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Thanksgiving is when every dish seems to need the oven at exactly the same time. There’s the turkey to roast, rolls to warm, and usually at least one casserole waiting its turn. A slow cooker gives you another place to cook, without sacrificing the familiar sides everyone looks forward to. Think buttery mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, herby stuffing, glazed carrots, and sweet potatoes with a pecan topping. They can all cook outside the oven, leaving you more room to get dinner on the table.
These recipes are useful, but they’re not all completely hands-off. Some need a little stovetop prep, a stir halfway through, or a topping added just before serving. I’ve included the cooking setting and the jobs you still need to do with each one, so you can choose what actually fits your Thanksgiving schedule. Working with one slow cooker? Make the cranberry sauce ahead and save the crock for a hot side on the day.
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If you’re cooking ahead
Use a food thermometer to check that stuffing and casseroles reach 165°F. Keep fully cooked hot dishes at 140°F or warmer. Reheat chilled leftovers separately to 165°F before transferring them to a preheated slow cooker for holding.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Mashed potatoes are the obvious choice if your family likes plenty of gravy, but they’re not your only option. Lemony red potatoes balance a rich holiday plate, while the au gratin and sweet potato casseroles are more substantial, scoopable sides.
1. Creamy Mashed Potatoes
If there’s one Thanksgiving side worth taking off the stovetop, mashed potatoes are a strong contender. These cook in garlic-seasoned broth right in the slow cooker, so you don’t need to drain a heavy pot of boiling water. Once they’re fork-tender, add butter and mash them in the crock. They’re just as useful for a small family meal as they are when you’ve already got every burner occupied with gravy and vegetables. A sprinkle of parsley is nice, but the real appeal is keeping the entire job in one pot.
Slow cooker time · 3–4 hr high or 6–8 hr low
Prep: Peel and cut the potatoes before they go in. Leave enough time at the end to mash them and adjust the texture before serving.
2. Greek Lemon Potatoes
Not every potato dish on Thanksgiving needs cream or cheese. Red potatoes cooked with lemon, garlic, and oregano bring a fresher, sharper flavor to the plate, especially alongside turkey, stuffing, and gravy. The skins can stay on, which saves peeling and gives the finished dish a little color. Expect tender, well-seasoned potatoes rather than crispy roasted edges. That’s a fair trade when the oven is full and you want something that doesn’t feel quite so heavy.
Slow cooker time · 4 hr low
Prep: Cut the potatoes into chunks and add the seasonings. You can give them a stir halfway through, but the recipe doesn’t require it.
3. Cheddar Potatoes Au Gratin
Au gratin potatoes feel right at home on a Thanksgiving table, but a bubbling baking dish can take up valuable oven space for more than an hour. Here, thinly sliced russets and onions cook slowly in a rich cheddar sauce until the potatoes are tender. You do need to make the sauce in a saucepan first, so it isn’t a dump-and-go recipe. After that, the slow cooker handles the cooking, and a final scattering of cheddar melts over the top before dinner.
Slow cooker time · 4–5 hr low
Prep and finish: Make the cheese sauce on the stove, then layer it with the sliced potatoes and onions. Save the remaining cheddar for the final 30 minutes.
4. Pecan-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole
If sweet potato casserole is a Thanksgiving essential in your house, this version lets you keep the tradition without tying up a baking dish. The cubed sweet potatoes cook until soft, then get mashed with warming spices. A brown sugar and pecan topping goes on for the final part of cooking. You still get that lovely contrast between soft sweet potatoes and nutty topping, although it won’t have quite the oven-baked crust of a traditional casserole. It’s especially handy when the turkey needs the oven to itself.
Slow cooker time · 2–3 hr high, then 30–60 min low
Prep and finish: Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. After the first cooking stage, mash them in the crock, add the pecan topping, and switch to low for the final 30–60 minutes.
Vegetable sides
Vegetables can be the hardest dishes to fit into those last frantic minutes before serving. The carrots and beets have sweet glazes, the collards cook down with smoked ham, and the Brussels sprouts are tender rather than roasted. There’s also a gently spiced cabbage curry if you want something beyond the usual Thanksgiving vegetables.
5. Brown Sugar and Allspice Carrots
Baby carrots are a clever shortcut on a day when you already have plenty to chop. They simmer in a buttery glaze of honey, brown sugar, and allspice, which brings a warm, lightly spicy flavor without turning them into another casserole. The slow cooker does most of the work, and the carrots come out soft and glossy. They’re a particularly useful choice if you want a vegetable children are likely to recognize, but still want something a little more special than plain boiled carrots.
Slow cooker time · 3–4 hr high
During cooking: Use ready-prepared baby carrots, stir at around the two-hour mark, and check that they’re tender before you bring them to the table.
6. Maple-Dijon Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts don’t have to be roasted to earn a place on the Thanksgiving table. In this recipe, maple syrup and Dijon mustard coat the sprouts as they slowly soften, giving them a sweet, sharp glaze that goes well with turkey. This is the one to choose when you want tender sprouts rather than crisp, charred leaves. A pinch of cayenne is optional if you’d like a little heat. With only a handful of ingredients, it’s also one of the simpler vegetable dishes on the list.
Slow cooker time · 2 hr high or 4 hr low
Prep and finish: Trim the sprouts and halve any particularly large ones. Stir the cooked sprouts through the glaze just before serving.
7. Collard Greens with Smoked Ham Hocks
Good collard greens need time to soften and take on the flavor of their cooking liquid, which makes the slow cooker a natural fit. Smoked ham hocks give these greens a savory depth, while a little cider vinegar keeps the broth from tasting too heavy. The long cooking time is useful if you’re starting dinner prep early. Just remember that the ham hocks need dealing with at the end: lift them out, remove the meat, and return it to the pot before you serve.
Slow cooker time · 4 hr high or 8 hr low
Prep and finish: Washed, chopped collards save time. Remove the ham hocks and return their meat before serving; any bacon garnish needs cooking separately.
8. Buttery Butternut Squash
Sometimes the simplest vegetable side is the one everyone appreciates. Butternut squash has enough natural sweetness that it needs very little dressing up. This recipe lets the cubes cook gently with butter, salt, and pepper until tender, without adding sugar or a heavy sauce. You can serve the pieces as they are, or mash them lightly for a softer side that sits nicely beside turkey and gravy. It’s an easy alternative to another sweet potato dish, especially if you buy the squash already peeled and cubed.
Slow cooker time · About 3 hr high
Prep: Cut the squash into even cubes, or use precut squash. The recipe offers an optional oven-browning finish, but it isn’t necessary here.
9. Balsamic-Glazed Beets with Goat Cheese
Beets make a beautiful change from the usual holiday vegetables, especially when most of the table is beige, brown, or covered in cheese. The slices cook with apple juice and balsamic vinegar until tender, then the liquid is thickened into a glossy sweet-tart coating. Crumbled goat cheese and walnuts go on just before serving, so the finished dish has a creamy, crunchy contrast. There is some peeling and slicing to do at the start, but the actual cooking happens entirely in the crock.
Slow cooker time · 3–4 hr high, then 5–10 min uncovered
Prep and finish: Peel and slice the beets. Allow 5–10 minutes uncovered to thicken the glaze with cornstarch, then add goat cheese and toasted walnuts.
10. Cabbage, Potato, and Pea Curry
Thanksgiving sides don’t have to follow the same menu every year. This cabbage, potato, and pea curry brings ginger, garam masala, and fenugreek to the table, with a tomato-based sauce that’s particularly good alongside plain rice or other savory dishes. It’s also a useful vegetable option when you want to skip cream and cheese. This one needs more attention than the glazed carrots or squash, though. The aromatics and spices go in stages, and the peas are added toward the end, so read the recipe through before choosing your start time.
Slow cooker time · About 5 hr as listed, starting on high
During cooking: Follow the staged additions and stirring instructions rather than adding everything at once. The peas go in for the final 30 minutes.
Casseroles
These are the dishes that usually compete for oven space. The green bean casserole needs a long stretch in the crock, while the cheesy broccoli can be started much closer to dinner. The corn casserole also needs time to set, and the rice dish works best when you have cooked rice ready to go.
11. Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions
Green bean casserole belongs on a lot of Thanksgiving tables, but there’s no reason it has to be baked. This version combines frozen cut green beans with creamy mushroom soup, Parmesan, and fried onions in the slow cooker. The beans become tender and the sauce thickens around them as they cook. Some onions go into the casserole for flavor, but keep a generous handful out until serving. Adding those last means you still get the contrast of crunchy onions on top of the creamy beans.
Slow cooker time · 5–6 hr high
Prep and finish: Stir some fried onions into the casserole, but keep the topping portion dry and add it only when you’re ready to serve.
12. Cheesy Broccoli Casserole with Crackers
If broccoli is a family favorite, this creamy casserole is a good way to get it onto the Thanksgiving table without opening the oven. Cheddar and sour cream make a rich sauce, and a buttery cracker topping adds a familiar holiday-casserole finish. It’s also much quicker than most of the other dishes here, so you can start it later in the day rather than leaving a cooker occupied since breakfast. The important thing is to thaw the broccoli first and save the crackers until near the end, so they don’t sit in the moisture for hours.
Slow cooker time · 1½–2 hr low
Prep and finish: Thaw the broccoli before mixing the casserole. Scatter over the buttered cracker crumbs roughly 15 minutes before serving.
13. From-Scratch Corn Casserole
Corn casserole is one of those sides that sits somewhere between a savory pudding and a spoonable cornbread, and it’s especially good with a salty roast. This version skips boxed corn-muffin mix and makes the custard from scratch with eggs, cream, and butter, folded through sweet corn. The result is soft and rich, with plenty of whole kernels. It doesn’t need the oven, but don’t treat the cooking time as an exact appointment. A wider slow cooker may finish sooner, and the casserole needs a little resting time to firm up before you scoop it out.
Slow cooker time · 2–3 hr high or 4–6 hr low, plus rest
Prep and finish: Mix the custard and corn before cooking. Begin checking early if your crock is wide, and allow for the resting time in the recipe.
14. Green Chile Rice Casserole
Got cooked rice in the refrigerator? You’ve already done the biggest job for this casserole. Sour cream and mozzarella turn it into a creamy, cheesy side, while canned green chiles add a little warmth and keep it from tasting too plain. The slow cooker heats everything through and brings the flavors together. It’s not a recipe for cooking dry rice from scratch, so make sure you have the rice ready first. The optional oven finish in the original recipe can be skipped when you’re trying to keep that oven free.
Slow cooker time · About 2 hr high
Prep: Use rice that has already been cooked. The recipe mentions browning it in the oven afterward, but that step is optional.
Stuffing, dressing, and bread
These are excellent ways to clear the oven, but they need a little planning. Sourdough stuffing starts with dried bread, Southern dressing needs cooked cornbread, and the focaccia dough must rise before it can cook. Get those steps out of the way and the slow cooker can handle the rest.
15. Herbed Sourdough Stuffing
Sourdough makes lovely stuffing. It has more character than soft white sandwich bread, and the slight tang is especially good with butter, herbs, and turkey gravy. The trick is to start with dried bread, so the pieces soak up the broth without collapsing into mush. Cube the loaf and let it dry out overnight, then follow the recipe’s separate slow cooker instructions on Thanksgiving Day. That last part matters because the stovetop, oven, and slow cooker versions don’t use exactly the same cooking time or liquid quantity.
Slow cooker time · 4–5 hr low
Make ahead: Cube and air-dry the sourdough the night before. On the day, use the slow cooker instructions and broth quantity, not the oven-method measurements.
16. Southern Cornbread Dressing
If your family expects cornbread dressing with Thanksgiving dinner, you don’t have to give up that tradition when the oven is busy. This Southern-style version uses crumbled cornbread, celery, onion, and condensed soups to make a soft, moist dressing in the slow cooker. It won’t develop a crisp, browned top the way an oven casserole does, and that’s worth knowing before you start. Use homemade cornbread baked ahead of time or buy some ready-made. Once it’s cooked and crumbled, most of the remaining work is mixing the ingredients together.
Slow cooker time · 4–6 hr low
Make ahead: Have cooked cornbread ready before you begin. You can skip the optional broiling step if you’re keeping the oven clear.
17. Rosemary and Thyme Focaccia
Fresh bread with Thanksgiving dinner sounds wonderful until you remember the rolls are meant to go into the same oven as everything else. This recipe takes a different route, using frozen dinner-roll dough as a shortcut to a soft, herby focaccia. Once the dough has thawed and risen in the lined crock, you dimple the surface, add olive oil, rosemary, and thyme, and cook it on high. It isn’t instant bread, because the rise takes time, but it does mean you can bring warm bread to the table without baking it in the oven.
Slow cooker time · About 1½–1¾ hr to rise, then about 1½ hr high
Plan ahead: Allow roughly 1½–1¾ hours for the dough to rise before the 1½-hour cooking stage. Add the oil and herbs only after dimpling.
Grains, beans, and fruit
Not every Thanksgiving side has to be a potato or a casserole. The risotto and beans are hearty enough to take to a potluck, while the cranberry sauce and cinnamon apples bring something sweet and fruity to a plate full of rich savory food.
18. Butternut Squash Risotto
Risotto usually means standing at the stove with a ladle and a saucepan, which is hardly ideal when you’re trying to get Thanksgiving dinner ready. This slow cooker version uses short-grain brown rice with butternut squash, onion, and Parmesan for a creamy, comforting side. You still need to cube the squash and give the rice a stir halfway through, but you can get on with the rest of the meal while it cooks. Check the rice before serving, as it may need a little longer to become tender.
Slow cooker time · 2½ hr high, plus up to 30 min if needed
During cooking: Cut the squash into small cubes, stir around halfway through, and allow up to another 30 minutes if the rice needs it.
19. Molasses and Bacon Baked Beans
Baked beans might be more familiar at a cookout than a Thanksgiving dinner, but a rich, smoky pot fits beautifully beside turkey or ham. This recipe starts with canned baked beans, then builds flavor with bacon, molasses, Dijon mustard, and a splash of cola. It’s substantial enough for a buffet or potluck and can be served straight from the slow cooker. There is a brief stovetop step first, though: cook the bacon and onion in a skillet before adding them. Remember to take out the bay leaves before serving.
Slow cooker time · 3–4 hr high or 5–6 hr low
Prep and finish: Cook the bacon and onion in a skillet first, then add them to the canned beans and sauce. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
20. Orange Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is one of the best things to make ahead for Thanksgiving, and it doesn’t need a saucepan bubbling away on the stove. Fresh cranberries soften slowly with orange juice and zest into a bright, tangy sauce that cuts through the richness of turkey, stuffing, and gravy. Stir it now and then as it cooks, and give it a short rest at the end. You can make it a day or two before dinner and serve it chilled, which frees up the slow cooker for potatoes or another hot side on Thanksgiving Day.
Slow cooker time · 2½ hr high, plus 15 min rest
During cooking: Give the cranberries a stir roughly once an hour and allow 15 minutes to rest. Chill the sauce ahead if you’ll need the crock for another dish.
21. Soft Cinnamon Apples
If you like a little sweetness with your Thanksgiving dinner, warm cinnamon apples are hard to beat. These have the flavor of old-fashioned skillet apples, but you don’t need to stand over a frying pan. Sliced apples simmer in a buttery brown sugar and cinnamon sauce until soft and glossy. They work particularly well alongside ham or turkey, and leftovers are lovely over oatmeal or ice cream. The main job is slicing the apples; after cooking, stir gently so you don’t turn the soft slices into applesauce.
Slow cooker time · About 2 hr high
Prep and finish: Slice the apples before cooking. Stir carefully at the end to coat them in sauce without breaking up the tender pieces.
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