Don’t retire your slow cooker once the summer sun comes out, fire it up to keep your kitchen cool and save time! This Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken puts fresh, seasonal summer produce to use with a simple and delish homemade pesto. Dinner couldn’t get any easier!
It’s Friday and the end of my second week in the internship! Time is literally flying.
This week, I spent time working with kids in a couple of different programs, visiting more food pantry centers, and working on a variety of other projects in the office for my supervisor.
One program called the “Farmer’s Pantry” allows the other interns and I to teach kids simple recipes (like green smoothies, salad and dressing and salsa), have the kids taste what they eat and the kids learn basic nutrition information. Another program I helped with this week was in partnership with the American Dairy Association and the Summer Servings program that provides meals at schools, parks, libraries, and a few other locations throughout the summer.
I think my favorite part about the internship so far is that I am learning about all of the wonderful assets that Marion County and Indianapolis already have available. Sometimes, I think it’s very easy to focus on a very distant end goal without looking at the little steps it takes to get there….right now I am looking at the little steps.
Because I am definitely in the thick of internship mode quick, easy, and nutritious meals are a MUST.
Brian has been taking on dinner duty one night a week, and believe it or not but the slow cooker has really been a life saver these past two weeks! (and it will continue to be a life saver!)
While the slow cooker is obviously a time saver, another thing I need to mention is that on days when it is 90º+ outside, the slow cooker also saves you from having to turn your oven or stove on. Yes…using the slow cooker helps keep the kitchen COOL!
Beat the Heat with the Slow Cooker/Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Whether you go slow or fast, just don’t turn on the oven. Show us how to keep the kitchen cool by using one of these appliances: Slow cooker, instant pot, pressure cooker. (If you have none of these, use the microwave, rice cooker or another keep-cool appliance.)
I love this recipe because it is SO versatile and really takes advantage of summer gardening or farmer’s market seasonal finds.
The veggies can also be swapped out! I chose to use cherry tomatoes from my garden, zucchini from the garden, and green beans from the farmer’s market, but feel free to use YOUR favorite vegetables or anything you have on hand.
If you are planning your menu for next week, add this meal to the list. To make the recipe even easier, I wash and chop the veggies the night before so that in the morning before heading out the door, all I have to do is place the chicken in the slow cooker, top with pesto then top with the veggies. Boom. Your done. (just don’t forget to turn on the slow cooker!)
Have a great weekend friends, and I hope your week was everything you hoped it would be!
If you give this recipe a try, tag #trebleinthekitchen or @trebleinthekchn on instagram so I can see!
6 cups of roughly chopped vegetables (I liked a mix of zucchini, green beans, and cherry tomatoes)
Instructions
Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon of pesto.
Top with the vegetables.
Cook on low for about 7-8 hours.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*For the low FODMAP elimination diet, try this homemadelow FODMAP pesto. This recipe has not been tested for FODMAP content, but ingredients are used in amounts compliant with the Monash University App and guidelines. Please eat the foods that make you feel your best!
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