Some days, it feels as though there is nothing more luxurious than spending 20 minutes in the morning prepping ingredients, putting them away, and returning, hours later to a comforting soup or stew with gloriously tender meat and supple vegetables. The joys of the slow cooker know no bounds when the result of a minimal effort task is a warm, comforting bowl of something that has been independently bubbling away in the background for hours on end. With the cold months not yet behind us, and many of us at home due to the rampant return of COVID-19, now is the perfect time to bust out the slow cooker, and get started with one of the below recipes.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Classics come first. There is nothing new about this recipe, which is why it's so comforting. Endlessly diverse and reliable. A pot roast is a pot roast.

Slow-Cooked Chicken Stew with Kale

A riff on a classic chicken soup. If you have a new, fancy slow cooker, you can brown the meat in the pot. If not, brown the meat in a separate pan on the stove and add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Add in the kale closer to the time of serving so it maintains colour and bite.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore With Mushrooms and Bacon

A delicious, hearty dish for the very cold days. A slow cooker riff on that classic Italian braise, which usually features chicken or rabbit with lots of peppers, tomatoes and wine. In this recipe, the mushrooms, bacon and wine give the finished dish a deep and delicious savoriness.

Slow Cooker Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

A creamy, indulgent mushroom soup if dairy is your thing. Like Campbells, but 1000% better.

Slow Cooker White Bean and Parmesan Soup

Two magical ingredients that come together in incomparable harmony. A cost-effective yet luxurious soup for the days where doing nothing feels like doing something.

Braised Chicken and Polenta Dumplings with Mushrooms

A slightly more hands-on recipe. This too can be adapted for the slow cooker. Follow the steps until step 5 and dump everything into the slow cooker to get a head start on dinner. Come back in 3-4 hours to finish the dumplings and everything will be ready to serve when you are.

Slow Cooker Chilli

A classic that can be adapted to your liking. Giving very much Parent Trap energy with this simple dish.

Beans in Solitude

For those who may not want the open flame cracking for a few hours, turn to Frederik Bille Brahe's white bean recipe, which can easily be adapted to the slow cooker. Simmer for almost double the cook time, and longer if they remain tough, eat beans for weeks.