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When there’s a chill in the air, cozy up to the table with dishes that feed the soul as well as the stomach. This melt-in-your-mouth Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Onions is a complete dinner with very little fuss. A bowl of Broccoli, Bacon and Cheddar Chowder makes a hearty lunch or simple dinner in no time. And this recipe for Quick and Healthy Potato Casserole serves up a creamy, comforting side dish from the microwave in minutes.

Onions and Wisconsin potatoes add a savory quality to these three recipes. Best of all, onions and potatoes are good sources of potassium, fiber and vitamin C, and cost only pennies a serving.

To find more recipes your family will savor, visit www.wisconsinpotatoes.com and www.onions-usa.org.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Onions

Serves 4 to 6

1 (21/2-pound) boneless beef sirloin tip or chuck roast

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

11/2 pounds yellow onions, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 pound Wisconsin red potatoes, trimmed and halved

1/2 pound carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 2 to 3-inch pieces

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (stems removed)

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

1/2 cup red wine (or additional beef broth)

2 tablespoons flour

Pepper and salt to taste (optional)

Trim fat from beef roast. Place roast in bottom of 5 to 6-quart slow cooker. Spread horseradish over surface of meat. Top and surround roast with onions, potatoes, and carrots. Sprinkle with thyme and rosemary and pour in tomato juice and beef broth. Cover and cook on high setting for 6 to 8 hours or until beef is fall apart tender.

Mix wine (or beef broth) with flour and pour mixture around meat in slow cooker. Gently stir flour mixture into existing sauce without dis turb ing the meat. Replace cover and cook on high setting for 15 minutes or until thickened. Before serving, season with pepper and salt to taste and garnish with sprigs of rosemary.

Quick and Healthy Potato Casserole

Serves 6

11/4 pounds Wisconsin Yukon Gold potatoes, very thinly sliced

1 cup quartered and thinly sliced onion

1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning

1/2 cup stock or reduced-sodium broth

11/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Spray an 8-inch microwave-safe baking dish with nonstick cook ing spray. Place one-third of the potatoes and half of the onions on bottom of dish and sprinkle with one-third of the cheese and half of the herbs. Repeat layers, then top with the last third of the potatoes, layering potatoes so there is a solid layer of potatoes with no gaps; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Stir together stock, Dijon and garlic salt and pour over potatoes. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 20 minutes. Use oven mitts to remove dish from microwave; carefully remove cover from dish (due to steam build-up) and serve.

Optional: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place casserole in oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until casserole is golden brown before serving.

Storage Tips

Onions and potatoes pair well together in lots of recipes. They also like similar storage condi tions, but can spoil if stored in proximity to each other. Follow these quick tips for the best possible shelf-life:

Store potatoes and onions separately. Store onions in cool, dry, well-ventilated places, optimally, at a tem perature between 45 degrees and 55 degrees, but not in the refrig erator. Potatoes require similar storage conditions, but they also need darkness and should be kept at 50 degrees or less to avoid sprouting.

Potatoes can be stored in per forated plastic bags or paper bags to extend their shelf-life.

Onions should NOT be stored in plastic bags. Lack of air movement reduces storage life.

Don’t wash potatoes or onions (or any produce, for that matter) before storing. Damp ness will promote early spoilage.

Chopped or sliced onions can be stored in a sealed container in your refrigerator for up to seven days.