• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • FAQS
  • Privacy Policy

Rants From My Crazy Kitchen logo

  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact Me/Work With Me!
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • FAQS
  • Privacy Policy
  • Follow Me!

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Collections

    May 10, 2014

    50+ Quick Summer Dinners

    Quick-Summer-Dinners

    One of the biggest struggles I face every summer is getting dinner ready when my daughter and I want to spend the day outside. I mean, I can make spaghetti with jarred sauce, or eggs, or fish fairly quick, but what I really longed for was some quick summer dinner ideas that were different, but still easy, and delicious! Can you agree with me? You want your dinners to be good, but what you really want is to be in the pool, right? Or your kids are in the pool, and you have to watch them and by the time you get them out of the pool, in the house, and changed into dry clothes you realize your husband is going to be home in 15 minutes and waiting for dinner, but you really don't want to go the fast food route, again.

    So, I've put together a fabulous collection of over 50 fabulous summer dinner ideas! Here you will find everything from Lamb Chops to Vegan Quinoa Salad, tons of salads, steaks, pasta dishes, and more! Each of the following recipes is ready in 30 minutes or less, including prep time.  There is something here for everyone, no matter how picky your  husband , kid   you are. I won't waste any more of your busy summer time, just scroll through to find something to suit you and get back to the pool!

     

    Beef and Lamb 

    Lemon Thyme Lamb Chops from the view from great island

    Chocolate Coffee Rubbed Steak from Food Faith Fitness

    Easy Taco Burgers from Around My Family Table

    Flat Iron Steak with Egg and Arugula Salad from Renee's Kitchen Adventures

    Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Burgers from Two Healthy Kitchens

    Sizzling Steak Fajitas from Flavor Mosaic

    Grilled Steak Salad with Cherries, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese from Renee's Kitchen Adventures

     

    Pasta

    Orzo with Spinach and Tomatoes from Life Tastes Good

    One Skillet Cheesy Taco Pasta from Chelsea's Messy Apron

    Creamy Pasta Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Bell Peppers from An Edible Mosaic

    Spicy Chicken Pasta from Life Tastes Good

    Tagliatelle with Arugula Cashew Pesto from Because I Like Chocolate

    Lightning-Fast Cheesy Three -Pepper Ravioli with Italian Sausage from Two Healthy Kitchens

    Vegetarian Greek Pasta with Feta from Around My Family Table

    Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad from Snappy Gourmet

    Avocado Basil Pasta from The Kitchen is My Playground

    Pasta with Olives and Feta from Seasonal & Savory

    Creamy Tomato and Sausage Pasta from Two Healthy Kitchens

    Chicken Caruso (Gluten Free) from One Creative Mommy

    One Pot Pizza Pasta from Chelsea's Messy Apron

     

    Pork

     Grilled Ground Pork Burgers from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

    Greek Style Pork Chops from Life Tastes Good

    Caribbean Tacos from Snappy Gourmet

    Grilled Pork Chops with Rosemary Garlic Rub from It's a Keeper

     

    Poultry 

    Cajun Turkey Cutlets from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

    Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs from Life Tastes Good

    Easy Weeknight Chicken Piccata from the view from great island

    BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza from From Valerie's Kitchen

    Panera Hummus Chicken Power Salad Copy Cat from Food Faith Fitness

    Mediterranean Chicken Chopped Salad with Creamy Feta Dill Dressing from From Valerie's Kitchen

    Cajun Blackened Chicken from Flavor Mosaic

    Panzanella Salad with Grilled Chicken from Renee's Kitchen Adventures

    Mexican Lasagna from Fannetastic Food

    Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken from It's a Keeper

     

    Seafood

    Mahi Mahi Skewers with Jalapeno, Key Lime, and Pineapple from the view from great island

    Avocados Stuffed with Tarragon Shrimp Salad from Seasonal & Savory

    Shrimp Scampi with Spaghetti Squash from It's Yummi

    Easy Tilapia with Cilantro and Lime from Food Faith Fitness

    Grilled Salmon Salad with Warm Blueberry Vinaigrette from Around My Family Table

    Salt and Pepper Shrimp from Seasonal & Savory

     

    Vegetarian/Vegan

    Grilled Caprese Salad Sandwich from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

    Spring Vegetable Skewers and Saffron Couscous from the view from great island

    Layered Summer Veggie Appetizer from Farm Fresh Feasts

    Vegetarian BLT from Because I Like Chocolate

    Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

    Pomegranate Persimmon Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette from Food Faith Fitness

    Vegan Buddha Bowl from Because I Like Chocolate

    Greek- Flavored Butter Bean Salad from An Edible Mosaic

    Veggie Tostadas from From Valerie's Kitchen

    Easy Homemade Grilled Pizza from Two Healthy Kitchens (vegetarian or not, depending on the toppings you chose!)

    Vegan Mexican Quinoa Salad from Fannetastic Food

     

    Quick-Summer-Dinners-2

    « Lisa's 140 Days of Light
    Grilled Ground Pork Burgers »
    767 shares
    • Facebook25
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says

      June 09, 2014 at 11:18 am

      This is such a great list! I'm totally with ya - who wants to spend all their time in the kitchen when it's beautiful outside and the pool (and your kiddos!) are beckoning!?!? Even if you love to cook as much as I do! Tons of great ideas here! Thanks a million for including so many of our THK recipes - our Creamy Tomato and Sausage Pasta, Pizza Burgers, Lightning-Fast Ravioli, and Easy Grilled Pizza - we're all about really easy, quick (and healthy!) recipes, and we're so thrilled to be included among so many other fantastic bloggers on this list! Hope you have a wonderfully relaxing, chilled out summer! 😀

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 09, 2014 at 12:59 pm

        Have a great summer Shelley!

        Reply
    2. Jennifer @Making Our Life Matter says

      June 06, 2014 at 7:39 am

      Great collection of recipes to make during the summer.

      Reply
    3. Christina @ It's a Keeper says

      June 05, 2014 at 8:56 am

      What a great collection of easy summer recipes! There are so many I want to try!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 05, 2014 at 10:26 am

        I know, me too! Planning on picking one today to make next week 🙂

        Reply
    4. Jaime @ Mom's Test Kitchen says

      June 04, 2014 at 11:50 am

      I love this list Bernadette!! Thanks so much for putting it together! Sharing on FB 🙂

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 05, 2014 at 10:28 am

        Thanks Jaime!

        Reply
    5. Reesa Lewandowski says

      June 03, 2014 at 10:39 pm

      This is a great round up. I never want to slave in the kitchen in the summer. After being outside all day, I want quick and easy! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 05, 2014 at 10:29 am

        I know what you mean. In fact, it's the whole reason I put this together!

        Reply
    6. Heather says

      June 03, 2014 at 9:30 am

      I love how you organized this list! And I agree, more time at the beach yay!!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 03, 2014 at 10:22 am

        I wish the beach was closer! But, definitely more time at the pool 🙂

        Reply
    7. Larisha says

      June 03, 2014 at 8:49 am

      I really hate cooking in the summer, so this is great! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 03, 2014 at 10:25 am

        I hate it, too, just because it's so hard for me to find time in the summer. I really do plan on using this list.

        Reply
    8. Becca from ItsYummi! says

      May 12, 2014 at 9:55 am

      What a FABULOUS lineup of summer goodness! Thanks for including me <3

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        May 13, 2014 at 10:12 am

        You're welcome!!

        Reply
    9. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says

      May 11, 2014 at 7:29 am

      YES! I so need all of these! And they all look super yum! Thank you so much for including me!!

      Reply
    10. Marion@Life Tastes Good says

      May 10, 2014 at 7:18 pm

      All great ideas! I'm pinning so I can give many of these a try! Thanks for including some of my recipes too!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        May 10, 2014 at 7:33 pm

        You're welcome! True story, I wanted to do this collection to have some ideas for me!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi everyone!
    Welcome to Rants From My Crazy Kitchen, where I share my favorite recipes and my thoughts on food, picky eaters, products, and restaurants. Join in the fun by subscribing to receive new posts as they are published. You can find out more about me by clicking on my picture. Enjoy!

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Trending Recipes

    • Close up photo of Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad
      Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad (Walmart Copycat Recipe)
    • Photo of Creamy Cucumber Salad in a large white bowl on a wood table next to a black serving spoon
      Creamy Cucumber Salad
    • photo of a whole pot pie on a baking sheet on top of a wood table
      Chicken Pot Pie
    • Photo of 5 Ingredient Taco Soup in a white bowl topped with shredded cheese and sliced scallions along with a bowl of tortilla chips
      5 Ingredient Taco Soup

    Seasonal Favorites

    • photo of sliced brie on a platter surrounded by fruit
      Baked Brie With Apricot and Walnuts
    • close up photo of a filled and decorated cookie
      Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
    • This Overnight Eggs Benedict Casserole with homemade Hollandaise sauce is perfect for Christmas morning or Sunday brunch. Just a few minutes of prep work the night before and you can have a delicious breakfast ready without any stress in the morning.
      Overnight Eggs Benedict Casserole
    • Slow Cooker Honey Ham

    Hi everyone! Welcome to Rants From My Crazy Kitchen, where I share my favorite recipes and my thoughts on food, picky eaters, products, and restaurants. Join in the fun by subscribing to receive new posts as they are published. You can find out more about me by clicking on my picture. Enjoy! Read More…

    SUBSCRIBE TO RANTS FROM MY CRAZY KITCHEN

    SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL TO RECEIVE NEW RECIPES AND POSTS WHEN THEY ARE PUBLISHED. YOUR EMAIL WILL ONLY BE USED TO SEND UPDATES.

    Hi everyone!
    Welcome to Rants From My Crazy Kitchen, where I share my favorite recipes and my thoughts on food, picky eaters, products, and restaurants. Join in the fun by subscribing to receive new posts as they are published. You can find out more about me by clicking on my picture. Enjoy!

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Trending Recipes

    • Close up photo of Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad
      Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad (Walmart Copycat Recipe)
    • Photo of Creamy Cucumber Salad in a large white bowl on a wood table next to a black serving spoon
      Creamy Cucumber Salad
    • photo of a whole pot pie on a baking sheet on top of a wood table
      Chicken Pot Pie
    • Photo of 5 Ingredient Taco Soup in a white bowl topped with shredded cheese and sliced scallions along with a bowl of tortilla chips
      5 Ingredient Taco Soup

    Seasonal Favorites

    • photo of sliced brie on a platter surrounded by fruit
      Baked Brie With Apricot and Walnuts
    • close up photo of a filled and decorated cookie
      Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
    • This Overnight Eggs Benedict Casserole with homemade Hollandaise sauce is perfect for Christmas morning or Sunday brunch. Just a few minutes of prep work the night before and you can have a delicious breakfast ready without any stress in the morning.
      Overnight Eggs Benedict Casserole
    • Slow Cooker Honey Ham

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • ABOUT
    • RECIPES
    • CONTACT ME/WORK WITH ME!
    • FAQS
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2025 Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

    Enter your name and email address to subscribe by email
    Stay up to date on all the latest recipes, reviews, giveaways, and more for free!

    Your privacy is important! Please refer to Rants From My Crazy Kitchen's Privacy Policy for information how we use your information and protect your rights.

    767 shares
    767 shares