When it comes to home cooking, grandma always knows best. The matriarch of the family often teaches the younger generations a thing or two about how to prepare a meal that’ll leave everyone asking for seconds. And if you’re lucky enough, she may even hand down her beloved recipes to you some day.
With fall weather arriving, the Parade team has been thinking a lot about the recipes our grandmothers used to make us, and we were curious to know which recipes remind chefs of their own grandmothers’ cooking. So we asked several chefs to help us curate a list of seven slow cooker dinner recipes grandmas would approve of.
Grandmas’ go-to recipes certainly vary from country to country, but one thing is the same across cultures: they love to cook for their families. So we were delighted when the chefs we spoke with shared a range of meals to represent the best Sunday family dinners across several cultures.
While chatting with the pros, we asked them why grandma’s slow cooker suppers still win Sunday dinner and picked up a few chef tips for slow cooker meals. So if you’re craving comfort food crockpot recipes or old fashioned slow cooker recipes, you’ve come to the right place.
Why Grandma’s Slow Cooker Suppers Still Win Sunday Dinner
Ereka Vetrini, a recipe developer and cookbook author whose book Well Fed comes out in March 2027, says grandma’s slow cooker suppers still win Sunday dinner for one simple reason.
“It draws family home and gathers them around the table. That familiar smell becomes a core memory of home, family and Sundays together that stays with you for years,” she says.
Jimmy Proffitt, a chef and the cookbook author behind Seasoned in Appalachia, says the ease of slow cooker recipes also makes them desirable.
“Since the bulk of the work was done hours before, if not the night before, you can serve yourself, and there’s time to visit because Grandma wasn’t stuck in the kitchen working on a big meal. It sets the pace for a day of rest and visitation. Those memories last long after the meal, and that’s what we really stop by for,” he says.
Matthew Cutolo, a third-generation chef and executive pastry chef at Gargiulo’s, echoes the other chefs’ sentiments, saying grandma’s slow cooker suppers give you a “feeling of home.”
“There’s something nostalgic about walking into a house and smelling something that’s been cooking low and slow for hours and you know Sunday dinner is coming before you even sit down at the table,” he says. “These meals were often made with simple ingredients, but they were really about family, tradition and bringing everyone together, and I think that warmth and comfort is why they still resonate today.”
Related: Crock Pot Beef Stew Tastes Like It’s Been Stewing All Day Even Though Your Slow Cooker Did All the Work
7 Classic Sunday Slow Cooker Recipes (And How Chefs Upgrade Them)
Ereka Vetrini
1. Slow Cooker Fall Minestrone
Cooking Time: 7 – 9 hours on Low or 4 – 6 hours on High What Makes This Special: It’s a hearty, healthy option for cool daysServes: 6 – 8
Vetrini always enjoyed eating her Nonna’s slow cooker fall minestrone soup when she was younger. Now, she’s given the recipe her own spin.
“Nonna used whatever veggies she had on had for the minestrone soup, but kale and butternut squash were never one of them. These are the veggies that fill my home in the fall,” she says.
The cookbook author suggests stocking up on the following ingredients before getting started: 1½ cups dried cannellini beans, ⅓ cup olive oil, 2 celery stalks (finely minced), 2 medium carrots (finely minced), 1 large sweet yellow onion (finely minced), 2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste), ½ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste), ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 large Yukon Gold potato (peeled and diced), 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, 2 cups water (plus more as needed), 10 thyme sprigs, 1 Parmesan rind (optional), 1 small butternut squash (peeled, seeded and diced into ½-inch pieces), 1½ cups dry ditalini pasta, 1 large bunch lacinato (dinosaur) kale (ribs removed and leaves chopped), or 1 (12-ounce) bag spinach, grated parmigiano reggiano (for serving).
Start by soaking the dried cannellini beans in a large bowl and covering with a generous amount of water. Soak for 8 – 12 hours or overnight, then drain and rinse well.
Next, finely mince the celery, carrots and onion or place them in a food processor and pulse 20–25 times. Then, peel and dice the potato. Peel and seed the butternut squash, then cut it into ½-inch pieces. If using kale, remove the ribs and chop the leaves.
Now it’s time to set your slow cooker to the sauté or brown setting. Add olive oil, celery, carrots, onion, salt, pepper and rosemary. Sauté for 4 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the soaked and drained cannellini beans, potato, vegetable broth, water, thyme and parmesan rind. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 7 – 8 hours or High for 4 – 5 hours, until the beans are completely tender.
Remove and discard the thyme stems and turn the slow cooker to High. Stir in the butternut squash and the dry ditalini. If the soup needs more liquid, add 1 – 2 cups hot water or vegetable broth. Cover and cook on High for another 20–30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the pasta is al dente and the squash is tender.
If using kale, stir it in during the final 10 – 15 minutes of cooking. If using spinach, stir it in during the final 3 – 5 minutes, just until wilted. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. If the minestrone is too thick, stir in additional hot broth or water. Ladle into bowls and serve with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.
Jimmy Proffitt
2. Slow Cooker Apple Butter Pulled Pork BBQ
Cooking Time: 10 – 12 hours What Makes This Special: It’s a great transitional meal going from summer to fallServes: 10 – 15
As a child, Proffitt loved when his mom cooked pulled pork.
“It was something she could start late on Saturday night, so on Sunday it was ready right after church. Since the slow cooker did most of the work, she could relax the rest of the day,” he says.
Now, Proffitt upgrades the recipe with his overnight apple butter and coleslaw.
“I’ve taken it a step further and borrowed inspiration from the apple cider she also served from that slow cooker,” he says. “In my cookbook, Seasoned In Appalachia, I have a recipe for my overnight apple butter, which I make each fall. This recipe calls for one half-pint jar of that apple butter, but your favorite will work just fine. I also worked up my own dry rub, where she mostly seasoned with salt, pepper and onion powder,” he says.
To start, gather the following ingredients: 1 Boston Butt Pork Roast (boneless, 6-7 lbs.), 3 tablespoons of kosher salt, 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of coarse cracked pepper, 1 pint of apple butter, 1 cup of a smoky BBQ sauce, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 12 – 16 buns.
In a large slow cooker set on low, place your pork roast (fat side up). In a small bowl or cup, mix the kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and cracked black pepper. Mix it well and shake half of it over the top of the roast and spread it evenly. Next, roll it over and repeat the process with the remaining rub. Roll it back over so that the fat side is up once again. Spread out half of the apple butter across the top. Place the lid on the slow cooker and let it go for 10 – 12 hours.
When the roast reaches an internal temperature of 195 – 205 in the thickest section, with the sweet spot being about 203, it should be very tender and is then ready to shred. Remove the roast from the slow cooker carefully onto a baking tray or into a large bowl. It will most likely come out in chunks. Gently spoon the apple butter and spices off the fat cap and set aside for the shredded meat. Remove as much of the fat as you can from the meat and discard. Drain the liquid from the slow cooker into a large measuring cup or bowl. You will have 3 – 4 cups of liquid. Set that aside to cool, allowing the fat to rise to the top to be skimmed off.
With a couple of forks, shred the tender meat and return it to the slow cooker. Mix together the remaining apple butter, BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar. Pour it over the shredded meat and stir or toss with tongs to coat all of the meat. If it looks a little dry, add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved juice once you’ve skimmed off the fat. It should not need it, though. You can also double the sauce recipe if you prefer it very saucy.
Once everything is combined, cover the meat with a sheet of parchment paper and place a few buns on top of the parchment. Put the lid back on and let it warm through for about 10 minutes. It will also warm and gently steam the buns. Serve with a scoop of coleslaw on top of the BBQ.
Related: Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Chris Valdes
3. Carne Con Papa aka Cuban Style Beef Stew
Cooking Time: 6–8 hours on LowWhat Makes This Special: It’s a Cuban classic with tender beef, potatoes and vegetables Serves: 6 – 8
Chris Valdes is a Cuban-American Miami-based chef, TV personality, celebrity caterer and cookbook author. He likes to upgrade this family recipes with red wine and tomato sauce.
“Carne con Papa is already incredibly comforting, but that splash of wine and the caramelized tomato paste give the sauce another level of depth,” he says. “I also sear my beef first. A slow cooker is incredible at making meat tender, but it can’t give you that beautiful caramelization you get from a hot pan. That extra step is worth it every single time.”
Start by gathering the following ingredients: 2 – 2½ lbs. beef chuck (cut into 2-inch chunks), 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion (diced), 1 green bell pepper (diced), 4–5 garlic cloves (minced), 2 tablespoons tomato paste, ½ cup dry red wine, 1½ cups beef broth, 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce, 2–3 cilantro leaves, 2 carrots (sliced), 1½ lbs red potatoes (cut into chunks), 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 – 2 bay leaves, salt and freshly cracked black pepper (to taste).
Season the beef generously with salt and pepper then heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, sear the beef until it’s browned on all sides. Transfer to the slow cooker.
In the same skillet, sauté the onion and green bell pepper until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute or two so the tomato paste develops its flavor instead of just adding tomato flavor to the sauce.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce slightly. Then, transfer everything to the slow cooker and add the beef broth, tomato sauce, cilantro, cumin, oregano and bay leaves.
Cover and cook on Low for approximately 6 – 8 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
Add the carrots and potatoes during the final 2 – 3 hours of cooking so they become tender without completely falling apart. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve with plenty of sauce.
Linda Ly
4. Spiced Apple Pear Butter
Cooking Time: 12 hoursWhat Makes This Special: It’s perfect for adding flavor to other recipes or for giftingServes: Makes 4 pints and 1 half pint
Linda Ly is a cookbook author whose books include The Route 66 Cookbook, The New Camp Cookbook, The Backyard Fire Cookbook and other titles. She also runs an award-winning lifestyle blog titled gardenbetty.com.
To create this spiced apple pear butter recipe, Ly suggests gathering the following ingredients first: 8 pounds mixed fresh fruit (she uses equal parts sweet apples, tart apples and pears), 2 cups apple cider (or water), 3 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks (broken apart) and 1 tablespoon whole allspice.
Up first, peel and core the fruit, then chop them up into small chunks so they cook quickly. Then, fill a six-quart slow cooker to the brim with the chopped fruit and add 2 cups of apple cider (or water). Cover with a lid and set your timer to four hours on High, making sure to stir occasionally.
If you prefer a smoother consistency for your butter, puree the fruit with an immersion blender while it’s in the slow cooker after the four hours are up.
Wrap a layer of cheesecloth around the cinnamon and allspice to create a spice sachet, then add it to the slow cooker. Next, prop the lid open slightly with a wooden spoon and let the steam escape. Reset the timer to eight hours on Low, making sure to stir every few hours.
Remove the spice sachet and transfer the butter into hot, clean pint jars, making sure to leave 1/2 inch of space at the top.
Finally, wipe the rims with a damp cloth then seal with lids and rings. Process the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Chris Valdes
5. Cuban Style Slow-Cooked Oxtail Rabo Encendido
Cooking Time: 8 – 10 hours on Low What Makes This Special: The sofrito adds rich flavor Serves: 4 – 6
“Oxtail is Sunday dinner food to me. It needs time, but that’s exactly what makes it special. After hours of slow cooking, the meat becomes fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce turns incredibly rich,” Valdes says.
The chef turns this classic dish into something unique with the addition of sofrito.
“I use both cilantro and culantro because culantro gives you that deeper Caribbean flavor that immediately reminds me of home. I also use a good amount of red wine and let it reduce before everything goes into the slow cooker. You end up with this incredibly rich sauce that tastes like it has been cooking with love all day, because it has,” he says.
Valdes suggests gathering the following ingredients to start: 3 – 4 lbs. oxtail, salt (for tasting), freshly cracked black pepper (for tasting), 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 small onion (chopped), 1 green bell pepper (chopped), 4 garlic cloves, ¼ cup cilantro, 2 tablespoons culantro (recao), ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup dry red wine, 2½ cups beef stock, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1 packet sazón.
Season the oxtails generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Then, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the oxtails in batches until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer them to the slow cooker.
Blend the onion, green bell pepper, garlic, cilantro, culantro and olive oil until you have a chunky sofrito. Add the sofrito to the same skillet and cook for several minutes until fragrant and slightly caramelized. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes.
Deglaze with the red wine, scraping all those browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to reduce slightly. Pour everything over the oxtails in the slow cooker. Add the beef stock, bay leaf, oregano, cumin and sazón.
Cover and cook on Low for approximately 8 – 10 hours, or until the oxtail is incredibly tender and easily pulls away from the bone. Remove excess fat from the surface of the sauce, taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Related: We Asked 3 Chefs for Their Favorite ‘Underrated’ Slow Cooker Dish, and Their Answers Surprised Us
Matthew Cutolo
6. Sausage & Potatoes
Cooking Time: 5-6 hours on Low or 3–4 hours on HighWhat Makes This Special: It works equally well for breakfast, lunch or dinnerServes: 6
When Cutolo was a child, his grandfather used to make this sausage and potatoes recipe all the time.
“It was always a family favorite. It’s simple, comforting and perfect for entertaining or feeding a crowd because everything cooks together in one pan,” he says.
Before getting started, gather the following ingredients: 1 large onion (thinly sliced), 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (cut into medium chunks), 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, 12 Italian sausages (mix of hot and sweet), ¼ cup dry white wine, ¼ cup grated parmigiano reggiano, Olive oil (to taste), salt and pepper (to taste).
Start by heating a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and brown well on all sides. You aren’t looking to cook them through, just to develop color and flavor. Transfer to a plate.
Add the sliced onion to the same pan and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, just until it begins to soften. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up all of the browned bits. Let the wine reduce for about 1 minute.
Add the potatoes and onions to the bottom of the slow cooker. Crush the plum tomatoes by hand, leaving some texture, and add them along with their juices. Season with salt and black pepper and mix everything together.
Nestle the browned sausages into the vegetables and pour the wine and pan juices over everything and sprinkle in the parmigiano on top. Cover and cook on Low for 5 – 6 hours or High for 3 – 4 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the sausages are completely cooked through.
Ereka Vetrini
7. Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup
Cooking Time: 4 – 6 hours on LowWhat Makes This Special: It’s a filling, well-seasoned soup Serves: 6 – 8
Vetrini adds her own take on this classic recipe with additional spices like thyme and paprika.
“I also love a drizzle of balsamic at the end. Nonna would never,” she says.
The chef recommends beginning by gathering the following ingredients: 1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers (drained), 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large onion (peeled and diced), 3 garlic cloves (minced or grated), 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 pound ground beef (85/15), 2 green bell peppers (diced), 1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes, 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving), croutons for serving (optional) and balsamic glaze for serving (optional).
Start by draining the roasted red peppers and blend in a blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside.
Set the slow cooker to the sauté or brown setting. Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, thyme and smoked paprika. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften.
Add the ground beef directly to the slow cooker. Using a wooden spoon, break the beef into smaller chunks. Don’t worry about cooking it through. Add the diced green bell peppers, puréed roasted red peppers, canned tomatoes, chicken broth and uncooked Arborio rice. Stir well to combine.
Cover and cook on Low for 4 – 6 hours or High for 2 – 4 hours, until the rice is tender and the peppers have softened. Stir once or twice during cooking.
Stir in the frozen peas and grated parmesan. If the soup is thicker than desired, add a little additional chicken broth. Cover and cook for another 5 – 10 minutes, until the peas are heated through and the parmesan has melted into the soup.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with additional grated parmesan, croutons and a drizzle of balsamic glaze, if desired.
Related: 64 Crock Pot and Slow-Cooker Soup Recipes Perfect for Sweater Weather
The Golden Rule of Slow Cooking: What Chefs Never Do
When it comes to slow cooking, the pros have developed a few simple tricks to make sure their recipes come out perfectly. For chef, cookbook author and longtime NYT Cooking contributor Kay Chun, it starts with one simple rule.
“Never put frozen meat into a slow cooker. It encourages uneven cooking as well as a foodsafety risk since the temperatures rise too slowly and could cause harmful bacterial growth,” she says.
Chun, who is releasing her debut cookbook Gather Around My Table: Simple, Flavorful Recipes from My Global Pantry on Oct. 6, also recommends slowly adding ingredients to your slow cooker.
“Don’t throw everything in at once. Take the time to brown/sauté meats and veggies first todevelop caramelization and a layer of deeper flavor,” she says.
Additionally, make sure to time the addition of certain ingredients.
“Don’t add dairy (milk, cream, cheese) until the end of cooking, otherwise it will curdle andseparate. Don’t add seafood (fish, shrimp) until the very end to prevent them from overcooking and becoming dry and rubbery,” she says.
Proffitt recommends avoiding opening the lid to check on your food.
“It’s a slow process, and each time you raise the lid, it releases heat and moisture. Just let the slow cooker do its job and leave it until you reach the last hour or two of a recipe. Each slow cooker can work differently, so times vary by as much as a couple of hours. If you can, invest in a meat thermometer so it takes the guesswork out of it,” Proffitt says.
Lastly, make sure to follow the heating instructions.
“If a recipe calls for it to cook on low, the recipe was developed that way on purpose. Switching it and cooking it on high may get the job done quicker, but results will vary from the intended recipe,” Proffitt says.
Sources:
Kay Chun is a chef, cookbook author and longtime NYT Cooking contributor. She’s releasing her debut cookbook, Gather Around My Table: Simple, Flavorful Recipes from My Global Pantry on Oct. 6. Matthew Cutolo is a third-generation chef and executive pastry chef at Gargiulo’s. Linda Ly is a cookbook author whose books include The Route 66 Cookbook, The New Camp Cookbook, The Backyard Fire Cookbook and other titles. She also runs an award-winning lifestyle blog titled gardenbetty.com. Jimmy Proffitt is a chef and the cookbook author behind Seasoned in Appalachia. Chris Valdes is a Cuban-American Miami-based chef, TV personality, celebrity caterer and cookbook author. He likes to upgrade this family recipes with red wine and tomato sauce. Ereka Vetrini is a recipe developer and cookbook author whose book Well Fed comes out in March 2027.Next, This Depression-Era Recipe Was Designed To Stretch a Dollar—Families Still Make It Today
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