45 Easy Summer Dinner Ideas

Tired of the same old recipe rotation? Change things up with these easy summer dinner ideas! They include grilling recipes, quick pastas, and more.

If you’re looking for new summer dinner ideas, you’re in the right place! Below, you’ll find 45 of my best summer dinner recipes. They include easy weeknight pastas, fresh summer salads, quick grilled meals, and more. These recipes are the meals I make on repeat throughout the summer. I love them because they’re packed with the best produce the season has to offer—tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, basil, and more. Using these fresh ingredients is a simple way to add bold flavor to summer meals. I’ll be cooking with them as often as I can this season, and I hope you…

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Easy Pasta Salad

This fresh, easy pasta salad recipe comes together in under 30 minutes! Tossed in a tangy vinaigrette and filled with veggies, it's a cookout hit.

summer / salads

Today’s recipe is a picnic-perfect pasta salad! Every cookout needs a great pasta salad, and this is the one that I make all summer long. It comes together in no time, it’s full of fresh ingredients, and it packs a flavorful punch. I took extra care to make sure that this recipe is not just easy, but also easy to make in advance… because I totally get that you don’t want to be futzing with your pasta salad when you could be spending time outside with your friends. Note: If you do decide to make this salad in advance, toss…

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Best Broccoli Salad

Meet my favorite broccoli salad recipe...aka the best cookout side dish! With a lightly creamy, tangy dressing, it's fresh, healthy, and delicious.

summer / salads

This broccoli salad recipe is one of my favorite side dishes. It’s my lighter spin on classic Midwest broccoli salad, and though you won’t find any cheese or bacon here, it’s every bit as delicious. A creamy, tangy dressing coats crisp broccoli florets, chewy dried cranberries, sharp red onion, and smoky roasted nuts. Even salad skeptics will love it. This broccoli salad recipe is easy to make, and even better, make ahead. A few hours or a day in the fridge gives the broccoli a chance to soften and soak up the dressing’s punchy flavor. Pack it up for a…

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Cowboy Caviar

Made with black-eyed peas, black beans, and veggies, this cowboy caviar is an easy, fresh, and flavorful dip. It'll be a hit at your next potluck or party!

summer / appetizers

Cowboy caviar is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! This zesty dip is made with black-eyed peas, beans, sweet corn, and other veggies. It’s fresh, tangy, and perfect for scooping up with tortilla chips. This cowboy caviar recipe is super easy to make, and it tastes better if you make it ahead. If you don’t already have a signature dish that you bring to potlucks, cookouts, and other get-togethers, you might have found it. Cowboy Caviar Recipe Ingredients You only need a few simple ingredients to make this cowboy caviar recipe: Black beans and black-eyed peas – They make up the bulk of this…

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Creamy Coleslaw

Learn how to make the BEST homemade coleslaw! Filled with red and green cabbage, carrots, and green onions, this easy recipe is healthy and delicious.

summer / side dishes

This easy coleslaw recipe is great for just about any occasion—a weeknight dinner, a cookout, or a fun picnic lunch. Like all my favorite summer recipes, it’s packed with colorful veggies, and a lightly creamy, tangy dressing ties the whole thing together. It comes together in minutes, and it keeps well if you make it ahead of time. Just add veggie burgers, and you’ve got a perfect summer meal! Coleslaw Recipe Ingredients You only need a few basic ingredients to make this homemade coleslaw recipe! I like to think of it in two parts: the coleslaw mix and the dressing.…

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Air Fryer Chickpeas

Love oven roasted chickpeas? These air fryer chickpeas are even better! They're super crispy, flavorful, and easy to make. A delicious healthy snack!

Air fryer chickpeas! If you love oven roasted chickpeas, get ready: these air fryer chickpeas are even better. I’ve been making them on repeat lately. Here’s why: They’re ready in 15 minutes. Roasting chickpeas in the air fryer is about twice as fast as making roasted chickpeas in the oven. Bonus: the air fryer preheats in no time! They’re INSANELY crunchy. Expect to eat a few (erm…half) straight from the air fryer basket. They’re irresistible! I love sprinkling these crispy chickpeas over salads and grain bowls. Filled with fiber and plant-based protein, they’re also a delicious healthy snack! Season them simply with…

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Rhubarb Crisp

This rhubarb crisp recipe features tart, jammy rhubarb topped with a buttery oat crumble. It's SO easy and delicious—the perfect spring dessert!

Step aside, strawberry rhubarb pie! This rhubarb crisp recipe is my favorite spring dessert. I love it because it’s so easy (HUGE bonus points for not requiring pie crust), but it’s still completely delicious. A layer of fresh rhubarb bakes to jammy, sweet-tart perfection, and a brown sugar and oat crumble crisps up beautifully on top. I’m personally incapable of eating it without a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but hey, you do you. I’ve been making this rhubarb crisp recipe for years now. In fact, I first planned to share it three years ago, right around the time our son…

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Air Fryer Asparagus

This air fryer asparagus recipe is a quick, easy, and healthy side dish. In under 10 minutes, the spears become tender, juicy, and perfectly crisp.

side dishes

This air fryer asparagus recipe is one of the quickest, easiest spring side dishes. It calls for 5 basic ingredients, and it’s ready in under 10 minutes. I love that even though it’s that simple (5 ingredients! 10 minutes!), it’s still a fantastic way to showcase one of the best vegetables of the season. Who says recipes have to be complicated in order to be delicious? When it comes out of the air fryer, the asparagus is tender and juicy, with perfectly crispy tips. I can never resist sneaking a few spears straight out of the air fryer basket, the frizzled…

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Breakfast Potatoes

This breakfast potatoes recipe is easy to make in the oven! Perfectly crispy and flavorful, the potatoes are a delicious side dish for breakfast or brunch.

breakfast / side dishes

What’s not to love about breakfast potatoes? They’re crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, and seasoned to perfection with smoky, savory spices. They’re SO simple to make, and they taste great with just about any breakfast food. Pancakes? Scrambled eggs? Yes, please! You’ll find my easy breakfast potatoes recipe below. It’s one of my favorite breakfast dishes, perfect for special occasion brunches and everyday breakfasts alike. I offer two variations in the recipe. If you like, you can simply roast the potatoes with salt, pepper, and spices. OR you can toss the roasted potatoes with sautéed onions and…

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French Toast Casserole

This overnight French toast casserole recipe is the perfect breakfast for a crowd! It's simple and delicious, with a crisp topping and custardy middle.

This French toast casserole recipe is the easiest way to make French toast for a crowd. Instead of standing at the stove, flipping slices to order, you pile cubed bread into a casserole dish, douse it in a rich, cinnamon-spiced custard, and bake it with pecans and brown sugar on top. It’s a breeze to assemble on the morning you plan to serve it, but if you want to streamline this French toast casserole recipe even more, you can put it together the day before and let it sit overnight in the fridge. The next morning, all you have to…

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Huevos Rancheros

This easy huevos rancheros recipe consists of corn tortillas topped with refried beans, salsa, and eggs. It's a delicious, filling breakfast or brunch!

Huevos rancheros are the best way to start the day! I think so, at least. After years of living in Austin, I love any breakfast made with tortillas + salsa + eggs. Huevos rancheros are one of the simplest and most delicious. I’m sharing my easy huevos rancheros recipe below, complete with tips, variations, and ways to get ahead. I hope it becomes a staple in your rotation, and not just for breakfast. This huevos rancheros recipe makes a great lunch or dinner too! Huevos Rancheros Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this huevos rancheros recipe: Corn tortillas – Don’t…

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