As we approach the hottest days of summer, air conditioners everywhere are working overtime to keep homes cool. While comfort can cost a pretty penny at best, keeping the stove and oven off will put a halt to the battle that makes heat the winner, the cool air surrender, and your power bill shocking.

While appetites don’t lessen when temperatures rise, tasty recipes are possible that will allow everyone to keep their cool, inside and out! You can make it through summer with options like these that keep the oven off while the weather continues to sizzle!

Grilled Pizza

Pizza is perfect for large gatherings and hefty appetites! Instead of turning on the oven, crank up the grill! Keep the heat outside and taste the smoky difference that turns a pizza from ordinary to outstanding! To keep this meal super simple, use frozen pizza. Another easy option is to purchase a pre-made pizza crust, add tomato sauce, your favorite toppings, and lots of cheese!

Ingredients 

• Frozen pizza or frozen crust and of your choice of toppings

Instructions 

• Preheat your grill for approximately 15 minutes to 400 degrees.
• Remove Pizza from the box and all wrappings.
• Place frozen pizza directly in the center of the grill rack and close the lid.
• Cook for 8-10 minutes. 
• Turn pizza front to back, close lid. 
• Grill for another 4-6 minutes or until the outside of crust is crisp and cheese is melted. 
• Remove from grill, slice and serve!

Crab Salad

With this one, you will have to boil some water but you can do it during the coolest part of the day. It’s a small price to pay for a chilled meal that’s both hearty and loaded with the taste of summer!

Ingredients

• One 16-ounce box of shell-shaped noodles
• Imitation crab, cut in chunks  
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped 
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

• Boil the noodles according to package directions. Do not over cook!
• Drain noodles in a colander and immediately rinse with cold water until thoroughly cooled.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise, celery, onion, sugar, salt, and pepper.
• Gently fold mayonnaise mixture into noodles with a spatula.
• Fold crab meat into noodle mixture.
• Refrigerate in an airtight container until well chilled.

Campfire Kabobs

Who says you have to have a roasty kitchen to have a hot meal? The whole family can join in on assembling their own shish kebab then gather around the campfire for a time of togetherness while each customized, healthy twist on dining slowly sizzles to perfection! What a perfect way to enjoy a memorable summer evening and “dinner out”!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2–3 bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces 
• 1 sweet onion, cut into bite-sized chunks

Instructions

• Whisk together oil, soy sauce, honey, black pepper, and garlic.
• Add the chicken and veggies, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for two hours or overnight.
• Thread meat and veggies on skewers.
• Cook slowly over hot charcoal or natural wood fire for approximately 15 minutes, turning as it cooks until chicken is thoroughly done with no pink inside.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas 

One of summer’s best friends is a slow cooker! Have a summer fiesta with no oven, stove top, or flame required! 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes 
• 1 (6 ounce) can of green chilies
• 3 bell peppers, cored and sliced. (preferably 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green) 
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 tsp McCormick chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp cilantro 
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 12 6-inch flour tortillas
• Sour cream, salsa, guacamole or sliced avocados, shredded Mexican cheese etc. for toppings

Instructions

• Pour half of the canned tomatoes into the bottom of a slow cooker and spread evenly. 
• Top with half of the peppers and half of the onions.
• Add garlic 
• Top with chicken breasts.
• In a bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
• Evenly sprinkle half of the seasoning over the chicken then turn and repeat with the remaining seasoning.
• Top with remaining tomatoes, peppers, and onions.
• Cover and cook on HIGH heat for 2-3 hours or low heat for 4-6 hours, until chicken is thoroughly cooked and veggies are tender.
• Remove and shred chicken.
  Ladle out 1 cup of the broth and discard. 
• In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice and honey then add to slow cooker along with shredded chicken.
• Mix gently.
• Serve warm in warmed tortillas. 
• Top with optional toppings as desired.

Ice Cream for Supper

Believe it or not, decades ago this was really a thing! Many families gathered with a freezer full of homemade ice cream for a huge display and assortment. Today you can keep it simple with your own homemade ice cream bar. Follow this forever loved recipe for Nana’s homemade banana ice cream and top it with (semi) healthy choices. The main feature has bananas, eggs, and milk, so how can you go wrong with a cooling change of pace packed full of wholesome ingredients? End your long, hot day with ice cold, euphoric enjoyment made fresh at home!

Ingredients 

• 5–6 large, very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
• 3 cups of sugar
• 1 (12-ounce) can of evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla flavoring
• 3 eggs
• Whole milk, a little more than a half gallon
• Toppings, optional

Instructions  

• Add all ingredients, minus toppings, to a large mixing bowl and mix well with a hand mixer.
• Pour ingredients into a 6-quart ice cream maker/freezer.
• Finish filling the freezer can to the fill line with whole milk. (Approximately 10 cups)
• Secure freezer container into the freezer tub according to freezer directions.
• Layer ice (preferably store-bought, bagged as it is smaller) and ice cream salt between the freezer tub and the ice cream-filled canister.
• Plug in the ice cream maker
  *If it doesn’t immediately begin to turn, give the entire unit a twisting shake. Adding a small amount of water also helps get the process going. Then continue to twist and shake until the canister can freely turn. If the freezer doesn’t start turning quickly, unplug it as it can burn out the motor. 
• As the ice level lowers, continue to layer ice and ice cream salt keeping it full to the top until the ice cream has finished the freezing process.
• The freezer will stop automatically when the ice cream is done.

Though deliciously addictive by itself, add festivity with a bar of toppings such as fresh sliced strawberries, pineapple chunks, crumbled peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, sprinkles, coarsely broken sugar cones, and anything that sounds like a good combo!

Related: Cheap Ways To Stay Cool in Summer