Crazy schedules, long work hours, and tempting takeout menus make it tough to even think about cooking most nights during the week. Despite the inconvenience, firing up the stove or oven is almost always cheaper and healthier than ordering in or eating out. How about a compromise? Making dinner with a slow cooker — Crock-Pot is the go-to brand in the U.S. — is an easy way to get in all those vitamins and minerals without slaving over a hot stove for hours at a time. Most of these recipes involve mixing up ingredients and popping them into a slow cooker for a prescribed number of hours. Save even more time by starting some of these dishes overnight or first thing in the morning and reaping the delicious, healthy benefits later in the day.
