I made 5 game-day appetizers in my slow cooker. The Buffalo wings were a major crowd pleaser.

• Game day is the perfect time to use your slow cooker for easy, hands-off recipes.
• I made five game-day foods in my Crock-Pot, including creamy queso dip and mac and cheese.
• I loved every recipe, but the crispy and juicy Buffalo wings really impressed me.

The recipe calls for three cups of sharp white cheddar and one cup of Gruyère, which make up the sauce. The third and final cheese in this recipe, Parmigiano Reggiano, is added to the breadcrumb mixture later.

I sautéed the onion until it softened, then added it to the slow cooker along with the cheese.

I softened the chopped onion with a tablespoon of butter.

In addition to the grated cheese and chopped onion, I added two cans of evaporated milk, two cups of milk, and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.

After mixing the ingredients with the uncooked macaroni, simply leave the slow cooker to cook on high.

I also made homemade breadcrumbs to top the mac and cheese with.

To make the breadcrumbs, the recipe instructed me to pulse two slices of bread in a food processor. I then toasted the breadcrumb pieces on the stove for a few minutes until they were golden brown.

The mac and cheese took an hour and a half to finish cooking on high.

I thought that the three different kinds of cheese, especially the smoked Gruyere, made for a complex flavor profile, while the onions added a savory flavor to the dish.

The last slow-cooker appetizer I made was Buffalo chicken dip.

The base for the Buffalo chicken dip by Taste of Home calls for crumbled blue cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch dressing.

I mixed those ingredients in a medium-sized bowl before spreading the dip in a single layer in the bottom of my slow cooker.

I then added a layer of shredded chicken to the slow cooker.

You can use rotisserie chicken or simply boil up some chicken breasts and shred them yourself with a fork, like I did.

Next, I poured Buffalo wing sauce over the chicken-and-dip mixture and added a layer of shredded American cheese.

I could already tell this dip was going to be delicious.

After cooking on low for three hours, the dip was hot and bubbling in the slow cooker.

I set the slow cooker to warm and began prepping my toppings. I added another layer of American cheese and put the lid on the slow cooker to allow the cheese to melt. Then, I chopped up one green onion and added it to the top.

The dip was perfectly creamy, spicy, and cheesy — another successful slow-cooker recipe that’s perfect for game day.

The layers of the dip were perfectly proportioned. With each bite, I got a delicious mouthful of cheese, hot sauce, and chicken. This recipe really impressed me, and I would definitely make it again.