I recently asked the folks on my Facebook page what type of recipes they wanted to see most right now. You might think grilling recipes or maybe 30 minute meals were most requested?
Nope. I was quite surprised that smack in the middle of summer, slow cooker recipes were the top choice. My slow cooker sees a lot of action all year round and I’m pleased to know that I’m not alone.
Why are we using our slow cookers in the summer? Because with a little advance thought and morning prep, you can walk in the door at the end of a busy day and be minutes away from dinner. This concept is not seasonal in my opinion.
I’ve got a couple of great summer slow cooker recipes to share and I’m starting with this one. This is a super simple sandwich that can be thrown together with items I almost always have on hand.
Place about 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast (that you’ve trimmed of fat and cut in half) in your trusty slow cooker.
Pour in 2 cups of chicken broth. The chicken should be fully immersed in broth. Place the cover on and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or until the chicken is easy to shred. If you’ll be out of the house for longer than 7 hours, another hour won’t hurt it.
When you are home and ready to get things going for dinner, transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and drain the liquid from the slow cooker. Use two forks to shred the chicken and then transfer it back to the empty slow cooker.
Grab a good quality bottled Casear dressing. Cardini’s is a great choice.
Pour 1 cup of the dressing over the chicken in the slow cooker. Season it generously with fresh ground pepper, a good handful of Parmesan cheese, and some fresh Italian parsley.
Stir well to combine. Feel free to add more dressing if necessary to get the consistency you’re after. Place the cover back on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
Pile the chicken on to hamburger buns with some romaine lettuce and dinner is served. The leftovers can be reheated the following day or they are delicious cold from the fridge.
Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut in half
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup or more of your favorite creamy Caesar Dressing (like Cardini's)
- 1/2 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- Romaine lettuce
- 6 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Place chicken and chicken broth in a 3-4 quart slow cooker, cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours.
- Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Discard cooking liquid and place shredded chicken back in the slow cooker. Add dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. Stir until well combined. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.
- Serve on hamburger buns with romaine lettuce.
Adapted from Betty Crocker
Looking for more summer slow cooker ideas?
Crock-Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
Linda C Smith says
I love the idea of using my crockpot in summer (for more than making peach butter that is!) this recipe looks so good I bookmarked it. It was great meeting you at BlogHer14!
Valerie says
I’m so glad you stopped by, Linda! BlogHer was so much fun and I’m happy we connected 🙂
Maryann @ Domestically Speaking says
Yum! That looks so good! We love using our slow cooker all year too.
Heather says
Yummy – my boys will love this!
Nibbles By Nic says
I never thought I would hear the words Chicken Caesar and Slow Cooker in the same sentence Val! How Clever! Love your nibbles 🙂 -Nic
Valerie says
Thanks, Nic!
Julie Fiato says
Oh my…you are killing me! I’m almost to -10 lbs, girl…slowly getting there! This sandwich looks amazing.
Valerie says
Julie, you are such an inspiration. I couldn’t hang with the low carb thing. I felt like a slug on my runs! Congrats on the weight loss, although you’ve always been gorgeous!
Laura @ Inspiration for Moms says
These look so good! My family loves anything Cesar so we will have to give this a try!
Val says
This is such a winner Val. My mouth starting watering immediately and all I could think about is when can I make this?? Delightful.
Valerie says
Thanks doll!
Amy @ The Blond Cook says
Valerie, these look awesome! I love chicken & Caesar dressing but have never had a chicken Caesar sandwich… the slow cooker makes it even better!
Valerie says
Thanks Amy. We love them!