Imagine prepping your entire Thanksgiving feast while your oven stays free for pies. My favorite trick for busy hosts is to turn to a crockpot or Instant Pot to keep holiday cooking stress low and flavors high.
Simply toss in the ingredients, set the timer, and get back to visiting with loved ones. From tender, juicy turkey and melt-in-your-mouth green beans to creamy corn and candied carrots, these slow-cooked dishes deliver big flavor with minimal effort.
Slow Cooker Creamed Corn is So Rich, You’ll Swear it Came from a BBQ Joint
Corn kernels become a decadent side dish when simmered with cream cheese, butter, and a splash of heavy cream. As the corn cooks, the cheese melts into a velvety sauce that the kernels absorb, creating a sweet, creamy dish that’s far superior to anything from a can.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
This Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Will Steal the Show at Thanksgiving
Leave the oven closed and let the slow cooker work its magic. This foolproof boneless turkey breast cooks low and slow until it is unbelievably tender and juicy, and the drippings become a rich gravy. It is perfect for feeding a small crowd or adding extra turkey to a larger feast — and it frees up precious oven space.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
Skip the Whole Bird: These Turkey Tenderloins with Honey Mustard Gravy Are a Game Changer
If roasting a whole turkey sounds like too much work, try turkey tenderloins. They’re inexpensive, juicy, and cook over onions so that the juices drip down and create a sweet‑savory honey mustard gravy.
Turkey tenderloins have all the flavor of a holiday bird without the fuss, making them perfect for smaller gatherings or even a weeknight dinner.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Turkey Tenderloins
You Won’t Believe How These Southern Green Beans Get So Tender Without Any Work
These hands‑free green beans simmer for hours with bacon, ham, and broth until they are melt-in-your-mouth tender and packed with Southern flavor. Toss everything into the crockpot and come back to beans that taste like they have been tended all day, even though the slow cooker did the work.
Get the Recipe: Southern Green Beans
The Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole That Guests Beg For
This indulgent casserole layers shredded potatoes with creamy chicken soup, sour cream, and heaps of shredded cheese for a side that is both comforting and crowd-pleasing. The slow cooker yields tender potatoes with crispy edges. The recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd. It is so beloved, it even has the nickname, “Emily’s Wedding Potatoes” <3
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
The Sweetest Glazed Carrots Cook Themselves (Just Dump and Forget)
Baby carrots are coated in brown sugar, butter, honey, and a pinch of cinnamon, then slow-cooked until they are tender and taste almost like candy. With no oven space needed and almost no prep, this side dish is perfect for busy holiday cooks or any weeknight when you crave something sweet and comforting.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots
This Crockpot Turkey Breast with Gravy Will Make You Ditch the Oven Bird
Cooking a turkey breast in the slow cooker lets the flavors mingle all day for meat that stays tender and juicy. It is ideal for small families or as an additional bird alongside a bigger turkey, and it frees up the oven for pies. The leftovers make preservative‑free lunch meat that beats store‑bought slices.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Turkey Breast with Gravy
These Candied Sweet Potatoes Are So Buttery and Sweet They’re Practically Dessert
Slices of sweet potato are bathed in butter, brown sugar, and honey until they become tender, sweet, and rich like sweet potato pie.
Using the slow cooker keeps the oven free and results in a dish that melts in your mouth and tastes better than the frozen candied yams you grew up with.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Candied Sweet Potatoes
Have an Instant Pot? Instant Pot Recipes are great for Thanksgiving, too! –>
Instant Pot Creamed Corn You’ll Want to Eat by the Spoonful (Ready in Minutes)
For a faster take on creamed corn, load your Instant Pot with corn, butter, heavy cream, and a touch of cream cheese… then let it cook into a luscious, slightly sweet side dish. A hint of spice rounds out the flavor, and because it is pressure-cooked, this comfort food is ready in a fraction of the time
Get the Full Recipe: Instant Pot Creamed Corn
Instant Pot Southern Green Beans Taste Like They Simmered All Day (Ready in Under an Hour)
These green beans capture the smoky, meaty flavor of Southern beans without hours of simmering. Bacon and ham infuse the broth, and the pressure cooker makes the beans tender and melt-in-your-mouth in less than an hour.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Southern-Style Green Beans
These Instant Pot Glazed Carrots Taste Like Candy and Cook in No Time
Butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon turn simple carrots into a sweet, buttery side that cooks in minutes in an Instant Pot. This dish is perfect when you need a quick holiday vegetable that still feels special.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Glazed Carrots
Southern Collard Greens in the Instant Pot Taste Like They’ve Been Slow Cooked for Hours
Collard greens usually take ages on the stove, but the Instant Pot tenderizes them in less than an hour without sacrificing flavor. Bacon, onions, ham, and garlic create a savory base, and a little sugar and vinegar tame any bitterness, so each bite tastes like a classic Southern side.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Collard Greens
Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes Are the Ultimate Comfort Food (Ready in Half the Time)
Cooking potatoes directly in milk and butter in a pressure cooker halves the cooking time and infuses them with garlicky, buttery flavor. You can leave them rustic or whip them silky smooth, and they pair beautifully with turkey and gravy.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Looking for more? –>
27 Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Complete Your Holiday Menu
Whether you’re hosting for the first time or you’re a seasoned pro, finding the perfect sides can be a delightful yet daunting task. Here’s a list of 27 Thanksgiving Side Dishes that will not only complement your holiday menu but might just steal the show.
Get the Recipe: 27 Thanksgiving Side Dishes
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