Dump dinners are easy, low-effort meals that require little prep or hands-on cooking. Sometimes it’s as simple as opening a few cans of beans and throwing some chicken in a slow cooker for an easy chicken chili (see below).
Other times, you might spend 20 minutes or less prepping a meal you can pop in the oven, slow cooker, or pressure cooker, and let it cook itself. Either way, you’ll end up with a delicious dinner that’s easy to make and even easier to clean up—a win-win for busy weeknights!
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Pot Roast Dips
Allrecipes
This quick and tasty dinner comes together in seconds—simply combine water, au jus mix, and onion soup mix in a slow cooker, then add the beef, cover and cook. Prep this before you head off to work, and come home to a dinner everyone will want seconds of.
“Made this for my husband and his buddies to eat while watching football on tv,” said a reviewer. “I followed the recipe exactly—so simple and it was a hit with the guys. I served it with hoagie buns and cheese. Great!”
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
After a quick marinade, cubed chicken and sliced bell peppers and onions get popped in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Top the fajita mixture with your favorite toppings like sliced avocado or sour cream, and enjoy it as is. Alternatively, warm some tortillas and serve this as a taco filling.
“With a lot of family members, and not a lot of time, this was great,” shared one Allrecipes member. “Everyone loved it and it was eaten very quickly. I will 100% do it again—would recommend!”
Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup
fabeveryday
With winter right around the corner, there’s no better time to enjoy a bowl of hot and creamy potato soup. This version has all the “baked potato” fixings—including crumbled bacon, sour cream, green onion, Cheddar cheese and more.
“Simplicity at it’s best, melt in your mouth goodness! Thanks for sharing,” said one Allrecipes member.
Easy Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
EverFit Montana
There is zero hands-on cooking and zero prep required for this slow cooker Salsa Chicken recipe. Simply add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and then “set it and forget it.” A few hours later, you’re going to have a delicious pulled chicken great for salads, sandwiches, tacos, casseroles, dips or anything else you can imagine!
“Love this simple recipe,” shared one Allrecipes member. “Since I’m making it for the first time, I didn’t change anything (like I usually do). I plan to use the leftovers for empanadas or calzones. Tonight I’ll be serving the chicken with Spanish rice and sautéed peppers and onions.”
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
Try this hearty, balanced stew one time, and you’re sure to add it to your regular rotation. Add in your favorite herbs (I’d add some thyme) to further personalize this slow cooker recipe. Serve with some crusty bread and you have a delicious dinner with minimal prep and no hands-on cooking.
“This is my very first time using a slow cooker and making this delicious, easy dish,” shared one Allrecipes member. “I’m so proud of myself and I know that my grandmother would be too.”
Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
You’d be surprised that this bright and tasty dinner comes together with very minimal prep or clean up. Garlicky, herby roasted potatoes and chicken? What’s not to love?
“This recipe ticks all of the boxes for us, it’s absolutely delicious,” shared an Allrecipes reviewer. “I grated some lemon peel and added it to the other ingredients…the flavors penetrated through the chicken skin into the meat and the potatoes were to die for—talk about perfect accompaniment to the dish. We served it with soya beans and spinach and crusty french bread. Easy to make and a simple kitchen cupboard recipe, definitely a keeper.”
Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
Jake Sternquist / Food Styling: Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling: Sue Mitchell
This is the most hands-off pasta dinner you may ever make. Pop all the ingredients in a casserole dish and put it into the oven. 40 minutes later, you have a complete pasta casserole, without any sauteeing or boiling. It doesn’t get easier than this!
“This was very easy to make,” shared one Allrecipes member. “If you like your bell peppers more tender, either chop them very small or saute them in a pan before adding to the casserole because mine were still on the crunchy side. I used green peppers. Next time, I think I would add chopped onions too.”
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
Over 15,000 home cooks have made this well-loved and well-tested recipe—and it’s easy to see why. It has just five ingredients and takes only 10 minutes to prepare.
“There were no leftovers with this one! My son asked the next day when I was going to make this recipe again. My family loved it and I’m making it again four days later. I am going to double the chicken this time. Better than Cracker Barrel!”
Easy One Pan Creamy Baked Ravioli
Peyton Beckwith
This creamy baked pasta casserole is greater than the sum of its parts. Store-bought Alfredo sauce and frozen ravioli makes this recipe incredibly convenient and easy—but it tastes so comforting and rich you’ll be able to pass it off as homemade.
“This was really good,” shared one Allrecipes reviewer. “It was rich, but delicious. I added some spaghetti sauce to the second layer of Alfredo sauce, and it turned out great!
Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Photographer: Jen Causey / Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
“Slow cooker scalloped potatoes and ham is a big hit in my house, especially with my kids,” says Raquel Davis, who shared this recipe. “If you have leftover ham and like creamy potatoes, you’ll love this simple recipe!”
“This is the third time I’ve made this recipe for my family, and I have three of the pickiest eaters for children,” shared an Allrecipes reviewer. “I normally have to cook at least three different meals every night to get them to eat, but when I make this they all sit down and finish their bowls. It is delicious and pretty darn quick and easy to throw together. Thanks for the recipe, we absolutely love it.”
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Slow Cooker Chicken
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
This tasty, creamy pasta dish will be a new favorite in your home. Feel free to use cream of chicken soup in place of cream of mushroom, or lemon juice instead of vinegar. This recipe also works well with boneless chicken thighs, and you can serve it over rice if preferred. Grab some frozen garlic bread and a salad kit from the grocery store to make this a complete meal.
“My whole family loves this,” shared a reviewer. “Tasty, yet mild, yet flavorful! It doesn’t overwhelm the picky eaters and it still satisfies the grown-up palate! I make it exactly to the recipe. YUM. It makes a good amount of sauce.”
Quick Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
This quick and easy dump dinner has over 1,200 5-star ratings, so if you’re looking for your next easy weeknight meal—this is it.
“This is my go-to chili recipe and I make it several times each fall and winter,” shared an Allrecipes reviewer. “It’s so tasty and easy to double when I’m feeding guests. We all love it with Jiffy corn bread!”
Mississippi Pot Roast
Photographer: Stacy Allen / Food Styling: Julian Henserling / Prop Styling: Christina Daley
Mississippi Pot Roast is the ultimate slow cooker recipe. A big hunk of chuck roast gets added to the slow cooker with a gravy packet and pepperoncini peppers. The result is tender, tangy shredded beef that you can serve atop a pile of mashed potatoes, a plate of white rice, or piled into hoagie rolls.
“This was the most amazing roast recipe that I have ever used,” said an Allrecipes member. “It was simply scrumptious. I took it exactly as written. This is definitely going into my ‘save’ file.”
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
This recipe layers shredded chicken and a creamy sauce for a comforting, family-style dish. Several reviewers opted not to include the cheese, so feel free to omit if you don’t want to amp up the gooey factor!
“This has been a recipe in our family for years,” said a reviewer. “Never ever fails to please and impress! No matter how you change it up or down it always comes together perfectly!”
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Piccata Casserole
Peyton Beckwith
Ten minutes of prep and 45 minutes in the oven, and you’ll get a tasty and speedy weeknight meal that feels like something special.
“I made this for Sunday dinner, it was great,” said a reviewer. “I used 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts, just my own preference. Had a guest for dinner and she loved it. Will be added to my regular meal rotation for ease, taste and comfort appeal.”
Chicken Enchilada Dump Dinner
TheDailyGourmet
“This Chicken Enchilada Dump Dinner recipe is an amazing meal, I love how easy it is to make and all of the delicious flavors it has,” shared one reviewer. “The chicken is juicy and tender, while the enchilada sauce adds a smoky flavor. The black beans and corn add a great texture contrast and the cheese melts perfectly over everything. It’s so flavorful and a nice change from traditional enchiladas. I served it over a bed of lettuce and with a side of diced avocado and it was a hit! I’m definitely going to make this Chicken Enchilada Dump Dinner recipe again. It’s an easy and delicious meal that everyone will love.”
Slow Cooker Brisket Tacos
Jake Sternquist / Food Styling: Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling: Sue Mitchell
Allrecipes recipe developer Sarah Brekke shared this recipe for delicious brisket tacos. She says: “These slow cooker brisket tacos are stuffed with flavorful, tender beef in a rich tomato sauce. Dress up your tacos any way you like, e.g. with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, pickled red onions, diced tomatoes, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.”
Award-Winning White Chicken Chili
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“I wish more people would check this recipe out,” said an Allrecipes member. “It’s delicious and whoever I make it for has asked for the recipe. I made as-is, and it’s a 5-star recipe. There’s all kinds of variations that can be made—boneless chicken thighs is a delicious substitute for the meat. I sometimes increase the heat with jalapeños instead of chilies. I play with the cheese flavors too. Thank you, love this winter staple!”
Chicken Taco Dump Dinner
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
For this chicken taco dump dinner, chicken, beans, and salsa are mixed together, and layered with corn tortillas and cheese in an easy casserole. Serve with any taco toppings you like, such as shredded lettuce, chopped red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, taco sauce, sour cream, chopped avocado, and crushed tortilla chips.
“Very tasty, and couldn’t have been easier to make,” said a reviewer.
Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Sesame Chicken
Jake Sternquist / Food Styling: Charlie Worthington / Prop Styling: Gabriel Greco
The sauce is the boss with this Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Sesame Chicken recipe. Luckily, this makes plenty. Make sure to serve it atop a bed of white rice to soak up every bit of this tasty sauce.
“The flavor was delicious,” shared a reviewer. “My son devoured it and thought about it all day at work!”
