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Easy Summer Menu Ideas - Summer Dinner Party Menu and Recipes - Parade

Easy Summer Menu Ideas - Summer Dinner Party Menu and Recipes - Parade


Easy Summer Menu Ideas - Summer Dinner Party Menu and Recipes - Parade

Posted: 26 Jun 2020 12:00 AM PDT

filet-mignon-with-creamy-parmesan-mustard-sauce-120-1100x1650-1
(The Mom 100)

It's true: some people aren't enamored with cooking. But what seems to trip up even people who like to cook is meal planning—and menu planning most specifically. What goes with what, how to make all of the dishes feel like a cohesive meal…this is what often stands in between a cook and a special lunch or dinner.

The following summer menu ideas are nicely balanced, thinking in terms of flavor, protein, sides, color and texture. Each will lead you to a sensational summer meal and hopefully they will make you think about some of the recipes in your repertoire—or the ingredients laying around in your pantry, waiting to be used up. From a romantic date night menu at home, to a backyard BBQ menu and a Saturday night family-friendly menu, you'll never be at a loss when the dreaded "What's for dinner?" question comes up again.

Summer Menu Ideas

1. Date Night Menu at Home

Even though you may have been sheltering in place with your partner the last few months, that doesn't mean you don't need to break up the day-to-day routine with a special dinner. If anything, you might need the romance more than ever! Pick a day to make the following recipes, and get a nice bottle of wine to go with them.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp with Smoked Paprika

This is a very delicious and lavish looking appetizer, and if you feel like mixing things up by doing some with shrimp and some with asparagus, you'll have an even more impressive kick off to your meal.

Related: 16 Dinner Recipes

courtesy of Katie Workman
(courtesy of Katie Workman)

Filet Mignon with Creamy Parmesan Mustard Sauce

A small beautifully tender filet mignon is a splurge, but they are a real special occasion steak. This one is simply seared and then topped with a creamy sauce with tang from Dijon mustard, umami from the Parmesan, and a great creamy texture.

courtesy of Katie Workman
(courtesy of Katie Workman)

Endive, Arugula and Orange Salad

A little burst of citrus in a salad is beautiful on many levels, and goes so well with the creamy sauce for the steak.

2. Saturday Night Menu for the Family

The days do blend together, and it's really nice to take a moment and make sure that your family meal feels special. Saturday night is a great time to do this, smack in the middle of the weekend—even if weekends are exactly at they used to be!

courtesy of Katie Workman
(courtesy of Katie Workman)

Avocado and Cannellini Bean Crostini with Gremolata

A ripe avocado and a can of beans turn into a fun and nutritious little appetizer.

courtesy of Katie Workman
(courtesy of Katie Workman)

Southwestern Chicken Taco Salad Bowl

This salad is a full-on festival of color and texture and flavor—a joy to look at and a joy to eat.

courtesy of Katie Workman
(courtesy of Katie Workman)

Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzoh S'Mores

Can't get outside to make traditional s'mores over a campfire? Here marshmallows get squished between two layers of toffee chocolate matzoh in one of the greatest things to happen to a piece of matzoh.

Related: 36 Diner-Inspired Recipes

3. A Backyard Barbecue Menu

Hopefully at some point you will get a chance to grill this summer, and because you are outside you will be able to have some friends over in a safe manner. Here's an easy menu to turn to for a casual barbecue get-together.

courtesy Katie Workman
(courtesy Katie Workman)

Mustard Marinated London Broil

A hefty dollop of Dijon mustard mingles with onion, Worcestershire sauce and thyme in this deeply flavorful marinade for steak.

courtesy of Katie Workman
(courtesy of Katie Workman)

Summer Corn, Tomato and Bacon Salad

Starring the two best vegetables of late summer, with bacon as a supporting actor.

Spicy Cole Slaw

That classic slaw, with a bit of a kick.

courtesy Katie Workman
(courtesy Katie Workman)

French Potato Salad

This mayo-free potato salad is very clean tasting, with fresh herbs and a touch of mustard and a lovely vinaigrette dressing.

courtesy Katie Workman
(courtesy Katie Workman)

Ice Cream with Chocolate Peanut Cornflake Crunch

The best thing to happen to a bowl of ice cream since fudge sauce.

Now that you have three menus that work for any kind of summer occasion, try them out in the coming weeks, pin these recipes so you'll have them on hand and enjoy!

Next up, check out a yummy Saturday supper idea!

Katie Workman is a food writer, and the author of Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook. She writes a regular column for the Associated Press, called Kitchen Smarts, as well as other cooking and lifestyle features. Katie has written for many publications including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking Light, Eating Well, Parents, Rachael Ray Every Day, and various online outlets such as FoodNetwork.com, Food52, thekitchn.com, and NBC/Better. She has appeared on the Today Show, Access Hollywood Live, NPR, and many other shows.  Katie is co-host of two cooking shows on Bluprint.com: Real Life Kitchen and Efficient Weeknight Cooking. She works with select brands creating content and developing recipes, as well as consulting and acting as brand ambassador.  She also posts regularly on her popular blog, themom100.com.

Katie sits on the board of City Harvest, New York's leading food rescue nonprofit, and also the Leadership Council of No Kid Hungry.  She lives with her husband and two boys in New York City (well, the older one is in college, but she's still in a bit of denial).