It’s that time of the year when my days (and energy) begins to get shorter and shorter. I tend to blame it on trying to meet work deadlines before the end of the year and the comforting (read: lazy inducing) cooler weather.

As soon as the weather even attempts to get cooler, I pull out of my crock pot from the cabinet and make a hearty batch of homemade chili. However, chili and soup aren’t the only traditional meals that you can make in a crock pot. Actually, you make pretty much any meal that call for an oven.

Check out these classic meals that you can (surprisingly) cook in crock pot. Most of these recipes will allow you to have them cook throughout the day and be ready by the time you get home from work.

Plus, some of these classic meals to cook in a crock pot will come in handy around the holiday time when you run out rack space in your oven. Keep reading…and prepare to salavate.

I love lasagna and so does my sister. She loves my lasagna so much, she requests that I make it on her birthday every year. This year, I think I’m going to try to make it in a crock pot, like this recipe here. Doesn’t it look delicious? It even has the baked cheese (which I love) topping, which makes it even harder to believe it that it never touched the oven.

Roasted chicken is one of my all time favorite meals to make (and eat). Plus, there’s always so much left, you can make multiple meals for days. This classic roasted chicken recipe from The Little Kitchen is worth trying.

Is there another meal more classic and makes you feel at home than meatloaf? I think not. Cincy Shopper not only shared her recipe on making meatloaf in a crock pot, but also threw in potatoes and carrots into the crock pot to roast along side the classic entree’. I’m definitely trying this recipe soon.

Mashed potatoes is one of my favorite comfort foods. This recipe for Buttery Garlic Mashed Potatoes calls for everything to be done in the crock; even steaming the potatoes. You can even leave the skin on, which is great because 1.) Less work to do 2.) red mashed potatoes are so amazingly perfect.

One of the first meals I make when I dust off my crock pot each fall is pot roast, like this pot roast recipe from Joyously Domestic . It’s one of the most “It’s finally fall” meals you can make. Plus, it’s kind of one of my mom’s traditions to make pot roast the first Sunday of fall and I think I’m going to keep that tradition going. Just like with the meatloaf recipes above, you can roast veggies with the beef, which (in my opinion) makes the pot roast taste even better.

Yes, even dessert can be made in a slow cooker. Although there are plenty of cake and cobbler slow cooker recipes, I was drawn to this baked apples recipe. I bet this smells amazing while cooking. Plus, baked apples are so delicious and 10x delicious in the fall.

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