The calendar may not officially say it’s summer, but when June hits, summer starts for me. It is my absolute favorite season of the year, and I’m not even going to apologize for getting things started early—like listing off some of my favorite summer recipes for you.
I have one rule when the summertime rolls around—no ovens. For real. It’s way too hot for that! When I put together my list of summer recipes to cook up, I’m limiting it to my stove top, toaster, or heck, using no heat at all. From summer salads to cocktails and all of the tomato and zucchini recipes in between, here are the recipes that I’m always turning to between June and September.
Summer Breakfast Recipes
Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
With a fresh basket of summer blueberries on hand, what better way to use them up than a stack of pancakes? This recipe makes a single stack, but if you’re cooking for a crowd, simply multiply the recipe based on your needs.
Crumbly Blueberry Coffee Cake
Another clever way to use up those blueberries is the crumbly coffee cake recipe! It’s easy to throw together in the morning and perfect with a cup of coffee on the back deck on a lazy summer morning. Make it a meal by serving it with a side of scrambled eggs.
Tangerine Ricotta Toast
Sometimes the simplest breakfasts can be the most delicious—and this slice of toast does the trick. Spread on some ricotta and some tangerine jam and sprinkle on some pumpkin seeds, and you’re ready to eat! If you’re feeling ambitious, you could even make a batch of tangerine jam from scratch this summer. It’s my favorite.
Honey Peanut Butter Granola
While I tend to avoid turning on the oven, it’s worth it for a batch of honey peanut butter granola when you’re craving fresh bowls of fruit and Greek yogurt in the summertime.
Jammy Eggs on Toast with Scallion Cream Cheese
If you’re looking for something a bit different for weekend brunch (that isn’t a stack of pancakes or a waffle, of course), these jammy eggs are delicious paired with scallion cream cheese on slices of fresh sourdough bread. Don’t forget the microgreens!
Honey Whipped Ricotta French Toast
If you have some stale bread that you need to use up, French toast is always to the rescue. Top it with some fresh strawberries and a side of honey whipped ricotta and this French toast will become one of your go-to summer recipes.
Old-Fashioned Waffle Recipe
Who can say no to a good ol’ waffle, especially on a festive day like the 4th of July? Top it with all of your favorite summer fruits, and maybe even some homemade whipped cream if you’re feeling super ambitious.
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m a big oatmeal girl—which is why I love any recipe with an oatmeal base, like these banana oatmeal pancakes. Forgo the oven when you have a brown banana and make a delicious stack of pancakes on the stove instead!
Avocado Toast with Soft Boiled Eggs
You can’t get simpler for a summer recipe than avocado toast and eggs, am I right?
Summer Lunch Recipes
Easy Lemon Pasta Primavera
A plethora of summer veggies calls for a lemon pasta primavera! Lightly roast up those veggies and toss with pasta and lemon for an easy lunch meal prep—or even as a side with anything you throw on the grill!
Simple Tomato Ricotta Toast
Maybe I gravitate towards toast when it’s hot out (it means doesn’t turn on the stove or the oven), and I love me some ricotta toast. Make it savory with slices of fresh tomatoes from the farmer’s market (omg) for an effortless lunch during the week.
Honey Sweet Potato Summer Salad
This. Salad. Make it! It’s the absolute best. Between the sweetness of the blueberries and the savory sweet potatoes and the homemade dressing and—ah! I could go on and on.
Pretty Simple BLT Sandwich
You can’t go wrong with a classic BLT sandwich in the summertime, especially if you have some freshly picked tomatoes that need to be used!
Green Goddess Dressing
Whatever your salad may be, this green goddess dressing will take it up a notch. Prep a bottle and keep it in the fridge to use on any salad to your heart’s desire this summer. Not sure what kind of salad recipe to make? Follow my easy formula.
Quick & Easy Muffuletta Sandwich
This is my go-to picnic sandwich. It’s incredibly easy to throw together and pack in the cooler when you’re off to the beach or the park for the summer—and easy to batch when you’re making a few sandwiches for a crowd!
Salmon Patties
I love prepping a few of these and enjoying them with a big green salad during the week.
Summer Dinner Recipes
Baked Salmon
Speaking of salmon, let’s make dinner! This baked salmon is one of the easiest to throw together and pair with any side dish of your choosing. Grilled vegetables? Salad? Risotto? The possibilities are endless.
Lemon Garlic Shrimp in White Wine Sauce
Another one of my favorite go-to summer recipes is this lemon garlic shrimp. It literally takes only five minutes to make, uses up some of that leftover white wine in your fridge, and is absolutely divine with a side salad and a crusty baguette. Watch how to make it here!
Lemon Garlic Vegetable Linguini
Okay maybe I go a little lemon crazy in the summer, but can you blame me? This linguini recipe is great for vegetarians, or honestly, anyone looking for a lighter summer meal. It could even work well with a side dish! Maybe with that baked salmon?
Grilled Greek Chicken Marinade
When you’re in need of something yummy to grill, save this Greek chicken marinade. Pair it with grilled veggies, salad, rice—whatever your heart desires!
Kielbasa Foil Packs
We can’t talk about summer recipes without mentioning camping, and these kielbasa foil packs are what I live on when we go camping. You simply throw together your ingredients in a piece of aluminum, toss that pack on the fire, and let it cook up for a bit. Serve it as is, or whatever sides you have on hand. You are camping, after all!
Classic Skillet Cheeseburgers
Ah, the cheeseburger. Would it be summer without it? While firing up the grill is quintessentially summer, for those of us who don’t have a grill, the cast-iron skillet will do just fine. Here’s how I easily make tasty burgers on my stove.
Cajun Sheet Pan Dinner
If you’re feeling chaotic and actually want to turn your stove on, this cajun sheet pan dinner is worth it. It uses up those cherry tomatoes and corn on the cob that you may have snagged at the market, and it is bursting with flavor.
Spicy Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
If you’re not into cheeseburgers, pulled pork will certainly do! Especially when you have a crowd to feed. Time and time again I turn to this Instant Pot pork because it’s one of those summer recipes that make serving dinner for a party a much easier experience!
Summer Side Recipes
Summer Caprese Salad
Whether it’s served on the side or as an appetizer, you can’t go wrong with a simple Caprese salad. Slice of tomato, a slice of fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar. You could even use a balsamic glaze!
Italian Bruschetta with Goat Cheese
I’m giving you all of those fresh tomato summer recipes, including this crowd-pleasing Italian bruschetta. My mom still requests this one all the time, so needless to say, you’ll want to make this one.
Roasted Salsa Verde
Another recipe that uses your oven, but I promise, it’s worth it. All you have to do is roast up some tomatillos with other veggies, blend them in the food processor, and serve with chips. And margs, of course!
Greek Pasta Salad
Nothing beats a cold pasta salad at a summer BBQ, and this one delivers! It’s bursting with veggies and full of flavor thanks to the homemade Greek dressing.
5-Ingredient Zucchini Fritters
Have zucchini to use up? I feel like that’s always my problem in the summer—too much zucchini! These fritters will solve that problem for you. As well as…
Summer Dessert Recipes
Mom’s Zucchini Brownies
Brownies! When my mom brought in zucchini from my childhood garden, we always knew it was coming. Warm zucchini brownies with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries. You can’t get more summer than that!
Strawberry Sourdough Shortcake
Another easy way to use up fresh strawberries with shortcake! I make my shortcake using sourdough starter, which you can learn how to make right here.
Classic Rice Krispies
Rice Krispies pretty much work for every season, but we’re making it summer by tossing some red, white, and blue sprinkles on top.
Peach Cobbler for One
When you’re craving a summer peach cobbler but don’t want to make one of those recipes for four, six, or eight, this recipe comes to the rescue. It is my all-time favorite summer dessert to make.
Key Lime Pie
A chilled key lime pie is absolutely the kind of dessert you need to bring to your next BBQ. If you don’t feel like making the graham cracker crust from scratch, buy a pre-made one.
Summer Cocktail Recipes
Dad’s Mahia Mojitos
A roundup of summer recipes absolutely needs a few cocktails in the mix—and we need to start with my Dad’s mojitos. He uses Mahia Fig Brandy in his along with fresh mint he grows in his herb garden, and it’s the kind of drink that you’ll finish dangerously fast.
Mezcal Paloma Cocktail
You know, the Internet has been obsessed with this Paloma recipe lately, and I can’t blame them. Fresh-squeeze grapefruit juice definitely sounds like something you should be enjoying during the summer, especially when paired with your favorite smoky mezcal.
Peach Bourbon Smash Cocktails
Summer recipes call for peach everything, and this bourbon smash is about to be your go-to cocktail. Uses up those fresh peaches, just make sure to have a muddler on hand!
Classic Margarita
Summer margs on the beach. Need I say more?
Frozen Strawberry Margarita
Because why not use up those strawberries and make your margarita frozen? You’re welcome.
Old Glory Cocktail
For a festive 4th of July-inspired cocktail (or Memorial Day…or Labor Day), we have the Old Glory. It uses a red wine float and fresh blueberries to give it those red and blue colors we’re always looking for in an America-themed drink.
Rosé Sangria
And of course, to finish off this very long list of summer recipes, we have a pitcher of rosé sangria. Because you absolutely need a recipe that goes in a pitcher when friends come over for happy hour in the summer.
Leave a Reply