4 Crock-Pot Recipes for Summertime Cooking
Linda grew up in a large family with a mother who was a great cook. She used many of her mother's recipes while raising three boys.
I love using my Crock-Pot all year round, but I especially appreciate it during the hot summer months. These appliances are commonly used to cook beef, chicken, or soups. But out of necessity, I have found that they do a great job with many other recipes, as well.
Crock-Pot Benefits
- Easy and convenient
- Cooks a whole meal in one pot
- Cheap to use
- Cooks all day, even while you are not home
- Does not heat your house (my favorite benefit in the summertime)
Yes, that last reason is why I use the Crock-Pot more in the summer than at any other time of the year. If not for my Crock-Pots (I have three of them), we might well starve rather than make my old house even hotter on a 96-degree day.
My old house has an old kitchen with a huge skylight that allows a lot of heat into the kitchen. That skylight is nice during the dreary winter months, but it's not so great in the summer. In fact, I close off that part of my kitchen, where the stove is located, when the weather turns hot.
Some people say they love the heat, but not me. I try to keep my house cool in the summer, and using a Crock-Pot lets me enjoy good home cooking without heating the house, as a regular stove would.
Recipes I Enjoy During the Hot Summer Months (or Anytime)
I'm going to share some of my favorite summertime Crock-Pot recipes:
- Meatloaf
- Stuffed green peppers
- Beef roast with vegetables
- Beef, noodles, and mushrooms
If you have more than one Crock-Pot, you can make meatloaf in one while you cook baked potatoes in a second. Using your microwave, you can prepare some frozen or fresh vegetables for a complete, well-balanced supper. Or if you prefer, a nice green salad can complete the meal. Just use some of your own recipes and adapt them to the lower temperature of the Crock-Pot.
1. Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground hamburger
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs or quick-cook oatmeal
- 1 cup tomato juice or tomato sauce (even spaghetti sauce will work)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (chopped green peppers can also be added)
Instructions
- Mix everything together, including the beaten egg.
- Top with some tomato sauce or ketchup if you prefer.
- I spray the Crock-Pot with cooking spray then add the meatloaf and cook.
- I use the higher temperature to give the meatloaf a cooked-in-the-oven taste.
- It usually is done in 4 hours, but cook to your preference.
2. Stuffed Green Peppers (With Variations)
I have a few variations for cooking green peppers in the Crock-Pot. The easiest is the casserole.
Ingredients
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- 2 or 4 green peppers (chopped in large pieces)
- 1 pound ground hamburger
- 1 cup rice
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 small onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Clean the fresh peppers and chop them into large pieces.
- Mix the green peppers with chopped onion, rice and tomato sauce.
- Place everything into the Crock-Pot
- Then cook about 4 hours on high until the hamburger is done.
Variation #1: Traditional Green Peppers
Ingredients
- Same as above
Instructions
- Core out the green pepper leaving them whole with a hole at the top.
- Stuff the green peppers with the hamburger and rice mixture and place the whole pepper in the Crock-Pot with the peppers sitting upright
- You may need to add additional tomato sauce over the tops of the peppers.
- Add about 1/2 cup of water for the peppers to sit in.
- Cook on the high setting until the peppers are done.
Variation #2: Mexican-Flavored Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground hamburger
- 4 large green peppers
- 8 ounces Spanish rice
- 2 cups Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup salsa (may add an extra 1/2 cup if desired, I recommend using the extra salsa)
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1 or 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Clean the peppers and make a hole at the top.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients together (but save about ¼ or ½ cup of the cheese) and fill the peppers.
- Place the peppers in a Crock-Pot and add a small amount of water about 1/2 cup.
- Cook on low about 5 hours then add the rest of the Colby-Monterey cheese over the tops of the peppers.
- Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the peppers are tender.
3: Beef Roast With Vegetables
Beef is wonderfully tender and tasty when cooked in the Crock-Pot. There are many recipes for beef, but one of my family’s favorites is a pot roast with vegetables. This is a good, healthy meal for the whole family,
Ingredients*
- Beef roast
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Cabbage
- Salt and pepper, to taste
*I don’t list any amounts here because you can use your own judgment depending upon the size of your Crock-Pot and the size of your family.
Instructions
- I cook the roast for about 2 to 3 hours on high.
- Add the vegetables and cook 3 to 4 hours longer until the vegetables are tender.
- Use your own judgment on the cooking time for the vegetables. I don't care for my vegetables to be mushy but some people like their vegetables well cooked.
Recipe 4: Beef, Noodles, and Mushrooms
This is a very easy one-pot meal, and it's one of my favorites.
Ingredients
- 2- or 3-pound beef tips
- 3 cups noodles
- 1 small can mushrooms (drained)
- 1 package ready-to-make brown gravy (I like the pioneer brand if that's available)
- 1/2 cup chopped onions (optional)
- 1 cup water
- 1 or 2 tablespoons beef bouillon
Instructions
- Cook the beef tips in a small amount of water and bouillon in the Crock-Pot till tender about 4 hours on high.
- Add the noodles, mushrooms, and onion.
- When the noodles are tender, add the package of brown gravy.
- If it becomes too thick, add more water.
For some variation, sour cream and a can of cream of mushroom soup can be added when everything else is cooked and tender.
I also often times use leftover beef for this recipe.
I enjoy these and many other meals done in the Crock-Pot. I love cookouts and steaks and burgers done on the grill during the summer, but sometimes I just want to enjoy a real home-cooked meal, and that’s when I pull out the Crock-Pot and let it do the cooking for me without heating up my house. While supper cooks, I can spend more time writing.
© 2019 L.M. Hosler