Easy Summer Crock Pot Recipes

Summer is a great time for crock pot recipes. It may be hot and humid outside, but you still need to make dinner for you and your family. You can't barbecue every day. The weather won't let you. Sandwiches and salads can be delicious, but sometimes you want a hearty meal at the end of the day. When I come home from work, I don't want to come home to a sandwich. I already had that at lunch time. Ordering out is nice every once in a while, but that can get expensive really quick, especially if you have a large family. With crock pot cooking however, you can make just about anything for dinner without heating up your whole house like your oven does. With that in mind, I present to you some easy summer crock pot recipes for you to try.

Barbecued Chicken and Vegetables

What you need:

2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 c barbecue sauce

1/2 c water

4 medium potatoes, unpeeled and cut into eighths

8 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces

What you do:

Layer potatoes and carrots in the bottom of a 4-6 quart crock-pot. Layer chicken on top of veggies. Pour water into crock. Spread sauce over chicken with brush. Cook, covered, for 8 hours on low, or until chicken and veggies are tender.

Swiss Steak

What you need:

2 lbs round steak, 3/4 inch thick

15 oz can tomato sauce

1 celery stalk, sliced

1 large carrot, chopped

1 large onion, sliced

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/4 c flour

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

What you do:

In a medium bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. Cut steak into serving size pieces. Add steaks one at a time to flour mixture; coat. In bottom of crock pot add onions, meat, Worcestershire, carrots, celery and tomato sauce in that order. Cook, covered, on low for 8 -10 hours.

Cheese Ravioli and Sausage

What you need:

1 lb Italian sausage without casing, browned and drained

9 oz package refrigerated cheese ravioli

24-28 oz jar spaghetti sauce

141/2 oz can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 c Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated

What you do:

Combine sausage, spaghetti sauce and tomatoes into crock-pot; mix well. Cook, covered, for 7 hours on low. Mix in ravioli, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off slow cooker, top with cheese and cover. Let stand for 5 - 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted; serve.

Country Style Pork Ribs

What you need:

4-5 lbs country style pork ribs

2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes or Italian style tomatoes, diced

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

2 celery stalks, sliced

1/2 c red wine or red wine vinegar

1/2 c water

1 t beef or chicken bouillon granules (whatever is in your pantry)

3 T olive oil

garlic salt to taste

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

What you do:

Heat oil in a large skillet. Rub ribs with garlic salt, salt and pepper. Add ribs to skillet and cook over high heat until browned on both sides (1-2 minutes per side). Add ribs and remaining ingredients to 6 quart crock-pot and cook, covered, for 8 -10 hours on low.