Everyone knows a slow cooker is ideal for creating hearty casseroles and comforting curries, making meal prep easier and more economical. After all, what's not to love about having dinner all ready when you get home from work? But this handy gadget is so much more versatile than you might think. From indulgent cakes and desserts to jams and even crowd-pleasing pasta dishes, we’ve gathered the delicious recipes that most people don’t know can be cooked in a slow cooker.

Click or scroll through our gallery for 25 surprising slow-cooker recipes, counting down to the most unexpected of them all.