Cheap Crockpot Dinners: 15 Slow Cooker Meals That Feed a Family of Four for About $10

Cheap crockpot dinners are how a lot of moms are getting through the fall right now. Groceries cost more every month, the holidays are coming fast, and somebody still has to put a hot dinner on the table every single night. The slow cooker is the quiet hero here. Cheap cuts and pantry staples go in the pot in the morning, and by six o’clock there is a real meal for four for about $10 at typical US prices, often with leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. No fancy ingredients, no browning, nothing you cannot find at any grocery store. Below are our favorite budget meals, each with a full recipe, a rough idea of how far it stretches and one money tip that makes it even cheaper. Which one will you start tomorrow morning..

Cheap Crockpot Dinners Start Here: One Pork Shoulder, Two Dinners

Every list of cheap crockpot dinners should start with pork shoulder. It is still one of the cheapest roasts in the meat case, and one 4 pound roast feeds a family of four twice. Night one is BBQ pulled pork sandwiches with a bag of coleslaw mix. Then save half the meat for carnitas tacos later in the week (see number 3). The secret is patience: low and slow until a fork slides through it. Ask the butcher counter if they have a family pack on sale and freeze what you do not need. A pack of buns and a cabbage cost far less than one takeout order..

You will need: 1 pork shoulder (about 4 lb, trimmed), 1 sliced onion, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 cup water or broth, 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce, 8 buns, coleslaw mix and a little mayo and vinegar.

How to make it: 1. Lay the onion in the slow cooker. 2. Rub the pork with the sugar and spices and set it on top. 3. Pour the water around it. 4. Cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours until it shreds easily. 5. Lift out, shred with two forks and skim the fat from the juices. 6. Toss half the meat with BBQ sauce and a splash of juices, and pile it on buns with slaw. 7. Chill the other half in some juice for taco night.

Cheap Crockpot Dinners From a Bag of Beans: Pinto Beans and Ham With Cornbread

This is the dinner grandmas in the South have made for generations, and it still costs only a few dollars. A 2 pound bag of dry pinto beans and one smoky ham hock or a cup of leftover ham turn into a big pot of creamy, savory beans. A pan of skillet cornbread on the side makes it a full, warm meal for four, and there will be beans left for lunch. Tip: rinse and sort the beans first, and add salt near the end so they turn out soft. Do you eat yours with onion and hot sauce on top?

You will need: 1 lb dry pinto beans (rinsed and sorted), 1 ham hock or 1 1/2 cups diced ham, 1 chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, 7 cups water or broth, 1 tsp chili powder, salt and pepper. Cornbread: 1 box cornbread mix or your favorite recipe.

How to make it: 1. Put the beans, ham, onion, garlic and chili powder in the slow cooker. 2. Pour in the water. 3. Cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours or HIGH 5 to 6 hours until the beans are tender. 4. Pull the meat off the hock and stir it back in. 5. Mash a cup of beans against the side to thicken. 6. Salt to taste and serve with warm cornbread.

Taco Night With the Leftover Pork: Crockpot Carnitas Tacos

Remember the second half of that pork shoulder? It becomes a brand new dinner, and that is the real trick behind cheap crockpot dinners. Carnitas are just slow cooked pork with orange, lime and cumin, then crisped for a few minutes so the edges get golden. Pile it into warm tortillas with sauteed onions, pickled jalapenos and a little salsa, and dinner is done. Moms love this one because the kids build their own tacos, so nobody complains. Tip: a bag of corn tortillas is usually cheaper than flour and a squeeze of lime makes every plate taste fresh.

You will need: 4 to 5 cups cooked shredded pork (or a 3 lb pork shoulder), juice of 1 orange and 1 lime, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp chili powder, salt, 12 to 16 small tortillas, 1 onion and 1 bell pepper (sliced and sauteed), pickled jalapenos, cilantro, lime wedges, salsa.

How to make it: 1. If starting fresh, cook the pork with the orange, lime and spices on LOW 8 hours, then shred. 2. For leftovers, toss the shredded pork with the juices and spices. 3. Spread it on a sheet pan and broil 4 to 5 minutes until the edges crisp. 4. Warm the tortillas. 5. Fill with pork, onions, peppers, jalapenos and salsa, and squeeze lime on top.

Cheap Crockpot Dinners: Fall-Apart Chicken With Vegetables

A full chicken almost always costs less per pound than packs of breasts, and the slow cooker makes it so tender it falls off the bone. Set it on a bed of carrots, potatoes and onion, and the vegetables cook in the chicken juices. A 5 pound bird feeds four for dinner, with meat left for sandwiches or soup. Tip: save the bones and simmer them with water for free broth. For golden skin, slide the chicken onto a pan and broil it for a few minutes before serving. Who in your house always asks for the drumstick?

You will need: 1 chicken (4 to 5 lb, thawed, giblets removed), 1 lb carrots, 1 1/2 lb small potatoes, 1 onion in wedges, 2 tbsp butter or oil, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried thyme, salt and pepper, a lemon (optional).

How to make it: 1. Put the vegetables in the bottom of the slow cooker. 2. Rub the chicken with butter and seasonings and set it on top, breast side up. 3. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours or HIGH 4 hours, until it reads 165F in the thickest part of the thigh. 4. Broil the chicken 3 to 5 minutes to crisp the skin, if you like. 5. Carve and serve with the vegetables and juices.

Monday Red Beans and Rice With Smoked Sausage

In New Orleans, red beans and rice is the classic Monday supper, and it is one of the cheap crockpot dinners that feeds a crowd for the least money. Dry red kidney beans, one link of smoked sausage, the onion, pepper and celery, plus a big pot of rice. Important safety step: dry red kidney beans must be boiled hard for 10 minutes on the stove before they go in the slow cooker, because a slow cooker never gets hot enough to make raw kidney beans safe. That one step is worth it. Hot sauce on top or no?

You will need: 1 lb dry red kidney beans (soaked overnight), 12 oz smoked sausage (sliced), 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 2 celery ribs (all chopped), 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, 2 bay leaves, 6 cups water or broth, cooked rice, green onion.

How to make it: 1. Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water and boil hard for 10 minutes, then drain. 2. Add the beans, sausage, vegetables, garlic, seasoning, bay leaves and water to the slow cooker. 3. Cook on LOW 8 hours until creamy. 4. Mash a cup of beans to thicken. 5. Remove the bay leaves and serve over rice with green onion.

Sloppy Joes for a Crowd, Made in the Slow Cooker

Sloppy joes are the dinner that makes kids run to the table, and they belong on every list of cheap crockpot dinners. Making them in the crockpot means the sauce gets thick and sweet without anyone standing at the stove, and it stays warm for late sports nights. One pound of ground beef is enough for four people, and you can stretch it by stirring in a cup of cooked lentils or finely chopped carrots and nobody will notice. Serve on cheap hamburger buns with pickles and a bag of frozen fries or a pan of roasted potatoes.

You will need: 1 1/2 lb ground beef (browned and drained, or 1 lb beef plus 1 cup cooked lentils), 1 chopped onion, 1 green pepper (chopped), 1 cup ketchup, 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp mustard, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp chili powder, buns, pickles.

How to make it: 1. Brown the beef with the onion and pepper and drain the fat. 2. Put it in the slow cooker with all the sauce ingredients. 3. Stir well. 4. Cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours or HIGH 2 to 3 hours. 5. Stir and taste for salt. 6. Spoon onto buns and top with pickles.

Chicken Thighs in Mushroom Gravy, a Restaurant Dinner for Less

Chicken marsala at a restaurant can cost as much as a full week of these dinners. This is one of those cheap crockpot dinners that feels fancy. It uses bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, which are cheaper and stay juicy, plus a tray of mushrooms and an onion. The sauce turns into a silky gravy that begs for mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Tip: buy unsliced mushrooms and slice them yourself to save money. If you do not have marsala wine, use broth with a spoon of balsamic vinegar, and the flavor will still be rich and deep.

You will need: 2 lb chicken thighs, 8 oz mushrooms (sliced), 1 onion (sliced), 3 cloves garlic, 1 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup marsala wine or extra broth plus 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp thyme, salt and pepper, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 cup cream (optional), mashed potatoes or noodles.

How to make it: 1. Season the chicken and put it in the slow cooker. 2. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, broth, marsala and thyme. 3. Cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours. 4. Mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water and stir it in. 5. Cook on HIGH 20 minutes until thick, then stir in the cream. 6. Serve over potatoes or noodles.

Cheap Crockpot Dinners for Cold Nights: Split Pea Soup With Ham

A bag of dried split peas costs very little, and it makes one of the thickest, coziest soups there is. No soaking is needed, which makes it perfect for a rushed morning. This is also the best way to use the ham bone from a holiday dinner, so save it in the freezer. A pot this size feeds four with seconds, and it tastes even better the next day. Serve it with buttered toast or crackers. Do you like it smooth and thick, or with chunks of carrot and potato?

You will need: 1 lb dried green split peas (rinsed), 1 ham bone or 2 cups diced ham, 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs and 1 onion (chopped), 2 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp thyme, 7 cups water or broth, pepper.

How to make it: 1. Put everything in the slow cooker. 2. Cook on LOW 8 hours or HIGH 4 to 5 hours, until the peas fall apart. 3. Take out the bone and bay leaf. 4. Pull any meat off the bone and stir it back in. 5. Stir hard or use a stick blender for a smoother soup. 6. Add pepper and a little salt to taste.

Sunday Spaghetti and Meatballs Without Standing at the Stove

A big pot of spaghetti and meatballs is one of the cheap crockpot dinners most families never get tired of. Here the sauce and the meatballs cook together all afternoon, so the house smells like an Italian grandma lives there. Homemade meatballs are cheaper than frozen when ground beef is on sale, and a little bread soaked in milk keeps them soft. Cook the pasta at the end, and freeze any extra sauce for another night. For more ideas that go in the pot with zero browning, see our slow cooker dump dinners that need zero browning.

You will need: 1 lb ground beef, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or 1 slice bread soaked in 1/4 cup milk, 1 egg, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 2 cloves garlic, salt, 1 jar (24 oz) or 1 large can crushed tomatoes plus 1 can tomato sauce, 1 lb spaghetti.

How to make it: 1. Mix the beef, breadcrumbs, egg, cheese, seasoning, garlic and salt. 2. Roll into 16 to 20 meatballs. 3. Pour half the sauce in the slow cooker, add the meatballs and cover with the rest. 4. Cook on LOW 6 hours or HIGH 3 hours, until cooked through (160F). 5. Boil the spaghetti and serve with meatballs and sauce.

Cheap Crockpot Dinners Kids Love: Creamy Chicken and Rice

This is the cozy, creamy dinner kids ask for again and again, and it only needs one pound of chicken to feed four because the rice stretches it so well. Use chicken thighs if they are cheaper that week. Add a bag of frozen peas and carrots at the end for color. Tip: cook the rice separately and stir it in at the end, because rice cooked all day in a slow cooker turns to mush. A handful of shredded cheese on top makes it feel like a casserole. Would your kids eat it with broccoli?

You will need: 1 to 1 1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs or breasts, 1 chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried parsley, 4 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots, 3 cups cooked rice, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Put the chicken, onion, garlic, broth and seasonings in the slow cooker. 2. Cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours or HIGH 3 hours, until the chicken reaches 165F. 3. Shred the chicken in the pot. 4. Stir in the cream cheese and milk until smooth. 5. Add the peas and carrots and cook 20 minutes more. 6. Stir in the cooked rice and serve.

Pork and Sauerkraut With Mashed Potatoes

In Pennsylvania and much of the Midwest, pork and sauerkraut is the dinner families eat for good luck on New Year’s Day, but it is one of the best cheap crockpot dinners for any cold weeknight. Cheap pork chops, country ribs or a small smoked pork loin cook slowly in tangy sauerkraut with a grated apple and a little brown sugar, so it tastes mellow, not sour. Serve it with a big bowl of mashed potatoes. One jar of sauerkraut and a bag of potatoes cost very little, and this meal feeds four with ease.

You will need: 2 to 2 1/2 lb pork chops, country ribs or smoked pork, 1 jar or bag (about 32 oz) sauerkraut with its juice, 1 apple (grated), 1 onion (sliced), 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp caraway seeds (optional), 1/2 cup water, salt and pepper. Mashed potatoes to serve.

How to make it: 1. Put half the sauerkraut and onion in the slow cooker. 2. Season the pork and lay it on top. 3. Mix the rest of the sauerkraut with the apple, sugar and caraway and spread it over the pork. 4. Add the water. 5. Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours until the pork is fork tender. 6. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Chili Night With a Baked Potato Bar

Chili is already one of the classic cheap crockpot dinners, and serving it over baked potatoes makes one pot feed even more people. Use half the usual ground beef and add an extra can of beans, and nobody will miss the meat. While the chili cooks, the potatoes can bake in the oven for the last hour, or wrap them in foil and cook them in a second slow cooker. Set out cheese, sour cream and green onion and let everyone build their own. Which topping do you always pile on first?

You will need: 1 lb ground beef (browned), 1 onion (chopped), 2 cans (15 oz) beans (kidney, pinto or black, drained), 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt, 4 to 6 large baking potatoes, cheese, sour cream, green onion.

How to make it: 1. Put the browned beef, onion, beans, tomatoes and spices in the slow cooker. 2. Cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours. 3. Scrub and prick the potatoes, rub with oil and salt and bake at 400F for about 1 hour. 4. Split the potatoes and fluff the insides. 5. Spoon the chili on top and add your toppings.

Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls From Two Ingredients

This might be the easiest of all the cheap crockpot dinners. Chicken and a jar of salsa go in the pot, and that is it. A few hours later the chicken shreds with a fork and soaks up all that flavor. Spoon it over rice with black beans, corn, lettuce and cheese, and you have burrito bowls that cost a fraction of the restaurant kind. Leftovers make great quesadillas the next day. Tip: buy the big jar of salsa and use the rest for chips on game night. Rice or tortillas in your house?

You will need: 1 1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs or breasts, 1 jar (16 oz) salsa, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, juice of 1 lime, 3 cups cooked rice, 1 can black beans (rinsed), 1 cup corn, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream.

How to make it: 1. Put the chicken in the slow cooker and sprinkle with cumin and chili powder. 2. Pour the salsa over it. 3. Cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours or HIGH 3 hours, until the chicken reaches 165F. 4. Shred it in the sauce and add the lime juice. 5. Warm the beans and corn. 6. Build bowls with rice, chicken, beans, corn, lettuce and cheese.

Cheap Crockpot Dinners From Leftover Ham: Cheesy Ham and Potatoes

If you have leftover ham, or a small cheap ham steak, this is the cozy casserole that turns it into a full dinner. Thin sliced potatoes cook slowly in a creamy cheese sauce with bits of ham, almost like scalloped potatoes but with no oven needed. Five pounds of potatoes cost very little, so this is one of the most filling cheap crockpot dinners on the list. Tip: slice the potatoes thin and even so they cook at the same time. Add a bag of frozen green beans on the side and dinner is done.

You will need: 3 lb potatoes (thinly sliced), 2 cups diced ham, 1 small onion (thinly sliced), 2 cups shredded cheddar, 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp flour, 2 cups milk, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter in a pot, whisk in the flour, then slowly whisk in the milk. 2. Cook until thick, then season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. 3. Grease the slow cooker. 4. Layer potatoes, onion, ham, cheese and sauce, and repeat. 5. Cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours or HIGH 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are tender. 6. Top with more cheese and let it melt.

Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese for Busy Nights

Boxed mac and cheese gets expensive when you need three boxes to feed a family. This slow cooker version uses a pound of plain elbow pasta, a block of cheddar you shred yourself and milk, and it turns out rich and creamy. Serve it as the main dish with steamed broccoli, or stir in leftover ham or hot dogs for extra protein. Of all the cheap crockpot dinners here, it is the best Friday dinner when everyone is tired. Read the USDA guide to slow cookers and food safety before you try any of these recipes. Which dinner on this list will you make first?

You will need: 1 lb elbow macaroni (uncooked), 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar, 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk, 2 1/2 cups milk, 4 tbsp butter, 1 tsp mustard powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Grease the slow cooker. 2. Add the dry pasta, 3 cups of cheese, both milks, butter and seasonings and stir well. 3. Cook on LOW 2 to 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the pasta is tender. 4. Stir in the rest of the cheese. 5. Turn to WARM and serve soon, so the pasta does not get too soft.