Quick— what’s the most versatile appliance in your kitchen? If you thought of your slow cooker, you’re pretty close. It’s actually its faster cousin, the rice cooker! Even though “rice” is right there in the title, this handy gadget is the perfect tool for making all kinds of dishes that have nothing to do with the grain staple, as Oola shows us. We picked out our 12 favorites to share with you, and some of them, you are not going to believe.

1. Cheesy Jalepeño Bread

   Oola

   Yup, you can make bread in your rice cooker! All you have to do is pour the batter in and cook it on the rice setting for about an hour. Once it’s finished, you’ll have warm, spicy, homemade bread, just like magic! It’s so easy you can go crazy, so try cheesy jalepeño, banana bread, or regular wheat.

2. Macaroni and Cheese

   Food Network

   Remember this video recipe? The Food Network shows us how to make the creamiest mac ‘n’ cheese yet, just by cooking the pasta in the rice cooker and adding a delicious cheese sauce right toward the end.

3. Chocolate Cake

   Rice cookers can get in on the dessert action, too, as we first discovered back when we found this chocolate cake recipe from Pin PMN. It’s easier than it looks and a treat like nothing else.

4. Frittata

   leesan via Flickr

   Want the fluffiest frittata ever? Whisk some eggs in your rice cooker, then add some cooked veggies and your favorite frittata fillings, then cook on the regular rice setting. The result— picture perfect!

5. Giant Pancake

   RocketNews24

   This one is a BIG idea— literally. Coming to us from RocketNews24 via LifeHacker, the recipe puts the “cake” in “pancake” by throwing the mix or batter for the breakfast favorite into a rice cooker. Just mix it to a nice consistency, then press “Start” and wait about 45 minutes. The result will be a giant, fluffy, beautiful pancake that’s like a stack turned into one delicious start to the day.

6. Country-Style Ribs

   Domestic Diva

   You can have delicious country-style ribs in under an hour with this recipe from the Domestic Diva Bonus— they’re beer-flavored!

7. Oatmeal

   iha31 via Pixabay

   You know how more and more people are making oatmeal in their slow cookers now? Well, you can do the same thing with your rice cooker! Soak the oats overnight in the cooker, then cook for 30 minutes in the morning for a healthy start to the day.

8. Pork Roast

   Ubuntuist via Wikimedia Commons

   One of the easiest ways to cook a pork roast we’ve ever seen! Just put the roast in the rice cooker and let it cook for an hour for tender, fall-apart-on-your-fork pork.

9. Hummus

   Veganbaking.net via Flickr

   In just 30 minutes, your rice cooker will have your chickpeas cooked and ready to be pureed into some smooth, delicious hummus. Prefer the tasty dip made out of sweet potato, edamame, or something else? Throw those ingredients in there, too!

10. Cheesecake

    karendotcom127 via Flickr

    Cheesecake is one of the best, most indulgent desserts out there, but there are so many varying opinions about the best way to bake and make it. Even so, the easiest way has got to be in the rice cooker! Just mix the ingredients for your favorite flavor and cook on the normal cycle for the thickest and most moist slices of cheesecake you’ve ever enjoyed.

11. Potatoes

    Bon Appetit

    Rice cookers welcome all starches, and potatoes are no exception. Toss some of your diced favorites into it and cook for 30 minute for an easy side dish.

12. Omelet

    Marco Mayer via Dollar Photo Club

    No flipping required! Add your eggs and your favorite omelet fillings to your rice cooker and cook for 15 minutes for the most perfectly round omelet you’ve ever seen.

So many of these ideas surprised me! You too? If you want to see even more ideas, be sure to check out the list over on Oola. Which one of these ideas are you going to try first?