This meal is packed with warm spices and healthy, hearty vegetables and since it just needs a few hours in the slow cooker — just set it and forget it until you’re ready to serve!

Crockpot meals are some of my favorite kind of dinners. There is something so satisfying about making dinner at the same time as breakfast or lunch and knowing that I’m done in the kitchen for the day. It makes me feel really on top of my game. Plus, the house smells incredible.

I have a few favorite go-to slow cooker recipes:

• Slow cooker veggie and black bean soup
• Honey garlic chicken thighs
• Paleo crockpot beef and broccoli
• Simple pot roast and veggies
• Slow cooker taco slop

And now this- slow cooker butternut squash dal with cauliflower rice!

Sounds fancy, right? It’s actually quite simple yet still has all the flavor and aroma you want in a savory Indian-spiced dish.

It is helpful for this recipe (and many others) to have a slow cooker that has a saute function. You could easily saute the onions, garlic, and ginger in a pan and transfer to the slow cooker, but it really is nice being able to cook the entire meal and have only one pot to clean up.

I have the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central. I absolutely love it, except for one thing: the coating on mine is starting to deteriorate. I use only plastic and wooden utensils, yet still, the coating is starting to show wear and tear. If you have a suggestion for a programmable slow cooker, with the saute feature, with a ceramic insert, please let me know!

But back to the recipe. This recipe is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, and absolutely delicious. However, you can also customize it to your preferences.

For a boost of vegetarian protein, add lentils when you add the squash and let them cook together. To add chicken, dice 2-3 chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and stir in when you add the squash. It’s really quite versatile and easy for kids to help with, too.

I keep the spice-factor at a mild level because the girls aren’t into super spicy food, and happily eat this meal (over a blend of cauliflower rice and basmati rice with a hearty serving of naan). However, to my dish I usually add a sprinkle of cayenne or a little sriracha to kick things up a notch.

One last note- the recipe calls to cook on high for 3 hours, which works nicely when I prep it at lunch time. However, cooking on high for 6 hours also works out just fine, too!

Enjoy!

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