I love my slow cooker. I add ingredients to the ceramic crock, and when I return, there’s a prepared entrée or even a complete meal. My slow cooker is a life saver on busy weeknights. Since this is October, a month being referred to as “Crocktober” in certain circles, I decided to share four of Patty Cake’s Pantry’s favorite slow cooker appetizer recipes. After all, there are many reasons to gather together this month. In addition to Halloween, there’s football and the World Series
These recipes are great to put together when you’re entertaining a large group because, with the exception of the stuffed mushrooms, all you need to do is pour the ingredients into the slow cooker, and let them take care of themselves. I don’t know about you, but I would rather visit with my guests that be trapped in the kitchen.
Here are four of our favorite slow cooker appetizer recipes.
Three Ingredient Slow Cooker Meatballs
These are always served on either Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve in our house. Some years they are served on both days. In fact, Baker’s Man requests them for our holiday parties. It’s surprising that with only three ingredients, these meatballs are loaded with flavor, and they’re a definite crowd pleaser. An appetizer for a crowd can’t get much easier than this, and if you’re feeding a larger crowd, the recipe doubles easily. The only adjustment necessary may be a slightly longer cooking time for a larger quantity of meatballs.
Slow Cooker Stuffed Mushrooms
This recipe requires the most effort to make, but it’s worth it. We love making Stuffed Mushrooms in our oven, but if the oven is otherwise occupied, like on Thanksgiving Day, preparing stuffed mushrooms in the slow cooker is a great alternative. I think that one of the newer model, rectangular shaped, slow cookers, which are more shallow, would be the ideal way to prepare these because it has a larger surface area and would hold more mushrooms at a time. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get one of those, yet.
Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip
Spinach Artichoke Dip is one of my favorite recipes. Whenever Baker’s Man and I go out to eat, if we get an appetizer, it’s almost always Spinach Artichoke dip. This recipe is easy to make, tastes delicious, and goes great with tortilla chips and a bowl full of salsa. (Follow the link for my recipe for Faux Homemade Salsa.)
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip
This dip is one of the most requested recipes here at Patty Cake’s Pantry. For a while, it was requested for every pot luck at work. Fortunately, other people in my department have the recipe, but everyone makes it their own by using a different cheese or dressing. This is delicious served with large pieces of celery, tortilla chips, or crackers. Celery is my favorite, but Baker’s Man prefers the tortilla chips.
Slow cooker appetizer recipes are an excellent choice when entertaining because they allow you to spend more time with your guests and less time in the kitchen. Each of these recipes is unique, but all of them are great for serving to crowds. Whether your gathering is a holiday party, or watching a televised sporting event, give one of these slow cooker appetizer recipes a try and let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.
Thanks for Visiting Patty Cake’s Pantry.
Yummy! I love all three of these slow cooker appetizers! Especially the buffalo chicken dip!! Great little roundup!
I’d love to try all these! Those meatballs are calling my name!
The meatballs were the first appetizer recipe I made in my slow cooker, and they are a family favorite, especially this time of year.
Nice roundup of slow cooker appetizers! The buffalo chicken dip looks like a must-try!
Definitely give the dip a try. It’s addictive. (At least, that’s what my husband and coworkers say.)
The buffalo chicken dip is Baker’s Man’s favorite. He could make a meal of it.
Ha! Crocktober… never heard that. I think the meatballs look like they would be my favorite.
Autumn is a great time for slow cooker recipes, thus Crock-tober. Crock-tember and Crock-vember just don’t have the same ring to them. LOL. These meatballs are my brother’s favorite, Baker’s Man likes them, too, but his favorite is the buffalo chicken dip. I love how easy it is to prepare the meatballs and that people always ask “Will you be making the meatballs?”
Can crocktober be extended to November?! There’s too many yummy ideas here for it to already be over 🙂
I agree. I can’t limit use of my slow cooker to only one month.
Sometimes I forget how convenient the slow cooker is. I should pull it out and use it. Especially during this cold weather!
I love that I can put something in the slow cooker that needs a long cooking time to develop the flavors, and I don’t have to do anything with it until the end of the day. I can’t do that on my stove top.
The stuffed mushrooms sound particularly interesting, We love them, but you’re right – sometimes there just isn’t room in the oven! I’ll have to try that.
Our oven is generally overloaded on Thanksgiving day, so the slow cooker is a big help. One year the oven broke the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and I couldn’t get it fixed until after. I made the entire dinner in borrowed slow cookers and one turkey roaster.
I’m a big fan of the slow cooker, I actually use mine all year round, especially Summer. I am looking forward to trying the Buffalo Chicken Dip (I will eat this as a meal;)
Baker’s Man has been known to do that. If ever there are leftovers, he claims it for his lunch the next day.
Those meatballs are calling my name! I love crock pot recipes especially for yummy finger foods!
I would eat finger foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’m sure you’re going to love the meatballs.
Slow cookers are certainly lifesavers! They used to be called crock pots but they’ve evolved into a sophisticated kitchen tool. The slow cooker is great for keeping an appetizer warm without overcooking. You’ve got some great recipes to save.
I agree, Marisa. I was in the store yesterday and saw a slow cooker that has a browning option. It’s amazing how they’ve evolved over the years.
Even though I could make a whole meal out of appetizers, I never think to make them in the crockpot. That chicken dip looks especially awesome!
It was a year when my oven broke before Thanksgiving, and we couldn’t get it fixed until after, that I finally began to fully appreciate the slow cooker. Since then, it’s become one of my favorite things to experiment with.
I’ve always thought of my slow cooker as a summer appliance, when I don’t want to heat up the kitchen. This line-up in making me reconsider!
I used to think my slow cooker was only for having dinner ready after a long day at work or, like you, for use during the summer when the last thing I wanted to do was stand in a hot kitchen. Then, there was the fateful Thanksgiving when my oven was broken…. The slow cooker saved the day.
Omg anything I can make in the slow cooker is my best friend lol
I know what you mean. It’s an amazing time saver. I am in love with my slow cooker.
Slow cookers are just so darn handy. This is a great roundup filled with delicious slow cooker appetizers.
Yes, I love my slow cooker, but I have had my fair share of slow cooker flops over the years. I’m glad you like my appetizer collection.