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There’s a lot you can do with ground beef in your slow cooker. Plus, the meat lasts three to four months in the freezer, so stockpiling this staple ingredient will serve you well. From hearty comfort foods like lasagna, chili, and meatloaf, to lightened-up soups and stews, these are the easy, ground beef slow cooker recipes you’ll want to have on hand for busy weeknights.
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Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
This is not your typical TV dinner Salisbury steak. Be sure to serve with mashed potatoes and spoon the excess gravy overtop.
Cocktail Meatballs
These tangy, sweet-heat meatballs are a classic special occasion appetizer. They can be served straight from the slow cooker to keep them warm throughout the whole evening.
Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage leaves are stuffed with ground beef, onion, and rice, and simmered low and slow in a tomato-based sauce. It’s a satisfying, budget-friendly dinner that requires minimal prep work.
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Cooking lasagna in a slow cooker means no pre-cooking the noodles. Simply start by simmering the ground beef and tomato mixture, layer with lasagna noodles and a creamy cheese blend, and let the slow cooker do the rest!
Slow Cooker Chili
This hearty chili is a great way to sneak in vegetables; it’s packed with beans, veggies, beef, and spices. Serve with a side of cornbread, of course!
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Meat Loaf
The slow cooker is the secret to super-moist meatloaf. A ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce adds a tangy-sweet flavor.
Slow Cooker Beef Enchilada Casserole
Peyton Beckwith
Forget filling and rolling tortillas, this slow cooker recipe layers seasoned beef with quartered tortillas and a enchilada sauce, onions, green chiles, and Mexican cheese. “Delicious, quick and easy!” says reviewer Malia.
Cabbage Beef Soup
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Ground beef, cabbage, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and onions make up the bulk of this wholesome soup that’s best enjoyed on a cool autumn day.
Meat-Lover’s Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
If you prefer a rich, chunky meat sauce, look no further than this top-rated spaghetti sauce. The combination of Italian sausage, ground beef, tomatoes, and spices is enough to make anyone leave the jarred sauce behind.
Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie
Jake Sternquist / Food Styling: Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling: Sue Mitchell
“Tasty ground beef topped with cheesy mashed potatoes – this slow cooker shepherd’s pie hits all the spots if your looking for a hearty comfort dish.” —Juliana Hale
Randy’s Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna
Here’s an unusual take on lasagna (and not just because it’s cooked in the slow cooker.) Layers of meat sauce, ravioli, and cheese make for a delicious, fuss-free take on lasagna.
Slow Cooker Pizza
What’s even easier than ordering pizza? This slow cooker “pizza.” Alternate layers of browned ground beef, rigatoni pasta, mozzarella cheese, tomato soup, pizza sauce, and pepperoni make up this super simple six-ingredient recipe.
Slow Cooker Bolognese
This traditional Italian meat sauce is made simple in the slow cooker. Reviewer DEE C. says, “This is a very good authentic recipe that’s hard to mess up.”
Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
Jason Donnelly / Food Stylist: Holly Dressman / Prop Stylist: Natalie Ghazali
“Soul comfort feeling food like sunshine in your belly, smells like Grandma’s kitchen.” —sulle
Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“We loved this cheeseburger-in-a-bowl recipe! I hand-shredded the cheese as it melts so much better in soups. I also swapped out the potatoes for macaroni!” —Ms Chef Esh
Steph’s Zesty Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Cooking these meatballs in the slow cooker allows the sweet and sour sauce to permeate the meat. Serve over steamed white rice.
Easy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
Dotdash Meredith Video Studios
Green chiles and hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco (TM)) add Texas-flair to these slow cooker baked beans. Pair it with Sweet Jalapeno Cornbread and you can’t go wrong.
Stuffed Pepper Soup
“Started making this soup about a year ago just as the recipe states. It’s relatively quick , filling and DELICIOUS! My whole family enjoys it – kids and grandparents alike- which says a lot.” —Julie
Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans
ALLRECIPES / MADHUMITA SATHISHKUMAR
In this chili-like dish, ground beef, bacon, and beans are cooked in a sweet, thickened sauce. Some reviewers suggest playing with the amount of brown sugar to reach your desired level of sweetness.
Slow Cooker Ground Beef Stew
“Made exactly as written and it turned out great! I felt it had enough liquid, and the ratios all seemed great.” —fabeveryday
Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup
Pasta e fagioli translates to “pasta and beans.” Here it’s served in soup form for a comforting cold weather dish: “Got this going early in the day and enjoyed a hearty, robust soup for dinner with a side salad and a hot baguette,” says Allrecipes Allstar lutzflcat.
Easy Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs
Using frozen cooked meatballs means there’s very little prep involved in making these Swedish meatballs. Serve over egg noodles to soak up the creamy gravy.
Slow Cooker Taco Bean Soup
It’s hard to beat a good taco soup, especially one that allows you to dump all the ingredients in a slow cooker and forget about it! Top with tortilla chips, avocado, shredded cheese, or anything else you’d like.
Sloppy Joes for a Crowd
This recipe makes a whopping 24 servings, so you’ll want to have it on hand for potlucks and events (although it can easily be scaled down).
Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
“Homemade Parmesan-flavored meatballs and tomato sauce are cooked in the slow cooker and served over hot spaghetti for an easy and delicious dinner,” says recipe creator ADoyonb86.
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