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I love me some hearty beef stew.

Mmm . . . braised short ribs.

Chili all the way!

Pulled pork. yum.

Slow cookers are the best for busy worker bees.

A lovely organic onion soup!

My mom's pot roast!

I like to do my apple bbq pulled pork. Place the pork roast in the crock pot, cut up apples, cut up an onion or two, fill up the crock pot with apple juice, add a 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Turn on. Leave for 8 hours. Come back, drain the juice, pull apart the pork with forks, add bbq sauce and enjoy. Yum. Now my mouth is watering.

Definitely my mom's three bean beef chili. Best comfort food on earth!

The weather is windy and chilly and I wish a crock-pot of vegetable soup or chili or beef stew was waiting for me at home. Sigh.

i don't think i've ever had a slow cooker meal. help, help rescue me from ignorance.

HMM's Sweet and Sour Pork - comfort food after a long day away! Cheers - Good Luck Everyone.

Watching the leaves start to turn, I NEED this!

I would try making cupcakes in a slow cooker if I had one... :D

http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2008/02/experiment-in-crockpot-cupcakes.html

My mom's brisket...or pulled pork would be amazing...I would use it for anything, I've always wanted a slow cooker!

Ooohh... how gorgeous! I'm dreaming of all the great things I could make in this....

Just in time for winter. Stew it up!

I'm always a fan of Swedish meatballs made in the slow cooker.

duh - pot roast a la coq au vin! :D

my most favorite recent crock-pot meal is just a roasted chicken.....comes out so tender and juicy that it falls off the bone! yum!

White chicken chili. Mmmmmm.

Rolls Royce!

I was just saying it might be nice to have a slow cooker.

Beef stew in the crockpot. And I cheat by not browning the meat before hand. Mmm... the best part is, you can beef stew, throw in some cubes of Japanese curry, and then you have curry stew!

mmm -- a really smoky chili, or pulled bbq pork! bring on the fall!

I don't really have a favorite slow cooked meal, because I've never had the pot! But I think I'd make some stews, for sure.

Oh to fill that baby with chili, mmmm.

Slow cooked chili. I second that emotion.
Chili is one of those foods that I could live off of happily-- when I make a big pot of chili I am perfectly content eating it for breakfast/lunch/dinner for the rest of the week. I made a sweet potato chili last winter and it was SO tasty-- sweet, hearty, spicy...yummmmm!!

A slow cooker is the one thing already on my Christmas list this year! :)
I have been craving roasted pulled pork and couldn't wait to make it once I had a slow cooker! I can't wait to experiment with it!

My husbands slow cook white spicy chicken chili. This is perfect for fall and yummy cook-outs!

Chicken tortilla soup - so yummy and spicy in the winter, add some sour cream on top and MMM. Wow.

i want one!

Pulled pork all the way!!!!

japanese beef curry with carrots and potatoes!

Pulled pork!

i really really love this! I'm getting married in about 10 months and really need to hound up on my cooking skills so my future husband doesn't starve...a slow cooker would be perfect for those rainy days when you just wanna snuggle :)

mmmm... Tomato soup!!

beef stew, chile, ribs, i can think of about a million other things!

this is so pretty. i want it.

i make a pretty mean minestrone in my slow cooker - oh yeah and a delicious pumpkin stew

I'd have to say hearty gumbo or a good meatball stew!

Applesauce! or Chili

cold weather is perfect for crock pot meals like turkey pumpkin chili with cornbread. mmmm....

That thing is a work of art!

After reading everyones comments, my mouth is watering so much, I just can't decide what is my favorite! I'm going to go with braised short ribs. The SO would say cocktail weiners wrapped in bacon and cooked in a sauce of grape jelly. Sound odd? Just you try it.

pot roast or chicken with mole sauce...i've been wanting to try and make soups...

i have a measly 2 quart cooker that i got as a college graduation present but that thing is way too small - would love a luxurious 7 quart :)

Guinness & lamb stew for me.

I hope I win !! I only have an old crotch pot that I got from my mom many many years ago.

Thanks !!!

Stews and applesauce.

My favorite slow cooker meal is steal cut oats.

with 2 kids and a fulltime job, I could use a slow cooker!

mmm coq au vin

I've never owned a slow-cooker before but I would make pulled pork.

Pretty Please! I have never owned a slow cooker, but if I get one, I think the first thing I would make is a pork roast with sauerkraut!

As a nurse, it would be nice to come home to a slow-cooked meal after a 12 hour day!!

My "go to" favorite is a pork loin and saurkraut, served with mashed potatoes - a PA Dutch tradition, but my new favorite is a ham with brown sugar, dry mustard and cola - let that cook all day and it just falls apart at dinnertime - serve it with some horseradish for a sweet/spicy combo. Delicious!

black beans

Oh wow. There's so much to choose from, but first I'd make chili!

Osso buco, served with a nice simple risotto with porcini.

That is beautiful!!! Good for some baked beans or stew.

I'm new to slow cooking but I've my take on chili down pat.

autumn means cool (then cold) weather here in minnesota. my trusty slow cooker goes to work on a variety of chilis, soups, and stews. i'd sure like to have this calphalon 7qt cooker in my kitchen.

Balsamic-braised short ribs - mmm.....

Does apple butter count as a meal? Ok, how's about hamhock soup?

I mastered the slow cooker during our kitchen remodel. However, my favorite is still "ginger and garlic chickpeas". I make it with crispy fried shallots for the topping.

channa masala

What's the best vegetarian slow cooker recipe?
I used my old for turkey meatballs, but I quit eating meat and my slow cooker was taken hostage by my mother!!

Well, I don't think I have a favorite, but there are now a bunch of things I want to try based on the comments above (chili, onion soup, and pulled pork sound great for starters).

Pulled pork. And roast beef. So wonderful for a working mom to walk in the door at 4:30 and smell food that's ALREADY COOKED.

My mother used to make the most amazing Chicken Cacciatore in her slow cooker. I think that would be the first thing I'd make if I won....

Queso. My friend has a slow cooker cookbook that has chocolate chip cookies in the slow cooker. Ridiculous but I want to make them.

a really good beef stew is what I love to cook up in my slow cooker.

Chili, because I can make it last forever.

a beer braised beef stew I found in my Great Aunt's crock pot cook book!

My roommate's peppercorn brisket.

roast beef and potatoes and carrots. the classic.

pulled pork in the slow cooker is the best!!!! and makes great leftovers.

My mom's pozole - authentic and spicy!

I don't know what my favorite slow cooked meal is, as I've never used a slow cooker. I've been wanting one for a while now, so that I can expand my repertoire!

Braised Veggies!

Veggie Stew.

Chili!! 7 quarts of it!

I have a recipe for "lucky" chili that uses coffee to add a subtle smoky flavor - it's finally getting cold enough that I feel like I can make it!

I'm see lots of vegetable stews in my future.... *crossing fingers*

Eating Well had a recipe for Confit Apples in the slow cooker which my husband begs me to make... so good mixed into oatmeal.

Fall-off-the-bone pork and sauerkraut

Chili! Beans, beans and more beans! YUM!

love slow cooker pulled pork too...not quite the same as on a bbq but infinitely easier

We would make slow-roasted lamb shoulder, with lots of nice root vegetables tucked in for good measure!

A slow cooker for me please!

I need to replace my old, harvest green crock pot with this sleek modern one.

My favorite is definitely to come home to a thick chunky soups on a cold winter day!

If I was gonna win one -- let it be this one!!!!!
My fave dish is the slow cooked ribs my friend makes.

I think I'd start with some kind of cobbler. We're getting to the end of peach season and I'm not tired of them yet! :) I've also been in the mood for chili. Perhaps a three-bean and veggie. :)

Pulled pork.

Chana Saag!

beef stew

My parents are observant Jews, so I grew up eating cholent. Its a type of stew that starts cooking Fri. afternoon before Sabbath, so that you can have a hot meal on Sat. afternoon when cooking is not allowed. I am not observant myself, but I sure do love delicious cholent.

Definitely pulled pork with apples in homemade bbq sauce. There really is nothing better to gob on fresh sourdough buns. Mmmmm...

easy fall meals...
chili
bbq/sloppy joe's
pork chops n stuffing
vegetable beef soup

the list could go on and on!

Chili!

OH - That's a pretty cooker. My favorite crock pot meal is just a plain old roasted chicken. It falls off the bone and everything is moist. I season it with coarse salt, pepper and garlic. Couldn't be easier.

I just love simple shredded chicken. Cooking it all day with some salsa.

We have a KitchenAid slow cooker we just love for chili...this Calphalon one is even prettier and looks like it would make a great wedding gift!

I've never had a slow cooker, so no favorite recipe yet, but I'd love to make some delicious chili!

Gotta be BBQ pork, Carolina style, vinegar and mustard.

I really love making stock in a slow cooker-- it comes out so flavorful!

This would be perfect for simmering my homemade tomato sauce and meatballs.

I am a slow cook so a slow cooker would be perfect.

White Chicken Chili is great year-round.

My favorite slow-cooker meals are osso bucco and a bean and vegetable stew I make with as many types of beans as I can find, and apple juice instead of water. Mmm, mmm, good.

Korean braised short ribs.

I make a mean Cashew Chicken Curry, if I do say so myself.

Pot Roast, definitely.

Vietnamese beef stew (bo kho) with a loaf of warm French bread!

can't wait to try out some of those slow-cooker cake recipes i've been hearing about lately!

I've been wanting to make braised short ribs for soooooo long....but I just haven't wanted to be chained to the stove for 8 hours!

(fingers crossed),
Brooke

indian stews for fall!

Cassolet. Seriously.

Vegetarian chili. Yum!

My favorite dish to make in a slow cooker is a beautiful slow braised short rib in a rich red wine and tomato sauce, perfect romantic cold-weather meal!

Apple butter! Does that count as a meal?

Ratatouille!

Brisket! Also stews, short ribs, chili, slow cooked sauces. Oh, this is such the best kitchen device in the fall and winter.

Growing up my mom would make an amazing beef chili in her slow-cooker. I've tried to make it myself but it never turns out as good.

I want to try making Apple Butter in a crock pot something fierce

turkey chili

Perfect for warm, hearty meals!

I love pulled pork or beef made in a slow cooker. Having one would be so nice in the dark rainy months of winter when you just want to come home and have dinner made already.

Pulled pork or beef!

I can't think of anything better than Mom's slow cooker roast...mmmmmm!

Slow Cookers are comfort food at its best. They scream "fall" to me!

Good old comforting stew!

poached eggs over spicy lentils! yum! and i would definitely give a slow cooker cake a try....

poached eggs over spicy lentils! yum...

Duck confit ... lots of duck confit. :-)

I have a tiny, tiny kitchen, but I'd make room for this.

I've always had a fear that slow cookers would lead to fires. I got over that and now think they are the most awesome cooking appliance. If I had one I would make oatmeal or beef stew.

Pot roast... chili... cheese grits... mulled cider... and possibly some applesauce in the future!

This could be a lot of fun and very useful in the cold months ahead.

Carnitas!

Soups and stews!

Please, oh please, oh please! I've been using my grandmother's old crockpot for years, and it died in a round of chili-making this summer. I will make love it and use it to make curries, and chilis, and soups, and apple sauce, and.......

vegetable chili or curry!

Black beans....mmmm delicious

sauerbraten

organic chicken curry!

My husband and I do a lot of slow cooker meals. Our favorite thing is to clean out the refrigerator and freezer and make a stew. Just about any vegetable can go in the pot - cut them all up to cook evenly.

My rule of thumb is to make a single layer of each ingredient. Things like potatoes and carrots go on the bottom, softer vegetables above that, then the meat on top. Add some broth or stock of some sort, but not too much - more liquid will be created as it cooks, and you can always add even more later if you need to.

Season when you estimate that you've got about an hour of cooking to go. There you are - a tasty meal that uses up odds and ends from the fridge.

beans

100% I would make some Crock Pot Cider! I just moved to Chicago from DC and this will be my first autumn away from my family, and getting a little "crocked" off crock pot cider is a great way to introduce this tradition from back home to my new friends.

I'm determined to find a way to replicate Hell's Kitchen's (in Minneapolis) Mahnomin Porridge and I'm pretty sure a slow cooker will help. I've never owned a slow cooker, but I have wanted one for years.

mmm yumy fall dinners!

My favorite crock pot meal is to take cut potatoes, carrot, onion and place them in the bottom, then put a whole chicken on top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. It's better than any rotisserie and so juicy and tender. The bones practically fall out of the chicken.

After dinner, I put all the bones back in the crock pot with water, spices, and anything else I want in my stock. Cook on low overnight and in the morning, I have chicken stock. Too easy.

Unfortunately, my crock pot suffered an unfortunate encounter with the kitchen floor recently so I really hope I win this one.

Vegetarian chili. It's almost chili season, y'all. Hook a sista up.

My absolute favorite slow cooker meal is chicken and dumplings. I don't mind all the time it takes to properly prepare the ingredients since I can just plop them in a slow cooker and ignore it all until it's time to toss in the dumpling dough many hours later. And the best part is that there's always leftovers, and they taste even better after the flavors have a chance to "get married" (as my great-grandmother always said) in the refrigerator.

Alas, my slow cooker was left behind at my father-in-law's apartment last Christmas... 3000 miles from home. I don't think I'll be getting it back.

beef with pepperoncini peppers

A recipe we found at Earth Fare in Asheville, NC...

chicken legs and thighs slow cooked in a portobella mushroom marinara sauce. so very very good.

My Mom's beef stew. Oh, I would love a slow cooker!!!

Wow! That is really gorgeous. My slow cooker is tiny and nowhere near as pretty. Great giveaway...who would have thought that there was such a thing as crock-pot envy!

Steel cut oats that are ready by the time I wake up in the morning.

Cooking vidalia onions in butter and chicken stock for 24 hours and then making into French onion soup. The house smells unbearably divine!!!

Slow cooker rice pudding. Yum!

I love making (and eating) Beef & Guinness stew! The Guinness makes for a thick, rich gravy, but when you bite into the beef chunks, you get that great stout flavor.

Chicken Cacciatore....so flavorful, and you can pack it with veggies too so it's super nutritious! (Then, of course, I send most of it, minus the meat, through a food mill so I don't have to SEE how many vegetables I'm eating... guess I'll use it on the kids when I find out they're picky like me!)

food!

Herbal chicken soup my grandma makes,

mmm...my mom's beef stew recipe. Simple veggies, iowa beef.

I think I have a slow cooker oatmeal recipe laying around somewhere...must be nice to wake up to.

chicken paprikash...

I remember reading a recipe for crockpot creme brulee. Sounds great to me.

I currently have small crockpot that occasionally doesn't heat. It doesn't fit a whole chicken, which is what I want to cook some days.

A french white bean cassoluet

Pulled pork is my favorite! Great for sandwiches, burritos, enchiladas.

fall is here - time to close the grill and get those slow cookers going . . .pork with apples and wine and spices, hmm

A pork roast that, after cooking, I'd slather with Sauer's barbecue sauce and serve on warm yeast rolls!

That is the best looking slow cooker ever.

Pot roast. I'm poor, slow cookers make good cheap food.

Last St. Patrick's Day I made a Dublin coddle from the Gourmet Slow Cooker cookbook. The simplest ingredient list, and so delicious!

Also, I've been dying to try roasting a chicken in my slow cooker, but the one I have isn't big enough. Thus my desire to win the Calphalon!

With this I could cook for parties

Coq au vin - nothing beats it on a cold winter day.

beef stew, soups, delicious slow-cooked coke chicken, casseroles.... just in time for fall and winter!

beef stew and chili are my top two! a slow cooker like this is the one thing that i really wanted from my wedding registry, but didn't get.

oxtail stew...delicious!

My favorite slow cooker meal is a noodle-less lasagna casserole.

I'm a vegetarian so not the traditional meat stews but I just found a bunch of slow cooker recipes, including one for veggie lasagna!

Grandma's chicken soup!

Chicken with lots of fresh tarragon and a bit of cream...mmm...

Tzimmis! It's a great way to use those fall fruits and veggies.

Vegetarian chili!

My fave slow cooker meal is the Beef Stew from allrecipes.com. It's in its Hall of Fame. Yum! Just had some!

Lasagna - Believe it

My friend's mom makes pulled pork in here slow cooker and it is the best pulled pork I've ever had.

So, pulled pork.

chipotle black bean soup. yummmm.

Pulled pork shoulder, vegetable stew, and chicken and dumplings just to name a few. All through fall and winter I use my slow cooker 4 or 5 times a week. Oh, I also love to use it to make stewed apples and oatmeal.

Cassoulet, hands down.

Pork roast and bbq chicken!

My ex-boyfriend got the slow cooker and the food processor in the break up. He still calls me to let me know when he's making his extra special fresh salsa in the food processor or chili in the slow cooker.

I'd like to call and make him remember how good my pulled pork was.

(we're still good friends despite the food mockery)

vege chili!

Chili is a perennial favorite and it makes the best corned beef, too--less shrinkage and really tender.

Ohhh... I'm all about the slow cooked pork roast...I can't wait for the fall!

Mmm.... BBQ... chicken..... chili.... need....

So many things to pick. Right now I feeling it should be chili. I would love to have this cadallic of slow cookers. I love slow comfort food in the Fall.

I've never made anything in a slow cooker because I've never had a slow cooker but I'm thinking my grandma's ham and string-bean soup would translate well to slow cooking.

I love black bean chili. Slow cookers are awesome for soups and stews in the fall/winter!

Sadly, I don't have a favorite slow-cooker meal, as I've never owned one.

But my mom has a turkey and white bean chili recipe she makes every year with Thanksgiving leftovers - I think that would translate perfectly in a slow cooker.

What a great thing to have for my apartment! I would be able to cook for my housemates even in college!

Slow-cooker chipotle pumpkin chili, with or without meat. As a Texan, I shouldn't call it chili as the beans are cooked directly in it, but it's so good! (Beans should be cooked separately, and mixed with the chili to mitigate the heat.)

Chili with (fake) steak strips. If you're not vegetarian try it with real steak, it's delicious.

Caramelized onions.

Green Beans!

pulled pork!

this ones not ugly!

pot roast and anything else that saves me from the last minute there's nothing to eat for dinner dilemma!

Mmmmm...so many great ideas for this winter. Other than beef stew, pot roast and braised whole chickens, my favorite has to be white bean and chicken chili with chopped roasted Hatch green chilis. Sadly, I can only make it when I have something else for my husband to eat, because he won't eat beans.

Wow, that's gorgeous!

i'd make everything in it!

My favorite slow cooker recipe is Kahlua Pork. It makes the house smell so good when it's cooking!

I teach modernist literature at a liberal arts college in the midwest. Every Spring I host a "James Joyce Potluck." Students are required to bring something mention in Joyce's _Ulysses_. I make the lamb stew in my ancient crock pot. It cooks ALL day and the students love it. I suspect it's because they've had nothing but dorm food prior.

I've been itching to make a curried squash soup, but haven't had a slow cooker to make it in.

Mmmm, pulled pork barbecue. Also stews are pretty delicious in a slow cooker, and this quick cool-down we're having in DC has fall foods on my mind.

I love a good home cooked Beef stew with fresh from the garden potatoes and carrots.

that is a monster of a slow cooker! i could put that to good use this fall/winter making a good and simple roast.

I love spicy stews with assorted vegetables from our CSA box.

i love beef stew!

red beans and rice...cause it's a long way to New Orleans and I'm pretty homesick.

sausage and potatoes!

i would love to make some good bone soup!

for starters pot roast, but, the question really is what wouldn't I cook in that thing?

Definitely time for a new slow cooker. My old Rival is heating unevenly. I can recommend "Not your Mother's Slow Cooker" cookbook. Everything I've made from that has been good. In fact, good enough that whe