Too hot to cook!

[Tink3815]

Other than pulled pork or chicken, what are your favorite crockpot recipes on these days when it’s too hot to cook or bq. My husband does not like creamy sauces. I tried lasagna, but it was not that great.

 

[Meriweather]

I just cook whatever I usually cook.
It's 103 today and will go up though the weekend

 

[easyas123]

I'm afraid I'm with Meriweather, I cook whatever I'm going to cook no matter the weather. This time of year we tend to eat a bit lighter or later if we've been outside for a while after work so one of my go-to's is already peeled & deveined shrimp. Sauté or steam - chill if you want - and have over salad..

 

[John VN]

Outside temp. doesn't matter, it's the inside the house that matters. 93°F outside and a comfortable 81°F inside so nice and cool. Going to begin slowly heating up sardines to dry out and break into small pieces then ad evoo + onions, garlic, broccoli, quinoa, green peas and Curry Powder keeping temp. Spread some Hummus on a quartered 8" whole wheat Tortilla and pour the sardine mix on top and squirt spicy brown mustard/ketchup in a spiral on top.

Pick up a quarter slice, fold and eat like a slice of pizza. easy-peasy

Tomorrow the same but with Sockeye Salmon and maybe some Fillo's Peruvian Lentils

 

[TCRAIG]

The best thing to make on a hot day is a restaurant reservation

 

[MICKIMINI]

I cooked prepared meatballs in pasta sauce the other day. We had with spaghetti, but a sub sandwich with provolone would have worked as well without the pot of boiling water. I am baking chicken breast tonight along with russet potatoes and green beans.

It was an unbelievable 107 in southern NH yesterday on my car thermometer. I saw the official record was 100 in Concord, but as I drove north, the temp kept dropping 106, 105, 104 and so on until I got home (30 miles). We were 95 on the mountain in the Lakes Region.

AC works great as the new house is well insulated. I skipped the hot tub yesterday and debating skipping again today. Our glacial well water (400' down) is ice cold. I put the hose in the hot tub when it is too hot and spray myself when needed. We had the HEAT on last week LOL!

 

[fla4fun]

When it gets super hot, I usually don’t cook. I make a pasta or macaroni salad when I hear the heat wave is coming and then have meat and cheese on hand for sandwiches. If you have a toaster oven, you can also make breakfast for dinner. I keep hash brown patties on hand, so one or two of those in the toaster oven for ten minutes and a quick cheese omelet and you’re all set.

I don’t want the AC to have to run extra because I am heating up the kitchen.

 

[TCRAIG]

When it gets super hot, I usually don’t cook. I make a pasta or macaroni salad when I hear the heat wave is coming and then have meat and cheese on hand for sandwiches. If you have a toaster oven, you can also make breakfast for dinner. I keep hash brown patties on hand, so one or two of those in the toaster oven for ten minutes and a quick cheese omelet and you’re all set.

I don’t want the AC to have to run extra because I am heating up the kitchen.

Heating up the kitchen cooking on a hot day is one of the reasons why I loath the ‘open concept’ home design….I want a kitchen I can close off to keep smells and heat from entering the whole house! I don’t entertain in my kitchen (too many dirty dishes) nor was I raised in a barn…which is what those big open multipurpose room remind me of.

 

[mjkacmom]

When it gets super hot, I usually don’t cook. I make a pasta or macaroni salad when I hear the heat wave is coming and then have meat and cheese on hand for sandwiches. If you have a toaster oven, you can also make breakfast for dinner. I keep hash brown patties on hand, so one or two of those in the toaster oven for ten minutes and a quick cheese omelet and you’re all set.

I don’t want the AC to have to run extra because I am heating up the kitchen.

This was my plan, a few family members are away this week so it’s just my son and I, unfortunately I used this week to pantry cook. My pantry was out of pasta noodles (was going to make tuna macaroni salad), was out of celery and red onion, thought about orzo salad, had no cucumbers, olives and feta either. Then I thought about my husband, other son and daughters on vacation in Maine, eating lobster, not trying to cook in my hot kitchen. So, Monday was Thai, Tuesday was chipotle, last night was pizza and mussels. Tonight is leftover pizza, got my ShopRite order today, and back to cooking tomorrow.

 

[Mle8308]

I had cottage cheese and a low carb wrap. Works for me! Too hot for anything else. Boston weather is bi-polar, it was a high of about 70 last week and yesterday it was 102! Tomorrow back down around the 70's and the high 60's over the weekend!

 

[fla4fun]

Heating up the kitchen cooking on a hot day is one of the reasons why I loath the ‘open concept’ home design….I want a kitchen I can close off to keep smells and heat from entering the whole house! I don’t entertain in my kitchen (too many dirty dishes) nor was I raised in a barn…which is what those big open multipurpose room remind me of.

Yes, our main living space is basically open concept, with the kitchen opening onto the great room. The ceiling is raised in the center (follows the roof contours) so at least the hottest air has somewhere to go. I have lived in three houses in my lifetime and all three were open concept. Perhaps it started because my mom was claustrophobic, and then I just got used to it and kept on. I think a closed off kitchen in Florida could get dangerously hot.

Ironically, the cooking aromas follow the air ducts to the downstairs bedrooms. If I cook bacon, the bedrooms will smell like bacon for days afterwards, even with the AC running or the windows open.

 

[barkley]

Other than pulled pork or chicken, what are your favorite crockpot recipes on these days when it’s too hot to cook or bq. My husband does not like creamy sauces. I tried lasagna, but it was not that great.

if you are craving lasagna-yummly website has a very easy and tasty lasagna soup recipie (my non soup loving husband even likes it), they also have a stuffed pepper soup that covers those cravings.

I don't use my crockpot much in the summer but I do cook up beef in the same manner you would do pulled pork or chicken and then freeze it in containers to defrost and easily warm in bbq sauce (bbq beef sandwiches), marinara ('pot roast' w/a side of pasta or on French rolls) and enchilada sauce (burritos or enchiladas).

honestly allot of what we eat on the hottest days for us (such that dh does not need to be out grilling) is stuff I purposely set aside in the freezer for just such days-some extra grilled chicken breasts, half a slab of bbq ribs, different flavors of bbq chicken drumsticks...right now there's some defrosted Rogan Josh and cous-cous in the fridge for someone to microwave when they get hungry.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Right now it’s really hot in my area so I’m eating cold soups (vegetable or fruit), making main course salads or until tomorrow, eating already prepared foods I purchased at a local shop. Were I not so lazy I could just open the freezer and take out whatever I want.

Still, if I wanted to get the slow cooker going, I’d probably make some white chili or various bean dishes. Loving cannellini for salad Niçoise or chickpeas “meatballs” for garbanzo/chickpeas right about now. Easy to make and filling.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Slow cooker:
Chicken soup
Olive Garden Pasta Fagiole
Tomato saucefor pasta

I recently picked up a $20 3 cup (makes 6) rice cooker and have discovered that fresh rice cooking with whatever seasoning I ifeel like adding s a quick and easy low heat meal. Family favorites are some box Indian spice mixes from Wegmans where I add some roast chicken to the container at the end and it heats through nicely. The best though is probably adding some onion, peas and carrots to water with a little of the Trader Joe Soyaki marinade for a decent version of fried rice.

 

[Pink Partridge]

We picked up a Costco rotisserie chicken today. I steamed some jasmine rice and cut up some bell peppers from my garden.

Tomorrow I will turn the leftover chicken into chicken salad.

Friday we will go out for pizza.

Saturday it will be cooler!

 

[tvguy]

Not unusual to have multiple 100+ degree days here in June. Haven't had a single 100 degree day yet in June. We may make it Saturday. My wife has been on a baking binge even though it is in the 90's. Dinner tonight was beef stew out of the crock pot so it was cooking all day and heating up the house. We just run the ac, and so far our solar panels are producing more power than the ac is using.

 

[Grand Koalafornian]

I tend to do salads, sandwiches or cold soups (no heat, just a blender) on really hot days. I also sometimes eat frozen berries for dessert, maybe with some whipped cream. Also, lots of protein smoothies, which I sometimes freeze into popsicles. I sometimes make the soup ahead and freeze it, then just eat it frozen if it's really hot, but that's rare here in LA.

 

[barkley]

Not unusual to have multiple 100+ degree days here in June. Haven't had a single 100 degree day yet in June. We may make it Saturday. My wife has been on a baking binge even though it is in the 90's. Dinner tonight was beef stew out of the crock pot so it was cooking all day and heating up the house. We just run the ac, and so far our solar panels are producing more power than the ac is using.

if a crockpot is giving out enough heat to heat a single room let alone one's home it should be considered faulty and discarded b/c the heating element may be going bad (the heat is supposed to retained inside the crock).

 

[tvguy]

if a crockpot is giving out enough heat to heat a single room let alone one's home it should be considered faulty and discarded b/c the heating element may be going bad (the heat is supposed to retained inside the crock).

Well, actually not a traditional crock pot. It is all stainless steel so it gives off heat. A base that is basically like a hot plate. I guess it is really a slow cooker.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My husband plants a garden every year. The tomatoes are in. We like to have BLT's and corn on the cob. The corn on the cob has been especially delicious this year. Also like to pair the tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and balsamic glaze.