A slow cooker can be a busy cook's best friend. Instead of spending time over the stove and tending to your food, a slow cooker lets you put all of the meal's ingredients together and come back hours later to a fully-cooked dinner. Ground beef is no exception. Although it is traditionally browned in a skillet, it can be easily and almost effortlessly made in a slow cooker.

Coat the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray.

Place the ground beef in the slow cooker. If the meat is very lean, add about 1/2 cup of water.

Cook on high for 2 hours, then break ground beef into smaller chunks.

Cook on low setting for 4 more hours, until the ground beef is browned.

Cover a plate with paper towels and spoon the ground beef on to the plate.

With a metal spatula or large spoon, break the meat into even smaller, bite-size pieces.