Summer is officially here and it has been beautiful! We have spent so much time outside with the kids, in the sunshine and it’s just been so great. It got me thinking that it’s time to share some of the best summer recipes with you all!
This simple list will give you ideas for sides, drinks, main meals and more; everything you need to enjoy every last drop of summer, while it lasts!
Sides/Salads/Dips/Apps
- Watermelon salsa – summery and fresh, so addicting!
- Creamy Italian herb pasta salad – I always make this in the summer with fresh herbs from my garden, it’s a refreshing and delicious pasta salad!
- 3 bean and steak salad – a great cold appetizer
- Oil and vinegar potato salad – this one is a great potato salad to bring for an outdoor party – bonus is it’s gluten free and vegan for those with dietary restrictions
- Easy cucumber salad – a nice easy cold appetizer salad
- The best tortellini pasta salad – only 5 ingredients and you’re set with this easy tortellini pasta salad, it’s such a great summer side dish
- Spinach salad and dressing recipe – for a refreshing salad everyone will love, bring this spinach salad, it’s amazing
- Summer melon salad – one of (if not THE) best summer fruit salads I’ve ever had
- Fresh herb flatbread – a flatbread made with herb butter, it uses fresh herbs and is so summery!
- Peach and tomato panzanella salad – I omitted red onions, which are traditionally in a panzanella and I could not stop eating this!
Sides on the grill
- Balsamic grilled vegetable side dish – I shared this recipe last summer and it quickly sky-rocketed to being a favorite among my readers (and one of mine!)
- Grilled broccoli vegetable side dish – grilled broccoli is like no other, it’s so good, even the non-broccoli lovers I know enjoy broccoli cooked this way
Meats on the Grill
- Grilled chicken green goddess cobb salad – we have this salad all the time during the summer!
- Sweet and spicy beef kabobs – perfect sweet/spicy flavor combo, makes amazing steak/beef kabobs, can also make this recipe with chicken or pork
- Grilled turkey burgers – with green chiles and zucchini, very summery and delicious
- Sour cream and chive turkey burgers– these are our favorite burgers to make and throw on the grill, they’re sooo good!
- Steak and nectarine salad – a really tasty fruit and steak salad
- Steak and charred corn salad – we love this simple steak and corn salad, it’s summer and only 5 ingredients!
- Chicken tacos with pineapple salsa – I love grilling chicken for these amazing tacos (the chicken can also be made stove top), the pineapple salsa makes it so summery
Summer Mains
- Summer roasted vegetable lasagna – this is an amazing way to enjoy all those farmers market veggies!
- Ham and swiss sandwich with maple mustard mayo – if you’re looking for a quick meal, these sandwiches are so easy and such a fast and delicious meal when you don’t feel like cooking!
- Sheet pan pizza recipe – if you’re having a bunch of people over, this dish, omg so good and a fave
Summer desserts & sweets
- 5 ingredient jam crumb bars – great for feeding a crowd and can be customized with whatever jam you have on hand!
- The best salted caramel chocolate chip cookies – if I ever have to bring a cookie to a get together, THESE are the ones I bring
- Whole wheat fruit pizza cookies – a great summer party cookie, they’re fresh and so delicious!
- Strawberries and cream ice box pie – love a good ice box pie, this one is definitely one of my favorites – strawberries and cream for the win!
- Lemonade Pie – this recipe is only 4 ingredients and seriously just screams summer!
- 5 ingredient blueberry pie – a graham cracker crust makes this pie extra tasty.
Summer no bake-no cook recipes
- Freezer peanut butter pie-my husbands’ favorite pie, literally, he could eat this every day he said!
- White chocolate grape bites -great to have on hand for when guests come over, they’re so good!
- 5 ingredient peanut butter pretzel energy bites – these are a great “healthy” snack and are really good served cold
- Chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream cake – only 5 ingredients and this is one of my husbands all time fave desserts
- Easy dessert recipe with pie peaches – these can be a 5 ingredient no bake dessert, they can be made with peaches (or pie peaches) and are sooooo friggin’ good
- 5 ingredient strawberries and cream tartlettes – super easy and super delicious
Summer Cocktails & Drinks
- Refreshing cucumber melon spritzer – definitely a must-make refreshing drink – can be a mocktail or cocktail!
- Cucumber limeade with chia seeds – a healthy but oh so delicious summer drink!
- Cherry mint mojito – if you have fresh cherries available, this is the cocktail for you – it’s a super old post but it’s such a good one.
- Skinny peach mojitos – such a summery drink
- Raspberry collins cocktail – such a pretty pink and light cocktail for summer
- Basil lemonade – there’s something special about homemade lemonade, this one has the addition of basil and is super good!
- Fruit punch (and some tips on what to do with leftover fruit) – we have fruit around the house all summer long because all of the kids love it, so this post is great when you have extra fruit and need something to do with it!
And if you’re looking for even more summer recipes, you can search by category on SweetPhi.com. Simply type “Summer” in the search bar to find many of these recipes and more!
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