5 Hearty Slow Cooker Recipes

There's nothing better on a miserable winter day than knowing you will have a hot, hearty meal waiting for you when you get home at night. Slow cookers allow us to dump ingredients in a pot and walk away. We go about our day while our meals cook low and slow, and the results are a homemade dinner after we come in from the cold. It's easy and allows for endless dish possibilities. 

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A lot of us resort to microwave dinners to save time and effort, thereby stripping our dishes of nutrients and flavors. Slow cookers are the opposite end of that track. "I like the slow cooker because it not only helps to bring out the flavors of a certain dish, but also retain the flavors inside of the dish. This is the perfect, easy way to cook flavorful soups, sauces and entrees. It's also great that you can enjoy a glass of wine while your dinner is cooking in your crock pot," says chef and owner of Artisanal Foods Café in Las Vegas, Chef Johnny Church .