Throwing a party can be serious business, so it's good to find shortcuts whenever possible. I love using my slow cooker to simmer up dips, side dishes, desserts, and more. The recipes I follow require very little attention and always end up tasting great, so consider adding one of these Crock-Pot dishes to your next party menu!

1. SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

Making spinach artichoke dip is a breeze in the pot. Toss together artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, milk, feta, mayo, cream cheese, and seasonings. Cook on low for two hours and stir.

2. QUESO DIP

Here's a copycat recipe of Chili's queso dip that all your guests will enjoy. And it takes just five minutes of prep. Combine Velveeta cheese with milk, cayenne pepper, paprika, canned chili, and a few more spices for just one to two hours.

3. CHEESE FONDUE

You can use white grape juice or white wine for this irresistible cheese fondue recipe. The rest is a mixture of shredded Swiss, Emmental, and Gruyere cheeses, flour, nutmeg, and garlic. Don't forget to warm your pot before adding the cheese — it'll melt faster that way.

4. CHOCOLATE FONDUE

Surprise your guests with s'mores fondue in the pot. You'll need milk chocolate chips, marshmallows, whipping cream, and graham crackers or fresh fruit for dipping. Combine all ingredients and cook for around two hours on low.

5. CHEX MIX

Or cook up a crispy Chex mix snack. You'll need a mix of corn, rice, and wheat Chex with pretzels, oat cereal, peanuts, butter, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Cook for three hours, stirring occasionally, then let cool on baking sheets before serving.

6. HOT DOGS

Did you know you can fit 60 hot dogs in a six quart slow cooker? Stack them vertically, cook on low for four hours (or high for two hours), and you'll have enough hot dogs to feed a hungry crowd.

7. MEATBALLS

These three-ingredient Crock-Pot meatballs come together in a flash. You'll need frozen meatballs, grape jelly, and BBQ sauce. Stir the sauces together before adding the meat and cook for three hours.

8. SEVEN LAYER DIP

You can even make seven layer dip in your pot. Pile refried beans, diced green chilis, ground beef, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, olives, and more in your cooker and heat on low for two hours. Vegetarians could experiment with meat substitute — like TVP or tempeh — in place of the meat.

9. CORN ON THE COB

If your grill space is limited, try cooking your corn on the cob indoors. You'll wrap the corn in foil packets with whatever seasonings you like best. From experience, I love adding basil, salt, and pepper to mine, so the pesto variety looks amazing.

10. BAKED BEANS

These vegetarian bourbon maple Baked beans take some extra time, but the taste is well worth the effort. You'll soak a pound of dried white or navy beans overnight, then combine them with bourbon, maple syrup, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and some other sauces and spices. Cook for around 12 hours for the best results.

11. GARLIC BREAD

Many guests like a good side of carbs with their meals. Serve them thisgarlic Parmesan pull-apart bread. You can even make it easy by using store-bought biscuit dough. You'll cut each biscuit into six pieces before coating in a butter and garlic mixture. Bake in your Crock-Pot for two to three hours on low.

12. PULLED PORK

You can use this pulled pork in sandwiches, soft tacos, or whatever else you like. Just take pork shoulder and combine it with spices, sauces, and other seasonings in your slow cooker. Set the temperature to low for eight hours. Pork is done when it shreds easily using a fork.

13. UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Satisfy your friends' sugar cravings with this pineapple upside down cake. You'll layer the bottom of your crock pot with canned pineapple and maraschino cherries. Then top with some yellow cake mix batter and bake for three hours on high.

14. BUFFALO WINGS

Or jazz up game night with these Crock-Pot Buffalo wings. Coat frozen wings in a delicious sauce before cooking for four hours. You'll then take the wings out of the pot and brown them in your oven for 20 minutes. Serve with a peppery hot sauce.

Source: Wisebread.com