Hosting any dinner, let alone a holiday dinner, is a major undertaking. At the bare minimum, a host knows she or he is signing up for shopping for all the ingredients, finalizing a guest list, cleaning the house, prepping the main dishes, coordinating any other dishes with guests, setting the stage for a beautiful meal, cooking and presenting that beautiful meal, entertaining guests, then cleaning up and somehow juggling all of her or his other every day to-dos at the same time as all of the holiday dinner tasks. Whew! It's enough to make plenty of people seriously consider taking a hard pass on hosting responsibilities. Or at least think about catering options!
Sure there's something to be said for spending time in the kitchen with loved ones, chatting over coffee or wine while chopping, sautéing, mixing, and pre-heating. But there are also undoubtedly a bevy of benefits to being able to set up a recipe in the trusty ol' slow cooker, or Crock-Pot, and then walking away for hours — literally, hours — to spend time on other activities, from wrapping gifts to baking cookies, trimming the tree or simply getting that well-deserved mani-pedi before the guests start arriving.
When it comes to the Super Bowl or Sunday night dinners, busting out the Crock-Pot is a time-honored shortcut. So, why shouldn't the same be true on Christmas? It may be even more useful during the holiday season, which has the tendency to run to just about anyone — especially harried moms — ragged. Bonus: Traditional recipes like ham, as well as festive turkey and chicken, plus side dishes (think sweet potato casserole and green beans) come together beautifully in a slow cooker. Here are 20 Christmas dinner Crock-Pot recipes that will take the stress out of preparing the big holiday meal.
Turkey Breast
This Crock-Pot turkey breast from Chelsea's Messy Apron is a tender and comforting dish for a small holiday party.
Maple Brown Sugar Ham
Brown sugar, maple syrup, and pineapple juice are the key ingredients for this holiday ham recipe from Life in the Lofthouse.
Sweet Corn Spoon Bread
This Crock-Pot sweet corn spoon bread from The Country Cook makes a delectable side dish.
Cranberry Pork
The Southern Lady Cooks suggests serving her Crock-Pot cranberry pork over mashed potatoes.
Stuffing
This rich, delicious Crock-Pot stuffing works for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
No-Boil Mashed Potatoes
Red potatoes, sour cream and cream cheese make for creamy, savory mashed potatoes in the Crock-Pot — no boiling required.
Chicken Parmesan
This chicken Parmesan recipe from Eating on a Dime is the perfect pick for a Christmas dinner with Italian comfort food flair.
Creamy Herbed Chicken
This Crock-Pot creamy herbed chicken from Farm Wife Cooks is a creamy comfort dish that will be right at home on the Christmas dinner table.
Brussels Sprouts With Cranberries
This festive Brussels sprouts dish from My Fussy Eater is simple and healthy.
Ritz Chicken
This slow-cooker Ritz chicken from Six Sisters' Stuff has a buttery Ritz cracker coating that's perfect for an indulgent Christmas dinner.
Sweet Potato Casserole
This Crock-Pot sweet potato casserole from Chelsea's Messy Apron is packed with sweet, spicy flavor.
Slow-Cooker Rosemary Christmas Beef With Salsa Verde
This Christmas beef recipe from The Rachel Ray Show has a delicious kick thanks to its salsa verde.
Jalapeno Pineapple Ham
This slow cooker jalapeno pineapple ham recipe from The Magical Slow Cooker is equal parts sweet and spicy.
Sweet Glazed Carrots
Just five ingredients make up this candy-like slow cooker sweet carrots side dish from Together as Family.
Spiral Ham
This spiral ham from I Heart Recipes gets its sweet and savory kick from a combo of pineapple juice and yellow mustard.
Green Beans
Making a tasty, comforting green beans side dish has never been easier, thanks to the Together as Family blog.
Cranberry Chicken
This festive cranberry-flavored take on barbecue chicken from Garden & Table is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin
What could be more perfect for Christmas than this pork tenderloin, slow cooked in a cranberry and orange sauce with golden raisins from Let's Dish Recipes?
Cornish Hens
Individually sized Cornish hens are easily prepped in the slow cooker with this House Wife How-Tos recipe. It's an indulgent option for Christmas dinner.
Wild Rice With Pecans & Cranberries
This cranberry- and pecan-laced wild rice from What a Girl Eats is sure to look as good as it tastes.
