Slow Cooker Moroccan-Spiced Lamb Shanks with Butternut Squash (Optional Garlicky Kale)

Big comfort with minimal effort: lamb shanks slowly braise into fall-apart tenderness with onions, garlic, and warming spices, while butternut squash turns silky and sweet. It’s a date-night-style winter meal that basically cooks itself.

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Ingredients

Simple Truth® Natural Lamb Shank 2 lamb shanks (about 2 lb total) $4.99 sale (was $8.99) per 1 lb
Organic Butternut Squash ~1 1/2 lb, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Organic Jumbo Yellow Onion (or sweet onion) 1 medium, sliced
Simple Truth Organic® Garlic Bulbs 4 cloves, smashed/chopped $1.99 (3 ct)
Tomato paste (optional but great) 1 tbsp
Broth (beef or chicken) 1 1/2 cups
Red wine (optional) 1/2 cup (or use more broth)
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Ground cumin 1 tsp
Smoked paprika 1 tsp
Cinnamon (optional) 1/8 tsp
Bay leaf (optional) 1
Salt & black pepper to taste
Fresh kale or lacinato kale (optional side greens; in-season in WA) 1/2 bunch, quickly sautéed on stove $2.79 (if using Organic Lacinato Kale)

Instructions

Prep: Season lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper.
Stove: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Brown shanks 3–4 minutes per side until deeply golden. Transfer to slow cooker.
Prep: Add sliced onion and garlic to the same skillet with a pinch of salt; cook 3–4 minutes to soften. Stir in tomato paste and spices; cook 30 seconds.
Stove: Add wine (if using) and simmer 1 minute, scraping browned bits. Add broth and bring to a simmer.
Slow cooker: Pour onion-broth mixture over lamb. Add bay leaf. Cover and cook on HIGH 4–5 hours (or LOW 7–8) until very tender.
Slow cooker (finish): Add butternut squash cubes for the last 45–60 minutes on HIGH (or last 90 minutes on LOW) until tender but not mushy.
Optional quick side: While squash finishes, sauté kale on the stove with a little garlic, oil, and salt for 3–4 minutes.
Serve: Spoon squash and braising juices into bowls, top with lamb shanks. Skim fat from the surface of the sauce if you’d like it lighter.

Health notes: ~750–950 calories per serving. Hearty and iron-rich; high sat fat from lamb—skim fat from braising liquid if desired and keep squash portion generous for fiber and vitamins.

Drink pairing: Wine: Washington Cabernet Sauvignon or a WA-grown Merlot; both love slow-braised lamb.

Careme