It is certainly no secret that time is flying by seemingly quicker every day, that the family routines are increasing, and the kids’ schedules are overloaded with activities. It is no wonder parents have a stressful time trying to get dinner on the table in the evenings, until now.
What you need to save those grey hairs from growing are crock pot ham recipes for meals that are tasty and quick to prepare, and we have just the collection ahead.
No more worrying afternoons about what to dig out of the fridge for supper and create a nutritious, wholesome meal, now you can make superb tasting meals that are fuss-free.
#1. Crock-Pot Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham
This sweet and tangy combination is so delicious I try to make this as often as my family will endure during the summer months, and you would think with the sugar and maple syrup that it would be overwhelmingly sweet but it is not.
The pineapple does well to balance the syrup and then the saltiness of the ham brings it all together beautifully, a light meal that is filling and is so simple to make, you will wonder why you haven’t tried these crock pot ham recipes sooner.
And, be sure to have a few extra pineapple chunks lying around as the kids love picking at them as they eat, and the adults enjoy eating a piece with each bite of ham, a perfect pairing.
I love when a meal ingredient break-down has only a handful of items, and this dish does just that. These easy-to-follow ham slow cooker recipes are a breeze to prepare in the morning and left to cook slowly throughout the day for a fork-tender cut of meat ready to dive into when dinner time rolls around.
Most of these ingredients we usually have in our pantry and fridge (I guess we like soda in our house more than I may have realized) so it makes it one less thing to do by not having to run to the grocery store.
Not only does this recipe have only 3 simple ingredients but essentially only 3 preparation steps too, now that is a luxury we could all use in the kitchen from time to time when we have no minutes to spare.
Add the ham to the crockpot, pour in the soda (the kids love doing this part and seeing all the bubbles, and it makes for a great bonding experience), and coat the meat generously with the sugar. This adds a great flavor but also allows the meat to become sweet and sticky and rich golden color as it cooks.
A humble dish that is packed with flavor, a winner all around.
In our house every year we have a huge gathering of family and close friends for a big Easter celebration and finding a meal that pleases everyone is not as easy as you may think unless you make multiple dishes which is extremely time-consuming.
Until now.
I have invested in a top-of-the-range slow cooker and when I found this great collection of ham crock pot recipes I took it as a sign that this was one of the dishes I would be serving this year, and it was a massive success.
Not only did it take almost no effort on my part other than setting the cooker to low and letting the slow cooking process take over, but I did not have to keep a constant eye on it which meant I could carry on with the rest of the meal accompaniments and setting up. A lifesaving recipe and cooking method.
Now, I have begun to collect a whole binder full of slow cooker recipes for those occasions when you need more than two hands. Easter was perfect and the food even better.
Now there is a title you don’t see every day when it comes to using a slow cooker for preparing a meal.
This is by far the easiest snack food you can make when you have just arrived home and the hubby drops the bomb on you that the lads will be over in 60-minutes to watch the game.
It is like making ham and cheese sandwiches but these are elevated to another level by softening them in the crockpot, basting and brushing them very generously with butter and herbs (and I like to add a few pressed cloves of garlic into the mix for garlic rolls- delish), and left to its own devices for just over an hour while you throw together the rest of the nibbles you can scrounge last minute.
Take these out and break them apart. The guys will be drooling at the sight of the melted cheesy stringing from one brioche to the next, heaven in a bun my husband comments with his mouthful.
Simplicity is key when the weather outside is horrible and wet and all you want to do is come home, jump into your sweats and chill on the couch. The last thing we want is to still have to slave over a hot stove to make dinner for the family.
Thankfully, this recipe is easy, and finding slow cooker ham recipes that are healthy too makes it all worthwhile.
There is nothing to the process and makes it a meal that is quick to pull together in the morning before heading out of the door to work, layer the ingredients in the cooker, set to low, and have peace of mind that supper will be taken care of by the time you come home.
Stop by the shops to grab a dozen brioche buns for the kids to break apart and dip into the soup as they eat and life is good. This has been a winning dish around our dining table with the children giving two thumbs up, a win in my book considering the number of vegetables they are eating and are none the wiser about.
A hot meal packed with nutritious veggies and filling for those chilly evenings when only a bowl of comfort food will suffice.
My husband loves Bourbon neat with a side sip of Coca-Cola, and when I use it in cooking I tend to get the evil eye (ha) but more because I’m using his drink rather than anything else. But, when he knows it is for his favorite dish of Bourbon ham I am forgiven, and for good reason too, this recipe is fantastic.
This has all the right flavors for a perfectly balanced dish. The whiskey is rich and smoky, the fresh zestiness from the orange keeps the meal light, and all around this is a supper recipe the family will request once they have tasted it once.
You want crock pot ham recipes that deliver on effort and taste at the same time and this ticks all the boxes.
In the end, you have the option to give it a quick broil under the grill to have a more charred look and flavor (my husband insists on this) but it does mean you need to keep a hawk’s eye on it because the sugary coating will burn very quickly and you are looking for more of a caramel hue.
If this is not for you, fear not, the ham still tastes equally delicious.
When I discovered this recipe I was pleasantly surprised at the components they used to achieve the flavor profile, traditionally the recipes call for maple or sugar for the sweet element and perhaps garlic and spice for the savory, but this one is excitingly unique.
Instead of the generic ingredients, we used apricots and mustard and they had a beautiful harmony I had never considered, but now, these ham slow cooker recipes are at the top of our family favorites list and frequent visitors in our menu rotation.
You can opt to use spiral ham or a big chunk like I did because the hubby enjoys being at the head of the table and using the electric knife to slice and serve to each person at the table.
While he may act like he made this easy-to-make dinner, we all know the secret is in the slow cooking, a winner every time.
The perfect meal when you have lunch leftovers, but not enough to make a full meal with the remaining meat. Using the ham offcuts and other bits in this soup makes it that much more cost-effective, you don’t need to go and buy another bit of meat for the dish, and is easy on the wallet, an appealing factor that caught my eye.
I hate throwing food away and will be the only one in the family that will eat the same meal more than once in a row to save costs, so finding new and innovative slow cooker ham recipes like these make life so much easier.
Cabbage is great for bulking a dish and is cheap and cheerful, potato fills hungry tummies that run in the door after long hours of sports practices, and the ham brings the protein to build strong muscles and a nice element of saltiness.
There is nothing you could fault with this dish, other than needing to have chunks of bread on the side for the kids to use as scoops when eating this dish (and plenty of serviettes to hand as well as it can get messy), or for the adults to dip in and soak up the juicy goodness.
Melted cheese could be served as is in my house, the kids love it on everything, and I try to include it as often as possible, but there is a limit to my creativity in thinking of how to implement it without driving me and my husband crazy with the same dishes time and time again.
This easy, slow-cooking meal was right up my alley and was a breeze to make.
Other than 10 minutes of your time to prepare and slice the ingredients, the rest is popped into the crockpot and set on low to simmer gently throughout the day while you carry on with life and all its busyness.
Then when the sun is setting and signaling the time to set the table for dinner you know that all you need is to have everyone wash their hands and sit.
Serving this dish is a pleasure and the mouthwatering oohs and aahs are a testament to just how successful it has been at our dining table. The perfect meal for families with children who love cheesy. Win-win.
I am all about trying new dishes and meals when we go on holiday, and then ideally try to recreate them at home to the best of my ability, some work, others don’t, but this one turned out great.
We enjoy beans in our house but won’t usually actively seek them out to add them to a meal, but they are packed with a good source of protein so I have been thinking about how to incorporate them into meals without scaring off the family for good.
Lima beans are not your generic, everyday beans people use or even are aware of so this recipe ticked a lot of boxes that meant I could try a new ingredient and a new recipe all at once.
The most difficult step in this dish (and it isn’t that tricky at all, to be honest) is to be sure to soak the beans overnight in water to soften the shells before proceeding with the dish. Other than that, an effortless meal is on the cards when you begin this meal.
I like to keep a piece of ham to the side and cube it up into little bits, fry them till crispy in garlic olive oil, and butter for a rich flavor, and serve on the side so the family can sprinkle them onto their plates when digging in.
And if the kids have something they can sprinkle they are all for trying new dishes.
#11. Easy Crock Pot Egg Bake with Tater Tots, cheese, onions, and ham
I had never considered the crock pot could be used for meals other than dinner and lunch, but I was proven wrong.
This breakfast option came to me through a friend, and I may have edited a few bits and ingredients to suit my family, but it was as easy as it comes when making large quantities of food for groups and gatherings.
It is all about the layering, and these easy ham crock pot recipes are so highly versatile you can add any ingredients you like (or have on hand in the fridge that need using up), that it adapts effortlessly to the situation and occasion.
Once everything is in the slow cooker, pour over the whisked eggs (I like adding a touch of heavy creamy for added richness), and leave for a couple of hours while you set up the table and get the rest of the bits together.
Soft, eggs smothered with potatoes and ham, the ultimate feel-good food to start the day or weekend.
Filling and delicious are mere humble adjectives to describe this perfection of a meal.
It is comfort food like no other, filling, and hits the spot just when you need that heart-warming meal after a long day meeting deadlines at the office.
Leave it to do its thing while you are at work and the children are at school (hopefully learning how to be their best selves), and when everyone comes home all you need to do is make a quick roux of cornstarch to thicken the sauce (we all love a sauce that envelopes the spoon or bread slice when eating) and add to the cooker for 15 minutes.
In the meantime you can grate some cheese to serve on the side –the kids don’t mind helping with this as they sneakily add some slivers into their mouths as the grate-and everyone can sprinkle as much or as little as they like into their bowls.
I will say that a little goes a long way as this dish is quite rich, so a small sprinkle of cheese, to begin with, is advised.
If you want a pleasant meal that satisfies all the fussy eaters in the family then this is the one for you. It has been successful in even impressing the mother-in-law with its full flavor profile and tastes like you have been slaving for hours in the kitchen (when we know the truth).
My children love the name and probably part of the appeal factor that makes them clean their bowls when we serve this, which is fine by me.
I like to make some homemade bread (Pitka we call it in my husband’s country where we currently reside) and takes just enough time to make as you walk in the door and everyone unwinds and changes into their comfies ready for dinner.
A simple dish that fills the gap, what more do you need?
So simple. So effortless, and is beginner-friendly so everyone can try this dish at least once without any excuses.
No matter your culinary expertise this recipe will turn out great is essentially flop-proof, and requires no supervision either, win-win.
Scoring the meat makes it look fancier than it is and always amazes the kids, and once cooked, if you opt for the broiling step the edges crisp and burn nicely making it look magazine-worthy. And it has that nice caramel flavor about it too.
The leftover liquid can be used to pour over for additional glazing or thickened for a sauce to serve on the side. It pairs perfectly with fluffy rice or creamy mashed potato, both work equally well and taste as delicious.
The color alone of this dish will be a conversation starter, and when the guests dig into the meal around the dining table you can be sure they will be impressed and surprised at how brilliant it tastes.
I like to bring dish this to gatherings at other people’s homes too because not only is it the star of the table (well, at least I like to think so amongst the common potato salads and kebabs) but I can pop it on late at night before we go to bed and it is ready in the morning.
Waking up the smell of tender ham glazed with a citrus sensation is not an aroma you easily forget.
And you can bring the remaining liquid with you to glaze the ham even more just before serving time so it is shiny and has a fresh zesty appeal to it, a winner all around, and requires minimal effort.
I love good corn chowder and while we were on holiday abroad I indulged in one that was so memorable I vowed to try it when we got home, and here we are.
We had a ham dinner the night before (which helped with the planning of this dish) and I knew I wanted to use the leftovers to pop into the dish to bring a meaty, salty element to the flavor profile.
Crock pot ham recipes that make it easy to use leftovers are my kind of a treat because you essentially get two meals for the price of one, which is easy on the wallet and the preparations.
This meal is rich and heart-warming and has vibrant pops of color throughout which is great to see when serving. I add a generous portion of chopped herbs during cooking to release their subtle yet important flavors and have some extra to sprinkle on top of each bowl when I dish up (it makes it look fancier than it is).
An easy meal to throw together and save costs and tastes superb on those chilly autumn evenings when you feel the change of the season in the air, and the time for comfort foods is on the rise.
I love a good dollop of jam or berries compote with my meat, irrespective of the protein, but knowing I can make a dish that has this included sealed the deal for me.
You may not have thought to add this sweet element to a meat dish but it works so elegantly you will wish you had found it earlier.
The berries marry beautifully with the mustard which brings confidence to the dish that is unmistakable and is the ultimate dish to serve for a special occasion.
Although, when it has been a long week, and everyone has been full-speed, sometimes a great meal like this on the weekend takes away all the weariness that weighs on our shoulders. So, if the occasion is simply to make everyone feel good and eat a great-tasting meal, then I am all for it.
Try this quick and easy recipe for the family and share the love we all have when digging into amazing-tasting food.
There is never a set occasion for enjoying a meal that is made with love and care, and if it means it can be done in the slow cooker with no supervision, then all the better.
These crock pot ham recipes for meals that are tasty and quick to prepare are a must-have in your culinary repertoire and will save the day when you need it most, and there are even more great dishes on our blog so be sure to head there and check them out.
Good food is simple.
With quality ingredients and love, half the job is done, leave the rest to the slow cooker.
Born and raised in South Africa and being immersed in the rich culture, Candace soon found a passion for all things food related. Exploring and experiencing new flavors and taste profiles she pursued her career as a qualified chef in silver service specialized in fine dining.
