I live in a pretty fantastic climate here in Brisbane. The summers are hot and the winter is mild. I really thought we might’ve missed out on winter this year with the weather still pretty warm half way through June but its arrived, with a vengeance, so the slow cooker has been pulled out of hiding and it’s been getting a good workout. Time to share my top 10 winter warmer recipes which are also easy, frugal and use seasonal ingredients. It may not be cold in your part of the world but some of these are still good to put on for summer so you don’t heat the kitchen up and you can serve with some crusty bread and a side salad.

Remember to look for cheaper cuts of meat, for example instead of buying over-priced lamb shanks, look for a boneless lamb shoulder or lamb chops. Same with ham hocks for pea and ham soup. They are so over-priced during the cooler months. A much cheaper option is to flavour a Pea and Ham Soup with bacon bones and add some chopped, cooked bacon for more flavour and texture. Use seasonal vegetables and adapt the above recipes to suit what you have on hand.

Check out the “Recipes” tab above for more winter warmer soup recipes and plenty of winter pudding recipes which will complete your family meal.