Check out my roundup of 16 Easy Summer Dinner Ideas and Recipes designed to save you time and get you out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. I get it, it’s hot, you are busy, the kids are out of school, and the last thing you want to do this summer is spend all of your time cooking!
The criteria for this roundup are simple: quick and easy summer dinner recipes made with fresh produce, whenever possible, with six ingredients or less (not counting condiments). And, most important, all of these dishes can be on the table in 25 minutes or less.
16 Easy Summer Dinner Ideas:
Spaghetti with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce features spaghetti pasta topped with luscious, nutritious, fresh summer cherry tomatoes. Sweet aromatic basil is combined with the tomatoes to make a light but full-flavored cherry tomato pasta sauce. Then it’s topped with nutty, savory parmesan cheese.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Cucumber Salsa
One of my most popular easy summer dinner ideas, Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Creamy Cucumber Salsa is a light summer meal. It consists of chicken breast sliced in half and pounded into thin cutlets. These cutlets are covered in flaky panko and nutty parmesan cheese and quickly sautéed until they are extra crispy! The icing on the cake, or in this case the topping on this easy parmesan crusted chicken, is a cool, creamy and crunchy cucumber salsa. It’s made with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice, a bit of sour cream, and because it’s salsa, a jalapeño pepper!
Southern BBQ Shrimp and Cheese Grits
In this recipe for Southern BBQ Shrimp and Cheese Grits, BBQ shrimp are cooked New Orleans style, and not cooked on a grill at all. Instead, they are sautéed in a robust BBQ sauce made with lemon juice, Creole seasoning, and tangy Worcestershire sauce. As for the parmesan cheese grits, well if you have never had them you are in for a real treat!
Pan Fried Fish and Blistered Tomatoes
In this Pan Fried Fish and Blistered Tomatoes recipe, I take fresh grouper fillets and quickly sear them in a non-stick skillet with just a little olive oil. Then fresh summer cherry tomatoes are cooked in the same pan until their skins are blistered, which gives them a uniquely sweet flavor. A rich, decadent lemon, parsley, butter sauce full of scallions and briny capers finishes off this light summer meal.
Fettuccini Alfredo with Broccoli and Canadian Bacon
If you like Fettuccine Alfredo, you will love Easy Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli and Canadian Bacon! It’s an easy dinner recipe, the ultimate comfort food, and you can have it on the table in 15 minutes. Easy Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli is one of my “go-to” recipes, and once you try it, I know it will become one of yours too!
Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho
If you like watermelon and you are looking for a light and refreshing, nutrient-rich, summer entrée then this chilled watermelon gazpacho soup is right up your alley! Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho Soup is a sweet and savory bowl of healthy deliciousness that you can have on your table in less than 20 minutes.
Quick and Easy Creamy Shrimp Creole
Ultimate Quick and Easy Creamy Shrimp Creole, is succulent briny shrimp drenched in a creamy, spicy tomato sauce with sour cream, tender mushrooms, peppers, and fresh tomatoes. It’s quick and easy, and it is a great one skillet entrée. Shrimp Creole is also perfect for weeknight family dinners, but also fancy enough to serve to guests. It’s delicious in a totally unforgettable way!
Easy Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Go stir-fry crazy with this healthy, filling, and flavorful, Easy Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry entrée! It’s super easy to make and it’s perfect for those nights when you are pressed for time. Believe it or not, you can have this delicious dish on the table in less than 15 minutes if you marinated the chicken beforehand!
Pan Seared Snapper with Mango Salsa
Pan Seared Red Snapper with Mango Salsa is an easy restaurant-quality main dish, which you can have on the table in less than 20 minutes. This healthy and flavorful red snapper recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, and it’s also a show-stopping dinner party entrée.
Shrimp Cobb Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Packed with flavor, Shrimp Cobb Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing is full of flavorful shrimp, smoky bacon, eggs, juicy tomatoes, avocado, and crunchy romaine lettuce. Add a wonderful tangy homemade blue cheese dressing, and it’s a delightful light meal. Not only is it healthy, but it can also be made in as little as 15 minutes.
Creamy Skillet Chicken with Bacon & Mushrooms
Are you looking for a great low-carbohydrate chicken recipe? Would you like to know how to prepare a quick and easy chicken recipe that will make your family and friends think you are a superstar in the kitchen? Well, hold on to your spatula because Bacon and Mushroom Skillet Chicken is all that and more!
Easy Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice
Easy Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice is a quick and easy weeknight meal full of fresh, briny gulf shrimp and pineapple chunks bursting with a juicy sweetness that your family will love!
Pan Seared Scallops with Salsa Verde
Pan-Seared Scallops with Salsa Verde is a delectable, quick, and easy seafood entrée. You can have it on the table in under 15 minutes. Check out this easy recipe for mild, sweet, briny sea scallops topped with a lemony salsa verde.
Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
If you are looking for an easy, quick, light, low-calorie, healthy, and delicious entrée. Be sure to check out my Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa recipe. This yummy dish would also be a perfect choice for a Cinco de Mayo party!
Caesar Salad with Roasted Shrimp
Are you in a quandary about what to cook for dinner tonight? Would you like something quick and easy to prepare, light, low-calorie, healthy, and delicious? Well, you are in the right place. Caesar Salad with Roasted Shrimp is one of our favorite dinners. I know it will quickly become one of yours too! It’s a favorite of mine because I love shrimp. I can have it on the table in less than 15 minutes. And, it’s a favorite of my husband’s because it’s delicious! It’s the perfect meal!
A few more roundups with easy summer dinner ideas:
- 33 Incredible and Easy Ice Cream Recipes
- 24 Fourth of July Recipes for the Ultimate Cookout
- 29 Easy and Amazing Memorial Day Recipes and Menu Ideas
- 23 Easy Dinner Party Ideas
- 30 Mouthwatering Recipes for your Memorial Day Cookout
I hope you have a wonderful fun-filled summer and enjoy some of these easy summer dinner ideas and recipes!
What’s your favorite summer meal? Be sure to leave a comment and let me know which ones you tried and which you like the best!
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