Aspiring foodie, Lianne McLaughlin, whips up our healthy recipes to find out if they taste as good as they look. This week’s recipe: Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili.

By far one of the best housewarming gifts I received this year was a slow-cooker from my amazing Aunt. Some people from an older generation might remember crock pots as being used exclusively for soup or stew, but these days you can use a slow-cooker for a number of healthy recipes. On a cold winter night, there is nothing I love more than coming home to a hot meal. I noticed this DoGooder recipe for Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili and I was immediately intrigued. The ingredients for this chili are extremely simple, and prep time is minimal. The only time-consuming task was chopping and dicing the fresh vegetables, but if you prepare them the night prior it isn’t a big deal at all. After sauteing the vegetables all there was left to do was to mix them all in the slow cooker and set it to cook on low for 8 hours. I came home that night to a delicious meal that I didn’t need to worry about preparing. So, if you don’t have a slow cooker yet I highly suggest you get one for the frigid winter months. It is truly a life-saver.

Do you have any original slow-cooker recipes you want to share?