With temperatures starting to dip, it’s officially time to dust off the slow cooker that has been hibernating at the bottom of your pantry. Whether you like its versatility—or are in it for the sheer convenience—there’s no denying that the trusty appliance is a home cook’s best friend this time of year.

If you’re looking to stray from your go-to soups and stews, we’ve got you covered. Here, four local foodies share scrumptious slow cooker recipes that will be sure to warm you up this season.

Adam May’s Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Former WBAL anchor Adam May is a Crock Pot connoisseur. He says that, given his hectic work schedule, slow cooker recipes are ideal time-savers: “It’s the best invention ever,” he says. “It’s like having a magic elf at home in your kitchen doing all of the work for you.” To enhance the recipe, May suggests throwing in a package of sliced mushrooms and half a cup of frozen peas during the final hour of cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound diced chicken breast
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 1 can cream chicken soup
• 1 ½ cups uncooked wild rice
• ½ cup diced onion
• cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Ground black pepper to taste

Cook in slow cooker 7-8 hours and serve with warm, toasted baguette.

David and Laura Alima’s Curry Turkey Stew

Though husband-and-wife duo David and Laura Alima are best known for churning out sweet treats at their ice cream shop, The Charmery, they play up their savory side at home. Laura describes this turkey stew as her go-to winter recipe, explaining that it’s best served alongside fresh-baked cornbread. (She says any mix will do, but recommends her favorite from Trader Joe’s.) “I usually drizzle honey on it and bake it in a cast-iron skillet that was passed on to us by David’s grandmother,” she says. “Crumbling the cornbread on top of your bowl creates the perfect combo of spicy and sweet.”

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 (10.75-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• ½ tablespoon garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 pinch ground white pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 pinch of kosher salt

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place turkey in the skillet, and cook until evenly brown. Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray, and mix in turkey, tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas and onion. Season with chili powder, curry powder, garlic powder, cumin, white pepper, garlic salt, and salt. Cover, and cook 8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high.

Bridget Quinn Stickline’s Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

As a mom and the owner of Wee Chic boutique in Lutherville, Bridget Quinn Stickline is often on the go. “I joke that I have two kids—my 10-year-old daughter and Wee Chic,” she says. “My husband and I really enjoy cooking, but, most nights, efficiency wins out over creativity in the kitchen.” Stickline says that her Mongolian beef recipe is always a crowd-pleaser. She suggests tossing in steamed veggies and serving the beef over rice after cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds flank steak
• ¼ cups cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoons minced garlic
• ¾ cups soy sauce
• ¾ cups water
• ¾ cups brown sugar
• 1 cup grated carrots
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish

Cut the steak into thin strips and coat in cornstarch. Add the olive oil, brown sugar, carrots, garlic, soy, pepper flakes, and water to slow cooker and stir. Cook on low four-five hours until cooked through and tender. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Reagan Warfield’s Vegetarian Chili

Mix 106.5’s Reagan Warfield likes the versatility of this wholesome chili recipe. “You can skip out on just about any of the ingredients besides the tomatoes, and it will still work,” he says. And although some might be skeptical about the outcome of a meatless chili, Warfield assures that his recipe doesn’t disappoint. “Some people might say vegetarian chili is an oxymoron,” he adds. “But this one has a lot of depth and flavor.” Warfield suggests sautéing the onions beforehand to make the dish more complex. “Of course, you can skip this step for time and ease,” he says. “But I think the reward pays off.”

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 28-ounce can tomatoes (diced, crushed or whole tomatoes that you tear apart yourself)
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 cup frozen lima beans and/or corn
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1 cup couscous (can also substitute quinoa)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add onion and remaining ingredients, except the couscous, salt, and pepper, to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, add couscous. Cover and cook until the couscous is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper or hot sauce. Top each serving with shredded cheese, sour cream and/or cilantro.

Although their introduction was inauspicious—they met at a murder trial they were each covering for rival networks in Huntsville, AL—Adam May and Derek Valcourt are perfectly paired both in and out of the kitchen. “Adam does most of the cooking, and I bake,” explains WJZ-TV reporter Valcourt. “I’m sweet—and he’s salty.” May, a national correspondent for Al Jazeera’s America Tonight, smiles and laughs at Valcourt’s clarification. “Sweet and salty—that totally sums us up,” he agrees. For example, “If there’s a problem with something, like, let’s say the pool guy screws up, I’ll deal with it because I’m the salty one.” Chimes in Valcourt, “And if it’s a friend in need, who has to deal with it? Me—because I’m the sweet one.”

Despite their different temperaments, the couple bonded 14 years ago over the B-52’s and a lifelong love of journalism. A gifted writer in high school, Valcourt had planned on pursuing print, but after interning in Boston at an NBC affiliate, he was bitten by the broadcasting bug and headed to Montana for his first reporting gig. “It was total culture shock,” he says, laughing at the memory. “I was in the state for one hour, and my father’s car slid into a deer as soon as we crossed the state line.”

For his part, May attributes his love of journalism to his Minneapolis days in his mother’s kitchen. “As we were prepping the food, we had a little TV that was up in the corner and was always on with the five and six o’clock news in the background,” he says. “I remember the people who were on the station and the kinds of stories they told. There was one where the reporter was doing a feature on Native Americans and how they harvest rice in northern Minnesota, and I remember watching that and thinking, ‘I want to do what [the reporter] does—that looks cool.’”

Off camera, May has been equally passionate about renovating the couple’s mid-century modern home, which sits on 1 1/2 bucolic acres in Pikesville. “We looked at this property, and it was in dire need of renovation,” he explains. But May, who is the Mr. Fix-It type, was undaunted by the idea of gutting the space as well as taking on the bulk of tile work, flooring, painting, and electrical work himself. “We were on a fairly limited budget, so I did most of the work,” explains May. Valcourt was equally unflappable. “It didn’t scare me, because I knew how handy he was,” says Valcourt. “I knew that as long as the outside worked for us, he’d be able to do anything I wanted with the inside.”

May’s proudest DIY moment? Installing a sleek, modern kitchen for less than $5,000. “I found a good deal on granite. The kitchen is all IKEA cabinets, which we spent three days assembling, and I got a coupon from Lowe’s for all the appliances,” he says. Even the stainless-steel refrigerator was a “scratch and dent.”

With the home renovation long complete, the couple enjoys family meals with their four-year-old son Jett and pet Weimaraner, Athena. While Valcourt is responsible for prep work and clean-up duty, May does most of the heavy lifting. “You make me the martini before I cook,” says May, smiling at Valcourt. “And Derek also keeps me on task—he once bought me a meat thermometer with a timer and a pager on it.”

Although May cooks with precision, he also displays an inventive streak. “I very rarely use a recipe,” he says. “Because we’re both so busy, we try to do things that are quick and easy and don’t take a lot of prep time—it’s usually a broiled piece of fish or a lean piece of meat on the grill with vegetables.” This recipe, however, is an homage to May’s mom’s so-called “hot dishes” as well as a nod to Valcourt’s love of New England seafood. “A hot dish is a Minnesota thing. It’s like a casserole,” says May. “My mom makes this egg hot dish. One day I had this leftover lobster, so I twisted my mom’s recipe, and I made it my own.”

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Lobster Hot Dish

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 2 slices sourdough bread, toasted and cubed
• 2 steamed lobsters, shelled and torninto bite-sized pieces
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
• 1/2 cup dicedscallions, divided
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup light cream
• Dash of Old Bay
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven  to 350 degrees. 
• Arrange bread, lobster, half of cheese, half of scallions, and spinach in large baking dish coated with cooking spray. 
• In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs and cream, and pour over mixture. 
• Sprinkle with Old Bay and salt and pepper. 
• Top with remainder of cheese and scallions. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggs are cooked through and cheese is bubbly.