As the end of August approaches, the beginning of fall is sure to sneak up on us. And we finally get to use our slow cooker in the fall, right?
WRONG! You may not actually know this, but you can, in fact, take your slow cooker out of the cabinet any time of year if you want!
I say this with some amount of jest, but seriously! Why is it that we don’t use our slow cookers outside of the colder months of the year? I’m a big fan of using my slow cooker in the summer, and here’s why.
Slow Cooker for a Cooler Home
Your home may be different, but over here, we’re relying on old window units to keep our even-older-house cool in a Texas Summer. The last thing I want to do is quickly heat my small home with the stove or oven. The slow cooker is a rock star for keeping your home cool. Even though it’s on all day, it won’t put off any heat to warm the kitchen (or in our case, the whole house). This can save us on energy costs since our units don’t have to work so hard, keep us comfortable in a cool house, and we still get to have yummy dinners. I’d say that’s a win!
Summer Busyness
I honestly thought summers wouldn’t be any busier than the rest of the year when I got away from any sort of school schedule, but I haven’t found that to be the case. Summer truly is just crazier than the rest of the year. With more activities, days at the pool, family gatherings, and garden/yard work to do, it truly can fill a schedule in the blink of an eye. Slow cooker meals can really make life a little lighter during the summer, especially if you keep them pretty simple.
Some of Our Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes
One of my go-to recipes is Salsa Chicken. You simply place 1lb of chicken (about 2 breasts) into the crock, pour in an entire jar of salsa on top, and allow to cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Use two forks or tongs to shred your chicken and toss it around in the salsa. You can serve this over rice to make bowls, on tortillas for tacos, or you can switch up the sauces and use barbecue, honey sriracha, coconut aminos… The possibilities are really endless.
Another easy, versatile recipe is Pulled Pork. In this crazy economy, pork is one of the cheapest meats you can get. I can usually find a butt/shoulder roast at my local grocery for 8-12 dollars, and that will stretch into multiple meals for us. I usually cook this in my pressure cooker, but the slow cooker version is the same method with a different cook time. Cut the roast into 3-inch cubes and season them with salt and pepper. You can sear them first if you’d like, but otherwise throw them into your crock with about a cup of broth (chicken or beef) and let cook for 8-10 hours on low. If you want to use your pressure cooker, cook it on high (or the ‘meat’ setting) for 1 hour. Once it’s done, you can use tongs to break it up.
We typically will eat this with rice and veggies in a bowl the first day, then add barbecue sauce to any leftovers and have it on a sandwich with potato salad or chips. And we usually still have leftovers!
A new one for us is Meatball Subs. Whether you’ve bought some bagged meatballs from the store, or you’ve frozen some homemade meatballs, you can throw these in your cooker with a jar of your favorite marinara and let them cook on low all day. Add them to buns and top with cheese for a simple, delicious meal!
Affectionately known as “Beans ‘n’ Weens” in our household, this dish is easy, and is just what it sounds like! Add 2-3 cans of beans (depending on the ratio you like) to your cooker, and add sliced kielbasa sausage to it. If I want it a little more soupy, I’ll add some broth as well. In times of tighter budgets, we’ve substituted with hotdogs, and sometimes we’ve treated ourselves to some really great sausage. Use your preference, and enjoy! Just cook on low for 8hrs, and you’re good to go.
I hope I’ve inspired you to bust out your slow cooker before you really miss out on its benefits. If you have a favorite slow cooker recipe, share it in the comments so others can see! I can’t wait to try all your favorites.
Until Next Time’
Rebekah
Love it!!!