Easy crockpot beef casserole

I know I’ve posted about it before, but I love my crockpot!* I love the fact that I can leave the house with a bunch of raw ingredients in a pot, and come home to a beautifully fragrant, perfectly cooked dinner (sometimes this happens when Bear cooks too, but the crockpot doesn’t leave as much mess for me to clean up afterwards!). As my crockpot is pretty basic and doesn’t have it’s own built-in timer, I like to use a wall timer so that I don’t come home to a dried-up, over-cooked, unrecognisable pile of mush.

So for those of you who’ve been asking for more crockpot ideas, here’s a really fast and simple recipe.

*I imagine that the crockpot is only going to become more and more loved once our little bubba enters our world, and my time and energy available for creating paleo delicacies decreases even further.

Easy crockpot beef casserole

2 onions
3 cloves garlic
500g blade steak
2 tins of chopped tomatoes in juice
2 carrots, chopped into chunks
2 capsicums, chopped into chunks (I used 1 green, 1 red)
3 small dried bay leaves
2 tsp dried herbs (I used 1 tsp of mixed herbs, 1 of oregano)

Place all ingredients into a crockpot and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6 hours, stirring halfway through if possible.

Serve with cauliflower mash (or cauliflower rice, kumara mash…whatever you fancy)

Crockpots and Cauliflower

Winter is on it's way - I don't think we can deny it for much longer. I've joined the chorus of people complaining about the cold, the rain, and the darkness.

But there are a few things I love about winter. Snowboarding, open fires, and curling up under the duvet listening to the rain outside, all make the list. So do winter boots, cosy clothes, and red wine. And if I actually wrote this list down, you'd also find crockpots and cauliflower on there.

Crockpots (or slow cookers) are a fantastic way to have a warm, hearty meal waiting for you when you get home, without having to bribe you partner/flatmate into cooking. They also make cheaper cuts of meat taste amazing, so they're a great money-saver. Throw in some meat, onions, garlic, vegetables, herbs/spices, and some liquid (stock, tinned tomatoes, coconut cream...), set it going, and come back 8 hours later to dinner!

Cauliflower has been a staple in our house the last few weeks. Jojo inspired some breakfasts of fried "rice", we've had paleo "rice" risotto (recipe to come), and even cauliflower mash to accompany my latest crockpot creation. Yum!

So instead of moaning about winter (I mean seriously, it's not like it's a surprise - it happens every year!), let's raise a glass to crockpots and cauliflower, and enjoy what the season has to offer.

Crockpot chicken satay

4 chicken thighs
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tin coconut cream
3 tbsp almond butter
Paprika, curry powder, chili flakes
Salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, stirring halfway through if possible.

Cauliflower mash
Boil or steam cauliflower until cooked, but not mushy. Drain. Add salt & pepper, then blend with a stick blender. If it needs some extra liquid, you could add a bit of coconut cream, butter, or coconut oil.

Serve chicken with cauliflower mash & enjoy the fact that there are hardly any dishes to do when you finish eating!