Slow Cooker Meals for Vacation: Set It and Forget It

The best vacation days are spent exploring, playing, and making memories — not standing in a kitchen for hours. Slow cooker meals are the vacation chef's secret weapon: minimal prep in the morning, incredible aromas all day, and a ready-to-serve dinner waiting when your family walks in the door tired and hungry.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Place a 4-pound pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Rub with brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add half a cup of apple cider vinegar and a cup of chicken broth. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours until the meat shreds effortlessly with two forks. Stir in your favorite BBQ sauce and serve on toasted buns with coleslaw. This feeds a crowd of 10 to 12 easily and tastes even better the next day.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Combine boneless chicken breasts, a can of black beans (drained), a can of corn, a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and onion in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred the chicken directly in the pot. Serve with tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, and lime wedges. Kids love customizing their bowls, and the Southwestern flavors are perfect for an Arizona vacation.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Place a 3-pound beef roast in the slow cooker with a jar of pepperoncini peppers (juice included), a packet of Italian dressing mix, and a cup of beef broth. Cook on low for 8 hours until fork-tender. Shred the beef and serve on hoagie rolls with melted provolone cheese and the cooking juices for dipping. Simple, impressive, and universally loved.

Slow Cooker Tips for Vacation

Prep ingredients the night before and store in the fridge in bags. In the morning, dump everything in the cooker and go enjoy your day. Most of our LoveYourVacationRental.com properties have slow cookers available, but bringing a portable one ensures you're covered. The aroma of dinner cooking while you spend the day at the pool is one of vacation's great pleasures.

Set it, forget it, and spend your vacation day doing what matters — being together as a family.