Put that slow cooker (and air fryer) to workHi, friends! I’m filling in for Emily today, and pleased as punch to be here. I truly hope you’ve been having a breezy and delightful summer wherever you are (Alaska?), but here in the Northeast, we’ve been sweating through one heat advisory after another. After a sticky commute home and my second shower of the day, the last thing I want to do is touch a stove. No-cook meals are great, and while I could happily subsist on a diet of cottage cheese, fresh mango and Topo Chico, my family usually wants a warm meal. For those of you in the same boat, here are a handful of slow cooker and air fryer recipes that will fill your bellies, but won’t heat up your kitchen.
1. Slow-Cooker Chipotle-Honey Chicken TacosThis reader-favorite “fix it and forget it” meal from Sarah DiGregorio is on regular rotation in our house. Three of us like to make giant Chipotle-esque burritos out of the spicy-sweet black-bean-chicken tangle, but my oldest prefers it over a pile of buttery white rice.
2. Air-Fryer SalmonI don’t have room in my tiny kitchen to store an air fryer, but I dream of the day I do so I can make this super smart salmon from Eleanore Park. The circulating high heat crisps the skin, while keeping the flesh tender and moist. Serve alongside air-fryer zucchini, asparagus or baked potatoes.
3. Slow-Cooker Corn ChowderIn this lighter, brothier version of traditional corn chowder, Sarah slices the kernels from the cobs and then slowly simmers the scraped cobs with chiles, scallions, garlic, potatoes and miso for a savory but just-this-side-of-sweet broth. If you like yours on the thicker side, smash some of the potatoes against the side of the crock or purée a bit of the soup with an immersion blender before serving.
4. Slow-Cooker Sausages, Peppers and OnionsWe like to serve this Ali Slagle dish, another family favorite, tucked into French steak rolls blanketed with a slice or two of melted provolone cheese. It’s also excellent served over cooked pasta with lots of grated Parm.
5. Air-Fryer TofuThis recipe from Eleanore could turn a tofu skeptic into a tofu lover. Coat cubed tofu with potato starch, salt and pepper; cook until satisfyingly crackly; then douse with a soy-brown-sugar glaze. Serve alongside a pile of rice and air-fryer broccoli or green beans. Thanks for reading and cooking with me. If you like the work we do at New York Times Cooking, please subscribe! (Or give a subscription as a gift!) You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Previous newsletters are archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you have any questions about your account. View all recipes in your weekly plan.
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