Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.
When the weather heats up and your family’s activities increase, the last thing you want to do is be stuck inside the kitchen! Keep a list of Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas on hand so that meal prep and clean-up are both quick and simple!
Whether you put a Snacky Dinner on repeat or decide to lean on No-Cook Suppers, Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas are sure to help ease the burden of cooking and increase your fun times with family and friends.
Want to save this post?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you time- and money-saving tips every week!
Summer means trips to the beach, walks around the neighborhood, and a few movies to watch. You want to be able to get out and about with your kiddos, but you still need to feed them!
That’s why it’s important to have a list of easy, even Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas on hand. It’s not rocket science. Pull up a note on your phone or grab a post-it note and jot down your favorite no-brainer dinners.
Keep this list handy when you do your meal planning and then you can get cooking quickly — or not! — when you’re stuck for ideas.
Tips for Success
As you create your list of easy summer meal ideas, ask yourself these questions:
- Do all my kids like this? You don’t want to get into food battles on a night when you’re trying to take it easy. Choose menus that are truly easy to swallow.
- How many dirty dishes will this create? Again, the name of the game is In-and-out of the Kitchen. Don’t choose recipes that require a lot of clean-up.
- Can an appliance make this faster or easier? Think about your small kitchen appliances. Can the air fryer or the instant pot make dinner more easily for you?
- Can I cook this outside? So many things are delicious cooked on the grill — even pizza! Keep the heat and the mess out of doors.
- Can I make clean-up even easier? Think about how you can do your clean-up crew a favor. Wash as you go, line pans, air fryer baskets, and crockpots with liners that make it easy to clean, and consider one dish dinners!
- Can I double this and enjoy the leftovers in a few days? Why work twice when you can work just once?! Think about Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas that you like having often or that can be stretched and remade into something new. For instance, have grilled chicken one night, but cook double. Use the second half as the protein in salads, wraps, or atop sheet pan nachos.
Types of Meals
While any type of recipe can be easy to make, there are some that naturally lend themselves to this concept. Think about these styles of recipes as you prep your list of easy dinner ideas for summer:
- grilled foods
- salads
- pasta dishes
- sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers
- wraps
- tacos, burritos, and quesadillas
- nachos and snacky dinners
- chilis
- sautés
- instant pot recipes
- slow cooker recipes
Be sure to check out my cookbook, Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes (or Less!) for the ultimate short-cuts to quick and easy dinners.
Family-Friendly Recipes
Consider these delicious recipes from food blogging mamas who know what it’s like to need Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas!
More Summer Fun
What works for you?
Leave a comment below and let us know what works for you.
