Keep Your Sanity and Eat Well - 12 Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Recipes for Busy Days!

By Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine | Updated on December 10, 2024

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Dinner is ready and waiting for you! These are 12 of our favorite slow cooker and instant pot recipes, perfect for busy days.

I don't know about you, but our December is packed with holiday events! And while they are all fun and celebratory, it can make things feel a little crazy. Make things easier on yourself with one of these cozy dinner recipes. They are created for the instant pot and slow cooker but also have stovetop directions in case that's better for you.

You can prep them ahead and come home to a hot, homemade meal all ready to go. They are great for busy days or hosting family and friends. Give them a try!

Slow cooker apple butter in a white bowl on a wooden board with cheese and herbs.

Ridiculously Easy Slow Cooked Apple Butter

Ready for the taste of fall? With minimal effort on your part? Welcome to our Ridiculously Easy Slow Cooked Apple Butter! Simply throw everything in the slow cooker and wait for the magic to happen! It's fabulous on toast, biscuits, scones and English muffins and is a wonderful addition to cheese and charcuterie appetizer boards. 

Chicken poblano soup in a bowl with toppings on a wooden cutting board.

Chicken Poblano Tortilla Soup (slow cooker or stovetop)

This delicious Chicken Poblano Tortilla Soup is loaded with healthy veggies, tender chicken and fabulous southwestern flavor! It's wonderful for lunch or dinner and reheats beautifully!

Instant pot pasta and beef soup in a white pot on wooden table with bread

Pasta Beef Soup (in the Instant Pot or oven)

This fabulous Instant Pot (or oven) Pasta and Beef Soup is a throw-it-all in-the-pot soup that's loaded with tender chunks of beef and lots of healthy veggies!

Overhead picture of buffalo chicken chili in a white bowl with chips and a blue napkin

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Drawing on the flavor of classic Buffalo chicken wings, this chili is super easy, and loaded with delicious flavor!

Vertical picture of slow cooker mashed potatoes in a white dish

Slow Cooker Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

The easiest mashed potatoes ever, with no last minute fussing! These Slow Cooker Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes are super delicious and can be made a few days in advance.

Brown Sugar Balsamic Pulled Pork in a white pot with buns in the background

Brown Sugar Balsamic Pulled Pork

This easy Brown Sugar Balsamic Pulled Pork takes minutes to put together, then the slow cooker (or instant pot) takes over. It's a delicious crowd pleaser!

Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

With less than 30 minutes of hands-on time, this delicious Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken is super elegant, yet easy enough for weeknight dinners!

Vertical picture of Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Beef Soup in a white bowl

Instant Pot (or oven) Italian Vegetable Beef Soup

This Instant Pot (or oven) Italian Vegetable Beef Soup is bursting with vibrant Italian flavor, tender beef and an array of fresh veggies!

Instant Pot Black Bean Beef Tortilla Soup

An easy crowd-pleaser, this Instant Pot (or oven) Black Bean Beef Tortilla Soup is loaded with healthy veggies and lots of delicious south-of-the-border flavor!

Close up vertical picture of Slow Cooker Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup in the slow cooker

Slow Cooker Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup

This slow cooker soup is perfect for those days that you want a delicious dinner ready with minimal effort.

Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli - a super delicious, classic Italian soup. Takes about 45 minutes to prep, the slow cooker does the magic! Walk in the door, after a long day and the most amazing fragrance will greet you! Dinner will soon be served! www.thecafesucrefarine.com

Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup

A classic Italian soup, this delicious Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup takes about 45 minutes to prep, then the slow cooker does the magic!

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Chicken Sausage Tortilla Soup - easy, fun and super delicious!

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Chicken Sausage Tortilla Soup

This wonderful soup is an easy, fun and super delicious recipe! Perfect for slow cookers; it'll guarantee smiles all around the table when you serve it!

Thought for the day:

 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord.  
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 
 And suddenly there was with the angel 
a multitude of the heavenly host praising God
and saying,"Glory to God in the highest,
   and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"
Luke 2:10-14

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Labor of Love

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If you enjoy any of these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It's so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

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