I can safely say we’re on team light dinners for summer. The warmer weather has me craving salads, fish, and light summer pasta salads that don’t leave me feeling heavy and bleh — and honestly, who wants to be stuck in a blazing hot kitchen these days? But hey, I still want to be satisfied. Can’t all be about salads and cheese plates, right?
So I’ve pulled together some delicious lighter summer dinner recipes for this week’s meal plan ideas, in case you’re craving the same thing and looking for some new recipes to change up your routine.
Grab your meal planning notepad (love this one!) or open up your Notes app, and set aside a few moments to make a plan for the week ahead. You’ll thank yourself for doing it in advance.
Related: 11 recipes that lighten up pastas, soups, and one-pot meals for warmer weather
5 ideas for light summer dinner, with some kid-friendly variations.
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1. A cajun chicken burger
A light dinner for summer nights can definitely include burgers! I suggest you lighten up your burger night with these spicy Cajun Chicken Burgers at Cooking for Keeps. Using a fruit-based salsa, like the fruity mango salsa here, is a clever way to get intense flavor while still keeping the dish feeling light. If you’re feeding picky toddlers, I’d cut up bites of the burger and serve the mango salsa separately or with cute reusable toothpicks to make eating more fun.
2. Pan-seared scallops
I’m a sucker for a delicious scallop, and I love the detailed instructions on how to pan sear scallops perfectly at JZ Eats. They take just five minutes to cook perfectly in a good quality non-stick pan, so start some fresh vegetables on the grill before you cook the scallops. Don’t you love a light summer recipe that feels hearty, but keeps you from sweating over an open flame?
If the kids aren’t down with scallops, it’s easy to toss some chicken or burgers on the grill or another pan for them, or hey, there’s always cereal. (Kidding! Sort of.)
Bonus tip: Veggies taste extra good if you give them a good char using this grill basket made just for vegetables. It’s just around $20 on sale!
3. An easy 20-minute pasta carbonara
I think this easy 20-minute carbonara pasta recipe from Chef Savvy is a perfect re-entry recipe to cook if you’ve got a big family, or you’re planning to have a crowd over for dinner. It’s so easy and affordable with just 6 ingredients! While you might not think of a traditional carbonara as being a light summer meal, this one definitely is. She even has tips for adding some fresh veggies like snap peas, to give it even more of that summer feeling. You could also grill up some salmon or chicken if you want a main protein, and serve the carbonara on the side.
As long as we’re talking about entertaining, I freshened up my table for summer with these beautiful Puebla Stoneware pasta bowls at Pottery Barn that are perfect for pasta! Don’t they look so summery and pretty? They take a simple pasta dish and make it feel so elegant!
Related: My favorite family-friendly recipes using July’s fresh produce: Delicious and budget friendly.
4. Panzanella salad. Mmmm….
This bright, herby Spring Pistou Panzanella Salad with Asparagus, Potatoes and White Beans at Floating Kitchen is a nice vegetarian dinner option that takes me right into summer, and is absolutely a new family favorite of mine. It’s satisfying enough for dinner all on its own for me, but for my kids, I’d probably serve this with some diced ham or –let’s be honest — easy homemade chicken tenders. That way I get my tasty dinner, and they’ll get some veggies on their plate. Win-win, right?
By the way, we’ve got the two best tricks for peeling a boiled egg perfectly, if that’s something that’s always been frustrating.
5. Chipotle chicken (the pepper, not the restaurant chain)
Whenever I’m craving a big dinner-sized salad, I head over to Halfbaked Harvest. Teighan knows how to make a mega salad that pleases everyone at the table, and each summer, I whip out her recipe for Peachy Chipotle Chicken Tortilla and Avocado Rice salad with Fried Halloumi. If you’ve never had halloumi, by the way, this Cyprus-made goat’s and ewe’s milk cheese is incredible – but you can always swap in a classic goat’s cheese medallion or even a good mozzarella.
Again, this is an easy light dinner for summer if you’re compiling ideas, and the recipe easily placates picky eaters when you set all the ingredients on a divided plate like this one. But the rest of us can enjoy this exciting combo of flavors all together.
PS it’s a great dinner to bring to a friend’s house or a potluck, or take out to the park. I love this handy portable salad bowl, which makes it so much easier to get outside. At least, if the thermometer allows! Here’s to cooler summer nights, okay?
Top Image;Christine Siracusa on Unsplash
