Soup Chick®

Slow cooker pumpkin black bean chicken chili, from Eat at Home

When canned pumpkin purée goes on sale every October, I fill the pantry so I can make soups and breads right through the winter. If you have canned pumpkin and a rotisserie chicken, or leftover roast or baked chicken, you can toss them into the slow cooker with a few more ingredients from the pantry, and five hours later, you'll have this gorgeous chili that's sure to please the entire family. If you're serving this for a grown-up crowd, you can add a few shakes of hot sauce, to your taste.

Slow cooker lentil chili, from Jeanette's Healthy Living

At this time of year, when the days are shorter and the nearest grocery store is five miles away, I'd always rather reach into my pantry to create hearty dishes from what I have on hand than venture out in the dark to the market. This slow cooker lentil chili, from Jeanette's Healthy Living, satisfies the craving for comfort food as the weather gets colder, and I have all of the ingredients in the pantry. Jeanette suggests you can spice this mild chili up to your own taste, and serve it over quinoa or rice. Perfect for Meatless Monday, don't you think?

Slow-cooked beef and green chile stew, from The Perfect Pantry

One of the first recipes I made in my first slow cooker remains one of my favorites, this slow-cooked beef and green chile stew from The Perfect Pantry. Like all slow cooker recipes, you can make it on the stove top in a heavy Dutch oven, so unless you have no cans of green chile peppers in your pantry (gasp!), nothing should stop you from making this stew. The peppers mellow with long and slow cooking, and the meat practically falls apart. Serve it over rice or pasta.