When it comes to lazy cooking, dump dinners are our go-to.
Many of these easy dump dinner recipes can be prepared ahead of time, stored in the freezer, then tossed into the slow cooker or Instant Pot. Others have little to no prep, and the only effort required is gathering the ingredients and combining them to cook. Pretty easy, huh?
1. Instant Pot Burrito Bowls
Everything goes into the Instant Pot at once except for your favorite toppings (guacamole, jalapeño, pico de gallo, etc...) which you can keep off on the side. Pressure cook for about 10 minutes and you've got ready-to-eat chicken burrito bowls.
Recipe: Instant Pot Burrito Bowls
Advertisement
Advertisement
2. Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Making this winter comfort food favorite may feel intimidating. But all you have to do is combine the beef and marinade in a ziplock bag then pop it into the slow cooker with veggies. Let it cook on high for 6-7 hours, and voilà.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Stew
3. Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Alfredo With Broccoli
Place cream, chicken broth, chicken breast, butter, garlic, and spices into your slow cooker and cook for about three hours. For tender (but not mushy) broccoli, just add it into the sauce a bit before before the chicken is done cooking.
Advertisement
Advertisement
4. Slow Cooker Lasagna
Making lasagna doesn't have to be such a headache. Just layer ground meat, lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, spinach, shredded mozzarella, and pasta sauce into your slow cooker. Let it cook on high for 3-4 hours, and you've got yourself an Italian feast.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Lasagna
5. Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
You can substitute ground beef for turkey or chicken. Or, if you want a meatless meal, use black beans or quinoa.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
Advertisement
Advertisement
6. Tuscan Sausage White Bean Ragu With Buttered Gnocchi
The only active work you'll have to do is cooking the gnocchi (or any pasta) according to the package directions. Then enjoy it with this rustic, Tuscan-inspired ragu.
Recipe: Tuscan Sausage White Bean Ragu With Buttered Gnocchi
7. Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Advertisement
Advertisement
8. Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Curry
If you're trying to meal-prep, you can combine all the ingredients except for the coconut milk and stock in a bag and freeze it until you're ready to cook it.
9. Dump and Bake Ratatouille
The hardest part of this recipe is chopping the veggies. Combine eggplant, pepper, zucchini, and tomatoes in a baking dish with tomato paste, olive oil, and garlic and bake.
Recipe: Dump and Bake Ratatouille
Advertisement
Advertisement
10. Slow Cooker Jambalaya
This Cajun recipe may look daunting, but all you have to do it toss sliced sausage, shrimp, chicken breasts, veggies, garlic, and seasoning into the Crock-Pot. Then, wait for dinner to cook itself.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Jambalaya
11. Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
This creamy, fragrant marinade is made with yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and ginger. Keep a few frozen bags of marinated chicken for when you're craving a lighter version of your favorite takeout food.
Advertisement
Advertisement
12. Stuffed Shells With Spinach
Coat your Crock-Pot with marinara sauce, then layer the pasta shells and fill them with a mixture of spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, and Italian seasoning. After a few hours in the slow cooker, dinner is ready.
Recipe: Stuffed Shells With Spinach
13. Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Serve this Asian-inspired chicken over rice, lo mein noodles, or stir-fry veggies for a hearty and satisfying meal.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Advertisement
Advertisement
14. No-Boil Crock Pot Mac 'n' Cheese
When you can dump your mac 'n' cheese ingredients into a slow cooker and wait for it to cook itself, it's just as easy as opening the boxed stuff...but it's way more delicious.
Recipe: No-Boil Crock Pot Mac 'n' Cheese
15. Slow Cooker Eggplant Parmesan
Just layer marinara sauce, breaded eggplant, and lots of mozzarella cheese in the slow cooker and let this ultimate comfort food cook itself.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Eggplant Parmesan
Advertisement
Advertisement
16. Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas
Taco Tuesday just got a serious upgrade thanks to these crispy carnitas. In the oven, carnitas can take a lot of time and effort, but in the slow cooker you just set all of the ingredients and let the pork cook until it's fork tender.
Recipe: Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas
17. Curried Butternut Squash Soup
There's no pureeing or roasting required. In fact, the only real work you have to do is assemble everything at the base of your slow cooker.
Recipe: Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Advertisement
Advertisement
18. Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese
There's only five minutes of hands-on prep time required to make this better-for-you version of the cheesy classic comfort food.
Recipe: Cauliflower Mac 'n' Cheese
19. Slow-Cooked Brisket and Onions
Your slow cooker is the secret to tender, melt-in-your-mouth brisket. If you're cooking for a crowd, you can make this stress-free recipe a day in advance and reheat it when your guests arrive.
Recipe: Slow Cooked Brisket and Onions
Advertisement
Advertisement
20. Slow Cooker Baked Ziti
It doesn't get much more comforting than this Italian recipe. And for this version, you don't even need to turn on the oven.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Baked Ziti
21. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Make a big batch of this hearty soup and freeze it in singe-serve portions for up to three months.
Advertisement
Advertisement
22. Crock Pot Meatloaf and Veggies
Make the entire meal — sides and all — in a single pot.
Recipe: Crock Pot Meatloaf and Veggies
23. Crock Pot Sausage, Spinach, and White Bean Soup
Craving a piping bowl of soup on a cold fall day? Ten minutes of prep time and a little bit of patience is all you need.
Advertisement
Advertisement
24. Whole Cauliflower Curry
Looking to shake up meatless Monday? Slow-cook a whole head of cauliflower with peppers and potatoes in a flavorful sauce of vegetable broth, curry powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
Recipe: Whole Cauliflower Curry
25. Instant Pot Chicken and Broccoli
Prepare this meal ahead of time, but leave out the soy sauce if you want to freeze it for later. Then, when you're ready to cook just toss everything into your pressure cooker.
Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken and Broccoli
Advertisement
Advertisement
26. Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash takes about an hour to roast in the oven, but this Instant Pot version is ready in just minutes. Just place a halved spaghetti squash into your slow cooker and cook it for seven minutes. Then, shred it into strands with a fork, return it to the Instant Pot, and mix it with butter, garlic, and spices.
Recipe: Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
27. Slow Cooker Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff
A can of cream of chicken soup goes a long way in this decadent recipe.
Advertisement
Advertisement
28. Instant Pot Meatball Lasagna
Add water to your Instant Pot and then layer in meatballs, pasta, and marinara sauce. Right before it's done cooking, add a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Recipe: Instant Pot Meatball Lasagna
29. Slow Cooker Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Just stir together all of the ingredients and let them cook on high for four hours. You can substitute the cauliflower rice for regular rice or quinoa.
30. Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
It doesn't get much easier than this Greek-inspired recipe. You don't even have to boil water for the rice. Add all your ingredients to your Instant Pot making sure to add the peppers and zucchini last. Cook, then serve with a sprinkle of feta and tzatziki.
Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken and Rice