Here are 30 of our family’s favorite summer dinner ideas. These ideas are family-friendly, include sides like fresh seasonal fruit and veggies, and can be as easy as you want them to be.
Download the 30 days of summer dinner ideas printable
Tip: When you print your 30 Days of Summer Dinner Ideas printable, select “fit to paper” to make sure that nothing gets cut off.
More meal planning resources
Make sure you check out my post about insanely easy meal planning tips to use all year long right here!
Shortcuts
If you’re short on time, there are lots of shortcuts you can take to save time cooking this summer.
For example:
- Use rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken
- Buy salad kits instead of making salads yourself
- Use frozen pizza dough instead of making your own
- Use frozen meatballs or quiche instead of making your own
- Buy pre-cut fruit or vegetables. You’ll pay a little more, but save yourself time. Or pre-chop all your fruit and veggies yourself on a day when you have a little extra time.
Recipes and tips
Here are a few of our favorite recipes and ingredients for the meals listed in the 30 days of summer dinner ideas printable.
Note: I’ve included Walmart links for you whenever possible so that you can easily add items to your grocery list for the week.
Note: As a Walmart Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Day 1: BLTs with roasted yellow squash
We love to take our BLTs up a notch by using pretzel burger buns. They are so good!
Or, try a BLT wrap. Chopped salad kits work as a great substitute for the lettuce if you want to mix it up a little bit.
Day 2: Chicken kabobs with mac & cheese
Ideas to include on your kabobs: Chicken onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, and jalapeños if you’re feeling wild.
Day 3: Sloppy joes with fruit skewers
Get the kids involved in making their own fruit skewers. Cut fruit up into chunks and let them make their own combinations by skewering their favorites.
Day 4: Loaded nachos with baked sweet potatoes
This is basically just a different version of a walking taco: Lay down a layer of tortilla chips and then add your favorite taco meat and toppings.
Here’s a fun version you can make over a campfire.
Da 5: Margherita pizza with fruit salad
If you’re looking to mix it up, try making this pizza on the grill, and/or using flatbread for your crust.
We add fresh, sliced mozzarella, thinly sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil on top. Bonus if the tomatoes and basil come straight from your garden or a local farm stand… yum!
Related: Summer planning pack for moms. Everything you need to organize your entire summer. Get it here!
Day 6: Grilled chicken with a Caprese pasta salad
My secret to a delicious Caprese pasta salad is to start with marinated fresh mozzarella cheese. I dump the whole tub, including the oil and seasonings, right into some cooked (and cooled) pasta. Orzo is my favorite!
Then add halved cherry tomatoes, basil, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Done!
Day 7: Quiche with fresh cantaloupe
If you don’t want to make your own quiche, you can always buy it frozen. Or, double it and freeze one yourself. Your future self will thank you!
Day 8: Kielbasa sheet meal with fresh peaches
To make this meal, I cut up my kielbasa along with a bunch of vegetables: Peppers, onions, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in your oven until everything is browned and crispy.
Day 9: Black bean quesadillas with Mexican street corn
We make quesadillas by sprinkling a little shredded cheese with some taco seasoning on a tortilla, folding it in half, and frying it in a pan. Easy peasy. We’ll also add in different toppings, such as:
- black beans
- corn
- shredded chicken
- taco meat
- salsa
- avocado
- diced, roasted sweet potatoes
Day 10: Grilled salmon with mixed roasted veggies
We love to grill salmon with some lemon juice and Mrs. Dash seasoning.
Our favorite veggies for mixes roasted veggies:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Little potatoes, halved
- Onions
Day 11: Burgers with corn on the cob
Again, our favorite buns for burgers are pretzel burger buns. So good. We like to mix it up by adding different toppings to our burgers each time we have them:
- Nacho cheese and crushed tortilla chips
- An over-easy egg
- Avocado, lettuce and tomato
- Bacon and cheese
- Chopped Caesar salad
- Onions, mushrooms and peppers
Day 12: Grilled steak with sweet kale salad and potato wedges
We like this sweet kale salad kit. To make potato wedges, just peel and slice potatoes with an apple slicer. Then toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake until nice and toasty.
Da 13: Chicken Caesar salad with fresh bread
Marinade and grill your own chicken to add to your salad, or buy a rotisserie chicken if you’re short on time.
I love a fresh-baked loaf of bread, but a store-bought baguette is delicious, too- especially if you add some fresh mozzarella and a slice of tomato straight from the garden.
Day 14: Spaghetti and meatballs with a Caprese salad
Meatballs freeze really well, so make a double or triple batch while you’re at it. Your future self will thank you!
(By the way, the trick to making the best meatballs you’ve ever had is to find a recipe that includes ricotta cheese.)
Day 15: Fajitas with couscous and mango
We keep it simple by grilling up some chicken, peppers and onions with a fajita seasoning. Toss it all in a tortilla with some lettuce, tomato and cheese.
Day 16: Meatball subs with sweet potato fries
Remember those meatballs you saved from day 14? Today all you have to do is heat them back up, put them in a sub roll, and add a little shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Yum!
Make your own sweet potato fries, or heat up frozen ones- whatever you’re in the mood for.
Day 17: Homemade pizza with a Ceasar salad
It’s not difficult to make your own pizza crust, but we usually save time by buying frozen dough. Add a Ceasar salad kit for a super easy- but delicious- meal.
Day 18: Chicken salad sandwiches with raw veggies and dip
We use rotisserie chicken to make chicken salad- add a little mayo, some celery, and chop it all up. We use pitas to make the sandwiches, along with a tomato and a crunchy lettuce leaf.
Our favorite raw veggies are carrots, mini cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and peppers.
Our favorite dip, by far, is Walmart’s everything hummus. I would eat anything dipped in that stuff!
Day 19: Taco salad with corn casserole
You can start with a bagged taco salad kit, then add your taco meat- we like beef or shredded chicken- and whatever other taco toppings your family likes.
Day 20: Beef tacos with cornbread and fresh pineapple
Save some of the meat from yesterday’s taco salad, and use it to make tacos today.
Our favorite corn bread mix is Krusteaz Honey Cornbread.
Day 21: Salmon burgers with bean salad
Just like a hamburger, but use salmon instead. This is really good with lettuce, tomato, and avocado. Even bacon, if you’re feeling really crazy.
You can make your own bean salad, but you really can’t beat my favorite ready-made bean salad, which only costs a few dollars at Aldi. It is so good that I regularly eat it as a snack- it goes great with pita chips!
Day 22: Stuffed peppers with fresh cherries
Or, if your kids aren’t thrilled about eating an entire cooked pepper, check out this recipe for unstuffed peppers.
Day 23: Burrito bowls with chips and salsa
When we make burrito bowls, we set out all the toppings, give everyone a bowl of rice, and let them add what they like. Here’s what you can include:
- Chipotle chicken (recipe here)
- Black beans
- Corn
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Jalapeño peppers
Day 24: Hot dogs with pasta salad and watermelon
This is a great meal for the fire pit. My kids love roasting their own hot dogs over the fire.
To make pasta salad, I cook and cool any type of pasta. Then I add Italian salad dressing, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, cheese cubes, banana peppers, olives… really whatever I can find in the fridge!
Day 25: Pulled pork sandwiches with roasted Brussels sprouts
Slow cooker pulled pork recipe
If you’re not a fan of pork, you can always use chicken instead.
Side note: Did you know that it’s spelled BRUSSELS sprouts and not brussel sprouts? I was today years old when I found that out. Haha!
Day 26: Chicken tacos with a southwest salad
I make chicken tacos in the slow cooker by adding some taco seasoning to a frozen chicken breast or two and cooking on low for 4 hours or so. Pair with a southwest salad kit for a super easy dinner.
Day 27: Breakfast casserole with fresh strawberries
You can add whatever you want to your breakfast casserole. Start with a base like the one below, and substitute out peppers, onions, or any type of sausage or cheese.
Hash brown, sausage, egg casserole recipe
Day 28: Calzones with roasted zucchini
We make these really easy by buying frozen pizza dough. Thaw, cut in half, roll out, and stuff with cheese.
It’s also really good to add some shredded rotisserie chicken with buffalo sauce.
Day 29: Chicken parmesan with pasta and green beans
You can make chicken parm from scratch (this is a good recipe) or start with precooked chicken for a little shortcut.
Green beans are delicious fried in a pan with olive oil and little bit of minced garlic.
Day 30: Pancakes for dinner with fresh berries
Make your favorite pancakes for a fun dinner treat. (We love Krusteaz pancake mix.) Top with fresh berries! This is a great dinner for right after you go berry picking.
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