

Martha Stewart

So let me get this straight: we’re…decorating with botanicals. Not arranging flowers?

Right. The first thing Carlton will tell you is that the phrase floral arrangement is really limiting (not to mention kind of dated)—it implies that you’re only handling actual flowers, and that there’s a right and a wrong way to put them together. “Botanicals” is a much more expansive term that can include anything from the plant world: flowers, sure, but also branches, garlands, leaves, herbs, fruits, vegetables, and even nuts. And botanical décor can mean anything from dried hydrangeas in a glass, to a bowl of pears, to a tall vase full of thin maple branches foraged from the backyard.

Thinking about it this way means that anything goes. There’s no wrong way to do it!

Well, how does she do it? What are her go-to holiday flowers?

Carlton knows that if she shows up to holiday gathering without flowers, people will balk. “I always, always bring the flowers, no matter what the occasion.” And as someone who is constantly designing extravagant pieces for events and competitions, Carlton admits she often finds herself reaching for neutral palettes during food-centric gatherings so the focus stays on the delicious meal. She advises finding a palette with warm neutrals and whites, then adding “pops of metallic [to] feel interesting and luxe.” For those who can’t abide a matchy-matchy décor vibe (hello it’s me), this is a winning strategy. A bonus: neutrals and whites play well with pretty much any colors you’ve already got in your home, which means your navy statement wall or vintage art deco bathroom wallpaper will complement, not compete, with whatever you put together.

That’s not to say you need to be out here spray-painting gold pine cones the day before Thanksgiving (though you certainly could). Even something as simple as some white carnations in a silver cup will help create a festive, elegant, but still homey vibe.

Carlton also notes that anything that matches or complements the colors of the season can be a no-brainer. “Reds are always solid for the holidays. Cranberries floating in a clear vase with small red roses? People’s minds are blown.” Same with the bright oranges and yellows of miniature citrus, or even autumn leaves on a small branch.

Stacey Carlton

What if I do want to brave the grocery store floral section? What should I look for?

Though Carlton is currently studying the Latin names of hundreds of flowers and plants for her European Masters Certification, most ordinary floral departments will have at least a few familiar standbys that, when grouped together, make a big impact.

Her favorite grab-and-go grocery flowers include roses, including little spray roses and big, old-fashioned garden roses; any sort of eucalyptus (varieties can include seeded, baby blue, feather, and silver dollar, among others); and, surprisingly, mixed bouquets. “The trick with those,” Carlton says, “is to disassemble them when you get home, then group like with like and place those smaller groupings all around the house.”

For example, a big Thanksgiving-themed bouquet at the store might contain several different varieties of flowers and greenery in a few different hues. On their own, these large bouquets can feel a bit like overbearing scene-stealers. To make them your own, take the whole thing apart, then sort the stems loosely according to flower type, color, or even bloom size. The biggest ones can go in a vase on the buffet table, medium-sized flowers on the bar cart, and some modest little sprigs can go in a repurposed spice jar on the vanity in the bathroom.

It’s Thanksgiving morning and I’m kind of in the middle of, uh, everything. Any easy DIY ideas I can outsource to a willing helper?

This is where your fridge and backyard really come in handy, Carlton says. What fruit or fresh herbs do you have on hand? (In my house, it’s not Thanksgiving if I don’t have at least three times the rosemary I need.) A glass bowl of pretty apples or pears can look inviting and homey in an entryway, and miniature citrus, like clementines, can be a bright—and edible—pop of color on a dessert table. Tuck in some hardy fresh herbs, like sage, thyme, or rosemary, and you’re good to go.

For an easy project—not to mention a great way to get some sweet solitude in the kitchen—send little ones outside to forage for small tree branches, acorns and pine cones, or even large, colorful fallen leaves. Carlton’s favorite foliage for indoor décor includes evergreen (think pine or spruce), maple branches, and ginkgo. And who knows? Heading outdoors to look for and enjoy the natural beauty of the season could become the stuff of treasured holiday memories.

Stacey Carlton

So if “floral arrangement” is sort of passé, are “centerpieces” over too?

Not necessarily, Carlton says. But she goes back to emphasize the benefits of expanding how we think about where flowers go. “Conversation height is important,” Carlton insists. Even for weddings and other large gatherings, she’s careful to make sure that the floral design aligns with the style of the event. Guests should be able to easily see and talk over whatever botanical beauties you’ve placed on the table. This is why Carlton loves to scatter groupings of miniature flowers and leaves, instead of one big vase full of blooms that’s basically asking to get moved to a side table as soon as Uncle Bill finishes saying grace.

While we’re at it, Carlton wants to remind you to think about the other ways that guests will interact with your space. Are you setting up a drinks table or bar cart? Will appetizers be served from a counter in the kitchen? Where are folks putting their coats? Do you have houseguests? A little bud vase, Mason jar, or even a pretty water glass with those few extra eucalyptus sprigs you were going to toss, or the spray roses that broke off the stem in transit, is a sweet, low-key way of showing old-fashioned hospitality in any spaces where your guests might encounter them.

Okay, this feels doable. Any other hot tips before I raid the crisper and send the kids out for acorns?

Yes! If there’s one thing to make decorating with botanicals easy and accessible for pretty much anyone, on any budget, with any timeframe, Carlton swears by a monochrome strategy. Sure, finding a palette is fun if you’ve got the time and creativity to spare. But going monochrome doesn’t mean you’re phoning it in. Carlton still loves how it looks: “It’s simple, it’s strong, and just takes the guesswork out of design.”

Stacey Carlton

And when there’s already more than enough guesswork in figuring out exactly how many folding chairs might be hiding in the crawlspace, or navigating the perennial debate between creamy or chunky mashed potatoes, or explaining to your preschooler what a giblet is, it’s a joy to know how to fake being a floral expert so you can focus on the food.

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Chili Mac and Cheese

Who can resist two favorite comfort foods combined into one?

This recipe pairs cheesy goodness of macaroni and cheese with the onions, tomatoes, and spiced ground beef of a pot of beef chili. The result is the ideal meal to keep you warm on a chilly night.

Continue reading "Chili Mac and Cheese" »

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Tater Tot Casserole (Hotdish)

The Minnesotan staple gets a new look with fresh, homemade ingredients. Get Recipe!

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Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate

Montmorency tart cherries are abundant in anthocyanin’s – a natural, flavonoid compound that contributes to the ruby-red color and distinctive sour-sweet taste.

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SunChips Sweet Potato

SunChips Sweet Potato will be available through mid-December.

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