Back to School Slow Cooker Recipes to Beat the Heat

It’s that time of year. Time to get ready to go back to school. Some of your kids already have!

I always find the first few weeks of school to be difficult – it’s hard to get out of our summer routines and into the school groove. This year is going to be that much more fun, as our house is doing all online learning.

To make life easier for myself, I rely heavily on my slow cooker during the first few weeks of school. It’s so much easier to throw a few ingredients in the pot in the morning and forget about it until it’s time for dinner. The only problem I’ve had in the past is that the slow cooker recipes I had were all for hearty stews and stick-to-your-ribs meals, and in Texas, it’s too hot for that. So I’ve come up with some ideas for hot weather slow cooker meals that your family will (hopefully!) love.

Cuban-Inspired Pulled Pork

I love the bright, citrusy flavors of this dish, and pork and slow cookers are a match made in heaven!

Ingredients

• 1 pork shoulder, 3 to 5 pounds, trimmed of excess fat (I like to leave the bone in for extra flavor
• Juice of 2 oranges
• Juice of 5 limes
• 6 to 8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 1 small to medium white or yellow onion, peeled, cut in half and then into half rings
• ½ bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano or marjoram
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place pork shoulder in a 6-quart slow cooker. Combine all the rest of the ingredients and pour over the pork. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve over rice with black beans and a side salad with lots of avocado in a citrus vinaigrette. The leftovers make great tacos, burritos, lettuce wraps, or quesadillas.

Mediterranean Chicken and Potatoes

I love using bone-in chicken thighs in the slow cooker. They’re full of flavor and don’t dry out like chicken breasts do.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• 2 pounds yellow or red potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Juice of 3 lemons
• ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth or water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

You can, if you want, brown the chicken in a skillet or sauté pan before placing in the slow cooker. Yes, you will get a deeper flavor from the browning, but that goes against the spirit of the whole slow cooker idea. I don’t.

Place the potatoes, onions, and half the smashed garlic cloves in the slow cooker and season with half the oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Lay the chicken thighs in next and top with the rest of the garlic and herbs. Add the lemon juice and white wine (or broth/water). Season with salt and pepper and the lemon zest. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. I love this over orzo pasta with a salad and good crusty bread to sop up the juices!

Slow Cooker Salmon

For those of you who are leery of cooking fish, the slow cooker can help! It’s hard to dry a fish out in a slow cooker, and the prep work is so easy.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pounds salmon filet, skin on
• 1 lemon, slice into rounds
• 1 large shallot, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1 cup white wine, vegetable or fish broth, or water
• 1 bunch fresh dill, divided use
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Line the slow cooker either with a slow cooker bag or with a large piece of parchment paper. Put in a layer of lemon rounds, a layer of shallots, and 2 springs of the fresh dill. You don’t need to chop the dill up. Place the salmon on top and pour in the liquid. Place the remaining lemon rounds, shallots, and another sprig or two of the fresh dill on top of the salmon. Season with salt and pepper and cook on low for two hours. Chop up any remaining dill and sprinkle it over the salmon before serving. I serve this with a cucumber and sweet onion salad. Simply soak cucumbers and sweet onions in cider vinegar with a little salt in the fridge for about an hour before serving. Light and delicious!