I would like to make my favorite desserts this holiday season, but I know the cooking is going to be more a task of strategy than of cooking. Juggling desserts in and out of the oven is a struggle. So, this year I've decided to develop some crockpot dessert recipes to free up my oven for the main course and avoid all the struggle of shuffling dishes around. Now my turkey can stay in the oven where it belongs!

We have three traditional desserts that we typically serve after a big holiday meal. The original recipes differ somewhat from the crockpot dessert recipes, but they are not difficult to make. Let me share with you how I've tweaked these dessert recipes to make in my crockpot instead of the oven.

Apple Betty: You always want this dessert to come out of the oven just before you serve it because when you top this hot dessert with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream it turns heavenly! You can use similar ingredients, but I add a touch more butter. You'll cook it on LOW for about two hours, maybe a little less if the apples start to get mushy. Time it so you're serving it right after it's cooked and still nice and bubbly hot.

You can add a crunchy topping just before serving if you wish. Just mix the ingredients together in a small saucepan and heat until butter is incorporated. Sprinkle on your mixture either just before serving or after you scoop the apples into dessert bowls.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies: Regular brownies are good, but this chocolate brownie dessert with peanut butter swirled in is a special treat. Very moist and yummy! This dessert is made with brownie mix, but it's spooned into dessert bowls, not cut into squares. Serve while the dessert is still hot so you can add some ice cream or whipped topping and it gets all nice and melty!

Top this brownie dessert with some sprinkles of Reese's Pieces or other candy topping that you like. Cut a peanut butter cup in quarters and garnish with one quarter for each serving. You want to time the cooking and serving of this so that you are ready to scoop up your dessert just minutes after you shut off the heat.

Classic Pecan Cheesecake: If you have a favorite cheesecake recipe you might as well use it. I make a graham cracker crust with some finely chopped pecans added. The filling I use is pretty classic. The tricky part of this dessert is that you'll have to make sure a 7" springform pan will fit. Usually a 5 quart or 6 quart size will work, but make sure before you begin.

The pan needs to be supported off the bottom a little, so you will want to insert a small rack into the bottom. If you don't have a rack you can devise a little "donut" out of some aluminum foil by just rolling up a bunch and forming a circle. Be sure when you put the pan in, that the pan does not sit directly on the bottom. This cheesecake is cooked on high for a couple hours. Then, the heat is turned off and left covered for about an hour more. Once you can handle the pan, you can lift it out and place it on a rack to cool completely. Remove the springform pan from the cheesecake and you're done. Cheesecake is served either room temperature or cold so you can make this a day or so ahead if you'd like. Don't forget to refrigerate any leftover cheesecake.

If you've been struggling year after year trying to arrange cooking times in your oven, this may be the perfect solution for you to leave your dinner cooking away in your oven undisturbed! If you don't want to sacrifice any of your favorite desserts, get out your crockpot and re-create your old dessert recipes into new crockpot dessert recipes. Who knows, you may end up with some new favorites this holiday season!

Pick one of your favorite dessert recipes for your crock pot and get started today learning how to save time and money using crockpot cooking in your own home.

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