Prepare a hit party appetizer and a family favorite dinner option with these easy recipes!

Whether you are looking for a simple option for meals or a great appetizer for a party, a Crockpot is a great kitchen appliance for either! It’s clearly a staple as this brand of slow cooker has been around since the 1970s! 

Here are some of my family’s favorite dishes made from a Crockpot. I’m guessing most of these would be doable in any type of slow cooker if you don’t specifically have a Crockpot.

Bacon Ranch Chicken

I love that this recipe is not only easy, but only requires five ingredients. 

• Riega® Ranch Chicken Seasoning (available at Walmart, Harris Teeter, Fresh Market, Lowe’s Food or Amazon)
• 2 pounds chicken tenderloins 
• 16 ounces of cream cheese
• 8 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon
• 1 cup of shredded cheese

While this one does require a few steps, it’s still so easy to make.

• Place tenderloins in Crockpot (spray with cooking oil) and place a strip of cream cheese on each piece of chicken.
• Sprinkle the seasoning packet over everything.
• Cook on low for 7 hours, and stir it occasionally.
• After 7 hours, shred chicken, then place crumbled bacon and shredded cheese over the chicken and stir everything together.
• Cook on low for 10 minutes, and then do a final stir. 

My family loves this dish, and it’s great to serve in many ways to mix it up. You can serve it alone with sides, on a bun, on top of rice with avocado or in a wrap. 

Bacon Wrapped Lil’ Smokies

While we love all these recipes here, this is probably my family’s favorite. It’s so simple and tastes so good! I originally made it for a party, but we liked it so much, I often add it into a dinner as an app or the protein. 

This one only requires four ingredients. 

• 1 pack of bacon
• 1 ¾ cups of brown sugar
• ½ T of paprika
• 1 pack of lil’ smokies (we like to use the cheddar ones for a bonus flavor burst)

Like the other recipes here, this is another easy one to make!

• Slice the bacon, wrap around the lil’ smokies and secure with a toothpick. 
• Mix the brown sugar and paprika. 
• Pour 1 cup of that mixture on the bottom of the Crockpot. 
• On top of the mixture place all the bacon wrapped lil’ smokies. 
• Sprinkle the remaining mixture on top.
• Cook on high for three hours, stirring occasionally.

These bite-sized treats pair well with almost any form of potato or party spread!

Cheese Dip

I’ve had lots of cheese dips, but this one that my first college roommate always made has remained my favorite over the years. It’s great for parties or for dinner on taco night!

This one only has three ingredients. 

• Block of Velveeta cheese
• Block of Monterey jack cheese
• Can of Rotel (undrained)

Simply mix everything together and cook on high for 2-3 hours or until it’s all melted. I love it with tortilla chips, but it’s also good with veggies!

Pot Roast

This is a classic meal option. I love that I can throw it all together in the morning for dinner that evening – and, bonus, it makes the house smell delicious! 

For this recipe, you can change out veggies or seasonings to ones you prefer, but below is what I put in.

• 1 cup of water
• Spices – I use oregano, basil, mustard seed, garlic powder and celery salt. Another great option to add is an onion soup mix packet 
• Chuck roast or preferred cut of meat
• Carrots – I’ve found the baby carrots work best since they don’t require dicing, so saves me a little time
• White onion
• Red potatoes
• Celery 

Simply throw everything in the Crockpot, and put it on low for 6 to 8 hours. Or you can also start it later and put on a higher heat for less time. If you go this route, be sure to cut up the meat to cook faster.