9 Cozy Slow Cooker Recipes for Winter

9 Cozy Slow Cooker Recipes for Winter

Dec 20th 2019

Feeling the desire to hibernate for the winter? Fire up your slow cooker and cozy up with one of these easy slow cooker recipes to keep you warm even when the weather is cold.

Every year around this time I am hit with an intense desire to hibernate for the rest of winter.

I know that I shouldn’t really want to hide out until the holidays are over and the gloom of January hits, but when you’ve been thinking about holiday recipes since August…well, let’s just say your girl is kind of ready for a long winter’s nap.

The hustle and bustle of December definitely doesn’t help. We’ve had dance recitals, piano recitals, holiday parties and more.

I’m wiped.

Of course, once I remind myself to take a moment to see the season through my sweet girl’s eyes, the magic comes back. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be fully ready to cozy up and hide out come January.

Thank goodness for my slow cooker. Being able to pop a meal into my slow cooker in the morning and completely forget about it until dinnertime is just about the best thing ever during these long winter days.

ingredients for White Bean Chili laid out on on counter

EASY WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

Soup recipes are some of my favorites to toss into the slow cooker, with chili rising to the top of the list.

Chili is hearty and comforting and so much fun to customize with whatever toppings your family loves best.

This Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili has been making the dinner list quite often around here.

Made with Frontier Soups™ California Gold Rush White Bean Chili Mix, this meal comes together with almost no effort yet still avoids any of the added salt or artificial ingredients I wouldn’t want to feed to my kiddo.

Because I make this White Bean Chicken Chili in the slow cooker, it actually cuts down on a lot of the prep time that making a soup with dried beans would normally require. All I have to do is soak the beans overnight, then drain them and add them to the slow cooker in the morning.

You can even cook the ground chicken the night before if you’d like. If you do, the only thing you’d have to do in the morning is add the drained beans, broth, and diced sweet potato and turn the slow cooker on.

If you’re not a morning person, this is definitely the recipe for you.

crockpot with White Bean Chili ingredients inside

WHAT GOES WITH WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI?

If you grew up on more traditional tomato-based chilis, you might be wondering what you should serve with your Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili.

Honestly, whatever you already love to eat with chili! Or even take some inspiration from Chicken Tortilla Soup toppings.

I like to serve mine with cornbread (and there is no shame in using a mix or picking up a pan from the store!) or fresh beer bread and an assortment of toppings for the family to choose from.

I always go for shredded monterey jack cheese and sliced jalapeños, but sour cream, green onions, avocado, or even pickled jalapeños would all be great options.

And don’t forget the cilantro!

White Bean Chili in bowls with cornbread and soup mix

MORE COZY SLOW COOKER MEALS

Looking for even more slow cooker recipes to add to your winter rotation?

I’ve gathered up some of my favorites right here for you. You’ll love turning to these recipes when you need a cozy night in.

CROCK POT CHICKEN TERIYAKI WITH BROCCOLI RABE: This tender, flavorful slow cooker teriyaki chicken with broccoli rabe uses homemade paleo teriyaki sauce, and is even better than takeout! Serve it up with steamed rice for the ultimate balanced meal.

EASY CROCK POT MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE: Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is a super simple recipe! This easy slow cooker macaroni and cheese recipe makes the perfect side dish or weeknight dinner. It’s virtually fool proof and comes out extra creamy and extra cheesy every time. Mac n cheese is always one of the best cheesy comfort foods around! 

SLOW COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP: Very little prep goes into this vegetable packed meal, yet it’s rich and hearty and full of great textures. A bit of chopping and then all the ingredients get put into your crock pot or slow cooker and then you can get on with your day until it's time to devour your Minestrone Soup!

EASY CROCKPOT PULLED PORK: Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork spends the day slow cooking in a tangy cider vinegar sauce for pulled pork that is not only tender and flavorful, it’s as easy as can be.

SLOW COOKER ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES: These slow cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches are the best way to up your leftover beef Rib Roast. Easy to make in the slow cooker, these sandwiches really make the best out of your roast beef! 

SLOW COOKER HAM SOUP WITH POTATOES AND KALE: Not sure what to do with a ham bone? This Slow Cooker Ham Soup with Potatoes and Kale is both easy to prepare and flavorful, thanks to the use of a slow cooker and the rich flavor that a leftover ham bone imparts.

CROCKPOT WHOLE CHICKEN: This recipe for crockpot whole chicken is a wonderful recipe to make during the week or a weekend meal. It's really easy to put together with spices along with vegetables.

CROCKPOT POTATO SOUP: Crockpot Potato Soup is pure comfort food – perfect for busy nights and it’s extra easy since it’s made in the slow cooker. Top your slow cooker potato soup off with some grated cheddar, fried bacon, and green onions for extra flavor.

SLOW COOKER WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

Feeling the desire to hibernate for the winter? Fire up your slow cooker and cozy up with a bowl of White Bean Chicken Chili!

yield: 11 servings

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 6 hours

soaking time: 8 hours

total time: 14 hours 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the beans the night before:

  1. Rinse, drain and pick over the beans.
  2. Place beans in a bowl with 2 quarts water, let stand on counter overnight.

Assembling the chili in the morning (or the night before):

  1. In a skillet, sauté ground chicken in oil over medium heat. Stir in contents of vegetable packet.
  2. Transfer seasoned chicken to bowl of slow cooker. (Cover and refrigerate, if doing the night before.)

Cooking:

  1. Drain beans and add to slow cooker with broth and diced sweet potato.
  2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours.
  3. Optional: Serve with toppings of your choice, such as shredded cheese and sliced jalapeños.

Blog post by: My Baking Addiction