Every season has something to look forward to, and summer is no exception. It’s the perfect time to be outside! We love to fire up the grill, savor fresh fruits and veggies (watermelon is a must-have), and indulge in refreshing summer desserts and summer drinks!
These summer recipes are a great way to stay well-fed and happy all season long!
Why we love summer recipes:
Fresh produce. I love making summer side dishes, summer salads, and desserts that include all the veggies and berries that are perfectly ripe and delicious in the summer.
Plenty of tips.This post offers practical tips for cooking, grilling, and serving to make every summer meal a success!
Variety of recipes. We’ve included a wide range of recipes from entrees, sides, salads, drinks, and desserts, providing options for every summer occasion.
Tips for Summertime Cooking
Grilled meats, fruits, and veggies. I love the char marks and it adds a unique grilled flavor.
Utilize your crock pot! Achieve delicious summer crockpot recipes without spending time in an oven-hot kitchen.
Take it outside. Eat out on the patio, go out for a picnic, or head to the lake or the beach.
Lighting. If you’re eating outdoors in the evening, string up lights and use tiki torches.
Keeping food cool outside. Put the food table in the shade, don’t put everything out at once, put dishes on ice, and keep food covered.
Transporting food. Using a cooler works for both hot and cold foods. Keep cold food and hot foods in separate coolers. Remove them only when you’re ready to serve them.
Use ice and cold packs to keep food cold. To keep food warm in a cooler, use hot water bottles, hot rice bags, and hot bricks.
See the individual recipe posts for more tips and tricks for cooking these summer recipes.
Seasonal produce
Buying in-season produce is not only cost-effective but also ensures the freshest most delicious produce.
Some favorite summer fruits and vegetables to include in your healthy summer recipes:
Summer veggies. mushrooms, bell peppers, green beans, carrots, beets, cucumbers, leafy greens, green beans, onions, cabbage, peas, fresh corn, and radishes
Summer fruits. avocado, apples, melons, stone fruit, figs, grapes, citrus, pear, squash, and cherry tomatoes
Grill up a juicy Hamburger piled high with toppings, cook Hot Dogs in a crockpot smothered in mustard, or toast Homemade Pizza Dough on the grill. We have plenty of easy summer dinner recipes from the grill and beyond to have on repeat all season long!
A summer dinner classic at our house is grilling up skewers of cubed chicken breast or shrimp and fresh veggies like red onion and peppers.
There is no shortage of delicious summer dinner ideas. Whether you’re grilling or cooking low and slow in a crock pot, we have even more tasty options for you to enjoy!
We, of course, eat plenty of cool treats and sweets! From no-bake recipes to ice cream treats, we have a variety of tasty summer desserts to choose from.
And don’t forget to top your summer soiree with a refreshing summer drink!
We love to make meat for the summer holidays!! Our favorite meat to cook up is Steak, but we also love to make Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, and my hubby’s favorite – pulled pork!
This deliciously easy Pulled Pork Recipe is made in the slow cooker and takes just minutes to prep making it a go-to dinner idea!
Here is the recipe:
Use salt to rub pork butt generously.
Place pork in your slow cooker and pour liquid smoke over the top.
Turn slow cooker on low. Cook for 8- 10 hours or until pork is tender and shreds easily.
Using a fork, shred all the pork. Add BBQ sauce and stir until all pork is coated. Serve with buns or rolls, add additional BBQ sauce and any other preferred toppings.
To Freeze: Freezing this pork is super easy, and a great way to save leftovers. Store individual servings in resealable plastic freezer bags. Make sure to seal the bags tightly so none of it will leak out. Frozen pulled pork will last 2–3 months in the freezer. Pull it out for a quick and easy meal when you do not have time to make dinner! Let it thaw at room temperature, then heat it up on the stove or in the microwave. Oven Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub liquid smoke and salt over the pork butt and wrap in foil. Place in a roasting pan and cook for 5 hours, or until the internal temperature is 145°F. Shred and serve as directed above.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Making this recipe? Tag us!
Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!
Favorite Summer Recipes
We hope you enjoy this list of delicious summer recipes. Whether you’re looking for something special to serve at a backyard BBQ or just an everyday weeknight dinner there is something for everyone!
