3 great recipes for your slow cooker

With a fantastic season of summer grilling and a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday behind us, fall is here and it’s time to break out your slow cooker. We love this type of cooking in the cooler weather! It’s easy, convenient and wonderfully suited to batch cooking or family family meals. Even better if your slow cooker has a timer—there’s nothing better than doing some quick prep work in the morning and enjoying a delicious, homestyle meal at the end of a busy day!

A slow cooker meal can be as simple as preparing your favourite protein in your favourite sauce or seasoning and serving it over rice and noodles, but there are plenty of recipes that result in hearty, delicious, flavourful meals. They’re not fast, but they sure are good! Here are three great recipes to kick off slow cooker season. If you’d like to tell us about your family’s favourite slow cooker meals or share a photo/recipe link, please leave us a comment on Facebook or Instagram! We’re always glad to hear from you.

Beef bourguignon

Any recipe that starts with bacon and Ontario beef is going to be amazing, and this one is no exception. Our stewing beef is ideal for this type of recipe, but you can use other cuts of beef if you prefer—please speak to one of our butchers for recommendations. Beef bourguignon takes around 10-15 minutes to prepare and around nine hours in your slow cooker on a low setting (you can cook it on high if you would like it done sooner, but for the best results, go for low and slow). It’s great for Sunday Dinner and would be a fantastic weeknight meal if you’re able to get it started early in the day. This dish also freezes well, so it’s perfect for batch cooking—that’s if you can stop yourself from finishing the pot the next day. Like we said—it’s pretty amazing! You can get the recipe here.

Chicken and white bean stew

We love a hot bowl of soup or stew on a cool day, and this is a great one. Just grab some fresh bread or pop a frozen baguette in the oven for a hearty, homestyle meal that’s been simmered to perfection in your slow cooker. This recipe only takes 10-15 minutes of prep time plus about ten minutes of additional work before serving (to shred the chicken). Like beef bourguignon, this dish freezes well and makes for great leftovers. If you have a good thermos on hand, try sending some to school with your kids or taking a serving to work. It’s also ideal for sharing with seniors or friends recovering from a cold. After all, who wouldn’t want to receive a jar of delicious homemade soup from a loved one? You can get the recipe here.

Creamy pork chops with mushrooms and potatoes

This is a satisfying, delicious meal that can be served with rice, noodles or in a bowl with toast on the side. It takes about 20 minutes to get everything ready for this recipe, then 3-4 hours on high in your slow cooker (or 6-8 hours on low heat, which is almost always a good idea). If you like a little spice with your pork chops, add some dried red chili flakes to this recipe for added kick! Others may enjoy the suggested parmesan and parsley topping. We like having all of these options available on the table so each family member can finish their plate to their individual taste. Some fresh ground black pepper also goes a long way! However you season this dish, we bet you’ll enjoy it. You can get the recipe here.

Thanks for reading and shopping local—we hope to see you at our Simcoe or Stoney Creek retail location soon. You can also place an order online at VGFarmToCity.ca. Our team is pleased to offer FREE home delivery on qualifying orders!