🍂 Crocktober Wrap-Up with A Spice Affair: Slow-Cooker Recipes Worth Saving

Recipes worth Saving

As the leaves turn and cozy cooking season begins, there’s one thing I always look forward to - Crocktober! This celebration hosted by A Spice Affair invites home cooks to showcase their best slow-cooker creations using their favourite spice blends. The contest wrapped up yesterday, and it was an absolute feast of creativity and flavour!

Whether you entered this year or simply followed along, the recipes shared have been nothing short of inspiring — proof that low effort, high reward (see my last blog for more of this concept) meals are the real heroes of fall cooking. Today, I’m highlighting a few of the standout Crocktober recipes that caught my attention (and my appetite!) — plus, I’ll share how you can keep the Crocktober spirit simmering all season long.

🥘 The Magic of Crocktober

Every October, home chefs across the country dust off their slow cookers and bring out the spice jars. The goal? Create a hearty, flavourful, and comforting meal that practically cooks itself - with help from A Spice Affair’s blends.

It’s the kind of cooking that feels good for the soul — and your schedule.

The slow cooker is the perfect tool for autumn:

• It fills your home with mouthwatering aromas.

• It saves you time on busy weekdays.

• It delivers restaurant-worthy flavor with minimal effort.

  
  

🌟 3 Crocktober Recipes That Stood Out For Me This Year

Here are three contest entries that perfectly capture what Crocktober is all about — simple, cozy, and delicious. We have not yet announced our winners but these ideas are medal worthy!

1. Spicy Chipotle Beef & Sweet Potato Stew A warm, smoky, slow-cooked beef stew infused with Smoky Chipotle Seasoning - the perfect mix of heat and comfort for chilly nights.

2. Butter Chicken Chickpeas & Veggies This vegetarian-friendly twist on a classic Indian comfort dish uses the Butter Chicken Seasoning to create a creamy, flavourful sauce that hugs every bite.

3. Herbed Mediterranean Lamb Shanks Tender lamb shanks infused with Zaatar Premium and slow-cooked with root vegetables until fall-apart perfection.

   
   

Each recipe highlights how much depth and warmth the right spice blend can bring to a dish — especially when the crock pot does the hard work for you!

🍂 Crocktober May Be Over, But the Flavors Live On!

To keep the delicious momentum going, I’m sharing three Crocktober-inspired recipes that are low effort, high reward meals — perfect for busy fall evenings when you still want a dish that tastes like you’ve been cooking all day.

🥘 1. Slow Cooker Beef & Sweet Potato Stew

Featuring: A Spice Affair’s Beef Stew Seasoning

Why You’ll Love It: Tender beef, naturally sweet roasted sweet potatoes, and rich spices create a balanced, nourishing meal that feels like a hug in a bowl.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs stewing beef, cubed

• 2 tbsp A Spice Affair Beef Stew Seasoning

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 3 carrots, sliced

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 cups beef broth

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt & pepper, to taste

• Fresh thyme (optional, for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown beef cubes on all sides.

2. Add beef, vegetables, and Beef Stew Seasoning to the slow cooker.

3. Whisk tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce into the broth; pour over ingredients.

4. Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours or high for 4–5 hours.

5. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve topped with fresh thyme.

Serve with crusty bread or mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort meal.

🍛 2. Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Chickpeas & Veggies

Featuring: A Spice Affair’s Butter Chicken Seasoning

Why You’ll Love It: A vegetarian twist on a takeout favourite — creamy, rich, and filled with warm spice notes that blend perfectly with chickpeas and tender vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp A Spice Affair Butter Chicken Seasoning

• 1 can (540 ml) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 cup cauliflower florets

• 1 cup diced sweet potato

• 1 can (400 ml) coconut milk

• 1 cup tomato purée

• 1 tbsp tamarind paste (optional, for a tangy kick)

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp oil or ghee

• Salt to taste

• Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil or ghee until fragrant.

2. Add Butter Chicken Seasoning and stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.

3. Transfer mixture to slow cooker with chickpeas, vegetables, coconut milk, and tomato purée.

4. Stir well, cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.

5. Stir in tamarind paste (if using) before serving. Garnish with cilantro.

Perfect with basmati rice or naan.

🍖 3. Slow Cooker Mediterranean Lamb Shanks

Featuring: A Spice Affair’s Moroccan Tajine Seasoning

Why You’ll Love It: Succulent, fall-off-the-bone lamb infused with North African spices — a showstopping slow-cooked dish that’s secretly simple to make.

Ingredients:

• 2–3 lamb shanks

• 2 tbsp A Spice Affair Moroccan Tajine Seasoning

• 1 onion, sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 can (400 ml) diced tomatoes

• 1 cup chicken or beef broth

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Season lamb shanks with salt, pepper, and half the Tajine Seasoning.

2. Brown in a skillet with olive oil, then transfer to slow cooker.

3. Add onions, garlic, tomatoes, broth, honey, lemon juice, and remaining seasoning.

4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender and falling off the bone.

5. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Serve over couscous or mashed root vegetables for a comforting, aromatic meal.

✨ Final Thoughts

Crocktober may have come to an end, but slow-cooking season has only just begun! These recipes are proof that comfort food can be effortless and exciting when you start with quality ingredients and spices that do the work for you.

If you’d like to try any of the A Spice Affair blends featured here, I’d love to help you find your new favorite.Reach out — as an Ambassador, I can connect you directly with these spice blends and share some insider inspiration. 🌶️

Until next time —Laura Grannary,

The Pantry Planner

Stirring up goodness, one meal at a time.