Confession time: I am in love with my slow cooker. I was unaware of just how awesome they are until a year ago when I received one as a Christmas gift. Slow cookers are great for lazy (read: busy) chefs who prefer preparing large quantities of healthy food with minimal effort. Some of my favorite things I have made:
Split Pea Soup
Ham and Lentil Stew
BBQ Pulled Pork
Beef Tamale Filling
Veggie Barley Stew
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Bolognese Sauce
Chili
Chicken Posole
Preparing meals in a slow cooker is incredibly cheap when you take into account how many servings you can get out of one dish...I can usually get at least 10 tupperwares full. I highly recommend splitting up the leftovers in individual servings (cause there's always leftovers with slow cooked meals) and then freezing them. It's almost like homemade Stouffers except waaay less calories and salt. I also recommend letting the dishes sit in the fridge for a few days before freezing. I've found that the flavors really seem to develop on days 2 and 3. Other highlights include: as the name suggests, slow cookers take awhile so the entire time they are simmering, the house is filled with tantalizing aromas of the meal to come. Also, when I said that slow cookers were made for lazy chefs, I wasn't joking. It is recommended to lift the lid as little as possible as it lets a bunch of heat out. No stirring needed. Feel free to leave them unattended. The slow cooker keeps meat moist and it negates the need for using any cooking oil. One other tip, another friend of mine turned me on to using Reynold's Slow Cooker liners. Highly recommended for any dishes challenged folks.
I am sure you are now thinking, "Why don't I have a slow cooker?"
Now go get one. You can thank me later.
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