For the busy cook, there is nothing better than a slow cooker when approaching the cooler times of the year. And cooking with red wine? It’s easier than you think and this recipe of red wine and herb casserole in the slow cooker is the perfect way to find out!
A very popular ingredient in our household when it comes to cooking richly-flavored casseroles, is a bottle of Tasmanian Pinot Noir.
Between the Pinot Noir and the slow cooker you are almost guaranteed a full-flavored casserole. My meat of choice for such a casserole is beef, but lamb, venison and chicken pieces are all good alternatives.
Add a few winter vegetables and herbs and you are all set for cooking a rich casserole that fills your house with wonderful cooking aromas and provides an immediate meal after a busy day at work.
Or maybe after a great hike, such as the Bay of Fires, a pristine beach walk in Tasmania guaranteed to leave you in awe as well as a little hungry for a hearty dish.
Tasmanian Wine – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sparkling Wine
Although not connected to the Australian mainland anymore (it was until 12,000 years ago when rising sea waters made an island out of what we now call Tasmania), Tasmania wants for nothing when it comes to food, wine, scenery and hiking.
If you are a keen hiker, there is no better place to go in Australia to experience world-class hiking, where you can totally connect with nature in some of the most pristine and undisturbed forests and beaches that you will ever see anywhere. And no people and no over-development!
And afterwards you can relax with a world-class Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Like sparkling? Tasmania is home to many great vineyards producing some fine sparkling wine, try a sparkling from Jansz, you won’t be disappointed.
As in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia, there are many wineries in Tasmania. In the north of Tasmania around Launceston in the Tamar Valley and in the south of the state, near Hobart around the Coal River and Huon River valleys, are a number of good wineries, all open for tasting. It is generally free and an enjoyable experience to stop at the cellar door for a tasting..
For Tasmania, wine is all about the quality. The volume of wine produced in Tasmania is lower than other Australian states but Tasmanian wine is generally of a very high quality and more expensive than wine from other states because of this fabulous quality. You are never far from good quality wine in Tasmania. And if you like Pinot Noir then you will just be in heaven. Along with Victoria, Tasmania produces magnificent Pinot Noir.
And it is a delight to cook with. If you want a richly-flavored beef stew as per our recipe below then cook with a good wine. Don’t buy the cheapest wine for cooking. It might seem like a great sacrifice to cook with good wine and not drink it – but trust me, you will end up with a superior taste when you cook with an excellent wine.
Easy Red Wine and Herb Casserole in the Slow Cooker
Slow cooker users know making a great tasting stew in your favorite cooking implement means you will come home to wonderful cooking aromas filling your house.
All you need to accompany this rich casserole, is some creamy, mashed potatoes and maybe some roasted asparagus. Both are easy and quick to make.
More Comfort Food on Compass & Fork
If you like this slow cooker recipe you might also enjoy Coq Au Vin, a classic french dish of chicken and red wine which is also easy to make in the slow cooker.
For some Greek fare, try this Drunken Pork, a Greek classic using red wine and pork and easy to make. Beef Stifado found everywhere throughout Greece, is another easy, Greek casserole, just full of flavor.
Goulash is found extensively throughout Eastern Europe. Pork Goulash from Romania. It’s beautifully spiced and the sour cream gives it a real touch of class.
Finally, a dish you may not have heard of Sultan’s Delight is a Turkish classic which pairs lamb with smoky eggplant. It is the perfect dish for a special occasion.
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 8people | 20minutes | 8hours | 12hours |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8people | 20minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 8hours | 12hours |
- 3 lbs stewing beef or lamb, venison or chicken
- salt, ground sea
- black pepper, ground
- 2 tsp herbes de provence or oregano, rosemary, thyme
- 1 bottle pinot noir
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, brown thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 stick celery sliced
- 4 carrots sliced
- 1 parsnip sliced
- 12 mushrooms, fresh quartered
- 2 bay leaves fresh
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Ingredients
Servings: people
Units:
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- Start by marinating the meat overnight. Generously sprinkle some salt and pepper and Herbes de Provence on a flat plate. Roll the diced meat through the mixture to season well. Place the meat in a bowl and add half the bottle of Pinot Noir. Stir, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day using kitchen towel blot the meat pieces dry. Add the oil to a large, hot frypan and quickly sear the meat in batches on all sides. Reserve the cooked meat. When all meat is cooked, add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the celery, carrots and parsnip. Saute for a further 5 minutes.
- Place the vegetables in the crock pot. Add the browned meat, bay leaves and the remaining half bottle of pinot noir. Turn crock pot to low and cook for 4 hours. Add the quartered mushrooms. Cook for a further 4 hours on low.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and garlic-roasted asparagus.
Tonja Jasinski
Probably a dumb question, What do you marinate the meat in?
Editor
Hi Tonja. I like to use a glass or ceramic bowl. That way the liquid from the Pinot Noir covers most of the meat.
vicki @ boiled eggs & Soldiers
I like this tour of Tasmania and the yummy recipe – thank you for sharing with YWF too.
Editor
No Problem Vicki. We love sharing the love for food from Tasmania!
anne
this is perfect for a chilly day!
Editor
A great weather forecast for a dish like this.
Michelle Ferrand
Slow cooked recipes are so flavorful and I love anything cooked with wine!
Editor
It is hard to beat wine in the slow cooker.
Amanda
This is a beautiful dish. My slow cooker is my summer buddy, but gets just as much use in the “colder” weather here in Florida. The wine adds so much depth of flavor.
Editor
We also love dishes like this and we love our slow cooker. The wine is a great cooking liquid and then you are left with a rich gravy.
Christie
What a tasty casserole. Love that you made it in a slow cooker. I would love to travel to Tasmania someday.
Editor
Tasmania is a great place to visit if you ever have the chance. We love it and the quality of food/life there is just fabulous.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
This slow cooked braise sounds incredible — and I mean – Wine??? Hello! Exactly what I want for dinner!
Editor
Not a bad idea to pour a drop of wine in a glass to accompany the dish. That’s my theory anyway.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
This looks so tasty! I love the slow cooker, meat becomes so tender in it. Great recipe.
Editor
Thank you so much. I love the slow cooker as well, especially when you come home from work and the dinner is ready!
Cricket Plunkett
This is my kind of comfort food! It’s started to get cold here in Florida so I’ve been needing recipes like this!
Editor
Yes it is that good time of the year when we can cook some slow meals like this one.