The holidays really are a time to revel in cooking and baking. There are so many ways to celebrate with good food! If this is your year to make cookies for all the special people on your list, and you know you’ll be busy baking, then start with this chapter on slow-cooker soups and stews. The easy preparation of these recipes will help set the mood for your time in the kitchen, and while you’re up to your elbows in butter, sugar, and sprinkles, your soups and stews will be doing their thing without taking up room or time in or on the oven. Perfect!

Another wonderful thing about these recipes is that they are suitable for a crowd. Make them, serve them, and refrigerate or even freeze any leftovers you may have—or just be prepared when someone wants a late-night snack. Best of all, soup and stew is good food—nourishing and comforting, which is just what busy holiday cooks and bakers need.