When it comes to comfort foods, few cuisines do it better than Italian and Italian-American fare. That said, while some recipes are fast-fix affairs [1], many others — meat sauces and meatballs in particular — require long-simmering, making them less than practical on busy weekdays. Enter your savior: the slow cooker. As these recipes demonstrate, many a long-cooking recipe like bolognese or Sunday sauce can be outsourced to this clever piece of kitchen equipment. Win, win!
Slow-Cooker Beef and Italian Sausage Meatballs
Get the recipe: slow-cooker beef and Italian sausage meatballs [2]
Slow-Cooker Minestrone Soup
Get the recipe: slow-cooker minestrone soup [3]
Slow-Cooker Pasta Bolognese
Get the recipe: slow-cooker pasta bolognese [4]
Slow-Cooker Cheesy Tortellini
Get the recipe: slow-cooker cheesy tortellini [5]
Slow-Cooker White Beans, Tomatoes, and Pancetta
Get the recipe: slow-cooker white beans, tomatoes, and pancetta [6]
Slow-Cooker Balsamic Chicken Breasts
Get the recipe: slow-cooker balsamic chicken breasts [7]
Slow-Cooker Meatballs and Noodles
Get the recipe: slow-cooker meatballs and noodles [8]
Slow-Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup
Get the recipe: slow-cooker chicken parmesan soup [9]
Slow-Cooker Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup
Get the recipe: slow-cooker tomato basil tortellini soup [10]
Slow-Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Ragu With Gnocchi
Get the recipe: slow-cooker Tuscan white bean and sausage ragu with gnocchi [11]
Slow-Cooker Butternut Squash Pasta
Get the recipe: slow-cooker butternut squash pasta [12]
Slow-Cooker Braised Beef Ragu and Polenta
Get the recipe: slow-cooker braised beef ragu and polenta [13]
Slow-Cooker Italian Barley and Italian Sausage
Get the recipe: slow-cooker Italian barley and sausage [14]
Slow-Cooker Sunday Sauce
Get the recipe: slow-cooker Sunday sauce [15]
Slow-Cooker Chicken Parmesan
Get the recipe: slow-cooker chicken parmesan [16]
Slow-Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
Get the recipe: slow-cooker spaghetti and meatballs [17]