We had some friends over to watch football and eat an unhealthy amount of queso. I’ve been wanting to try a mulled apple cider recipe I found in the October issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray for a while now and thought this would be a good excuse.

Our largest pot was occupied with chili, so I threw the ingredients into the slow cooker instead. I started the mixture on high an hour before the party and then, turned it down to warm as guests started to arrive.

It was really delicious. Serving the alcohol on the side allows guests to mix their own drink and keeps it kid-friendly, perfect for holiday get togethers. Something tells me this will be popping up a lot around our house over the next few weeks. You should try it at your house too.

Mulled Apple Cider via Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine 

Makes about 10 cups

Ingredients

1/2 galloon fresh apple cider

2 cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 piece lemon peel

10 oz. (1 1/4 c.) calvados (optional)

1. In a crockpot or large saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except for the calvados. If cooking on the stovetop, bring to a simmer and then lower the heat and let warm, without boiling, for 15 minutes.  For the crockpot method, heat over high heat for an hour and then, turn to warm.

To serve, pour into mugs and let guests add their own calvados. If you can’t find calvados (it’s usually in the brandy section), whiskey also works well.