Winter's arrival means it's time to pull out the slow cooker. If you're rolling eyes because you think slow cookers are passé or unnecessary, we've got news for you. Slow cookers are awesome and they're never going out of style, so get on board. Crock Pot recipes are the ideal plan when it's cold and dreary outside. They warm us from the inside and help keep us cozy when the days are short and the nights are long. They're like a magical pot in the kitchen that transforms food from ho-hum to tender and wonderful. So it's time to stop knocking the slow cooker, folks.

Not only do we love the comforting meals our slow cooker churns out, but we also love how effortless they are. You simply prep the ingredients in the morning, set them in your slow cooker and let it do all the work. Dinner will be ready and waiting for you when you get home. It's that easy, guys, and it's even more satisfying because it's so simple.

When most people think of slow cookers, they think of slow cooked meat, like beef stews, pulled pork or ragu. Your slow cooker isn't just a meat machine, however. It's a perfect vessel for cooking up vegetarian soups, chili or mac and cheese. You can make everything from mashed potatoes to dulce de leche in your slow cooker, so why don't you? You can even steam food in our slow cooker, we recently discovered. It's the easiest, most effective way we know to draw out deep flavors and produce effortlessly succulent dishes, be they meat-heavy or completely meat-free. The time to get down with your slow cooker is now. Here are 52 recipes to try out: