Though they fell out of vogue for a while, crock pots are back with a vengeance - and with good reason. These countertop cookers take all of the guesswork out of family meals, and they can have your dinner hot and ready when you walk in the door after a long day of work. Sure, they have limitations (no browning, sorry) but the long, slow-cooking process is perfect for achieving tenderness in meats and creating lovely stews. Slow cooker recipes can turn <a href="/recipes/chicken/crockpot/">chicken</a>, <a href="/recipes/beef/crockpot/">beef</a>, and <a href="/search/?searchTerm=slow%20cooker%20pork">pork</a> into dinner with just a couple minutes of prep. Throw in a pork shoulder with some orange juice and onions and it'll turn into fragrant pulled pork perfect for tacos by dinnertime. Feel like <a href="/recipes/chili/crockpot/">chili</a>? You can pretty much dump all of the ingredients together, set the timer, and walk away - it'll be a Texas-style feast when you return hours later.






























