When you've got a busy day ahead of you, the last thing you want to worry about is getting dinner on the table. If you've got a slow cooker, there's nothing to worry about. Dinner can cook itself, so to speak, while you take care of everything else that needs doing.

I love the convenience of using a slow cooker, so I'm always on the lookout for new recipes to try. The Family Table Slow Cooker is an excellent source for recipe ideas for everything you can think of, and a few things you would never have thought about making in your slow cooker. (Or maybe that's just me?)

The cookbook is divided into the following eight sections:

Breakfast Treats
Appetizer and Finger Foods
Soups, Stews, and Chilis
Side Dishes: Pasta, Potatoes, and Rice
Side Dishes: Vegetables
Main Dishes with Meat
Fish and Seafood Dishes
Delicious Desserts

To give you an idea of the recipes it has to offer, I'll give an example of one recipe per section that I'm excited to try:

Egg, Cheese, and Sausage Casserole
Stuffed Mushrooms
Can't-Miss Beef Stew
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Italian-Style Peppers
Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary and Fennel
Salmon Cakes
Baked Peaches

I was very pleased with this cookbook. The recipes are easy to understand and follow, and the color photographs of the finished dishes are enticing.

If you enjoy collecting cookbooks as much as I do, this would be an excellent addition to your shelves.

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Chartwell Books via Netgalley.

I love my slow cooker, but badly needed some new favorites (since the family had had enough of the old favorites). This cookbook delivered beautifully!

Filled to the brim with easy to follow, beautifully delicious slow cooker recipes. There are many recipes in this collection that I can't wait to try. I am a huge fan of freezer meal prepping, and a lot of the recipes in this book with be perfect for that.

I have received a much appreciated digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful photos. More breakfast recipes for a slow cooker than I could have ever dreamed up. Many new dishes that will be great to try! A good addition for your cookbook collection.

We love using the slow cooker -- the flavors and the ease of the meal cooking over time while we spend time together or get something else done. This book give us some yummy, yummy recipes that delight the entire family that are healthy too -- BONUS!! One I love is the mac and cheese and other fave is making a roast, but we had never done breakfast or snacks before -- great options here. The instructions are great -- a new favorite cookbook for us.

This new crock-pot cookbook, The Family Table Slow Cooker, is very interesting to thumb through. I wouldn't have thought a lot of these dishes could be made in a slow cooker!

The photos are absolutely stunning and it's nice to see how the recipe will turn out. Dominique DeVito has clear instructions and I was pleased that most of the ingredients in the recipes were either in my pantry or readily available at my area grocery store.

I made the Crock-Pot Chicken Parmesan and it came out very nicely. I did find that for my slow cooker, the cooking time listed in the recipe was too long. I cut it back from 6 hours on low to 4 hours on low and I think if it had cooked the entire 6 hours, it would've been extremely overdone. You can judge that yourself, depending on your slow cooker, but be sure and check at about half the time listed. We enjoyed the Chicken Parmesan and will probably be making again. Easy to throw together recipes.

I look forward to making further recipes from the book and I recommend it if you are an avid slow cooker kind of cook.

While there are thousands of slow cooker cookbooks available, it’s nice when a new one comes out that has unique recipes that people actually want to make and eat. One such cookbook is The Family Table Slow Cooker: Easy, healthy and delicious recipes for every day by veteran cookbook author Dominique DeVito. This excellent cookbook will make readers pull out their slow cookers and get to work making dishes that take very little hands-on time, but are delicious. It’s also a good excuse to purchase a few new slow cookers in different sizes.

Mad-Good Mushroom Risotto was a hit and it turned out creamy like a good risotto should. Curry lovers will especially enjoy the Indonesian Chicken Curry; I added a few jalapeño peppers to add some heat, and my family devoured it. I also made the Raspberry Pear Cobbler, substituting blackberries for the raspberries; it was easy and absolutely delicious.

The photographs in this cookbook are beautiful, and the recipes are easy-to-understand and follow. Every recipe I have tried so far has turned out picture-perfect. Other recipes that are in my queue are Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Curried Cauliflower, and Thai Chicken. Also, Light-as-a-Feather Almond Cake and Flan are in the queue for dessert.

Anyone who uses a slow cooker will love this book. The recipes are different from the norm, and are easy enough for those who are beginners, and also those who are busy. Highly recommended, this slow cooker book should be on every cook’s shelf.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

While I do love my slow cooker and believe in its magic, I have to admit that I'm not always the best at using it. So I was understandably excited to get this ARC and make better use of this contraption that is otherwise gathering dust in my closet. While this may not be the book to change that completely, I did find a number of interesting and delicious-looking recipes within its pages.

The recipes are clearly targeted towards moms, as they are unfussy, straightforward, and sure to please a number of palates. There's no exotic, gourmet ingredients here or complicated restaurant-style dishes. Just honest, commonly found grocery staples put to good use in recipes like Stuffed Mushrooms, Spicy Shrimp Scampi, and Super-Simple Split Pea Soup. For me, this was a disappointment, as my palate is more diverse and adventurous than most of the recipes in here. For families and new cooks, this is ideal.

Another negative for me--a lot of the recipes involve cook times that range between 2-6 hours. As someone who is usually out of the house for 8-10 hours on weekdays, these recipes are less practical, as they would require a programmable slow cooker and also being okay with your food being kept on the "warm" function for half the day. These are best for people with more flexible schedules or whose days keep them centered around the house, less for the full-time worker.

One big plus is that the book itself is bright, accessible, and colorful in its design, which gives it instant visual appeal. The pages are simple and uncluttered, with recipes laid out neatly and little tips on the bottom to streamline prep or add variety to the standard recipes. While there isn't a photo for every recipe, there are enough photos to get you inspired to cook, and the photos themselves are vibrant and beautifully styled.

While it may not be a staple on my bookshelf, there are a number of recipes that I do want to try out, and it fills a niche that was much needed in my household.

Brings the slow cooker into a whole new realm! There are some seriously great recipes in here. And beautifully photographed! Broken down into several categories (breakfast, appetizers, side dishes, main dishes, etc), it's easily navigable when one is wondering what to make for the family. I had to try several! The "cauliflower italiano" was delicious! And I never knew that you could make rice pudding in the slow cooker!
There are so many intriguing recipes in this book, it will take a long time to try them all. Challenge accepted!

A fantastic recipe book. A very simply setup with lovely recipes and stunning photos. It even has UK measurements.

My review has been posted to Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

Thank you! :c)

Let me tell you the problem with slow cookers: it might save you cooking time by setting one if you are out for a few hours, but working a twelve hours day with an hour of commuting time can run most recipes that call for a low setting for 8 hours, and the cooking time you saved is now being spent cleaning the slow cooker.

Following that, my problem with the recipes (as with most recipes) lies in the ingredients. There are too many items I can't find at Walmart with too few substitutions. I appreciate that the idea of this book is 'low maintenance gourmet'. I acknowledge I may not be the target market for this book.

But then who is? Things like oatmeal and bacon wrapped dates can be done pretty easily without a slow cooker. I could see these recipes appealing to the low working class, if they don't have the resources or space for ovens, casserole dishes, an assortment of pots and pans, etc. That market ends up not buying this book because of the obscure/expensive ingredients and the fact that the more budget friendly recipes can be found online at the library.

So we go up a few classes, and work with those who go to farmer's market and know where to buy escargot. They might have someone who comes in once a week to clean slow cookers and assorted dishes. That's a fairly small market who again, could do an internet search.

Ultimately I can't think of a single person I would gift this to and I'm not partial to it myself, but you might be inclined to get a Kindle version or get it from a library if you want to impress a date with lamb kebobs and escargot but will be out for a few hours getting flowers and such.

Author DeVito accomplishes what is promised on the cover: fairly easy recipes for items (not whole meals) using a slow cooker as the main cooking device. The recipes are beautifully presented with plenty of photographs of the finished items. The food is all very family-friendly with no strange or odd variations to make old recipes look 'new'.

There are roughly 100 recipes broken down into the following sections: Breakfast treats, Appetizers and finger foods, Soups, stews, and chilis, Side dishes (pasta, pork, rice), Side dishes (vegetables), Main dishes with meat, Fish and seafood dishes, Delicious deserts. The book includes a short 2 page introductions with a bit about slow cookers. But there are no tips sections on choosing a slow cooker, safety when slow cooking (to prevent food poisoning), or cleaning slow cookers.

Each recipe has a large main title, a short paragraph description, serving size in blue, ingredients list on the left in bold and italics, numbered steps on the right, and then a callout blue box underneath with more information/tips. The fonts are fairly small but the recipes are, for the most part, full page and cleanly presented. Nearly every recipe has a full page image of the finished product. The book is set up to be very no nonsese - very little fluff and everything you need to make the item.

If I had a nitpick and issue with the book, it's that the steps are really oddly numbered. I'm well aware of the trick of sticking everything into a chunk so it looks like only a few steps - rather than giving you step by step directions that would be easier to read and follow but with more numbers and shorter sentences. And while following these recipes, it became frustrating and irritating at how random so many of the step divisions were set up. E.g., step two would have you make two different sauces and be a big chunk of text. Step three would be one sentence telling you to mix the two. Why not separate the sauce steps so the step 2 wasn't so large? It felt so random - like it was written by someone who just randomly put steps together, making sure there weren't too many of them so that people weren't daunted if it looked like too much work to make an item.

But in all, I liked the recipes and for the most part, my meals came out tasting well and were fairly easy to cook. Be prepared to have a lot of fresh herbs available since most recipes call for very fresh ingredients. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Chartwell Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Family Table Slow Cooker: Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Recipes for Every Day. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion was freely given.

The Family Table Slow Cooker is a comprehensive cookbook with sections such as : Breakfast Treats; Appetizers and Finger Foods; Soups, Stews, and Chilis; Side Dishes: Pasta, Potatoes, and Rice; Side Dishes: Vegetables; Main Dishes with Meat; Fish and Seafood Dishes; and Delicious Desserts. Readers are treated to a cookbook designed to give full use to the slow cooker. The Family Table Slow Cooker includes more than 70 easy to make dishes from around the world, with many healthy options for the busy family. With beautiful photographs accompanying many of the recipes, readers will easily be able to visualize the finished dishes.

Soon-to-be favorites for entertaining include Seasoned Mini Meatballs (p. 33), Stuffed Mushrooms (p. 45), and Mustard and Garlic Drumsticks (p. 54), giving readers a reason to have more than one slow cooker. Hearty offerings for fall and winter include recipes such as Chickpea Soup with Hearty Greens (p. 62), Bean, Corn, and Barley Soup (p. 71), and Can't-Miss Beef Stew (p. 89). Readers are sure to find many options that will be appetizing to adults and children alike. The Pasta, Rice, and Potato section has many versions of risotto, as well as different potato dishes and pastas smothered with delicious sauces. Main dishes with Meat have elevated offerings such as Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary and Fennel (p. 147) and kid friendly recipes such as Sweet-and-Savory Ham (p. 150). The whole family will enjoy recipes such as Arroz con Pollo (p. 168), Fall Fruit Crisp (p. 214), and Chocolate Fondue (p. 216).

With so many options and possibilities, readers are sure to find many new favorites that allow them to introduce different flavors to their families. I would recommend The Family Table Slow Cooker to readers of all skill levels in the kitchen, who are looking for new and easy dishes to serve.

I LOVE the title of this book, first off! It’s so comforting and appealing just to look at!

The photos within this cookbook look so good, I feel they DEMAND me to cook them for myself to convince me of how good they WILL be! The true test, of course, will be to see what my kids will think when THEY try these dishes!

Recipes span from kid friendly to exotic (like Indonesian chicken curry).

I LOVED the slow cooker roasted potatoes I made from this book-FINALLY a simpler way to actually make these successfully! I’m looking forward to trying out the artichokes with lemon and herb next, in my slow cooker…what fun!

If you aren't already a fan of slow cooker recipes you must read this book! This cookbook is jammed packed with healthy and delicious recipes. Who knew you could use your slow cooker for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desert. Most of the recipes have small ingredients list. The photos are very good quality and make your mouth water! This would also be a great gift for any occasion!

I received an ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review

We do love our slow cooker in our house, so I'm always on the lookout for new things to try. I've never tried desserts in the slow cooker, and the rice pudding looked especially tasty. That will be my first one. Also the beef short ribs looked amazing. I think that one would make everyone happy too. There are lots of other really nifty recipes in this book. If you are looking to switch up your slow cooker repertoire, this would be a good book to look at!

I’m really excited to try these! I highlighted a couple favorite recipes to try! I tried one of the egg breakfasts dishes and I enjoyed it! I’ll tweak it a bit but I’m excited to try even more! I do wish I could’ve gotten this on my kindle instead of an app but I’ll definitely be using this cookbook in the future! The orange duck is a family favorite of ours but we’ve never tried it in a slow cooker!

Who knew you could make kebabs in a slow-cooker? This book has several recipes that you would not guess you could make in this appliance. It's organized in a simple fashion--recipe on one page, appetizing photo on another. However, some of the recipes are not accompanied by a photo. Being a visual person, I really would like to see a photo for each recipe. I found lots of things to try, such as Indonesian Chicken Curry, Cinnamon Bread Pudding, Curried Carrot Soup, Portobellos with Rosemary, and lots of egg dishes (quiches, egg bakes). The book has a good assortment of recipes in all categories and all ethnicities. I'd recommend it.

If I had to choose between every single gizmo, gadget and small appliance in my kitchen and keep only one, hands down it would be my slow cooker. I have had too many jobs with long and unpredictable hours, so I know that I either set up the slow cooker before leaving for work or I would be picking up take out on the way home. I have a list of go-to recipes, however, some of the ingredients don't really 'scream ' healthy meals. The Family Table Slow Cooker provided me with many new healthy recipes that cover breakfast(never thought to use it overnight), appetizers, side dishes, vegetables, meat and even desserts.
So far I have tried the Banana Oatmeal, Seasoned Mini Meatballs, Chickpea Soup with Hearty Greens and the Pumpkin and Pear Soup. All the ingredients were easy to find for each recipe and tasted great. The one thing missing(for me) was nutritional information. When a recipe includes sodium totals, etc., I can easily decide on substitutions that will work if the numbers are too high for me or move on to another choice. This takes some additional research, but it is certainly doable. This book opened my eyes to additional ways to use my slow cooker, and as I always seem to need more than 24 hours in a day, that is a very good thing.
Thank you, Dominique DeVito, Quarto Publishing Group-Chartwell Books and NetGalley for the complimentary digital ARC