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Though they’re traditionally cooked in the oven, it turns out that they turn out very well in your slow-cooker, too.  These Slow-Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers are super-easy to make, and each one is a nice, self-contained meal, with plenty of healthy protein, vitamins, and juicy, savory flavor!

When my paternal grandmother, whom all the grandchildren knew affectionately as “Lolly,” wanted her home to have the captivating aroma of a nice, home-cooked meal, she would chop up some sweet onion and bell pepper and sauteed it in some butter or olive oil for a few minutes.  Something about that smell always drew me in, and I have to say, I always liked the taste of stuffed bell peppers, too.  Much as I liked the Stouffer’s ones from the grocery store, they just didn’t compare to homemade ones.  It turns out, with my Crock-Pot, I could make them at home much more easily–and enjoy that seductive bell pepper aroma all day.  Needless to say, I was very pleased.

Recipe and photo courtesy of The Recipe Critic

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Quick tip: Instead of ground beef, these also taste great with ground turkey or even without any meat!

It’s lamb made tender and super-easy with your slow cooker!  This Slow Cooked Lamb With Wine Sauce comes chock full of veggies and savory spices, not to mention a nice gravy for whatever you choose to serve with it. I can be a bit picky with my lamb recipes.  I don’t want the meat to be too tough or too, well, lamby.  This recipe does a good job of blending all of the flavors, not to mention offering the reader with plenty of options to vary it according to taste.

I thought that this was lovely over a bed of mashed potatoes, as shown in the photo. Given the amount of extra sauce that this makes, you could use it with pasta, and some pureed cauliflower would make for a nice bed, as well.  In any event, with something like this already made, you won’t have to get too fancy to have a hearty and filling complete meal. Enjoy!

Recipe and photo courtesy of RecipeTin Eats

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Quick tip: Choose a cheaper wine for this dish – there’s no point in using an expensive bottle for cooking.

Ropa Vieja literally means “old clothes” in Spanish, and though, as the name implies, it may not be the most elegant-looking dish in the world, but it has a nice splash of color and is chock full of great, savory Latin American flavor. And this version for the slow cooker makes putting it together super-easy and leaves the meat as tender as ever.

Some days, you just want a nice escape.  And though I enjoy my escapists shows and love reading a good book, now and then, eating the right sort of meal can be a nice adventure to another world, too.  I broke out my Crock-Pot yesterday morning to put this Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja together, and by the evening, I was enjoying a delicious stew and imagining myself in some humble but bustling cafe in Puerto Rico.  Latin America does know how to do comfort food.

Recipe courtesy of  Food & Wine.

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Quick tip: Add more jalapenos if you like your food hot and spicy!

Chicken makes for a great and generally easy to prepare main course, but if you stick with the same few recipes, it is easy to become bored with it.  This Braised Balsamic Chicken recipe is a great way to get out of that food rut.  It is chock full of savory herbs and spices, accentuated nicely by the balsamic vinegar flavor, and you can have it prepped and cooked in a little over half an hour.

I do cook chicken often, and there are some great ways to prepare it that I have come across in my time, but even I can fall into a bit of a rut, sometimes.  I hadn’t tried chicken this way before coming across this recipe and couldn’t resist giving it a try.  After all, I enjoy herb-rich dishes and the flavor of balsamic vinegar (I love a hearty salad with balsamic vinaigrette, now and then), and how can you beat half an hour of skillet cooking for ease and quickness?  Needless to say, I enjoyed this, and it made for great leftovers the next day.

Recipe and photos courtesy of  AllRecipes.com.

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Quick tip: My favorite way to serve this is with steamed vegetables.

It may not be as famous as seafood gumbo or jambalaya, but you can get that great flavor of New Orleans and the Deep South in easy-to-make casserole form, too. This Cajun Shrimp & Cornbread Casserole has all of those great savory tastes with just the right amount of spice for a little kick.

And you will be amazed how quickly you can put this together! It’s hard to beat a casserole for convenience, and I have always loved the cuisine of the Deep South (call it a bit of a bias for “home”).

This recipe combines the two in a nice way that I hadn’t tried, and I was very happy with the results.  If you like cornbread, you really should try this! My family loved it, and now they’re demanding I make it at least once a month!

Recipe and photo courtesy of  Recipe.com.

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Quick tip: If you’re allergic to seafood, try using chicken instead of shrimp.

We all have our favorite meatball recipes, don’t we? Maybe it’s the one your Grandma used to make, or your mother, but there’s just that one that really seems to beat the others. Meatballs are best known in Italian cuisine and can be done all sorts of different ways, depending on your mood.  This recipe brings all of those classic tomato flavors of southern Italy and adds that delicious wine flavoring to the mix.

With this Meatballs in Tomato Wine Sauce recipe, you can put together a lovely Italian-style gourmet dish in under an hour!  Individually, over toasted bread, the meatballs make for a great appetizer at parties.  Serve a good helping of them over your favorite pasta for a full dinner. Whatever your favorite meatball recipe is (or was), you’ll forget about it when you have a taste of these!

Recipe and photo courtesy of  Recipe.com.

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Quick tip: Make a double batch and freeze the rest for a quick meal later!

Break out the Crock-Pot again because we’ve found another perfect recipe for it! This creamy Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup is surprisingly easy to prepare and is great for all seasons. Pair with a heavier main course for a large dinner or with a simple sandwich or salad for a lighter, refreshing lunch.

In a pinch, anyone can grab a bit of tomato soup in a can and warm it up with some milk. But why settle for that, when homemade tomato soup like this is so much more savory and mouth-watering–and did I mention easy to prepare? Make a quick run to the store for the ingredients, break out your blender and slow cooker, and get cracking! You won’t regret it, I promise!

Recipe courtesy of A Duck’s Oven

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Quick Tip: Everyone knows soup gets better the next day, so make sure you’ll have enough for leftovers!