Crock Pot Chicken and Vegetables

I like to keep dinner simple. Even when I’m not teaching during the summer, I’m always busy around the house, especially now that we have Miss Josey. I also don’t like to heat up the kitchen during the summer. Using the oven is often off limits, and even using the stove top can be overwhelming when it’s 102 degrees outside. But Hubby does like a hot meal after a long day at work, so I like to rely on my Crock Pot. I can make a complete meal with minimal effort, and it’s hot and ready when Michael walks in the door.

During the summer, I also rely on fresh vegetables from my parents’ garden. Right now there is squash and peppers abounding, so I use it for one of our favorites, chicken and vegetables. I use a pretty consistent recipe, although you can always substitute bell peppers or zucchini, or just add them for extra flavor! Here is tonight’s version:

5 small to medium yellow squash

4 potatoes (I used organic Yukon Gold)

7 peppers

1 onion

1.5 lbs chicken (I used chicken breast tenders)

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Simply chop the squash, potatoes, and chicken into approximately 1” pieces and the onion and peppers into ½” pieces. Add as much or as little seasoning as you like. Mix it all up in the Crock Pot, and cook on low for 7 hours. I like to keep my seasoning simple, but this would be great with herbs like parsley and thyme, or if you want to kick it up a little, add chili powder. A full 5.5 quart crock will feed approximately 4-6 people.

What do you like to cook in the Crock Pot in the summer?