75 days of summer slow cooker recipes

Baked Chicken with Summer Vegetables – 75 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes

August 13, 2013 by Tiffany King Leave a Comment

When I first got married, I didn’t know how to cook. At all. It didn’t take me long to realize that I needed to learn. So I started reading the cookbooks I got as wedding presents (an activity which amused Jim at the time, but for which he’s very grateful now).

One of the meals I learned to make was this recipe for Baked Chicken with Summer Vegetables. It’s from a cookbook that I think may be out of print now, called Country Gourmet. It’s originally made in the oven, but here I’ve adapted it for the slow cooker.

This dish has rich flavor. Part of the reason is it uses chicken with bones (although, you could adapt and use boneless). The veggies also add color and fresh taste.

I like to serve this with angel hair pasta, because it’s so quick to fix. Make a big, green salad to along with it and you’ve got a fast weeknight dinner.

Click here to see the recipe for Baked Chicken with Summer Vegetables in the Slow Cooker.

This is day 74! in our 75 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes series. Find the other posts by clicking here.

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole – 75 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes

August 12, 2013 by Tiffany King Leave a Comment

We love brunch and brinner – breakfast for dinner. But making eggs, bacon or sausage, biscuits and all can use up every pan in the house. Sometimes, there just isn’t time for all of that.

Enter this easy Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole.

This casserole doesn’t even require any chopping. It makes use of frozen diced potatoes with bell peppers and onions. A package of diced ham makes adding meat quick and easy. You can even use a bag of shredded cheese.

It really is just assembly only. The hardest thing to do is break the eggs.

Serve this with fresh, seasonal fruit and biscuits or muffins.

Click here to see the recipe for Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole.

If you love using your slow cooker, check out our All Slow Cooker Weekly Meal Plan. It’s got all the planning done for you (including the grocery list) so you can go enjoy summer!

Apple Crisp in the Slow Cooker – 75 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes

August 11, 2013 by Tiffany King 1 Comment

I’ve started seeing apples at the farmer’s market already. And, of course, apples are readily available in the grocery store all year long. I love this Apple Crisp slow cooker recipe. Not only does it use common pantry ingredients, but it’s also fantastic! The oat topping is the perfect complement to the warm, sweet apples.

I added dried cranberries to this and the sweet-tart flavor was great with the apples. You can leave out the cranberries if they aren’t your thing.

Top the apple crisp with vanilla ice cream if you’re feeling decadent.

Click here to see the recipe for Apple Crisp in the Slow Cooker.

This is day 72 in our 75 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes series. Find the other posts by clicking here.

Brown Sugar Chicken and Sweet Potatoes – 75 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes

August 10, 2013 by Tiffany King Leave a Comment

Looking for an easy meal with few ingredients? This Brown Sugar Chicken and Sweet Potatoes is for you then. Just 4 ingredients makes this super quick to put together.

Everything gets tossed into the slow cooker and you get to walk away. When you come back after a busy day, dinner is done and it’s healthy too.

Serve this with fresh green beans from the garden and cornbread. Or pair it with your favorite side dishes.

To see the recipe for Brown Sugar Chicken and Sweet Potatoes, click here.

If you love using your slow cooker, check out our All Slow Cooker Weekly Meal Plan. It’s got all the planning done for you (including the grocery list) so you can go enjoy summer!

How to Use Your Slow Cooker to Bulk Cook Whole Chicken and Ground Beef

August 9, 2013 by Tiffany King 3 Comments

One of the best ways to make cooking quick is to start with meat that’s already been cooked. Pulling a bag of cooked and shredded chicken from the freezer makes it very easy to fix pot pie or soup or chicken tetrazzini. Ground beef that’s cooked and ready in the freezer makes tacos or casseroles a super quick weeknight meal.

You can use your slow cooker to cook ground beef and a whole chicken to store in the freezer. The variations of seasonings for both are nearly endless, so use your imagination. Or keep it simple with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Either way, you will love having meat prepped and ready to go in your freezer.

When I make a whole chicken in the slow cooker, I buy the biggest chicken I can find. I usually freeze the meat in 2-3 cup quantities. Sometimes, we’ll have dinner with part of the meat and freeze the rest.

Whenever I cook ground beef, I rinse it in hot water after cooking to remove extra grease. It helps to start with lean beef, but I still always rinse it. I usually freeze ground beef in 2-3 cup quantities as well.

And, I almost forgot that you can also do Turkey Breast in the slow cooker. It’s another great way to stock your freezer with cooked meat.

For the instructions on cooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker, click here.
For the instructions on cooking ground beef in the slow cooker, click here.

All summer, we’ve been sharing slow cooker recipes to keep your kitchen cool. This is day 70 in our 75 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes series. Find the other posts by clicking here.