Looking for easy summer dinner recipes the whole family will love? These simple, budget-friendly ideas are perfect for hot days when you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen.
From quick dinners to refreshing snacks and portable sides, this list of easy summer recipe will keep your family happy (and your grocery bill in check!).
Easy Summer Dinner Recipes:
1. Easy Tomato Pie
This recipe is a delicious way to use extra tomatoes! It tastes kind of like crustless pizza to me.
2. Homemade Grilled Pizza
One of the secrets of making really great pizza is baking it at an extremely hot temperature. The grill is the perfect summertime solution, because not only can it cook at a higher temperature than your oven, it does so without heating up your house at the same time.
3. Hawaiian Grilled Pizza
This pizza is a fun twist on classic homemade pizza! Instead of the usual tomato sauce, it features tangy BBQ sauce topped with sweet pineapple, savory ham, and plenty of melted cheese.
4. Corn Dog Muffin Recipe for Kids
This recipe takes my World’s Best Honey Cornbread recipe (listed below!) and makes it a full meal that kids will love. These are basically just a much easier way to make corn dogs at home!
5. Mexican Shredded Chicken
Put 7 simple ingredients in the slow cooker and you have delicious shredded chicken that makes the perfect base for taco night, build-your-own burrito bowls, quesadillas, a Mexican salad, and more!
6. Easy Quiche Using Leftovers
This quiche recipe is hearty and tasty, and can be served for breakfast, brunch or dinner! Plus, it’s extremely versatile and you can include whatever leftovers you have in the fridge or pantry.
7. Pepperoni Rolls
It doesn’t get much better than delicious homemade bread dough stuffed with savory pepperoni and gooey cheese! These pepperoni rolls are perfect for everything from an after-school snack to a quick evening meal.
8. Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Who doesn’t love fettuccine alfredo?! It’s surprisingly easy to make and absolutely delicious!
9. Chipotle Burritos
This is a super easy dinner idea that makes use of that oh-so-versatile slow cooker! The homemade pico de gallo takes this recipe up a notch and is a fantastic way to use up some of summer’s amazing tomatoes.
10. Green Enchiladas
These creamy, cheesy enchiladas are easy to put together, freeze beautifully, and are one of our family’s favorite meals!
11. Homemade Chicken Salsa Pockets
This cheesy salsa chicken enfolded in a flakey homemade crust will soon become the meal your family requests! Eat them warm or freeze them for an easy weeknight meal.
12. Green Rice Casserole
This frugal, family-friendly casserole can be made as a side dish or a main dish. You could also add some cooked chicken, sausage, veggies to beef things up a bit. And, it freezes wonderfully!
13. Classic Grilled Chicken with Spices and Marinade
This basic chicken recipe is one of the easiest summer dinner recipes for the whole family! It uses pantry staples to make a delicious, juicy chicken breast that is simple enough to appeal to children while classy enough to serve to company.
14. Chicken Burritos
This recipe originally came from my husband’s family — and it’s become one of our family’s longstanding favorites, too. It’s so simple to make, freezes well, uses inexpensive ingredients, and is filling!
Easy Summer Side Recipes:
15. Roasted Vegetables Side Dish
Roasting is a delicious way to prepare veggies and you basically can’t mess it up!
16. Layered Taco Dip
This easy nacho dip is a great after-school snack, BBQ side dish, holiday appetizer, or game-day treat. It’s quick to whip up using frugal ingredients, and everyone loves it!
17. Quick and Easy Basil Pesto Recipe
Basil pesto is super easy and packed with flavor. It’s perfect tossed with pasta, spread on sandwiches, or drizzled over grilled veggies.
18. Creamy Rice
This creamy and comforting rice dish falls somewhere between creamy mashed potatoes and risotto, and it makes a delicious and frugal side.
19. Homemade Bread
Whether you’re in the mood for biscuits, breadsticks, muffins, or English muffin bread, homemade bread is a frugal and delicious side. This post has 13 recipes you’ll love!
20. Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
I love all things potato and this recipe is no exception. It’s simple, frugal, gluten-free… and it tastes great!
21. The BEST Creamy Coleslaw
This coleslaw is one of the easiest side dishes you’ll ever make and it makes a huge batch, so it’s perfect for summer potlucks, backyard BBQs, and more! As an added bonus, it can be made a full day in advance as it actually tastes even better when it sits overnight!
22. The World’s Best Honey Cornbread
If you love a good piece of sweet, moist cornbread, you have got to try my honey cornbread recipe! You know I don’t dub something “world’s best” unless I believe in all sincerity that it is.
23. Honey-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Even if you’re sure you don’t like Brussels sprouts, I urge you to give this super simple recipe a try. Like me, you might find out you actually love Brussels sprouts when they’re roasted with a little honey!
24. The BEST Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
It only took me about 57 different Homemade Mac & Cheese recipes to finally find THE recipe, but it was worth it. I’m confident you’ll agree.
Other Summer Recipe Inspiration:
3 Crockpot Freezer Meals for the Summer — You’ll love these three recipes for sausage & peppers, meatloaf, and pulled pork sandwiches that you can freeze ahead of time and then dump into the crockpot.
Meals for a Crowd — Our meal plan for vacation with 28 people!
A Genius Way to Use Extra Zucchini — If your garden yielded extra or you found a great deal, you’ll appreciate this brilliant idea.
How to Freeze Summer Herbs —This reduces waste and helps you enjoy fresh herbs all year.
Do you have any favorite summer dinner recipes your family loves? Let us know in the comments below!
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