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My kitchen got some pretty heavy use over the holiday — before, during and after the holiday. Honestly, we needed to take a break from each other. The feeling was mutual (my poor oven).

To ease back into the kitchen, it seems only right to use my slow cooker. Easy for me. Easy for everything that’s still recovering from serving 10 people a week ago.

As you may have gathered by now, I’m a pretty big curry person. I’m also huge on eating seasonally, which is why almost everything you see in this space during the colder months tends to include some sort of gourd or tuber or root. Thus, it seemed completely appropriate (and painless) to feature a butternut squash slow cooker curry this week.

I’ve made a few different butternut squash curries in my slow cooker this season and this one is by far my favorite. I love the depth of flavor from the onion, garlic, chili paste and curry. And I love the simplicity: The hardest thing about it is peeling and chopping up the squash (seriously), but then everything else is as easy as pie. Well, eating pie. Not making it.

We tend to eat this alone with some Wheatfields bread or nothing at all, though feel free to go all traditional and have it over rice.

Savory Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Curry

1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 5 to 6 cups)

1 red onion, chopped

2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced or pureed fresh ginger

1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste

4 teaspoons Thai red chili paste

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

2 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar

1 cup boiling water

Lime juice (to taste)

In a large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add red onion, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until onion is soft. Add curry and chili pastes and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk.

Transfer everything in the skillet into a slow cooker. Add in butternut squash, sugar, boiling water and a generous squeeze of lime juice. Turn on slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. Serves 4.