11 Easter dinner side dishes you can make in a slow cooker

"Mac and cheese is amazing in the slow cooker and one of my favorite ways to make it," Leigh Anne Wilkes told Business Insider.

Wilkes likes to use a variety of cheeses in her recipe for slow-cooker mac and cheese — including sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and Parmesan — and she tops it with a generous amount of crispy bacon.

"Whether you have a houseful of kids or it's just the two of you, the slow cooker can make cooking so much easier," Wilkes said. "I often refer to it as my secret weapon to getting dinner on the table."

Mashed potatoes can be a big hassle, from parboiling them to mashing and finding a space for them on the stove.

However, mashed potatoes can easily be made in a slow cooker. Just make sure to add water to your pot, or you won't get the desired consistency. The potatoes should take about four hours to become tender enough to mash. Then, add heavy cream, butter, or chives to taste.

"Even if you don't cook in the slow cooker, it is the perfect way to keep things warm," Wilkes said. "The biggest challenge with a holiday meal is getting all the food done at the same time and the slow cooker is a perfect place to keep things warm while the rest of the meal finishes cooking. If your potatoes finish up before the main dish, keep them warm in the slow cooker."

However, you'll want to give yourself plenty of time, as it will take multiple hours for the potatoes to soften.

One of the benefits of making a slow-cooker Buffalo chicken dip — or any other side dish in a slow cooker — is that it can be prepared well ahead of time and reheated when you're ready to eat.

Green bean casserole is a favorite side dish at many holiday gatherings, from Thanksgiving to Easter, and a recipe can easily be made in a Crock-Pot or slow cooker.

Wilkes told BI one of her favorite ways to use a slow cooker on Easter or another holiday is to make her recipe for honey or maple-glazed carrots. 

"The slow cooker is the perfect thing to use when putting together a holiday meal," Wilkes said. "Especially when you are limited on oven space, it can be your second or third oven. I often have two or three slow cookers going for a holiday meal."

Simply toss them in with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and cook until tender.

Top with balsamic glaze, goat cheese, pine nuts, and more for a delicious side dish.

This recipe for slow-cooker scalloped potatoes from Damn Delicious instructs you to prepare the cream sauce beforehand, before pouring it over sliced potatoes in the slow cooker and cooking them on high heat for four to five hours.

You might be shocked to discover you can actually make warm, fluffy dinner rolls in a slow cooker. One recipe from I Heart Eating teaches you how to make the perfect dinner-roll dough and bake it only using a slow cooker.

"These Crock-Pot rolls are amazing," Wilkes said.

Plus, since this recipe calls for frozen rolls, it cuts out a lot of the extra prep work. To make, dip each roll into mayonnaise, then melted butter, then cheese, and place them in the slow cooker. Then, sprinkle garlic powder and parsley over the top and bake for two hours on high.

I know that for my family, we usually have both lamb and ham on the table at Easter dinner. If you want to make another kind of meat as a side dish or alternative, a slow cooker can be a great way to make cleanup and cooking a snap.

"If I am cooking a smaller ham, I will always cook it in the slow cooker," Wilkes told Business Insider.

Wilkes' recipe uses a glaze made from brown sugar, maple syrup, and brown mustard.