rice pudding in slow cookerEspecially during the cold days of winter, whipping up yummy food in a slow cooker is the BEST. Cooking lazy is fabulous anytime of year, but there's something so cozy about creating a meal, dessert, or dang near anything, as it slowly comes together in a nice warm little machine. Which is why I'm all over The Slow Cooker Challenge thrown down by The Naptime Chef and Big Girls Small Kitchen/Small Kitchen College.

This creamy, delicious recipe for rice pudding in a slow cooker is a winner. You're going to want to whip this up, along with these other amazing recipes by slow cooking geniuses as part of this challenge. Then try your hand at winning a Breville Slow Cooker or a Delonghi Slow Cooker. Yes, those are the fancy ones. Just imagine what kind of stews, jams, puddings, drinks, and soups you can pull together if you're cooking with a serious machine! I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Here's how to make rice pudding in your slow cooker:

Creamy Rice Pudding in the Slow Cooker

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes plus 4 hours in slow cooker

Ingredients:

2/3 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
1 1/3 cups water
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
Cinnamon

1. Combine water and rice in pan and cook until tender -- 20 minutes or according to package directions.

2. Place rice, milk, butter, salt, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into a baking dish that can fit inside your slow cooker, and mix.

3. Pour 1 cup hot water into your slow cooker, and place baking dish on trivet or small rack inside your slow cooker.

4. Cover and cook on high for four hours. During the last hour of cooking, add raisins if desired.

5. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and serve warm.

Makes: 8 servings