I scour the web for new recipes each week and shape my grocery list around them.
Still, some weeks I barely have a moment to catch my breath between work and after-hours commitments.
Enter the slow cooker. This trusty 3- to 6-quart ceramic pot transformed my meal prep and returned precious time to my routine.
It’s never complained. It murmurs comforting aromas and fills the house with savory scents, so much so that I’ve thought about naming it after my grandmother.
I’ve even adapted a few of her dishes in it. The large output, minimal effort and low cost make it an indispensable appliance for many Savinly Readers.
They’re pretty affordable these days and available everywhere from Amazon to your neighborhood grocery store.
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5 Amazingly Easy and Cheap Crock-Pot Recipes
Your calendar and appetite will be grateful when you try one of these simple, budget-friendly recipes.
Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
- 24-ounce jar of spaghetti sauce: $3.13
- 1 pound (16 ounces) of boxed spaghetti: $1.18
- Family-size bag of frozen meatballs, thawed: $10.45
- 1 ½ cups of water: Free
- 1 onion: 91 cents
Total cost: $15.67
Servings: 8
Price per serving: $1.95
Place the meatballs, sauce and chopped onion into the slow cooker and add the water. Cover and let it cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. After it’s done, stir the mix, break the spaghetti into pieces and add them to the pot. They shouldn’t need more than an hour with occasional stirring. It’s ready once the pasta is tender.
Chicken Tacos Recipe
- 1 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloin: $7.89
- 16-ounce jar of salsa: $2.96
- Packet of taco seasoning: $1.07
- Box of hard taco shells: $2.28 for 12
Total cost: $14.20
Servings: 8
Price per serving: $1.78
Set the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the taco seasoning on top and pour the salsa over everything. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or 4 hours on high, depending on your unit.
When it’s fully cooked, shred the chicken with a fork and serve in your chosen shell. I found hard shells to be the most economical. Top with cheese, lettuce or sour cream if you already have them on hand.
Crockpot Chili Recipe
Who doesn’t adorechili? It’s a go-to for slow cookers.
- 2 pounds ground beef: $6.63 per pound, $13.26 total
- 1.25-ounce packet of chili seasoning: $1.58
- Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained: $3
- Two 16-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed: $3.72
- 15-ounce can tomato sauce: $1.58
Total cost: $23.14
Servings: 8
Price per serving: $2.89
Brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain any excess fat. Transfer the meat and all remaining ingredients to the crockpot. Stir, cover and cook eight hours on low or four hours on high. Stir before serving. For extra comfort, consider topping bowls with saltines or shredded cheese.
The beauty of chili is its flexibility — you can add or omit ingredients to suit your palate. Some folks include onions, peppers, black beans and corn. I usually skip onions and peppers because they’re not my favorites, but I’ll happily eat chili that has them. A cheaper route is to use dried beans soaked overnight, though that requires more prep time.
More From Savinly:The Dumbest Things We Keep Spending Too Much Money On (And How to Stop)
Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Chicken soup is a low-cost, high-yield classic that soothes on cold nights or when you’re under the weather.
- 8 cups water: free
- 1 to 2 pounds cooked chicken, shredded: $7.89
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped: 89 cents per 10-carrot bag, or 27 cents
- 2 celery stalks, chopped: $1.99 per bag of two bunches, or 22 cents
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed: 59 cents each, $1.18 for both
- 1 medium to large onion: 79 cents
- 1 garlic clove: $1.49 for two bulbs or 6 cents per clove
- 3 to 4 cups wide egg noodles: $1.99 for 16-ounce bag, or 99 cents for 4 cups
- Salt and pepper to taste: $2.19 for shaker set, or 6 cents
Total cost: $12.89
Servings: 8
Price per serving: $1.61
Pre-cook the chicken by your preferred method (oven, grill or stovetop) and shred it. Add all ingredients except the egg noodles into the slow cooker. Cover and simmer on low for 6 to 8 hours, stirring now and then. When everything looks ready, stir in the noodles, cover and cook for about 10 minutes more until tender. Stir and serve.
If you have bay leaves, parsley or thyme in your spice collection, a sprinkle of each adds nice flavor to the pot.
Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
There are countless slow cooker takes on this comfort favorite. We went with thisrecipe:
- 2 ½ cups milk: $1.49 per quart or 93 cents
- 12-ounce can evaporated milk: $1.82
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt: 6 cents
- ½ teaspoon pepper: 3 cents
- 16-ounce box elbow macaroni: $1.84
- ¼ cup butter, cubed: $4.47 for 4 sticks or 56 cents
- 12-ounce bag sharp cheddar cheese: $4.43
- 4-ounce Velveeta, cubed: $3.29 for 8-ounce block or $1.65
Total cost: $11.32
Servings: 6
Price per serving: $1.89
Mix milk, evaporated milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. Put the uncooked macaroni into the slow cooker, top with butter and cheeses, then pour the milk mixture over everything and stir. Cover and cook 2 to 3 hours, stirring often.
Watch this one closely — the pasta may be done around the 2-hour mark. Add extra cheese if you want a richer, cheesier dish.
Ways to Cut Food Costs
You can opt for store-brand or generic versions of these ingredients if your supermarket stocks them.
We’re fans ofAsian grocery stores,Trader Joe’sand Aldi. You might find organic choices priced similarly to conventional items at these shops.
Try planning multiple meals that use overlapping ingredients so your carrots and celery don’t go to waste and your leftovers stretch further.
Also watch for sales and freeze any extras you won’t eat within the week.
For larger households, double the recipes or buy a bigger slow cooker. If you’re cooking solo, scale down accordingly.
Related:Here’s How to Start Saving Money — Even If You Don’t Have Room in Your Budget
Will a Slow Cooker Burn Down My House?
It’s unlikely, though it’s a reasonable worry — especially if you remember certain dramatic TV moments (spoiler alert).
I wouldn’t use my mother’s old slow cooker because it lacks modern safeties like an automatic shutoff.
Contemporary slow cookers include safety features and switch to a warm setting if they run past the set time. Many have automatic turn-off functions, making accidents rare.
That said, Consumer Reports noted slow cookers were linked to an estimated 103 home structure fires per year from 2012 to 2015. The organization compared them to leaving a coffee maker or an electric kettle plugged in.
The official Crock-PotFAQclaims its slow cookers are safe to leave unattended. And it’s practically proven that long-simmered meals often taste better — at least my stomach agrees.
Once you dust off that appliance and start cooking, your worries will dissolve into a steaming bowl of mac and cheese.
Add one to your gift list, Amazon cart or registry and begin cooking. It might not be the most glamorous present, but it will save you money and please your palate for years.
Read on:
- Here’s How to Start Saving Money — Even If You Don’t Have Room in Your Budget
- 31 Ways to Make Money Online & From Home in 2025
- Our Top Picks for Best Savings Accounts for January 2025
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Alexandra Parks is a former staff writer at Savinly. She owns two Crock-Pots.
