I’ve actually been having fun with summer season dinners this 12 months. Our days are full, however the evenings really feel rather less rushed, which implies I’ve had extra time to cook dinner, experiment, and construct meals round no matter is recent. And with the children at these ages, it doesn’t matter fairly as a lot whether or not dinner is prepared at 6:00 PM or 7:30 PM. Plus, the backyard produce—particularly the tomatoes—has been so flavorful that even the best dinners have felt further particular.
I do know fall will look very completely different. Our schedule will likely be filled with sports activities, actions, co-op days, and loads of dinners eaten shortly or on the go. However we aren’t there but! So whereas we’re nonetheless summer-loving, listed here are among the meals we’ve been having fun with recently.
These aren’t all elaborate recipes or completely deliberate dinners. They’re merely 12 straightforward summer season meals that tasted good, labored for our household, and made essentially the most of this slower, produce-filled season. If in case you have a favourite summer season meal you’ve been having fun with, please share it with me! 🙂
BBQ Rooster Candy Potato Bowls
These have been one among our favourite dinners of the summer season: roasted candy potatoes topped with shredded BBQ rooster, black beans, corn, avocado, and ranch. I really like a build-your-own meal as a result of everybody can customise their bowl, and it makes leftovers particularly straightforward. I normally use already-cooked rooster to maintain this one easy on a busy evening. It’s filling by itself, so I don’t usually serve a lot alongside it.
Why we liked it: Simple, customizable, and nice for leftovers.
Make it simpler: Use rotisserie rooster and frozen corn.
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Okra
This was a kind of easy dinners that got here collectively with out a lot planning: marinated and roasted sliced pork tenderloin with roasted okra on the facet. I didn’t add a conventional carb as a result of we had simply devoured an enormous bowl of popcorn throughout a film, which felt like an excellent reminder that summer season dinners generally is a little footloose and fancy free. The pork was satisfying and the okra was recent from my backyard membership haul.
Why we liked it: Easy, flavorful, and never overly heavy.
Make it simpler: Marinate the pork and trim the okra earlier within the day.
Greek Rooster Rice Bowls
Rice bowls proceed to be one among my favourite methods to feed everybody as a result of they’re straightforward to prep and straightforward to customise. For these, I paired Greek-marinated rooster with rice, tzatziki, and Greek salad and let everybody assemble their very own. They felt recent and summery whereas nonetheless being hearty sufficient for dinner.
Why we liked it: Contemporary, filling, and customizable.
Make it simpler: Prep the rooster and greens forward of time.
Mackerel with Onions, Tomatoes, and Garlic over Rice
This meal won’t win the award for prettiest dinner, but it surely truly tastes fairly good and it’s serving to me with my omega-3 objectives. I sautéed mackerel with onions, tomatoes, and loads of garlic, then spooned all the things over rice. I additionally like so as to add a bit pepper vinegar sauce. It got here collectively shortly and was a pleasant change from our normal rooster and floor beef rotation.
Why we liked it: Nutrient-dense, flavorful, and fast to make.
Make it simpler: Use canned mackerel and leftover rice.
Lemon Orzo Skillet Rooster with Backyard Tomatoes
My lemon orzo skillet rooster has been a repeat favourite for good motive. It’s creamy, brilliant, and comes collectively in a single pan, which is at all times appreciated. I served it with sliced Cherokee Purple tomatoes on the facet as a result of when tomatoes are this good, they don’t want way more than a bit salt. However the women nonetheless like once I add a bit drizzle of balsamic.
Why we liked it: Cozy however nonetheless recent sufficient for summer season.
Make it simpler: Slice the tomatoes whereas the rooster and orzo cook dinner.
Floor Beef Burritos
Floor beef burritos should not revolutionary, however they’re reliable—and generally that’s precisely what dinner must be. I seasoned the meat, set out the tortillas and toppings (refreid black beans, guac, salsa, pico, bitter cream, rice), and let everybody construct their very own. It was a straightforward meal that happy everybody with out requiring a lot thought or cleanup. Hero model now has tortillas measurement!
Why we liked it: Acquainted, satisfying, and family-friendly.
Make it simpler: Cook dinner a double batch of floor beef and freeze half.
Smoked Pork with Selfmade Pickles and Caprese Salad
David smoked the pork for this dinner, and I dealt with the sides: selfmade pickles and a caprese salad. The wealthy, smoky pork paired so nicely with the acidity of the pickles and the juicy tomatoes and mozzarella. It felt like a really summer-on-a-plate sort of meal, particularly with the facet of watermelon!
Why we liked it: Smoky, recent, and stuffed with summer season flavors.
Make it simpler: Smoke further pork and use the leftovers for sandwiches, tacos, or bowls.
Potato, Zucchini, and Onion Sauté with Fried Eggs
This was a garden-inspired meal made with sautéed potatoes, zucchini, and onions topped with fried eggs. The runny yolks created their very own sauce, and the potatoes made it filling sufficient to rely as dinner. It was cheap, comforting, and an effective way to make use of produce we already had.
Why we liked it: Easy, budget-friendly, and surprisingly satisfying.
Make it simpler: Cube the potatoes small so that they cook dinner extra shortly.
Lemon Dill Salmon with Rice and Cucumber Salad
This was such a recent summer season dinner: lemon dill salmon served with rice and a cool cucumber salad on the facet. The brilliant lemon and herbs labored so nicely with the salmon, whereas the cucumber salad saved the entire meal feeling gentle and refreshing. It was straightforward sufficient for a weeknight however nonetheless felt a bit particular.
Why we liked it: Contemporary, balanced, and stuffed with brilliant summer season taste.
Make it simpler: Combine the cucumber salad forward of time and use microwave rice.
Bean, Rice, and Veggie Floor Beef Taco Bowls
These taco bowls included rice, beans, and floor beef cooked with loads of greens. They have been hearty, colourful, and yet one more straightforward method to provide everybody some selection at dinner. I particularly like meals like this as a result of the leftovers can grow to be lunch bowls, quesadillas, or burritos the following day.
Why we liked it: Filling, versatile, and filled with greens.
Make it simpler: Use microwave rice and canned beans.
BLTs with Avocado on Selfmade Sourdough
Few meals style extra like summer season than a BLT made with a extremely good tomato. We added avocado and piled all the things onto slices of selfmade sourdough, slathered in mayo, which made a easy sandwich really feel further particular. That is the sort of dinner I sit up for all 12 months.
Why we liked it: Contemporary, nostalgic, and all concerning the tomatoes.
Make it simpler: Cook dinner the bacon earlier within the day and reheat it briefly earlier than serving.
Grilled Rooster with Blistered Shishito Peppers, Tomatoes, and Selfmade Onion Rings
This dinner was a mixture of recent and indulgent in the very best manner. We served grilled rooster with blistered shishito peppers, ripe tomatoes, and selfmade onion rings. The rooster saved it easy, the greens introduced the summer season taste, and the crispy onion rings made the entire meal really feel enjoyable.
Why we liked it: A little bit recent, a bit indulgent, and stuffed with taste.
Make it simpler: Prep the onion rings earlier than beginning the grill.
I do know our meals will begin wanting quite a bit completely different as soon as fall arrives and the calendar fills up, however I’m actually having fun with this season of slower evenings, recent produce, and dinners that don’t need to be rushed. These meals weren’t fancy, however they have been scrumptious, sensible, and precisely proper for this time of 12 months. I’d like to know what has been on repeat in your kitchen this summer season—particularly if it includes a extremely good tomato!
Okay, I’ve so as to add two bonus dinners as a result of they have been so good!
