When It's Too Hot To Cook, Try These 27 Summer Crock Pot Dump Meals

I would hardly cook in the summer if it weren’t for summer Crock Pot dump meals. The hot temperatures (oh hi, relentless sun and humidity), busy afternoons entertaining the kiddos, and late nights by the pool conspire against me. The next thing I know, it’s 7 p.m., I’m still in my swimsuit, and I haven’t even thought about dinner. Plus, I’ve got a house full of hungry humans looking at me expectantly. That’s where those summer Crock Pot meals come in—easy slow cooker recipes that taste great on a hot summer evening.

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What is a Dump Meal?

It’s a silly name, but dump meals are pretty much just that. You dump everything into one cooking device—in this case, a Crock Pot—and leave it alone to cook until your food is ready. It’s the easiest type of meal to make, and probably the kind that uses the least amount of dishes.

Why Crock Pots are great for preparing easy dump meals

It’s true. They’re one of the greatest appliances of all time. Crock Pots are so easy to use. Throw everything in, head out for a day of fun (or work), and then your meal is ready to eat when you get home. There’s only one cooking dish to clean, and the slow cooker doesn’t heat up your kitchen like the oven does—which is a real treat when you're cooking in summer. It’s a win-win.

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How do I use a Crock Pot?

Crock Pots are among the easiest mostly-hands-off kitchen tools to use. You already know you put everything into it, right? So here’s what’s next.

You set it, and forget it.

Most Crock Pots have three temperature settings: High, Low and Warm. High covers the things that need extra heat to cook; low is great for foods that you let cook all day long; and warm is perfect for, well, keeping your food warm until you’re ready to eat.

You can set the temperature and the number of hours it needs to cook, and then it’ll do its thing. On some models, you can set it to automatically switch to warm once the cook time is done. And once you get home, dinner is ready to go.

Related: 200 Best Crock Pot Recipes

What can I serve with summer Crock Pot recipes?

You can serve anything you want with these summer recipes. But keep in mind that your Crock Pot food will be warm—so you might want to serve sides that are cooler, like cold pasta salad or fresh fruit.

You can use a Crock Pot in the summer?!

It’s true! Many people may think of the Crock Pot as a fall or winter thing, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Who wants to cook over a hot stove when it’s a zillion degrees outside? Nobody. So throw the meat, vegetables and seasonings into the Crock Pot and it’ll do the cooking for you, without heating up your house.

Make the most of your Crock Pot this season with these of summer Crock Pot dump meals that never disappoint, from Whiskey Meatballs and Chicken Cheesesteaks to Slow Cooker Beef Broccoli and Slow Cooker Chicken Parmigiana Meatloaf. Your summer just got easier—and you’re welcome!

Best Summer Crockpot Recipes

Make the most of your slow cooker this season with these summer Crock Pot dump meals that never disappoint, from Whiskey Meatballs and Chicken Cheesesteaks to Beef Broccoli and Easy Chicken Parmigiana Meatloaf. Your summer just got easier—and you’re welcome!

Up next: 100 Summer Dinner Ideas to Keep You Well Fed and Cool When Temps Start to Soar