Over Thanksgiving seven years ago, my husband suggested we get a crock pot. I have no idea where this came from since this is the man who cooks nothing but the occasional Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas roast. But I thought he was onto something. After all, we had an infant at the time and another mom friend of mine had been raving about the simplicity of dinner in the slow cooker prepared during naptime.

Next thing I knew, the slow cooker appeared under the Christmas tree, complete with a recipe book that I think contributes to the negative image of the slow cooker (read: lots of recipes using cans of soup and cheese sauce). I was a bit hesitant about embracing the crock pot, as I had a notion that they were relics leftover from the 1970s. But slow cookers seem hip now, with Williams-Sonoma selling $300 All-Clad versions and a plethora of more sophisticated cookbooks to maximize their results.

We are in prime slow cooker season, so I have been testing some recipes recently. Last weekend I made Real Simple’s Slow Cooker Smoky Pea Soup. The whole family enjoys split pea and ham soup, and true to its name, this one was really simple to make, and was tasty though it felt like cheating. Confession: technically I did cheat since I did not use a ham hock; I used a diced ham steak, but the results are equally good. It also provided enjoyable lunch leftovers for a few days.

Speaking of cheating, here is my favorite slow cooker trick: pulled pork. We invited some good friends over for a casual Sunday dinner a few weeks ago. I decided to make pulled pork in the slow cooker. I literally placed a boneless pork loin roast in the slow cooker and covered it with a bottle of barbecue sauce, put the lid on and let it go for about 7 hours. Once cooked, I shredded it, tossed it in the sauce, and served it on yummy, oversized pretzel rolls. Our friends raved. I had to confess it was a complete cheater’s meal. This dinner of pulled pork sandwiches, roasted sweet potato wedges and a green salad required literally a 5-item purchase at Trader Joe’s: the meat, the barbecue sauce, the rolls, a bag of sweet potatoes and a bag of salad!

Maybe next time I shouldn’t confess just how easy the slow cooker makes my life and just let everyone think I’ve been slaving over a hot stove all day.

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You might want to pull it out of hiding. The slow cooker can be a busy person’s best friend, especially if yours comes with a removable pot that allows you to do the meal prep work at night, then pop the pot into the base the next morning to get the cooking started.

I enjoy making many things in my slow cooker, and nothing beats coming home after a long day at work to a hot meal that I didn’t have to spend hours cooking. Slow cooker meals also use fewer pots and pans, meaning quicker cleanup.

This time of year, soup provides an easy way to serve a complete meal that is healthy, economical, soul soothing, and provides leftovers that taste even better the next day. Chicken soup is the gold standard of soups, but there are certainly variations to jazz it up, which I highlight below.

Here is a basic recipe I use for slow cooker chicken soup, plus three ways you can take a chicken soup base and create an entirely new dish.

The night before you will be cooking the soup, prepare all of your ingredients by chopping the chicken and vegetables. Place the vegetables in your slow cooker pot (if removable; if not just use a bowl and transfer in the morning) and store in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, pour the stock over the vegetables, add the chicken, olive oil, and pepper. If you are cooking for less than four hours, use the high setting on your slow cooker. Otherwise, set it to the lowest setting. Half an hour to an hour before you are ready to eat, switch the setting to high. Ensure the chicken is fully cooked before serving.

Serve soup with whole grain rolls and salad for a filling winter dinner.

Here are three easy variations on the basic chicken soup recipe:

Italian style: before cooking, pour in a can of drained, rinsed white beans and 2 cups chopped escarole. Before serving, place a scoop of pesto, jarred or homemade, in the bottom of each bowl. The heat of the soup will melt the pesto and bring its basil and garlic flavors throughout the entire bowl.

Mexican style: before cooking, pour in a can of drained, rinsed black beans, a jar of salsa, and chopped jalapenos (if you are adventurous). For presentation and a delicious crunch, cut flour tortillas into thin strips, sauté in olive oil until golden, and arrange on top of the soup.

Thai style: before cooking, grate 3 tsp. ginger root into the rest of the soup ingredients along with 2 tsp. red curry paste. Before serving, add a can of coconut milk and juice of one fresh lime and stir thoroughly.

Soup can be made a little more fun for kids by adding alphabet pasta, something that our mom did when we were little.

Leftovers are good for up to three days (in the refrigerator). The soup can also be frozen in single-serve containers and reheated at a later date.

Stay warm and healthy this winter with an easy soup that is ready for you at the end of a busy day. What else do you like to make in your slow cooker?

Meghan Malloy is a guest blogger for Plummelo. She works as a Marketing Communications Manager in the publishing industry. On the side, she writes the blog Travel Eat Love, for the love of food, wine, travel, and the everyday adventures in life. She resides in Boston, MA with her husband and two cats. For more cooking ideas from Meghan, please check out her blog at traveleatlove.com.

Photo sources:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwanja/ / CC BY 2.0