All right, spring is finally here and I'm seeing Easter candy in shop windows. And to me that means one thing: Time to buy candy! Wait, two things: Time to buy candy AND plan my Easter dinner menu. Easter dinner is all about spring foods, like honey-glazed carrots, creamed corn, spiral-cut ham, fresh veggies, and carrot cake. Maybe this year, the weather will be sunny and warm enough to spend time outside. In that case, I don't want to spend the day indoors, cooking. I want the slow cooker to do the work for me. So here are 20 happy, springy Easter dishes anyone can make in the Crock-Pot.
1. Slow Cooker Spinach and Artichoke Dip: How about a little something to nibble while we're getting together these other dishes? Make this the night before.
2. Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham: Let those sugars slowly seep into the ham all day with this tempting slow cooker recipe. Prep time is just five minutes, and the recipe uses just six ingredients.
3. Mint Glazed Lamb: For families who do lamb for Easter, here's a slow cooker version of a classic. It's made with mint jelly — and those who are skeptical and have never tried it before may be surprised at how perfectly those flavors go together.
4. Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken: This recipe sounds like it would have just the right light, springy flavors we all want for Easter.
5. Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes: As far as I'm concerned, Easter = scalloped potatoes. Maybe that's just me? This recipe is loaded with cheesy goodness.
6. Wild Rice Pilaf: If scalloped potatoes aren't our thing, then we're going to be satisfied with this fluffy, flavorful rice pilaf recipe.
7. Honey Glazed Carrots: Every-bunny loves carrots for Easter! (Sorry, couldn't help it.) These sweet veggies are a snap in the slow cooker. Or — here's a sneaky idea — add chopped carrots about halfway through cooking the glazed lamb or ham.
8. Slow Cooker Baked Lemon Cake: For dessert, how about this super-moist lemon cake.
9. Slow Cooker Peach-Glazed Pork Chops: What tastes more like spring than a warm peach glaze?
10. Slow Cooker Creamed Corn: Creamed corn is a comforting side that's also super simple to make! It only requires five ingredients.
11. Slow Cooker Berry Cobbler: Warm and gooey berries will steal the show at Easter dinner with this recipe.
12. Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon: This hearty and tender stew will be a hit with everyone, we promise!
13. Slow Cooker Asparagus-Barley Risotto: For a creamy and vegetarian side that doesn't lack on heartiness, whip up this risotto!
14. Crock-Pot Apple Cranberry-Stuffed Pork Loin: The perfectly cooked tenderloin plus the tangy cranberries and crunchy apples make for a dish that's juicy in all senses of the word.
15. Slow Cooker Lemon and Dill Salmon: Want a main dish that's lighter than pork or beef? How about this lemon and dill salmon?
16. Slow Cooker Brisket and Onions: For a savory main dish, try out this brisket recipe that'll leave a pool of delicious broth.
17. Slow Cooker Balsamic Brussels Sprouts: These Brussel sprouts only require about 10 minutes of prep time, and then the slow cooker does the rest.
18. Slow Cooker Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting: Forget the oven, this carrot cake is perfect for Easter and made in a Crock-Pot!
19. Cheesy Crock-Pot Green Bean Casserole: Sure, these greens are covered in cheesy goodness, but hey, it's one way to get kids to eat their veggies!
20. Slow Cooker Hot Crab Dip: This hot crab dip is so rich that we need to be careful people don't fill up on just this!