Meals to make when it’s too hot outside

Well, what did you all make for your Father’s Day meal? We had our annual shrimp and crab boil which was cooked outside and it sure was good. We normally do this meal in early spring but that didn’t work out this year so we did it for Father’s Day.

It was nice to have a meal not cooked inside with how hot the weather has been lately. Plus the house was full of people which is just more added heat.

Here’s an easy crockpot meal you can make on a hot day and not have to heat up your kitchen. A nice, crisp, cold salad to accompany and you’ve got yourself a meal.

Easy Beef Stroganoff in the Slow Cooker

1-1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat

2 cups fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup milk

2 onions, chopped

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

6 oz herb and garlic-flavored cream cheese

1 cup fusilli pasta

1/4 cup sour cream (Optional)

Combine beef, mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, milk, onions, and Worcestershire sauce in a slow cooker.

Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 5 to 7 hours. Stir in cream cheese until well dissolved; cook for 1 hour more.

Bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain. Serve Stroganoff over fusilli and garnish with sour cream.

Pasta salad is always good when the weather is warm. This recipe instructs you to cook the shrimp in a preheated oven at 450. You could easily do this in a skillet if you’d rather not turn on the oven.

Shrimp Pasta Salad with a Creamy Lemon Dressing

Dressing:

1/4 cup Greek yogurt 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground black pepper

Pasta:

10 ounces penne pasta

40 medium shrimp, or more to taste

2 tbsp olive oil, or more to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Whisk yogurt, chicken broth, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, and 1 teaspoon black pepper together in a bowl until dressing is smooth.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until pasta is slightly cooled.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss shrimp and 2 tablespoons olive oil together in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a glass baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until shrimp are bright pink and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Toss pasta with dressing in a bowl. Add shrimp and scallions; season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and more pepper. Garnish pasta salad with Cheddar cheese and lemon slices.