If October had an official kitchen appliance, I am pretty sure it would be the slow cooker.
I recently saw a Crocktober post making the rounds on Facebook and immediately thought: Why aren't we doing this? Because this is exactly how I want to cook once fall hits Colorado!

Put something good in the slow cooker in the morning. Go to work. Run kids around. Go to the gym. Forget about dinner for several hours. Walk back into the house later and discover that not only does it smell amazing, but somehow dinner has practically made itself.  That is a cooking trend I can get behind. And the more I thought about Crocktober, the more I realized that so many of the things we have at Rocky Mountain Olive Oil are practically made for slow cooker season: infused olive oils, balsamic vinegars, infused honeys, hot honeys, spices and seasonings that can turn a handful of basic ingredients into a seriously good dinner.

So consider this our official invitation to Crocktober.

What Is Crocktober?

Crocktober is essentially a celebration of slow cooker cooking during October, when cooler weather and busier fall schedules make the Crock-Pot come back out of the cabinet. The idea has been around in different forms for years, from month-long slow cooker challenges to people simply sharing their favorite Crocktober recipes throughout October. And it makes sense.

Fall is when we start craving soups, stews, shredded meats, beans, chili, braised vegetables and those cozy dinners that make the entire house smell good.
Crocktober isn't really about complicated recipes. It is about making dinner easier.
That is also exactly where really flavorful pantry ingredients earn their keep.

Why Olive Oil, Balsamic and Honey Work So Well in Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow cookers are wonderful at making food tender. What they sometimes need help with is flavor. Hours of cooking can mellow individual ingredients, which is why building layers of savory, sweet, acidic, smoky and spicy flavor can make such a difference.

That is where the bottles already sitting in your RMOO pantry come in. An infused olive oil can bring garlic, herbs, smoke or chile flavor. Balsamic vinegar contributes acidity, sweetness and depth. Honey balances savory ingredients and helps create beautiful sauces and glazes. Hot honey brings sweetness and heat at the same time. And spices can change the entire personality of a dish without adding another 15 minutes of prep.
Basically, your Crock-Pot does the work. Your pantry makes sure the result doesn't taste boring.

1. Balsamic Slow Cooker Beef

This may be one of the easiest places to start. Chuck roast + onion + carrots + potatoes + broth + balsamic + herbs. Our 18-Year Traditional Dark Balsamic Vinegar is fantastic in slow-cooked beef because its sweet-tart flavor adds depth to the cooking liquid without turning dinner into "vinegar beef." Pair it with Garlic Infused Olive Oil for another layer of savory flavor.

In fact, we already have a Balsamic Beef Stew recipe in our recipe collection that uses Traditional 18-Year Balsamic. This is Crocktober territory through and through.
Crocktober shortcut: Drizzle a little fresh Garlic Infused Olive Oil over the finished bowl right before serving. The fresh garlic flavor wakes everything back up after hours of slow cooking.

2. Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken

Chicken, garlic and honey were destined for the slow cooker. Instead of using plain honey, try Garlic Infused Honey. Add soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, a splash of balsamic, garlic, onion and chicken thighs and let everything slowly cook into a sweet-savory sauce.
If I were making this at our house, I would serve it over rice with something green and call dinner handled. And with our crew, anything I can put over a giant pot of rice and let everyone serve themselves earns bonus points.

Crocktober shortcut: Whisk Garlic Infused Honey with balsamic and a little soy sauce or tamari and you have the beginning of a slow cooker sauce without measuring six different sweeteners and seasonings.

3. Slow Cooker Balsamic BBQ Pulled Pork

We actually already have this one waiting for Crocktober. Our Slow Cooker Balsamic BBQ Pulled Pork combines balsamic with the kind of sweet, tangy barbecue flavor that works beautifully with pork. This is also where Olive Wood Smoked Infused Olive Oil becomes a Crocktober secret weapon. A slow cooker gives you tender pork. Olive Wood Smoked Olive Oil gives you some of that smoky, outdoor-cooking character without standing next to a smoker all afternoon.

Serve the pork on sandwiches, over baked potatoes, tucked into tacos or over rice.
And definitely make extra. And bonus! Tomorrow's dinner is already halfway finished.

4. Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken

This might be the easiest Crocktober formula in this entire post. Chicken + tomatoes + onion + broth + white beans + Tuscan Herb Infused Olive Oil. Our Tuscan Herb combines familiar Italian herb flavors including basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, garlic and thyme, which means one bottle can do a lot of the flavor-building for you. Add spinach near the end and finish with Parmesan. Done. It's cozy without being ridiculously heavy, which is exactly the kind of fall dinner I want after I've spent all day doing everything except thinking about dinner.

Crocktober shortcut: Use Tuscan Herb Olive Oil both at the beginning and again as a finishing drizzle. You get the slow-cooked herb flavor plus the fresher aroma of the oil at the end.

5. Blackberry Ginger Slow Cooker Pork

This is where flavored balsamic gets really fun. Pork loves fruit. Pork also loves balsamic.
So Blackberry Ginger Dark Balsamic Vinegar with pork tenderloin, pork shoulder or pork chops is an easy way to get sweet, tart and slightly spicy ginger flavor into one Crocktober dinner. Add onions, garlic, broth and rosemary and let the slow cooker take it from there. You can also combine Blackberry Ginger Balsamic with Garlic Infused Olive Oil to create a simple sweet-savory glaze.

Crocktober shortcut: Save a little balsamic for the end. A fresh drizzle before serving makes the blackberry and ginger flavors much more noticeable.

6. Slow Cooker Soup Gets Better with Infused Olive Oil

One of my favorite things about infused olive oil is that you don't necessarily have to cook with it for hours to make a difference. Sometimes the best use comes at the very end.
Make your favorite slow cooker tomato soup, potato soup, white bean soup, minestrone or vegetable soup and finish each bowl with a drizzle of infused olive oil.

Try Garlic Infused Olive Oil over tomato or white bean soup.
Try Wild Mushroom & Sage Infused Olive Oil over mushroom, potato or wild rice soup.
Try Olive Wood Smoked Olive Oil over chili or bean soup.
Try Tuscan Herb Olive Oil over minestrone.

That last-minute drizzle is one of the easiest ways to make a slow cooker dinner taste much more intentional than "I dumped everything in here at 7:15 this morning."
Which, for the record, is a perfectly respectable way to make dinner.

7. Crocktober Chili + Hot Honey

Hear me out. Hot honey on chili. Not a ton. Just a drizzle. The sweetness plays beautifully against tomato, beans, spices and smoky chile flavors, while the heat adds another dimension.

Our Jalapeño Hot Honey is the place I'd start if you're feeding a crowd because it has a gentler heat. If your family wants more fire, move up to Habanero Hot Honey. Put the bottle on the table and let everyone decide for themselves.
That last part is particularly important when you have kids.
Crocktober shortcut: Hot honey is also fantastic over slow cooker pulled chicken, pulled pork, meatballs and sweet potatoes.

8. Slow Cooker Meatballs with Balsamic

Frozen meatballs may be one of Crocktober's greatest loopholes.
Put them in the slow cooker with a sauce made from Traditional 18-Year Dark Balsamic, tomato sauce or barbecue sauce, a little honey and your favorite seasonings. Let them cook. Pretend you worked harder.

You could also use Garlic Infused Honey for a savory-sweet version or Habanero Hot Honey if you're making them for a party and want some heat. Serve them over pasta for dinner or stick toothpicks in them and suddenly they are an appetizer. I love a food that can change careers that easily.

9. Slow Cooker Potatoes + Butter Olive Oil

Mashed potatoes in the slow cooker are one of those things that make you wonder why you've been boiling enormous pots of water your entire life. Our Butter Infused Olive Oil adds rich buttery flavor without dairy and works beautifully with potatoes.

Add Garlic Infused Olive Oil if you're making garlic mashed potatoes, or Wild Mushroom & Sage if the potatoes are headed next to beef or chicken. And if you're making baked potatoes in the slow cooker, finish them with Butter Olive Oil and your favorite seasoning blend.

Not every Crocktober recipe needs 14 ingredients. Sometimes potatoes are dinner's greatest achievement.

10. Don't Forget the Spices

The slow cooker does not eliminate the need for seasoning. If anything, long cooking makes good seasoning even more important.

Our Colorado-made spice blends and olive oil dips can be used well beyond dipping bread. Herb Delight Olive Oil Dip includes oregano, rosemary, parsley, garlic, basil, red pepper and black pepper—basically a head start on seasoning chicken, potatoes, beans, soups and vegetables. Try seasoning your meat and vegetables before they go into the slow cooker, then taste again before serving. That final adjustment matters.

My Crocktober Flavor Formula

You absolutely do not need a new recipe every night. Use this instead:
Protein or beans + vegetables + cooking liquid + olive oil + balsamic or honey + seasoning. Then finish the dish with something flavorful.

For example: 

• Chicken + carrots + onions + broth + Garlic Olive Oil + Garlic Honey + herbs.
• Pork + onions + broth + Olive Wood Smoked Olive Oil + Traditional Balsamic + spices.
• White beans + tomatoes + spinach + Tuscan Herb Olive Oil + balsamic + Parmesan.
• Beef + mushrooms + broth + Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil + Traditional Balsamic + black pepper.
  Chicken + sweet potatoes + broth + Garlic Olive Oil + Jalapeño Hot Honey + smoky seasoning.
  

Once you understand the formula, Crocktober becomes less about following recipes and more about looking at what is already in the refrigerator and figuring out how to make it taste good. That is much closer to how I actually cook.

Frequently Asked Questions About Crocktober

What does Crocktober mean?

Crocktober is an informal name for celebrating slow cooker and Crock-Pot cooking during October. Home cooks and recipe creators often use the month to share easy slow cooker recipes, meal plans and fall dinner ideas.

What are good Crocktober recipes?

Popular Crocktober meals include chili, beef stew, pulled pork, chicken, soups, meatballs, pot roast, beans, mashed potatoes and other recipes that benefit from low-and-slow cooking.

Can you use olive oil in a slow cooker?

Yes. Olive oil can be used in slow cooker recipes to add flavor and richness and to complement meats, vegetables, beans, soups and sauces. Infused olive oils are especially useful when you want to add garlic, herb, chile or smoky flavor with one ingredient.

Can you put balsamic vinegar in a slow cooker?

Absolutely. Balsamic vinegar works especially well with slow-cooked beef, pork, chicken, vegetables, meatballs and sauces. Its combination of sweetness and acidity can add depth to dishes that cook for several hours.

Can you use honey in Crock-Pot recipes?

Yes. Honey works well in slow cooker sauces, glazes, barbecue dishes, chicken, pork and meatballs. Savory infused honeys such as Garlic Infused Honey can add sweetness and additional flavor at the same time.

When should you add infused olive oil to a slow cooker recipe?

You can use infused olive oil during cooking, but don't overlook using it as a finishing oil. Adding a small drizzle after cooking can bring back brighter garlic, herb, smoke or chile aromas that may mellow during several hours of slow cooking.

What is the best balsamic vinegar for Crocktober recipes?

A versatile dark balsamic such as Traditional 18-Year Dark Balsamic works with beef, pork, chicken, vegetables, meatballs and sauces. Flavored balsamics such as Blackberry Ginger can be especially good with pork and other savory recipes where fruit and acidity complement the meat.

Crocktober Doesn't Have to Be Complicated

That might be my favorite thing about this whole idea. There are plenty of nights when I love actually cooking. And then there are the nights when everyone has somewhere to be, someone needs a ride, someone is hungry right now and somehow it is already 6:30.Crocktober is for those nights. It is not about creating the most beautiful dinner on Instagram. It is about opening the lid and realizing dinner is done.

Keep a few really flavorful ingredients in the pantry—good olive oil, infused olive oils, balsamic vinegar, honey, hot honey and spices—and even a very ordinary slow cooker dinner can become something everyone actually wants to eat. And if the Crock-Pot means fewer people asking me what's for dinner at 5:47 p.m.? I'm declaring Crocktober a success.

xoxo,
Andi