Throwing a party? Here's why the slow cooker is your new best friend.

Put the do-all appliance to work keeping soups, stews, and drinks warm and ready to serve while you entertain.

Tis the season for cozy blankets, warm sweaters…and slow cookers. Okay, in reality, I use my slow cooker all year, but if you haven’t dusted yours off yet, now is the time!

My slow cooker is my secret weapon for parties — I let it do all the heavy lifting so I can focus on enjoying the party with my guests. Not only can you cook a meal hands-free, but you can also use it to reheat things you’ve made in advance. And better yet, you can serve dishes and drinks straight out of the base so that everything stays warm throughout the party, and guests can help themselves without having to hover over the stove.

Quick note before you dive in: don’t worry about wrangling a party’s worth of matching bowls and cups. I’ve amounted so many mugs over the years and always pull them out to mix and match for drinks and soups. They add a warm touch and make it feel so homey!

Prepping in advance is key, so I’ve rounded up some recipes that’ll help you to do just that, and they just may change the way you see your dusty ol’ slow cooker.