20 Cheap and Easy Slow-Cooker Recipes You Need in Your Life

This lunch standby is the definition of a dish that's greater than the sum of its parts — when you combine pantry staples like beans and quinoa with fresh scallions, cheddar, and hot sauce, you get a flavorful and hearty meal.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker beans and quinoa with scallions and cheddar

Making spaghetti and meatballs has never been easier than throwing all the ingredients in a slow cooker and letting it come together in about eight hours. Prep this on a Sunday, and you've got dinner for the week.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker spaghetti and meatballs

Making a big batch of slow-cooker carnitas means you can use it throughout the week with rice, tacos, soups, and more.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker carnitas

This chili is bursting with flavor and is made with a cheap ingredient list of ground beef and canned ingredients like tomatoes, beans, and pumpkin puree.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker beef chili

All the comforting things you love about a loaded baked potato are simmered in a slow cooker and then mashed for a smooth and creamy texture.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker baked potato soup

This slow-cooker favorite is sure to become a staple in your kitchen after you try it once. Dried beans, canned tomatoes, a few fresh herbs, and pancetta cook together slowly to form a brothy, hearty stew you'll want to dip crusty bread in.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker gigante beans with tomatoes and pancetta

Part french onion soup and part beef pot pie, this incredibly comforting meal is perfect for chilly Winter nights — and will barely make a dent in your wallet.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker french onion pot pie soup

A creamy vegan curry that's made with pantry ingredients and filling vegetables like sweet potatoes and cauliflower, this slow-cooker dish might convince you to go vegetarian.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker chickpea coconut curry with sweet potatoes

You'll think of this simple, few ingredient recipe as anything but boring when you let your slow cooker do the work for you.

Get the recipe: white chicken chili

Skip the meaty chili altogether and opt for a cheaper version with black beans, zucchini, corn, and mushrooms.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker vegetarian chili

If you love chicken tortilla soup, you'll want to try this slow-cooker turkey enchilada soup that's a cinch to throw together.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker turkey enchilada soup

This inexpensive Italian soup proves it's OK to take shortcuts with store-bought staples like cheese tortellini.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker tomato basil tortellini soup

With so few ingredients that pack in so much flavor, this easy recipe will convert you into a pea-soup-lover if you're not already.

Get the recipe: split pea soup

Put a new twist on taco night and let your slow cooker do the work to make a savory, zesty, and cheesy beef taco soup.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker beef taco soup

Canned white beans are an affordable staple you can add to just about anything, and they're one of the stars of this slow-cooker sausage and spinach soup.

Get the recipe: sausage, spinach, and white bean soup

Quinoa, chicken breasts, kale, chicken broth, and dried herbs prove they're a winning combination in this light and satisfying soup.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker quinoa, chicken, and kale soup

Even easier than a one-pan dinner that you make in the oven is this slow-cooker meal with inexpensive chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots, and green beans.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker honey-garlic chicken and vegetables

Kick your cold to the curb without making much of an effort with this basic chicken noodle soup made in a slow cooker.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker chicken noodle soup

Skip the game-day delivery and make a batch of these sweet, salty, and sticky chicken wings flavored with spices and condiments you probably already have in your kitchen.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker sticky chicken wings

Treat yourself to a restaurant-worthy Mexican dish that costs way less by making a big batch of slow-cooker chicken fajitas that you can add to rice or tortillas.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker chicken fajitas