You know what’s really great? Frozen vegetables.

Everything outside has been noticeably dead since mid-January when the temperatures plummeted and sucked the life out of everything. I’m skeptical about where my tomatoes are coming from at a time like this, because I’m pretty sure it’s not the farm upstate.

So frozen veggies! What an idea! For these slow cooker meals, it’s a great solution. Not least of all because I’m usually only making a slow cooker meal in the first place because I am trying to save time. So if I don’t have to slice up a vegetable, that’s a big win.

One quick note about this dish – if you don’t eat dairy or you hate the idea of buttermilk, leave that ingredient out of the recipe. Another option is to top the dish with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

What You Need:

• 5 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 10oz bag frozen sweet corn
• 2 cups chopped bell peppers (I used red, yellow and orange for some summertime color)
• 5 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, chopped (seeded if desired to reduce spiciness)
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded cheddar

What You Do:

Put everything except the buttermilk into the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 8 hours, or high heat for 4.

When it’s done, add the buttermilk and stir well. Top with cheddar cheese.