Toss Italian sausage and rice into a slow cooker for a lip-smacking comforting dish

I like to think of risotto as a more sophisticated version of mac and cheese — creamy, cheesy, carb-y and comforting. It’s also a pain to make if you do it on the stovetop, but this slow cooker version (recipe below) couldn’t be simpler or more delicious. Serve with a green salad for a satisfying meal.

Traditionally, risotto is made by adding warm liquid to rice in small batches, resulting in tender grains suspended in a creamy, starchy sauce. In the slow cooker, you can add the liquid all at once and forgo constant stirring. Precooking the sausage is necessary to prevent greasiness in the finished dish, but the impressive, fast and flavorful result is well worth the effort.