Fix-It and Forget-It Slow Cooker Crowd Pleasers for the American Summer: 150 Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes for Potlucks, Parties, and Family Gatherings

Comerford (A Busy Mom’s Slow Cooker Adventures blogger) gives the slow cooker another workout with 150 summertime recipes for entertaining. Selections include meatballs (sweet and sour, honey, and chipotle orange), as well as creamy artichoke or cheesy Mexican–flavored dips. Barbecue flavor dominates in pulled chicken and pulled pork sandwiches, multiple brisket dishes, and in the six preparations for ribs included. Comerford covers the standbys: mac and cheese, sloppy Joes, and tacos (including a lentil variation). Simple crowd-pleasing vegetable sides include corn on the cob bathed in chili lime butter, or yogurt and cheese twice-baked potatoes; desserts are fruit-based cobblers, puddings, or dump cakes. Comerford provides serving suggestions along with excellent tips on how to determine cooking times and adjust cooking (“If you’d like your dish to thicken a bit, take the lid off during the last half hour to hour of cooking time”). With the slow cooker as the workhorse and Comerford’s helpful guide, home cooks can count on stress-free summertime entertaining. (May)