We can think of few things better than walking through the door after a long day and knowing that a home-cooked meal awaits us. And since we don't have our own personal live-in chefs, we rely on our slow cookers to help us out.

These comforting recipes take just a little bit of prep work in the morning or the night before, and then the slow cooker does the heavy lifting. Your future self will thank you.

This recipe is one of the examples of where the slow cooker really shines. How else could you serve brisket on a weeknight without your trusty slow cooker? Fix this for dinner and your family or dinner guests will thank you.

Ask most kids (and many adults) what their favorite comfort food is, and you're likely to get mac and cheese as the answer. So make it easy on yourself and let your slow cooker do the heavy lifting on this easy-to-prepare recipe.

Made with coconut milk, this spicy stew is actually vegan. But the flavors are so bold and delicious that even the staunchest carnivores will line up for seconds.

Most split pea soup has a ham bone or ham hocks in it, but this vegetarian version omits it. The good news is that it doesn't lack anything in flavor. And the grilled cheese croutons? Well they're the savory equivalent to the cherry on top.

You'd never guess this meal came from a slow cooker by looking at it. That's what makes it the perfect meal for a weeknight dinner party.

What makes a "white chili," exactly? For us it's a hearty stew with plenty of white beans and Southwestern spices — and this recipe definitely fits that template. Make this in the morning, and we promise everyone in your family will be excited about dinner.

This is the best kind of slow-cooker recipe. Not only is the cooking time hands-off, but the prep time is minimal as well. Oh, and the end result gets covered in cheese. Perfect.

This is more than just beef stew. The French classic, made popular here by Julia Child, is worth all the hype. And making it in the slow cooker makes it even more appealing for all the time you'll save.

While you can make this on the stovetop or in the oven, we like this soup best when made in the slow cooker. It lets us assemble and go about our day, while making our kitchen smell delicious and inviting.

If you've been intimidated by the long cooking time of chicken tikka masala in the past, don't forget about your good friend the slow cooker. This adaptation is the slow cooker at its finest.

Think of this soup as a new twist on potato-leek soup. The bacon is used more as a garnish, but you could sauté the vegetables in the bacon fat quickly before putting them in the slow cooker for more smoky flavor.

As soon as we learned you could make caramelized onions in the slow cooker, we knew we had to figure out a French onion soup recipe that could make good use of the kitchen appliance as well.

If you're unfamiliar with panades, allow us to introduce you: It's basically a dish of day-old bread, cheese, and ingredients you're likely to already have in your pantry. It's the savory bread pudding of your dreams.

The key to making this minestrone is making the chicken stock in your slow cooker, and then adding the vegetables and pasta toward the end. It might seem strange to assemble the full soup at the end, but the stock is what makes this recipe a keeper.

Keep your pork chops juicy by giving them a dunk in brine for an extra flavor that also keeps them from drying out.

Don't relegate tuna noodle casserole to the kids' table — or the oven. This grown-up version is sophisticated enough for adults, and will surely trigger plenty of nostalgia.

Making stew is more of an improvisation than a recipe, and this stew is no exception. Feel free to follow the ingredient list to the letter, or adjust it to your preferences.

You may be skeptical about cooking a chicken in milk, but believe us, it is divine. The lemony-sage flavor and the golden skin that results will make you a believer too.

You won't need as much time as a stew or roast to cook salmon in your slow cooker, but this technique allows you to cook a lot of salmon all at once. Plus, you can use a variety of liquids and aromatics to punch up the flavor of your dish.

Thicker and richer than chicken tortilla soup, this Southwestern-inspired dish is satisfying and hearty. And because it's made in the slow cooker, you can serve it year-round.

Mashed potatoes aren't just for big holiday meals — they can be a weeknight staple as well. All you have to do is break out your slow cooker and let it do most of the work.

While this recipe might have originated from a desire to use every last bit of a ham, it has become a favorite winter recipe. It's perfect for casual dinners with friends or just to have at the end of a long week. If you don't have a ham bone, get one from your butcher or swap in smoked ham as well.

This is basically a baked pasta casserole, but minus the baking. It's the easiest dinner to throw together in the morning and return to at the end of the workday. Now all you have to do for meal prep is assemble a salad and open a bottle of red wine.

After a long day, it's hard to beat the pleasure of a warm, messy sandwich like a sloppy Joe for dinner.

Canned chipotles in adobo and brewed coffee add an incredible depth of flavor to this wholesome, black bean-studded turkey chili.