There's nothing like the aroma of mushrooms and malbec in the morning.

Not that sampled either before heading off to work today, but both are ingredients in Beef Stew Burgundy-Style, which I have simmering in my Crock Pot. (Since I used Argentine malbec instead of French Burgundy, the name is not quite right -- but the flavor should be right on.)

I was inspired by our story on slow-cooker meals that's online now and will be published Jan. 18 in the Post-Dispatch.

I so enjoyed the recipe I tested for that story, Shredded Chicken Ragù With Pasta, that I decided to try another recipe from the same cookbook, the new "Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook."

Want more slow-cooker recipes? Go to our recipe database, stltoday.com/recipes, and select "Slow-cooker recipes" under "Courses"