The best crockpot side dishes are hands-off classics like scalloped potatoes, buttered garlic mushrooms, glazed carrots, cheesy mac, and hearty bean stews that cook while you do everything else. Slow cooking coaxes deep flavor from humble vegetables and grains with almost no effort or cleanup. Whether you are feeding a crowd or freeing up your oven for the main event, these 22 recipes have a side for every plate.
How to Choose the Best Crockpot Side Dish
The best crockpot side dish is built around sturdy ingredients that reward long, gentle cooking, like potatoes, dried beans, root vegetables, rice, and hearty greens. Match the dish to your menu: creamy potatoes and mac and cheese suit roasts and holiday spreads, while bean stews and rice pilafs round out lighter mains. Timing matters too, since delicate vegetables need only a few hours while beans and grains want a longer stretch. Finally, pick recipes you can prep in the morning and forget until dinner, freeing your oven and stovetop for everything else.
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Creamy, Cheesy Crockpot Potato Sides
Rich, cheesy, and endlessly comforting, these slow cooker potato and pasta sides are the ones everyone fights over.
Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Thinly sliced potatoes layered in a silky dairy-free cream sauce turn meltingly tender after hours in the slow cooker, with golden edges and plenty of savory depth. This French-style pommes dauphinoise is pure comfort next to any roast or holiday spread. Tip: slice the potatoes on a mandoline so every layer cooks evenly and stays luxuriously soft.
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Crock Pot Au Gratin Potatoes
Thinly sliced potatoes turn meltingly tender in a rich, cheesy sauce that bubbles up golden and irresistible after hours of slow cooking. This is classic comfort-food indulgence with barely any hands-on effort. Tip: slice the potatoes thin and even so they cook through and the cheese sauce blankets every single layer.
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Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes)
Creamy mashed potatoes folded with wilted cabbage or kale make this classic Irish side buttery, cozy, and deeply satisfying. Cooked low and slow, the potatoes stay warm and fluffy right up to serving time. Tip: stir in the greens during the last half hour so they keep their color and gentle bite.
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Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed sweet potatoes go creamy and caramel-sweet as they cook, finished with a crunchy, nutty topping that plays off the soft base. It is the kind of crowd-pleasing side that disappears fast at any gathering. Tip: hold the pecan topping and scatter it on just before serving so it stays crisp against the tender filling.
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Vegan Mac and Cheese
Tender pasta bathed in a velvety, ultra-cheesy plant-based sauce cooks up creamy and comforting without ever turning on the stove. It is a guaranteed hit with kids and grown-ups alike next to anything smoky or grilled. Tip: undercook the pasta slightly before it goes in so it finishes perfectly instead of turning mushy.
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Hearty Slow Cooker Beans, Lentils and Stews
Set these protein-packed beans, lentils, and stews in the morning and come home to a pot of deeply savory comfort.
The Perfect Butter Beans Stew
Plump butter beans simmer with tomatoes, onions, and herbs until they turn silky and rich, soaking up every bit of savory sauce. Hearty enough to anchor a plate yet humble enough to serve as a side, this stew only gets better as it sits. Tip: a splash of good olive oil stirred in at the end rounds out the flavor beautifully.
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Smoky Beans Stew
Smoked paprika gives this bean stew a deep, campfire warmth while the beans grow meltingly soft over long, gentle cooking. Thick, saucy, and satisfying, it pairs perfectly with crusty bread or roasted vegetables. Tip: dried beans soaked overnight hold their shape far better than canned during the extended cook time.
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Easy Vegetarian Cassoulet
This French white bean casserole layers creamy beans with carrots, herbs, and a savory broth into a rustic, soul-warming side. Hours in the slow cooker meld everything into one cozy, fragrant pot. Tip: toast a handful of breadcrumbs separately and scatter them over each bowl for the traditional crisp topping.
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Moudardara (Lebanese Lentils with Rice)
Earthy lentils and rice cook together under a blanket of deeply caramelized onions in this beloved Lebanese comfort dish. The slow, low heat lets the grains turn tender while the onions perfume the whole pot. Tip: caramelize the onions on the stovetop first for the sweetest, jammiest flavor, folding most in and saving some for the top.
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Potato and Carrot Stew with Tarragon
Chunks of potato and sweet carrot simmer into a fragrant, tarragon-scented stew that feels both light and nourishing. The gentle anise note of fresh tarragon lifts the humble vegetables into something special. Tip: add the tarragon in the final stretch of cooking so its delicate flavor stays bright rather than fading away.
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Sweet Potato Stew with Cauliflower
Sweet potato and cauliflower turn tender and creamy in a lightly spiced, comforting broth that works as a chunky side or a light meal. The natural sweetness of the potato balances the earthy cauliflower beautifully. Tip: cut the cauliflower into larger florets so it holds its shape instead of breaking down over the long cook.
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Set-and-Forget Rice and Grain Sides
Fluffy grains and cozy rice dishes cook evenly and hands-free, ready to soak up whatever main you serve.
Vegetarian Serbian Rice Pilaf
This easy one-pot pilaf simmers rice with peppers, carrots, and peas until every grain is fluffy and flavor-packed. It is the kind of dependable side that goes with almost anything on the table. Tip: give the rice a quick rinse first to wash off excess starch so it finishes light and separate rather than sticky.
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Mushroom Rice Pilaf
Nutty brown rice and earthy mushrooms slow-cook into a savory, satisfying pilaf with real depth of flavor. The long cook time lets the rice drink up every drop of the mushroom broth. Tip: brown the mushrooms briefly before they go in so they bring a richer, meatier taste to the finished dish.
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Vegan Mexican Rice
Fluffy rice stained red with tomato and warm spices makes a vibrant, crowd-friendly side for tacos, beans, or grilled veggies. Cooking it low and slow means no scorched bottom and perfectly even grains. Tip: stir in a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro right before serving to brighten the whole dish.
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Cabbage Casserole with Rice
Tender cabbage and rice cook down together with savory tomato and herbs into a homey, filling casserole. The slow heat softens the cabbage into silky ribbons that melt into the grains. Tip: layer the firmer cabbage at the bottom nearest the heat so everything finishes evenly tender.
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Potato Curry
Soft potatoes simmer in a fragrant, spiced coconut-tomato sauce that turns rich and cozy over hours of gentle cooking. Served alongside rice or flatbread, it makes a warming, satisfying side with real character. Tip: toast the curry spices in a dry pan first to unlock their aroma before everything goes into the pot.
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Simple Slow Cooker Vegetable Sides
Let the slow cooker do the work while these vegetable sides turn tender, saucy, and impossible to resist.
Crockpot Buttered Garlic Mushrooms
Whole mushrooms turn plump and juicy as they soak up a garlicky, herb-flecked butter sauce over hours of hands-off cooking. Earthy and rich, they make a fuss-free side for roasts or a holiday buffet. Tip: pat the mushrooms dry before they go in so they braise in the buttery sauce instead of steaming in their own liquid.
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Slow Cooker Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
Tender Brussels sprouts pick up a nutty, salty edge from a generous shower of parmesan while the slow cooker coaxes them to just the right bite. They are an effortless way to win over sprout skeptics. Tip: keep the sprouts halved rather than whole so the cut sides absorb more of the cheesy seasoning.
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Slow Cooker Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds
This lighter riff on green bean casserole lets fresh green beans go tender alongside sweet shallots and crunchy toasted almonds. It brings all the cozy holiday flavor with none of the canned-soup heaviness. Tip: add the toasted almonds at the very end so they stay crisp against the soft, savory beans.
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Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
Sweet corn kernels turn luxuriously creamy in a rich, gently sweet sauce that comes together with almost no effort. This is old-fashioned comfort food that belongs at every potluck and holiday table. Tip: use frozen or fresh corn rather than canned for the sweetest pop and best texture in the finished dish.
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Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots
Sweet carrots go fork-tender under a glossy brown butter glaze that turns them into an irresistible, lightly caramelized side. The slow heat concentrates their natural sweetness beautifully. Tip: cut the carrots into even pieces so they all reach that perfect tender-glazed finish at the same time.
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Slow Cooker Cheesy Vegetables
A medley of vegetables cooks down in a warm, gooey cheese sauce for a comforting side the whole family reaches for. It is an easy way to make veggies genuinely crave-worthy. Tip: add tender vegetables like broccoli partway through so they stay vibrant instead of overcooking into the sauce.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cook side dishes in a crockpot? Yes, a crockpot is excellent for side dishes. Potatoes, beans, rice, root vegetables, and hearty greens all turn tender and flavorful with long, gentle heat, and the slow cooker frees up your oven and stovetop for the main course.
What are the best vegetables to cook in a slow cooker? Sturdy vegetables work best, including potatoes, carrots, cabbage, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, corn, and Brussels sprouts. They hold their texture through hours of cooking, while delicate vegetables like broccoli or peas are best added near the end so they do not overcook.
How long do side dishes take in a crockpot? Most crockpot side dishes take 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. Dense ingredients like dried beans and brown rice need the longer, low-and-slow window, while tender vegetables are usually done in a few hours.
Can you make crockpot side dishes ahead of time? Absolutely. Most of these sides can be cooked ahead, refrigerated, and gently reheated, which makes them ideal for busy weeknights and holidays. Many, like bean stews and casseroles, taste even better the next day once the flavors have settled.
Do you need to add water to slow cooker side dishes? It depends on the dish. Beans, grains, and rice need enough liquid to cook through, while watery vegetables release their own moisture and need very little added. Follow each recipe, since the slow cooker traps steam and loses far less liquid than the stovetop.
Can you convert oven side dish recipes to a slow cooker? Many oven sides adapt well, especially casseroles, gratins, stews, and braised vegetables. Reduce the added liquid, since slow cookers retain moisture, and expect a longer cook time. Dishes meant to be crisp or roasted are the main exceptions and are better finished in the oven.
