As a working Mom who is morally obligated to feed her family, I confess that I have a love/hate relationship with said obligation.

That said, the benefits of the family dinner have been well documented. One study shows that teens who don’t eat with their families for dinners on a regular basis are much more likely to use alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco compared to those who do eat meals with their parents.

Studies aside, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce that eating together, sharing the day’s ups and downs with the people you love, and basically communing as a cohesive group is better than the alternative.

And that is why I love the slow cooker, the ultimate tool for “fix it and forget it” meal preparation. You can find a suitable recipe on any number of web sites or cookbooks. Just load it with ingredients in the morning, turn the dial to low and let the meal cook all day. Come home a few hours later, and voila! You’re greeted with an enticing aroma of a home cooked meal.

Here’s one of my favorite slow cooker recipes, courtesy of one of the teachers at my kids’ school. It makes a lot and freezes well. It also tastes even better the next day as leftovers:

Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 pkg. Italian seasoning (in salad dressing aisle)

Directions:

Lay chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Mix soup, cheese and seasoning. Pour over chicken. Cook 8-10 hours on low. Use spatula to break chicken apart. Serve on hard rolls or buns.

Are you enamored with the slow cooker? Let me know what you think, or even share a recipe.