~ Think slow cooker recipes are just for cozy winter dinners? Think again! Crockpot recipes for summer are an absolutely perfect way to keep the kitchen cool! These easy recipes get you out of the kitchen FAST … so you’ve got lots of extra time to get out there and enjoy all that summer fun (and dinner will be ready whenever you are)! ~

Do you tote your crockpot to a shadowy basement shelf once winter ends? Shove it deep behind other jumbled pots and pans as you haul out grill baskets and metal shish kabob skewers for summer?

I hear ya. Somehow slow cookers seem so perfect for hearty soups and warm-you-up chilis – all those comforting recipes we crave in winter.

BUT.

I’m here to tell you that crockpots (or crock pots or crock-pots … however you wanna spell ’em) are an absolute summer game-changer.

Why Summer Crockpot Recipes are AWESOME!

Two big reasons here:

Reason #1 – You just toss ingredients in there in the morning, and dinner cooks merrily away while you take the kiddos to the zoo or go splash in the pool.

Yes. Yesssss. You want that, right? I knowwwww! Me, too!

Even better?

Reason #2 – Slow cookers don’t heat up your kitchen. No need to sweat over a hot stove or crank the AC because you need to fire up the oven. And slow cookers don’t require you to slave over a flaming-hot grill after a long day, either. No siree. Your trusty little crockpot will keep you (and your kitchen) as cool as a cucumber!

So, exactly what can you make in a crockpot that actually feels summer-y? We’ve got lots of ideas!

Types of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes

Think beyond all those fall and winter soups, stews, chilis and roasts. 

Crockpots are also terrific for things like:

• All sorts of chicken sandwiches
• Shredded tacos
• Juicy pulled pork sammies

And here’s a fun option for picnics and potlucks: Your slow cooker is a handy way to cook summer-y party dips.

Yep! Lots of ooey-gooey, cheesy baked dips can be made in your crockpot instead of the oven, and then your trusty little slow cooker will keep the dip piping hot for you throughout the picnic! (Just remember that most recommendations suggest you shouldn’t leave food in a slow cooker on the “keep warm” setting for more than a couple hours.)

I guess this means you have to go trooping down to your basement to search for your crockpot, doesn’t it?

Sorry.

But don’t worry! It’ll all seem worth it, once you see how easy-peasy summer can be after you dust off that slow cooker.

Although, your grill may start feeling pretty lonely …

Looks like you and your crockpot are gonna have a lot of fun together this summer, huh?!?

And don’t you worry … when fall rolls around, you can just hop right on back here for plenty of slow cooker soup and chili and stew recipes, too!