Soup Chick®

Slow cooker Sindhi beef curry, from The Perfect Pantry

If you love Indian food but find the long list of spices and complicated toasting/grinding steps intimidating, this recipe for Sindhi beef curry, made in the slow cooker, is for you. The tomato-based beef stew originates from an area of west India that is now in Pakistan. All of the ingredients come straight from your pantry, and you simply toss everything together in the slow cooker and walk away. Like all stews, this one tastes even better the second day, but you'll certainly enjoy it on the day you make it. Serve over white or brown rice.

Slow cooker Asian chicken stew, from Jeanette's Healthy Living

Despite its name, the slow cooker can help you get a great stew on the table in relatively little time, if that's all the time you have. Example: this Asian chicken stew from Jeanette's Healthy Living, cooked in two hours, using ingredients you probably have in your pantry. The Asian flavors come from soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic, and rice wine, and boneless chicken thighs cook up much more quickly than chicken on the bone. Cut everything into small pieces, set the cooker to high power, and have dinner on the table with very little effort. What could be better than that?

CrockPot Indian curry, from A Year of Slow Cooking

Though the list of ingredients in this CrockPot Indian curry looks long, Stephanie of A Year of Slow Cooking points out that most everything is already in your pantry. Her kids didn't give this basic chicken curry a try, but everyone else loved it. Chicken curry freezes well, so you can make a pot on the weekend and portion it out for lunches during the week. Serve this classic stew over brown rice for a healthy, gluten-free main dish.