Nothing says “home” on a crisp fall day like the smell of food cooking. There’s just something about warm, delicious food around the family table that’s cozy and comforting. With such busy work schedules, the Crock-Pot is a sure-fire way to guarantee a delicious meal that’s simple to make, and will fill your house with wonderful aromas to greet you when you return from work! One of the advantages of using your Crock-Pot is the ability to prepare the meal the night before and store it in your refrigerator, and then just put it on to slow cook all day while you’re at work. Here’s a hearty, delicious Crock-Pot recipe that will have your home smelling like a gourmet restaurant!

Autumn Leg of Lamb

Boneless leg of lamb. (Mesh removed if it was packaged that way) The boneless leg is usually butchered into a piece that will fit into your Crock-Pot.

Fresh garlic – 4 cloves, sliced razor thin.

1 large onion, diced.

Mushrooms – sliced Shitake, Baby Bella, Oyster, or all of the above. About 2 cups.

Smallest can of tomato paste.

Red wine – 2 cups.  (I don’t use cooking wine because it is salted. A cheap red table wine is fine.)

1 or 2 carrots, sliced into ¼” rounds.

Sprig of rosemary (fresh or dry is okay) and thyme.

Salt and pepper.

There are a lot of variations to this recipe, but the key here is the mushrooms, creating a hearty, earthy stock with the red wine and lamb drippings.

Start by rinsing off the lamb and removing any silver skin that’s easy to remove. Deboned lamb is often packaged in a mesh, which you’ll just cut off and discard. Place the lamp in the Crock-Pot and pour the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and carrots over it.

Mix the red wine and tomato paste. I like to “scramble” it with the spices. Once the paste is mixed, pour this into your Crock-Pot until it almost fills the pot. Best to leave a little room so as everything cooks down, it doesn’t overflow and make a mess.

Set to slow cook, and THAT’S IT! As simple as this sounds, it makes a delicious, tender lamb. This can be served over rice (I prefer wild rice) or egg noodles. There will be plenty of gravy in the pot to spoon over the meat.

On a cold, dreary autumn day, this will warm you right up!  If you’re daring, you can add cayenne pepper to this as well, for those who like their food with a “kick.”

Check back often for more fall recipes! We hope you enjoy a beautiful meal with family or friends!

Need a wine accompaniment? A big California Cabernet, Syrah, or Italian Brunello is perfect!