Slow Cooker Sweet and Smoky Beef from The Perfect Pantry

This Sweet and Smoky Beef is perfect for a summer get-together!  (Photo from The Perfect Pantry.)

(For Friday Favorites we spotlight past recipes that you may have missed, and I think this Slow Cooker Sweet and Smoky Beef from The Perfect Pantry sounds great for a summer holiday weekend, so I've included it in the new category for Slow Cooker Summer Dinners.)

For most people summer means you're entertaining more than usual, and when you're having guests for a summer holiday or family weekend I think this Slow Cooker Sweet and Smoky Beef from The Perfect Pantry looks like a perfect dish to make before the guests arrive.  You can serve this chipotle, apple juice, onion, and honey flavored shredded beef on sandwiches or wrapped in tortillas all weekend long.  Lydia says this freezes well, so you might want to double the recipe if you have a large slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches from Elly Says Opa

Pulled Chicken with from-scratch Chipotle barbecue sauce for a perfect summer dinner from the slow cooker.  (Photo from Elly Says Opa.)

I promised I was going to focus on enticing you to use your slow cooker more when the weather starts to heat up, and this recipe for Slow Cooker  Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches from Elly Says Opa seems perfect to add to the collection of Slow Cooker Summer Dinners.  I especially love that this recipe includes from-scratch barbecue sauce flavored with just enough Chipotle pepper to make it interesting.  There's a big holiday weekend coming up in the U.S. and if you're looking for something easy that you can eat outside, these sandwiches would be perfect.

Slow Cooker Vegan Barbecue Lentils from The Healthy Beehive

Crockpot BBQ Lentils make a delicious meatless meal!  (Photo from The Healthy Beehive.)

For everyone who's a fan of baked beans, Crockpot Vegan Barbecue Lentils from The Healthy Beehive uses the same idea of pairing beans with tomatoes, mustard, ketchup, vinegar, molasses, and spices for a delicious side dish, or do like Jane does and eat them for a meatless lunch.  This recipe starts with a pound of lentils, so there will be plenty of leftovers.  I love lentils and I've never thought of seasoning them this way, so I think this sounds like a wonderful option for Meatless Monday!