30 Diabetic-Friendly Holiday Slow Cooker Recipes (2024)

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These special main dishes and sides are made in the slow cooker, giving you more time to relax and enjoy the holidays.

Stuffing from the Slow Cooker

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If you’re hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner this year, add this simple slow-cooked stuffing to your menu to ease entertaining. The recipe comes in handy when you run out of oven space at large family gatherings. I use this Crock Pot dressing recipe often. —Donald Seiler, Macon, Mississippi

Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast

Try this wonderfully flavored, easy-to-fix slow-cooker turkey breast when you're craving something delicious. It makes a great holiday dish for smaller families, too. —Maria Juco, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Country-Style Pork Loin

This pork roast is so moist and tender that it melts in your mouth. My son puts it at the top of his list of favorite foods. We like it with mashed potatoes. —Corina Flansberg, Carson City, Nevada

Oregano Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts

This super easy side dish is a wonderful picnic or potluck recipe. It’s a beautiful, surprising mix that leaves guests and family raving. You can substitute any kind of nut for the pine nuts or even replace them with fresh berries. —Wolfgang Hanau, West Palm Beach, Florida

Sirloin Roast with Gravy

This recipe is perfect for my husband, who is a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. The peppery, fork-tender roast combined with the rich gravy creates a tasty centerpiece for any meal. —Rita Clark, Monument, Colorado

Onion-Garlic Hash Browns

Quick to assemble, this is a simple recipe I’ve cooked many times. Stir in hot sauce if you like a bit of heat. I also like to top the finished dish with a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese. —Cindi Hayward-Boger, Ardmore, Alabama

Fruity Pork Roast

I like using the slow cooker for our meals because it gives me time for other preparations, frees the oven, and it usually doesn't matter if you serve it later than planned. The fruit in this recipe, which I adapted, gives the pork a special flavor. —Mary Jeppesen-Davis, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Corn and Broccoli in Cheese Sauce

Save room in the oven by making this savory side in your slow cooker. It is a standby in my house. My daughter likes to add leftover ham to create a hearty main course. —Joyce Johnson, Uniontown, Ohio

Beef Roast Dinner

Because this healthy dish is slow-cooked, you can use less expensive roasts with results as mouthwatering as the more costly cuts. Change up the veggies for variety, nutrition or to suit your tastes!—Sandra Dudley, Bemidji, Minnesota

All-Day Brisket with Potatoes

I think the slow cooker was invented with brisket in mind. This sweet and savory version is perfection itself because it melts in your mouth. It's very important to buy "first-cut" or "flat-cut" brisket, which has far less fat than other cuts. —Lana Gryga, Glen Flora, Wisconsin

Grandma Edna's Cajun Pork

My grandma used to make this for our family on special occasions. We love to carry on the delicious tradition. —Tonya Cline, Greenville, Ohio

Slow-Cooked Turkey with Berry Compote

We love to eat turkey, and on hot summer days, here's how we get our fix. For golden-brown turkey, broil for a few minutes before serving. —Margaret Bracher, Robertsdale, Alabama

Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket

When my husband and I were both working full time, we loved this recipe's 10-hour cook time. The beef brisket tastes so good after simmering all day in the crockpot, and the chili sauce adds a unique touch to the gravy.— Anna Stodolak, Volant, Pennsylvania

Turkey in Cream Sauce

I've been relying on this recipe for tender turkey since I first moved out on my own years ago. I serve it whenever I invite new guests to the house, and I'm constantly writing out the recipe. —Kathy-Jo Winterbottom, Pottstown, Pennsylvania

Apple-Dijon Pork Roast

This recipe takes just minutes to assemble and is delicious. I like to serve the roast with rice, then use the tangy sauce as a gravy for both. —Cindy Steffen, Cedarburg, Wisconsin

Fall Garden Medley

I like to make this recipe in the fall and winter for special occasions because it's very colorful, tasty and healthy. It's a hearty side that complements many different meat dishes. —Krystine Kercher, Lincoln, Nebraska

Favorite Beef Roast Dinner

This is our family's favorite slow-cooked beef roast. My two children love it and always want seconds. I love putting together new flavor combinations in the kitchen. —Sheryl Padilla, Peyton, Colorado

Java Roast Beef

Coffee adds richness to the gravy, which is perfect for sopping up with crusty bread or draping over mashed potatoes. —Charla Sackmann, Orange City, Iowa

Citrus-Herb Pork Roast

The genius combination of seasonings and citrus in this tender roast reminds us why we cherish tasty recipes. It's nice to serve with hot noodles to soak up any extra citrus gravy. —Laura Brodine, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Pork Roast Dinner

I am single and love to cook, so I often cook for friends that either don't cook or who work nights. They love new recipes, and this was one of their favorites. The leftover meat makes great barbecue pork sandwiches the next day.—Lisa J. Chamberlain, St. Charles, Illinois

Slow-Cooker Rump Roast

I enjoy a good pot roast, but was tired of the same old thing. So, I began experimenting. Cooking the beef in horseradish sauce gives it a tangy flavor. Even my young children love this slow-cooker pot roast with its tender veggies and gravy. —Mimi Walker, Palmyra, Pennsylvania

Makeover Slow-Cooked Mac 'n' Cheese

This recipe is a clear example of comfort food at its finest; it's rich, hearty and extra cheesy. And because it's made in the slow cooker, it's also extremely easy. —Shelby Molina, Whitewater, Wisconsin

Green Beans and New Potatoes

This tasty side dish frees up your stove or oven. The vegetables come out tender, and the onion soup mix and onion add lots of flavor to the broth.—Ann Yarber, Goldsby, Oklahoma

Slow Cooker Bacon-Mushroom Dressing

My favorite stuffing uses a slow cooker, which helps when your oven's busy. It goes with everything from turkey to game hens. —Hope Wasylenki, Gahanna, Ohio

Peggy is a Senior Food Editor for Taste of Home. In addition to curating recipes, she writes articles, develops recipes and is our in-house nutrition expert. She studied dietetics at the University of Illinois and completed post-graduate studies at the Medical University of South Carolina to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. Peggy has more than 20 years of experience in the industry. She’s a mom, a foodie and enjoys being active in her rural Wisconsin community.