The finished product....

Slow cooker beef on top of mashed butternut squash with spinach and side of broccolini

Mashed butternut squash with spinach

1 butternut quash
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
1/4 C grated parmesan
2 handfuls of chopped fresh spinach
1/4 C grated parmesan
1 tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven 425
2. Bake butternut squash 1 hour
3. Lower over temp to 350
4. Remove and allow to cool until you can handle
5. Remove any "guts" and discard
6. Separate squash from skin, discard skin
7. Place squash in bowl, and mash like you would potatoes
8. Add next 6 ingredients and mix
9. Scoop into greased casserole dish
10. Spread remaining paremsan cheese evenly over top of casserole
11. "tear" apart butter and randomly top cheese
12. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese melted, slightly golden
13. Serve with favorite roasted meat or the Slow cooker beef...

Slow cooker beef

1/3 C flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 lbs of beef (I used london broil cut into lg chunks)
1/4 C butter
2-3 sliced shallots (or 1 chopped onion)
1 minced garlic clove
1 C beef broth/stock
3/4 C red wine vinegar
3/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C tabasco sauce (or chili sauce)
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder

1. Put flour, salt and pepper in ziplock bag
2. Add beef and shake to coat
3. Brown beef in butter in lg skillet
4. Place browned beef in slow cooker
5. In same skillet, combine remaining ingredients
6. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally
7. Pour over beef in slow cooker
8. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.