From the roundup: 22 Easy High Protein Fall Dinners the Whole Family Will Actually Eat

Day-two slow cooker bison and wild rice stew is honestly better than day one, but you have to add a generous splash of broth before reheating because the wild rice keeps drinking up the liquid overnight. I start this one before school drop-off, browning the bison in the same skillet I use to soften the onions and garlic, and by dinner it has been going for a solid seven to eight hours. Bison runs leaner than ground beef, so there is almost nothing to drain after the sear, which saves a step I always appreciate on a busy morning. The wild rice blend holds its shape through the long simmer and actually firms back up nicely after refrigerating, so the leftover bowls feel just as satisfying as the first serving.

How this stew ended up on repeat

I made this the first time because I had ground bison in the freezer from a grocery order and genuinely no plan for it. I threw together what I had, set the slow cooker on low before school drop-off, and forgot about it until 5:30. My oldest, who normally picks around anything that looks like a vegetable, ate two bowls and asked what was in it. I said beef and rice because I knew where that conversation was going.

It’s been in the regular fall rotation since then. I usually double-check that the wild rice is fully tender before I stir in the peas. The one time I rushed it, the rice was still a little hard in the center and nobody was happy about it.

Why you will love this

Only 20 minutes of active prep: browning the bison and softening the onion takes about 10 minutes, and loading the slow cooker takes another 10.
Wild rice holds its texture through a long cook, so the stew doesn’t turn mushy even if it runs a little over time.
Bison is very lean, which means minimal fat to drain and a cleaner-tasting broth than ground beef would give you.
The frozen peas stir in at the end with no extra cooking, so they stay bright and don’t get gray or soft.
Leftovers are genuinely good the next day, especially with a little extra broth stirred in before reheating.

Tips for success

Don’t skip browning the bison in the skillet. The caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan go into the slow cooker with everything else and build the flavor of the broth in a way that just adding raw meat won’t.
Cook the tomato paste for a full minute after you add it to the skillet. It should smell slightly sweet before you scrape everything into the crock. If it smells raw and sharp, give it another thirty seconds.
Check the wild rice at the seven-hour mark if you’re running on LOW. Some blends cook faster depending on the brand. The rice should have a slight chew but no hard center. If it still feels crunchy, replace the lid and give it another thirty to forty-five minutes.
Add the frozen peas no earlier than twenty minutes before you serve. They only need to warm through. If they go in too early, they turn a dull grayish green and get soft, which is not what you want.

If the stew turns out too thick

Wild rice keeps absorbing liquid the longer it sits, so the stew will thicken noticeably between the time you lift the lid and the time you serve it.
Stir in a quarter to half cup of warm beef broth or water to loosen it up. Add a little at a time so you don’t overshoot.
If it’s still thick after reheating the next day, the same fix works: a splash of broth over medium-low heat, stirred in before it gets too hot.
The stew should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still pour easily into a bowl. If it’s holding its shape like a casserole, it needs more liquid.

Substitutions

Ground beef or ground turkey can replace the bison with no changes to timing or amounts. A long-grain brown rice blend works if you can’t find wild rice, though the texture will be softer and less chewy by the end of the cook time. Frozen corn stands in for the peas if that’s what you have, or you can skip the add-in entirely and the stew is still complete. If you’re out of Worcestershire sauce, a teaspoon of low-sodium soy sauce gives you a similar savory depth without changing the character of the dish.

For a lower-sodium version, use unsalted broth and hold back the added salt until you taste it at the end. The Worcestershire and tomato paste both carry salt, so you may not need as much as the recipe calls for.

Make-ahead and storage

You can brown the bison, cook down the onion and celery, and stir in the garlic and tomato paste the night before. Store it covered in the refrigerator and in the morning just tip it into the slow cooker with everything else and start the timer. That cuts the morning prep to about five minutes. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The wild rice will keep absorbing the broth as it sits, so add a splash of water or beef broth when reheating on the stovetop over medium-low heat and stir until it loosens up.

This stew freezes reasonably well for up to two months, but the wild rice does get softer after freezing and thawing. If texture matters to you, it’s better eaten fresh or from the refrigerator within a few days. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating slowly on the stovetop.

Brittany Stage