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Your family dinner week · a place to start

Five-Day Slow Cooker Dinner Plan

Give the slow cooker a different dinner job across the week: beef with vegetables, chicken Alfredo, lentil chili, enchilada soup and barbecue drumsticks. Check each start time and the finishing additions before the week gets busy. Cornbread and coleslaw are part of the final dinner.

5 dinners · Household of 4 · Dinner only · 2 planned sides

Slow cooker beef pot roast — serving inspiration
Illustrative serving idea.

Five dinner menus for four built around slow-cooked mains, with finishing steps and the final day’s separate sides made explicit.

Dinner quantities and the combined grocery list are set for 4 people.

Review calendar dates, portions and pantry items before confirming.

Estimating…
Estimating…

5 dinners · 4 people per dinner

Your dinner schedule

Move days to suit your week. Each recipe below is portioned for the same household size.

  1. Day01

    Beef pot roast and vegetables

    Cut potatoes and carrots into large pieces and place in a slow cooker with sliced onion.

    Slow cooker beef pot roast — serving inspiration

    Main dinner

    Slow cooker beef pot roast

    • Scaled for 4
    Ingredients for 4 people
    • 2 lb Beef chuck roast
    • 1 1/2 lb Potatoes
    • 1 lb Carrots
    • 1 each Onion
    • 2 cups Beef broth
    • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tsp Dried thyme
    Full recipe & method
  2. Day02

    Chicken Alfredo with penne

    Place the chicken in the bottom of a 6qt slow cooker.

    Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo — serving inspiration

    Main dinner

    Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

    • Scaled for 4
    • Prep 15 min
    • Cook 135 min
    • Total 150 min
    Ingredients for 4 people
    • 1 lb Chicken breast
    • 1 tsp Garlic powder
    • 1/2 tsp Onion powder
    • 1/4 tsp Salt
    • 4 oz Cream cheese
    • 1 1/2 cups Half and half
    • 10 oz Condensed chicken broth
    • 8 oz Penne
    • 1/2 cup Parmesan
    • 2 tablespoons Salted butter
    • 1 pinch Ground nutmeg
    Full recipe & method
  3. Day03

    Vegetarian lentil chili

    Rinse lentils and drain canned beans.

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili — serving inspiration

    Main dinner

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

    • Scaled for 4
    Ingredients for 4 people
    • 1/2 each Onion
    • 1 1/2 cloves Garlic
    • 10 oz Canned tomatoes
    • 4 oz Tomato paste
    • 10 oz Black beans
    • 10 oz Kidney beans
    • 3/4 cup Lentils
    • 2 1/4 teaspoons Chili powder
    • 5/8 tsp Smoked paprika
    • 5/8 tsp Cumin
    • 3/8 tsp Onion powder
    • 1/8 tsp Garlic powder
    • 1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
    • 3/8 tsp Salt
    • To taste Black pepper
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons Coconut oil
    • 2 3/4 cups Vegetable broth
    Full recipe & method
  4. Day04

    Chicken enchilada soup

    Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of a slow cooker.

    Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup — serving inspiration

    Main dinner

    Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

    • Scaled for 4
    • Prep 10 min
    • Cook 480 min
    • Total 490 min
    Ingredients for 4 people
    • 1 lb Chicken breast
    • 2 teaspoons Chili powder
    • 1 tsp Cumin
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
    • 1 1/2 cups Frozen corn
    • 15 oz Black beans
    • 1/2 cup Onion
    • 1 each Red bell pepper
    • 14 1/2 oz Diced tomatoes
    • 10 oz Enchilada sauce
    • 2 cups Chicken broth
    Full recipe & method
  5. Day05

    Barbecue drumsticks, cornbread and coleslaw

    Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towels and poke each one a few times with a fork.

    Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks — serving inspiration

    Main dinner

    Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks

    • Scaled for 4
    • Prep 5 min
    • Cook 120 min
    • Total 125 min
    Ingredients for 4 people
    • 2 lb Chicken drumsticks
    • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
    • 1 1/4 cups BBQ sauce
    • 1/4 cup Honey
    • 1 tsp Garlic powder
    Full recipe & method
    Cornbread — serving inspiration

    Side dish

    Cornbread

    • Scaled for 4
    Ingredients for 4 people
    • 8 1/2 oz Cornbread mix
    • 1/3 cup Milk
    • 1 each Eggs
    Full recipe & method
    Deli coleslaw — serving inspiration

    Side dish

    Deli coleslaw

    • Scaled for 4
    Ingredients for 4 people
    • 1 1/2 lb Deli coleslaw
    Full recipe & method

One list for the schedule

Combined grocery list

Ingredient requirements for all 5 dinners, adjusted to 4 people per dinner.

Compatible measurements are combined. Different measurement types and amounts that need interpretation stay separate.

Check your pantry before shopping. These are ingredient amounts used by the plan; package sizes and what you already own can change what you need to buy.

Dairy & eggs

  • 4 oz Cream cheese

    Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

  • 1 each Eggs

    Cornbread

  • 0.333333 cups Milk

    Cornbread

  • 0.5 cups Parmesan

    Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

  • 2 tbsp Salted butter

    Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

Frozen

  • 1.5 cups Frozen corn

    Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

Meat & seafood

  • 2 lb Beef chuck roast

    Slow cooker beef pot roast

  • 2 lb Chicken breast

    2 uses · Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo · Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • 2 lb Chicken drumsticks

    Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks

Pantry & other

  • 1.25 cups BBQ sauce

    Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks

  • 2 cups Beef broth

    Slow cooker beef pot roast

  • 25 oz Black beans

    2 uses · Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili · Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • 0.5 tsp + To taste Black pepper

    2 uses · Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili · Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • 2 tsp Cajun seasoning

    Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks

  • 10 oz Canned tomatoes

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

  • 0.125 tsp Cayenne pepper

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

  • 2 cups Chicken broth

    Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • 4.25 tsp Chili powder

    2 uses · Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili · Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • 1.5 tbsp Coconut oil

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

  • 10 oz Condensed chicken broth

    Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

  • 8.5 oz Cornbread mix

    Cornbread

  • 1.625 tsp Cumin

    2 uses · Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili · Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • 1.5 lb Deli coleslaw

    Deli coleslaw

  • 1 tsp Dried thyme

    Slow cooker beef pot roast

  • 10 oz Enchilada sauce

    Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • 2.625 tsp Garlic powder

    4 uses · Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo · Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili · Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup · Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks

  • 1 pinch Ground nutmeg

    Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

  • 1.5 cups Half and half

    Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

  • 0.25 cups Honey

    Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks

  • 10 oz Kidney beans

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

  • 0.75 cups Lentils

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

  • 0.875 tsp Onion powder

    2 uses · Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo · Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

  • 8 oz Penne

    Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

  • 1.625 tsp Salt

    3 uses · Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo · Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili · Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • 0.625 tsp Smoked paprika

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

  • 4 oz Tomato paste

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

  • 2.75 cups Vegetable broth

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

    Slow cooker beef pot roast

Produce

  • 1 lb Carrots

    Slow cooker beef pot roast

  • 14.5 oz Diced tomatoes

    Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • 1.5 cloves Garlic

    Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

  • 1.5 each + 0.5 cups Onion

    3 uses · Slow cooker beef pot roast · Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili · Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

  • 1.5 lb Potatoes

    Slow cooker beef pot roast

  • 1 each Red bell pepper

    Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

Review calendar dates, portions and pantry items before confirming.

A little planning before the week begins

Set yourself up for the week

A little look ahead 1

Plan the start time from each recipe’s actual setting: the pot roast records 8–10 hours on low, while lentil chili records 7–8 hours on low or 4–5 hours on high.

A little look ahead 2

Chicken Alfredo cooks the chicken before adding penne for the final 20–25 minutes. Do not put every ingredient into the cooker at the beginning.

A little look ahead 3

Use the slow-cooker manufacturer’s capacity guidance when scaling. Drumsticks are arranged in a single layer; larger portions may need different equipment capacity.

A little look ahead 4

The final day’s cornbread is baked separately using its mix’s package temperature and time, with the listed milk and egg. Keep the prepared coleslaw chilled until serving.

The grocery overlap to check first

Garlic powder

Used on day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

Onion

Used on day 1, day 3, day 4. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

Black beans

Used on day 3, day 4. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

Chicken breast

Used on day 2, day 4. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

Chili powder

Used on day 3, day 4. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

Cumin

Used on day 3, day 4. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

A few details for this menu

Use ingredients across dinners

Onion is shared by the pot roast, lentil chili and enchilada soup. Garlic powder appears in the chili, Alfredo and enchilada soup.

Keep chicken broth, beef broth and vegetable broth separate in the grocery list. Lentils and canned beans are different ingredients with different preparation requirements.

Make the plan work for you

The existing Slow cooker pulled pork recipe is another long-cook main that can replace the drumstick dinner. It includes its own bun quantities; keep or remove the paired sides deliberately and regenerate the list for the changed menu.

A couple of everyday questions

Can I move the dinners around?

Yes. Put the meals on the days that suit your week, and plan purchases or freezing around those dates. Moving the same dinner keeps its ingredient needs; changing the recipe changes the shopping list.

What does this plan cover?

There is one dinner for each of 5 days, planned for 4 people. Any named sides belong to their listed dinners. Add breakfast, lunch and snacks separately; extra leftover portions are not assumed.

If you save a cooked portion

Keep the storage details close.

Thaw raw meat and poultry before putting them in a slow cooker. Keep prepared raw ingredients refrigerated until cooking begins.

Reheat leftovers on the stove, in a microwave or in an oven to 165°F; use a slow cooker for cooking the scheduled recipes rather than reheating cold leftovers.

Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly in shallow containers and use within 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F; the schedule does not extend their storage life.

USDA MyPlate: Make a Plan · USDA FSIS: Slow Cookers and Food Safety · USDA FSIS: Chicken from Farm to Table · USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety

Collections featuring recipes from this plan