11 Soup and Thermos Pairings to Tote Around During the Fall

As I recently noticed the days getting shorter and the leaves changing color, I had two realizations: 1) It’s fall and 2) I’ve been wasting the last 20 years of my life NOT toting around soups in fun thermoses; that’s right, wasting! I remembered that I had a wonderful Princess Jasmine lunchbox when I was a kid, complete with a plastic soup thermos designed to reward my hard-learnin’, hard-playin’ childhood self with a warm and comforting lunch. Now, why had I forsaken this wonderful autumnal tradition of my youth?

Maybe it’s because I am now (generally) trusted to use a microwave. Or maybe, just maybe, I’ve forgotten how to truly embrace the spirit of fall. Cooler, cozier, a little slower—fall is for chunky sweaters, and chunky soups. Oftentimes I am so focused on the fashion, though, getting my cardigans and boots out of storage, that I sometimes forget about the flavors of fall: the squash pasta dishes that pop up at my favorite restaurants, the pumpkiny drinks at nearby coffee shops, the pies! They come and go before you know it, just like the season itself.

Well, I propose we slow down and enjoy fall in all its glory, as it was meant to be enjoyed: with a warm soup at arm’s length. Let’s go on a carefree stroll in the crisp air, and let’s crunch some leaves underfoot. And let’s pause whenever we feel like it, unscrew the lid to a soup-filled thermos, and let’s sip warm, comforting broth and marvel at (dare I say) the greatest of all seasons.

Here are 11 soup-and-thermos pairings to help fully immerse yourself in the splendor of fall.

Roasted Tomato Soup in a Red Campbell’s Thermos

The Recipe Rebel

I had my fair share of Campbell’s tomato soup in my Princess Jasmine thermos, but I’m older and wiser now, and I know homemade tomato soup is where it’s at. This soup is fresh, flavorful, and easy with roasted tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and basil. Transport it in a thermos with a Campbell’s motif, and you’ve got the best of both worlds: flavor and nostalgia! Get the recipe.

Curried Carrot Soup in a Plaid Thermos

Chowhound

Maybe you’re feeling a bit more sophisticated. This soup elevates a typical cream-of-carrot recipe with curry and coconut milk. Paired with a tartan-plaid thermos, this combination will having you channeling the UK with its cool-and-rainy weather and its love of curry. Get our Curried Carrot Soup recipe.

Chicken and Stars Soup in a Character Thermos

Gimme Some Oven

Get back to the basics with this pairing: an OG character thermos of your choice (may I recommend Spider-Man?) and tried-and-true chicken and stars soup. What makes this soup great for toting is the sippable stars; no need for a spoon when you sidestep large, messy noodles in favor of smaller, more kid-friendly shapes. Get the recipe.

Côte d’Azur Cure-All Soup in an ENERGIFY Thermos with Folding Spoon

Chowhound

Sometimes you’re dealing with more adult problems, like the repercussions of a too-late night out. In these instances, you don’t need a cartoon character judging you; you need a thermos that’s all business, ready to effectively deliver to you this French hangover remedy. With its own folding spoon, this thermos is ready to serve up this garlicky, protein-packed soup when you need it most. Get our Côte d’Azur Cure-All Soup recipe.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup in a Bold Steel Thermos with Carabiner

Chowhound

Butternut squash and sage are essential fall flavors. When you combine this soup and this thermos with its carabiner clip and handle, you can enjoy hands-free toting of this creamy, savory fall goodness. Get our Roasted Butternut Squash Soup recipe.

Lemony Kale and White Bean Soup in a Hydro Flask Thermos

For Knife Swoon

This pairing combines a soup and a thermos that find themselves at home on the hiking trail. Take a pause from enjoying nature to enjoy this hearty, nourishing soup packed with greens and beans and a hint of lemon. Get the recipe.

Roasted Tomato, Chickpea, and Swiss Chard Soup in a Thermos with Folding Spoon

Chowhound

Sometimes sipping won’t cut it. A chunky soup, like this one, may require having a spoon at the ready to bolster full enjoyment of your meal-on-the-go. This thermos comes with its own folding spoon, to help herald in delicious bites of tomato, chickpeas, and swiss chard. Get our Roasted Tomato, Chickpea, and Swiss Chard Soup recipe.

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup in a Tiger Chocolate Brown Thermos

The Sea Salt

The warm reds of this soup and the deep chocolate brown of this thermos will pair nicely with the colorful fall foliage you’ll encounter on an afternoon stroll through the park. Enjoy hearty lentils and aromatic spices as you surround yourself with crimson-, gold-, and, mocha-colored leaves. Get the recipe.

5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup in a Simple Modern Thermos

Budget Savvy Diva

Keep it simple with this five-ingredient broccoli cheese soup, ready to go in this thermos of your favorite color. This recipe will leave you with time to watch the sunset from your favorite park bench—yikes, did it always get dark this early? Get the recipe.

Split Pea Soup in a Matching MIU COLOR Thermos

Chowhound

I usually try to avoid being ‘matchy-matchy’ with my fall accessories, but not with this pairing! Lean in and enjoy a classic, cool-weather favorite in a matching thermos. Prep this split pea soup ahead of time, freeze, and you can have warming deliciousness whenever the mood strikes you. Get our Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup recipe.

French Onion Soup in a Dual-Compartment Thermos

Good Dinner Mom

If you are able to put in the time to make this recipe, then this is the thermos that will enable you to enjoy flawless French onion soup on-the-go. That’s because this is the rare thermos that allows you to keep the essential gruyere crouton portion separate from the onions and broth until you’re ready to eat. Instead of soggy, soup-soaked bread, you can bask in the wonderful, totable balance of this pairing. Get the recipe.

Related Video: Spicy Tomato Soup

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Blistered Shishito Peppers

Blistered Shishito Peppers are a delicious quick and easy snack, side dish, or appetizer. Mild and sweet, they're like single bite mini-poppers!

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Try These Secret Ingredients for Award-Winning Chili

Chili can be a surprisingly contentious subject; so many cooks insist there’s a “right” way to make it, and every other way is dead wrong. Even those who stay out of the fight likely have their own personal idea of perfection. Most probably have one or two secret ingredients they deem essential to the dish. Some aren’t too surprising—chocolate, liquid smoke—while others might raise eyebrows (fish sauce, bourbon).

This cool weather classic is certainly eminently tweakable and open to experimentation, which is why you can easily end up with an ingredients list running to the dozens of items, with a pinch of this here, a soupçon of that there. But that’s okay, as long as you remember to write down all the things you’re adding so you can replicate the results next time.

Whether you believe beans and/or tomatoes in chili are anathema or a must-have, and whether you like all the meat or none at all, you’ll want to build layers of savory complexity in the pot. These additional flavor agents help do just that. Still, don’t forget to toast your spices, make homemade chili paste if you have the time, thoroughly brown your meat, simmer low and slow, and take care of all those other basics while you’re at it. These secret ingredients are flavor boosters, after all, so they should be added to an already-solid foundation.

Booze (Beer, Wine, or Liquor)

Beer chili is a whole genre, and adding a bottle of your favorite brew is a wise move, but other kinds of alcohol can add their own little something something. A smaller amount of red wine imparts richness, depth, and body to beefy chili (like a larger amount does to boeuf bourguignon), and a shot or two of liquor like bourbon—even vodka or tequila—toward the end lifts the other flavors without obviously announcing its own presence. Still, as you were warned in college, you’re best off choosing one booze and sticking to it rather than mixing them.

Liquid Smoke

If you want to add a smoky dimension to your chili, this is a no-brainer, although if you’re opposed to the oft-maligned ingredient, a few teaspoons of chipotles in adobo makes a nice substitute, as does smoked paprika. You could also use bacon, but most commercial brands are actually treated with liquid smoke to give them that characteristic tang—so you may as well reach for the bottle in the first place.

Brine or Vinegar

A few tablespoons of brine from a jar of pickled jalapeños (or any sort of pickles, really), stirred in at the end as a finishing touch, adds a bright acidity that perks everything up. Plain white vinegar can work the same magic trick—even balsamic or apple cider vinegar, if you want a suggestion of sweetness too.

Soy Sauce

Not just for stir fries, a few dashes of soy sauce enhances the umami savor of your chili, and is good for adding some meaty depth to veggie chilis too. Liquid aminos can do the same.

Fish Sauce

This serves the same purpose as soy, really: emphasizing meaty umami notes and bringing a little piquant salt. Added judiciously, it doesn’t taste at all like fish once stirred into the pot. Some people even use a couple anchovies as a briny, umami-rich component that melts away into the other ingredients.

Worcestershire Sauce

Similar to but more complex than soy sauce, liquid aminos, and fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce is another great umami amplifier; that’s why it turns up in Bloody Marys, after all.

Coffee or Espresso Powder

A moderate amount of bitter, roasty espresso, strong-brewed black coffee, or instant coffee granules will beef up the deep, complex flavors of chili, and work well alone or in concert with a little chocolate.

Chocolate

Added in the form of cocoa powder or unsweetened baking chocolate, this secret ingredient adds another subtle bass note, but you can also try dark chocolate that contains some sugar for a twin touch of sweetness, or even sandy Mexican chocolate (with dark sugar and cinnamon already added) to complement the spicy, acidic, and umami flavors.

Sweet Spices

Cinnamon is a fairly common addition to chili, but you can also use small amount of nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and other sweet spices to make it more aromatic. Even a bit of star anise can enhance the beefy, spicy flavor of chili without being too licorice-forward (add too much, though, and it may taste more like pho).

Peanut Butter

Some people swear by peanut butter to add a little fatty oomph to leaner veggie chilis, but it also shows up in meaty versions, from turkey to beef (and, hey, peanut butter burgers are a thing). Using a natural peanut butter will give you that creamy richness and nutty nuance without too much added salt and sugar.

Molasses

Dark, slightly smoky, and a little sweet in a caramelized way, molasses is another method of adding a certain je ne sais quoi to your chili. Use unsulphured molasses, dark if you like a stronger flavor, but stay away from the blackstrap variety, which is much more bitter.

Marmite or Vegemite

Divisive though they may be, European imports Marmite and Vegemite are both complex, strong, salty flavor bombs that boost the baseline tastes of your chili. You don’t need to go out of your way to buy either one, but if you happen to have a jar in your pantry, why not scoop a smidge into the pot?

Combining More Than One

While some degree of moderation is probably prudent, you can absolutely deploy several of the above secret weapons in a single batch of chili. I always do, and certified food genius J. Kenji López-Alt uses a whole bunch at once for his favorite chili, so be bold, add extras in small doses to start (like, one teaspoon at a time), and taste often. And don’t let anyone bully you into thinking your chili is bad because it’s not authentic! Even if you go with more idiosyncratic additions, like yellow mustard, pineapple, Coca-Cola, apple butter, and grape jam, what’s important is that you like eating it.

So try one of the secret-ingredient chili recipes below to get you started, and experiment as you see fit.

Slow Cooker Beef Chili with Beer, Liquid Smoke, and Worcestershire

Show Me the Yummy

A little liquid hickory smoke, Worcestershire sauce, and a bottle of hoppy IPA add their charms to this ground beef and bean chili—which comes together in the slow cooker, always a bonus. Get the recipe.

Chicken and Black-Eyed Pea Chili with Jalapeño Brine

David Loftus

A quick and easy chicken chili with bell peppers and black-eyed peas gets a lift from pickled jalapeño brine. It doesn’t make it too spicy, but if you want more heat, chop some of the peppers themselves for garnishing your bowl. Get the Chicken and Black-Eyed Pea Chili with Jalapeño Brine recipe.

Chocolate Lover’s Cincinnati Chili

This is How I Cook

Cincinnati chili is a great regional style, traditionally served over spaghetti (and beans if you want ’em), although you can skip the noodles if you prefer. It’s generally saucier and more finely textured than other chilis, and usually includes unsweetened chocolate or cocoa powder and warm spices like cinnamon (so add a stick to the simmering pot if you want to have that flavor along with the called-for cloves here). This version melts in three ounces of dark chocolate right at the end for extra richness, with a shot of sherry vinegar to brighten it up a bit. Get the recipe.

Vegetarian Chipotle and Chocolate Stout Chili with Espresso Powder

Craft Beer

Meatless chili can still be, well, meaty, as this hearty veggie version proves. With complexity and depth from chocolate stout, actual bittersweet chocolate, espresso powder, and molasses, it’s delicious even if you can’t find the vegan chipotle sausage called for. A squirt of lime provides the final spark of acid. Get the recipe.

Chili con Carne with Molasses, Cocoa Powder, and Beer

Brown Eyed Baker

If you like a chunky chili, this one is chock-full of tender hunks of beef, augmented with homemade chili powder and dried beans rather than canned. There’s also some molasses, cocoa powder, and mild lager in the mix (you could swap in a darker porter or stout for sure). A small amount of cornmeal adds even more body to the chili and is another good secret weapon to keep in mind. Get the recipe.

Chipotle Bourbon Pumpkin Chili

The Endless Meal

Another meat-free recipe, this pumpkin and butternut squash chili is smoky from chipotle, silky with pumpkin puree, and elevated with a hefty half cup of bourbon—but since it’s added earlier on, most of it cooks off, while still lending great flavor that’s perfect for fall. Get the recipe.

Instant Pot Chili with Cocoa, Fish Sauce, and Soy Sauce

Amy + Jacky Pressure Cook Recipes

This Instant Pot chili is ready in less than an hour, but additions of soy sauce, fish sauce, and cocoa powder make for a deep, hearty, super-savory bowl despite the short cook time. Get the recipe.

Beef and Red Wine Chili

Girl Versus Dough

If you prefer sipping a glass of vino to cracking a cold one, try a robust red wine in your beef chili for a welcome change. You’ll still want to pile on plenty of cheese, as usual. Get the recipe.

Tequila and Lime Turkey Chili

Pixelated Crumb

This turkey chili not only includes tequila, lime, and a touch of honey, but starts with a panade (which sounds fancy, but is just white bread soaked in milk), mixed into the meat to keep the lean turkey moist during the long cooking time—another nifty trick worth incorporating into your chili even if you don’t do alcohol. Get the recipe.

Peanut Butter Vegetarian Chili

Eating Bird Food

Our final veggie chili relies on a bit of peanut butter to add richness, cocoa powder to deepen the flavor, and a squeeze of lime to make everything pop. You can try adding peanut butter to beef chili too if the notion appeals. Get the recipe.

Related Video: How to Make Texas-Style Chili with Brisket and Masa Harina

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Minimize Kitchen Messes with One-Pot Cooking

I really enjoy cooking, and actually find it relaxing. Unfortunately, I don’t find cleaning up the mess that comes along with cooking to be all that pleasant. Luckily, a friend introduced me to the concept of one-pot cooking as a way to minimize that mess. Yes, I said one-pot cooking. “Impossible,” you say? It’s no fantasy. It’s real!

Last Friday, I faced a choice many of us face every day: What do I make for dinner? I looked in the fridge and noticed chicken breasts and some bulk mild Italian sausage. When my wife, who is pregnant, noticed my trying to make a decision, she chimed in, “What are you going to make?” I cautiously replied, “Baked ziti,” not knowing if I’d get the nod of approval or the grimace of disapproval. From my perspective, it would involve the least amount of mess to clean up, and while I was in the mood for a nice meal, I was not in the mood for a ton of dishes. When she said, “Great, I was just thinking I was in the mood for some pasta,” I breathed a sigh of relief and got to cooking.

I really like baked ziti. Whether it’s the chicken ragu-based dish I grew up on at Graziano’s in Niles, Ill., the Taylor Street variety at the upscale chain, Maggiano’s (they publish their recipe online!), or the spicy Italian sausage option at Chicago favorite, The Rosebud, there’s something wonderfully comforting about this Italian-American staple. I like the way it tastes. I like the way it reheats for leftovers. I even like how easy it is to make. The only thing I don’t like? You guessed it—the cleanup. It’s horrible! There’s the pan I use to cook the sausage. Then, there’s the pot I use to make the noodles and mix everything up. Then, there’s the pan I use to bake the pasta. And that’s not counting the wooden, slotted, and unslotted spoons I use to cook or stir. Oh, and the cheese. Good gracious, the cheese! So melty, so baked on, so much of a pain to clean! Oh, remember how I said the ziti was the path of least cleaning resistance? Yeaaaaaaah.

The truth is, a lot of the meals I cook are like this—tasty but labor-intensive on the backend. And while that can be okay, especially if the meals are as good as this ziti is, sometimes I just want something a lot more simple. Sometimes I want something that does not require me to use a third of the pots, or pans, or baking dishes, or plates, or cooking spoons in my kitchen, you know? Enter one-pot (or one-pan) cooking!

The idea behind one-pot cooking is simple: a full meal made with one dish. Gone are the days when you need to cook your meat, separate from your veggies, separate from your carbs. These days, we’re not afraid to consume our food layered in a bowl, so why should we be afraid to cook our food in a single pot? I know what you’re thinking: I always boil my pasta in its own pot, or cook my rice in the rice cooker, or saute my vegetables in its own pan. And if you’re thinking this, you’re also dealing with a bigger mess than you need to be dealing with. The truth is, you don’t need all that hassle. Still skeptical? I get it. But before you write it off completely, here are a few recipes you might want to try that prove it’s possible.

Chili Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Bellyfull

I like chili and I like mac ‘n’ cheese, so this dish is already a winner in my book. Before considering one-pot cooking, this meal would leave me with quite a mess—at least one pan, one pot, and one slow cooker bowl, to be precise. Unnecessary! With this one-pot chili mac ‘n’ cheese recipe, you can have food on the table in no time, with minimal mess to clean up.

Cajun Jambalaya

No Plate Like Home

Fall is almost upon us, which means it’s football season. If you’re looking for a great dish to make while watching the games on a crisp autumn Sunday, you can do a lot worse than a hot and spicy Cajun jambalaya. Plus, with this one-pot Cajun jambalaya recipe, you’ll practically be all cleaned up before you can say, “Are you ready for some football?!”

Enchilada Rice

Recipe Tin Eats

Mexican food is really great. One of my favorite things about going to eat at a Mexican restaurant is ordering a combination plate dinner, with rice and beans. If you’re anything like me, you’re bound to have at least one enchilada on your plate. And if I tried to cook all that at home, I’d be cleaning all night. But not with this one-pot enchilada rice recipe. I get all the flavors I like, conveniently made in one pot!

Lemon-Herb Chicken and Rice

Le Creme de la Crumb

Looking for something a bit plainer, or something that really seems like it couldn’t possibly be made in one pot? When you make lemon-herb chicken with rice, how many dishes do you use. If the answer is more than one, I’m here to tell you there may be a better way. Give this lemon-herb chicken and rice recipe a try.

Look, I get it. Sometimes it makes sense to cook things separately. But, here’s the thing: When it’s only Tuesday, and you’ve already had a tough start to the week, do you need the extra hassle of extra dishes when you can make one heck of a meal in a single pot (or pan)? The answer is no, you do not need that extra hassle. So, free your mind and try something adventurous. Make a one-pot meal the whole family will enjoy, and keep the mess to a minimum!

Related Video: How to Make One-Pot Chicken with Farro

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Our 11 Favorite Chicken Recipes for the Slow Cooker

There are lots of ways to cook a chicken. You can deep fry it, roast it whole, or grind it up and call it a nugget. But to get the meat to its most fork-tender, shreddable, and intensely flavorful, a low and slow method is a must. By letting it simmer gently in its own juices for an extended period of time, you get chicken that tastes more like, well, chicken, plus whatever other herbs, veggies, or spices you’ve thrown in.

For meat of that caliber, you can turn to your slow cooker, which makes the whole process as easy as can be. Here are ten of our best recipes that use the crock to create the chicken of your dreams.

1. Slow Cooker Asian-Style Chicken Thighs

Chowhound

Some chicken recipes let all the seasonings sit on the surface. Not this one: every single piece is infused with a rich sauce that balances savory soy, sweet brown sugar, and the deep aromatics of cinnamon and star anise. Get our Slow Cooker Asian-Style Chicken Thighs recipe.

2. Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Olives and Fennel

Oranges and olives is a Mediterranean ingredient combo that works surprisingly well—the sourness of the orange laces the bitterness of the olives with an electric acidity. With some fennel added in for an extra anise-scented oomph, this chicken takes on some amazingly sophisticated and powerful flavors. Get our Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Olives and Fennel recipe.

3. Slow Cooker Chicken Soup

Chowhound

A chicken in a pot can be the key to a meal that practically makes itself. Our slow cooker soup uses the whole bird to not only provide the meat, but also create a supremely comforting and savory broth. Get our Slow Cooker Chicken Soup recipe.

4. Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

Chowhound

Adobo is all about the slow simmer, leaving plenty of time to infuse all of Its ingredients with a vinegary tang. It’s a method that works especially well with bone-in meat, which lends extra flavor and body throughout. Get our Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo recipe.

5. Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

Chowhound

Traditional mole can be dauntingly complex to make, but a slow cooker and a blender can reduce it down to just a few easy steps. All the ingredients are thrown into the crock at the same time, so you get a sauce that’s full of chicken-y flavor and meat that sings of spices right down to the bone. Get our Slow Cooker Chicken Mole recipe.

6. Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Chowhound

Shredded chicken feels right at home nestled into a taco. We like to cook it in a broth of chile peppers, onion, and orange, so that each bite is loaded with juices and spice. Get our Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos recipe.

7. Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde

Chowhound

The slow cooker doesn’t diminish any of the bright, tangy flavors associated with chile verde. Instead, it lets them shine, allowing the tomatillos and jalapeños to mingle and meld with the chunks of chicken. Get our Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde recipe.

8. Slow Cooker Burmese Chicken and Noodles

Chowhound

Coconut milk and a mix of spices give this dish an especially rich and luxuriant feel, coating each piece of chicken and each noodle strand in a silky, creamy sauce. Get our Slow Cooker Burmese Chicken and Noodles recipe.

9. Thai Green Curry Chicken Thighs

Chowhound

This recipe can be made on the stovetop, but when done in the slow cooker, its spices get extra time to open up and express their fullest flavors. Get our Thai Green Curry Chicken Thighs recipe.

10. Slow Cooker Hot Wings

Chowhound

Slow cooker wings are in a whole different class from your standard deep-fried version. Instead of going for the crunch, they aspire to be meltingly tender and saucy, with meat that practically wilts off the bone. Get our Slow Cooker Hot Wings recipe.

11. Slow Cooker Italian-Style Chicken

Chowhound

Think of this as a lower-stress version of Chicken Cacciatore. Skin-on, bone in chicken thighs receive a flavor-boosting browning. They’re joined in the crockpot with the classic trio of aromatic vegetables: onion, celery, and garlic, with garlic, sautéed to soften. Get our Slow Cooker Italian-Style Chicken recipe.

Header image: Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Olives and Fennel from Chowhound

Related video: Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

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9 Easy Marinades for Slow Cooker Chicken

Many of our weeknight repertoire recipes are for chicken. And as such, our relationship with chicken can get stale pretty quickly. And yet, it’s one of the easiest, quickest, healthiest options on the block, so we inevitably return to it time and again. The holy trinity of salt, pepper, olive oil works wonders on meat and vegetables, but sometimes you gotta change it up on chicken.

In our efforts to keep our relationship with chicken excited, we also didn’t want to make things more complicated, so we bring you simple marinades for slow cooking chicken. Just pour it in the marinade at night, and then pour it in the slow cooker in the morning. Then pour some out for your homies. But definitely into the trash because raw chicken liquid is scary. These are so easy, future-you is already thanking you.

1. Italian Dressing

Dear Crissy

It’s that easy. Marinate chicken in Italian dressing (yep, that stuff in the bottle on the fridge door) and then slow cook while you’re doing laundry and running errands. This recipe gets a little fancy, adding lime juice and honey, which is great, but don’t let it hold you back if you haven’t got a lime handy. Pour it on, pour it out! Get the recipe here.

2. Tandoori Style Marinade

This recipe relies on yogurt to do all the tenderizing work for you, so leaving it overnight makes it even better. Simply put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend up for this one-step marinade that packs a spicy punch. Get our Tandoori Style Marinade recipe.

3. Frank’s Red Hot

Sweet Little Blue Bird

Let your chicken bathe in the all-American glory that is buffalo sauce. Let it swim like a dolphin emoji in a sea of spice, in a Ziploc bag in your fridge like a fish you won at a carnival. If you run out of time to put it in the crock-pot, just grill it! Get the recipe here.

4. Balsamic Marinated Chicken

Rosemary and soy sauce are the key ingredients to round out the balsamic marinade in this recipe. Tart and sweet, this is another easy food processor recipe with just a few ingredients before the chicken hits the slow-cooker. Get our Balsamic Marinated Chicken recipe.

5. Easy Ranch Marinade

The name says it all on this one. A packet of ranch seasoning and little vinegar make this a quick toss-together recipe no matter what you have on hand. Of course you can get fancy and make your own ranch powder, but it’s a no-brainer to keep a packet or two in the cabinet for simple marinades like this! Get the recipe here.

6. Lemon Marinade

Chowhound

Combining plenty of lemon juice with chili flakes creates a surprisingly complex flavor for slow cooker chicken while maintaining a really bright profile. Fresh squeezed is the key to this one though, so be sure and use the marinade within a few hours of making it. Get our Lemon Marinade recipe.

7. Peanut Chicken Marinade

All Recipes

This is the perfect chicken to go from dinner to lunch. Pop it in the slow cooker for a few hours and when you come home you have perfect take-out style chicken. It’ll taste even better the next say on cold noodles for lunch! Sure beats a pb&j. Get our Peanut Chicken Marinade recipe.

8. Honey Dijon Marinade

Chowhound

Just another two main ingredient marinate to yield incredible results with this honey and mustard combination.  It’s essentially an adultified version of your favorite chicken tenders from that bar in college. Hard to beat such classic flavors. Get our Honey Dijon Marinade recipe.

9. Greek Marinated Chicken

This is another recipe where the yogurt has a chemical effect on the chicken, but using  a spice profile from the other side of the globe. Oregano and garlic shine through this marinade and create a versatile Mediterranean chicken for schwarma wraps or salads. This will certainly become a dinner to lunch favorite. Get the recipe here.

Header image: Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Rosemary Marinade from Chowhound

Related video: Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

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How to Use a Crock-Pot

A Crock-Pot takes up a lot of counter and cupboard space, but it’s convenient and doesn’t take a lot of headspace. This no-brainer is one of our favorite cooking methods when it gets chilly outside because it’s ideal for comforting soups and stews, beans, and heavy, cheap cuts of meat that turn tender after receiving the low-and-slow cooking treatment. It even does cozy cold weather cocktails.

However, it’s also great for warm weather because you don’t have to be near the hot cooking device while it’s doing its miraculous work. That means you can do your summer hot dogs in the slow cooker, and your fall football season grub. You can also poach salmon, make party mix, and “bake” a hands-off chocolate cake, as well as craft your own condiments like blueberry butter and bacon compote. And that’s still just for starters.

In the market for one of these semi-magical devices? Check out Guide’s Best Slow Cookers of 2017.

While using a slow cooker may not be rocket science, you can mess it up. So remember these tips and get simmering.

1. Spritz some nonstick spray or rub some butter up the insides of your Crock-Pot before layering in the ingredients to prevent the foods in those areas from burning.
2. Layer sturdy ingredients—like onions and other root vegetables—on the bottom and sides, where the hotter zones are, and place more delicate ingredients—like meat—on top and in the middle.
3. Don’t pack your slow cooker more than 2/3 full. It could overflow or not cook everything evenly if you stuff too much in there. Try to keep the liquid level at least halfway up the crock though, to prevent drying or burning.
4. Brown your meat in a skillet first to get maximum, robust flavor. (Some people prefer to brown at the end to keep that crusty outer texture, but the meat is often so fall-apart soft by then, it can be tricky.) Then deglaze the skillet and add the deglazing juices to the crock. Drain off most of the fat of fattier meats like pork shoulder first, before deglazing.
5. If you want to make sure the liquid at the end is thicker, dredge your meat in flour before browning. Or add a little blend of one part cornstarch and two parts water an hour before the dish is ready.
6. Softer, more delicate ingredients, such as tomatoes and spinach, should go in during the last hour of cooking. Add dairy items, like cream, at the last half hour or less to prevent curdling.
7. When your soup or stew recipe calls for adding broth or water, add it after you put the solid ingredients in the crock, and then pour the liquid over that, to prevent overfilling. You can add more liquid just before serving if you want the broth to be thinner.
8. Season a bit more aggressively with this method because with slow cooking, the potency can fade after several hours. That’s especially true with fresh herbs, which should go in during the last 15 minutes.
9. The typical slow cooker keeps food between 180°F and about 210°F, with at least three options: high (cook for eight to 10 hours), low (four to five hours), and warm, to maintain the dish’s temperature after it’s done cooking until you’re ready to serve it. Don’t leave it at warm for more than four hours.
10. Don’t open the lid during cooking because that can lower the temperature, adding to the time you need to cook your food.
11. After you unplug the Crock-Pot, let it cool, and remove the leftovers, take out the stoneware from the heating element and put it in the dishwasher, along with the lid.

Need more slow cooker ideas? Try some of the 27 recipes in our Slow Cooker Recipes gallery.

Or check out some of our favorite slow-cooker recipes below to get you started.

Slow-Cooker French Onion Dip

Chowhound

Use your Crock-Pot in a way you never considered before: For an amazingly full-flavored dip. The trick is all in the caramelized onions. Get our Slow-Cooker French Onion Dip recipe.

Slow Cooker Hot Wings

Chowhound

Spicy, smoky, tender wings are just the thing to keep your tailgating crew happy, regardless how the game is going. They’re crisped up in the oven just before serving for the best of both textural worlds. Get our Slow Cooker Hot Wings recipe.

Crock Pot Taco Soup

Chowhound

This is a little reminiscent of 1950s-style cooking, when homecooks nationwide celebrated the convenience of prepackaged foods. Before we learned that fresh is better for us (and tastes better), even though it’s more work. But come on, this taco soup is so flavorful and meaty. How can you say no? Grab that can opener and get cracking. Get our Crock Pot Taco Soup recipe.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Chowhound

Cheese. Sausage. Breakfast. Yes. Yes. Yes. Brown the meat, whisk the eggs, mix everything, and dump it in. Cook. Eat. Groan with pleasure. The end. Get our Slow Cooker Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole recipe.

Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Chowhound

If you want a healthier breakfast, the Crock-Pot’s got you covered there too. Set it, forget it, and wake up to creamy, comforting oatmeal to top however your heart desires. Get our Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oatmeal recipe.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Chowhound

Pick up a 3-pound chuck roast at the grocery store (or butcher or farmers’ market…or maybe one of those grocery delivery services, like Fresh Direct). Now is the time to make the most classic wintertime Crock-Pot dish. Ever. Get our Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe.

Slow Cooker Fried Rice

Chowhound

See, not every recipe has to be laden with meat. This one has two eggs in it, that’s it, as far as animal products. Oh, and a little butter. But then there are peas, carrots, shallots, and corn. And some edamame gives you more protein. Did we mention it tastes great? There’s that. Get our Slow Cooker Fried Rice recipe.

Related Video: Spicy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

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