Summer Cookout Recipe Roundup
The warm weather is FINALLY here, and that means it’s time to heat up the grill! I love summer cookouts with family and friends, and over the years I’ve collected quite a few recipes that are tried and true. I’ve rounded them all up and linked them below to share with you!
From boards + platters to sweet desserts, you can find all my favorites below!
xoxo
Emily
Boards + Platters
Nothing screams summer like delicious tacos piled high with all the bright, fresh toppings! My ultimate taco board is the perfect way to serve tacos with all the toppings and fixings imaginable for your family, party, or event! TFind all the instructions and ingredients for putting this one together here!
Warm summer days are here and without a doubt one of my favorite summer meals is a delicious sandwich with all the fixings! Whether you’re having a pool day, beach day, or lake day, sandwiches just seem to be the perfect easy summer meal and today I’m sharing the best way to serve them up for a crowd! Check out the full details by clicking here!
Summer cookout food is my favorite food, and this board features all the best parts in one place! This spread has everything you need to build the most delicious burgers all in one spot- all the toppings, buns, classic cookout sides, and more! Find full details, ingredients and instructions by clicking here!
Rainbows, veggies, grilled steak- the perfect summer meal that’s both beautiful and healthy! Today I’m sharing how to put together this super easy and stunning rainbow steak and veggie platter. This one can feed a crowd easily without any fuss too or just enjoy it for a quick and healthy dinner at home! You can find the full details and recipe by clicking here!
I made this salad board for one of our Christmas parties, and I’m kind of kicking myself that I hadn’t thought of this sooner! It really is such an easy way to entertain a crowd and feed a lot of people without a lot of prep! Check out the full recipe by clicking here!
Y’all know I love an impressive giant board for entertaining as well as some easy, zero-prep party food- and this chips + dip board doubles as both! This is such a perfect summertime snack or appetizer for by the pool, at your next cookout, or at any summer get-together! You can find the full details and instructions by clicking here!
You can find a full list of ingredients and instructions to assemble this go-to Summer board by clicking here!
I feel like cheeseboards are one thing in life that I am pretty close to mastering. I would credit the fact that my husband and I have ordered just about every cheeseboard available at every restaurant we've been to. Basically if a cheeseboard is on the menu, we're 100% getting it. I've always loved appetizers more than actual meals so this is an ideal spread for me- lots of little bites and different flavors! It is also the EASIEST meal to prepare for entertaining yet it still looks super impressive and beautiful. You can find more details, as well as ingredients and instructions by clicking here!
If you’ve been following a while you know I love to cook, but hate baking (way too much math and science involved and I hate measuring). So when I need to bring a dessert somewhere and still impress, here’s my solution: the dessert board! Find the full details and recipe by clicking here!
Salads + Appetizers
Summer is here and one of my favorite dishes to make this time of year is potato salad. This is not an ordinary potato salad recipe though! It's filled with lots of fresh sliced tomatoes and topped with a super light basil vinegar dressing, burrata, and olives. You can see all the details and full recipe by clicking here!
I've said it before, but some of my all-time favorite recipes come from Southern Living magazine, particularly their summer issues. This is another favorite that I tweaked the instructions for just slightly, but overall kept the ingredients pretty much the same. Check out the full details and get the recipe by clicking here!
There's not a more comforting food than buttery, cheesy, warm and soft bread! This recipe from my favorite food blog Half Baked Harvest is one of the easiest (and tastiest) appetizers you can make! I guarantee every bite of it will be eaten up too (you may want to make two if you have a larger crowd)! All you need is a can of biscuits, a stick of butter, and 4 ounces of crumbled blue cheese. If you don't like blue cheese, this is also amazing with goat cheese or Parmesan cheese. Find the full recipe by clicking here!
I've been wanting to try making pickles for a while, and when I came across this easy recipe from A Farm Girl's Dabbles, it sounded like the perfect one to try! I stayed pretty true to the recipe but just changed the amounts on a couple of the ingredients. It had tons of wonderful flavors and spices, so I knew that the pickles would be delicious! Find the full details and recipe by clicking here!
Go ahead and file this one under my favorite summer recipes- it’s that good! Pasta salad is one of my favorite summer dishes and I especially love Italian ingredients in pasta salad. I started out wanting to make a basic summer Italian pasta salad but just kept finding more and more ingredients I wanted to add! Full the full recipe, click here!
Summer isn't summer without picnics, and no picnic is complete in the south without potato salad. My husband and I love German potato salad, which is prepared with a vinegar dressing that is super tangy and flavorful. Find the full recipe by clicking here!
There are few things I love more for spring than a super bright, fresh salad. This burrata, asparagus, and prosciutto salad is the perfect appetizer spread for a crowd. but is also hearty enough to eat as a weeknight meal. For full detail and recipe, click here!
Summer means plenty of picnics, cook-outs, and pool parties, and one of my favorite dishes to share for summer gatherings is pasta salad. I'm on a roll with Southern Living recipes lately and this one is no exception. I've already made it twice in the past week and everyone who has tried it has LOVED it! Find the full details and recipe by clicking here!
This beautiful spring weather makes me want to sit on the patio every night and eat delicious salads for dinner! Last year around this time I shared 3 of my favorite salad recipes. These are all super filling salads overflowing with the most delicious ingredients. If you are looking for a super easy dinner or a way to mix up your normal salad routine, check these out by clicking here!
This is one of my favorite easy recipes to whip up for a summer meal or appetizer! There are so many possibilities for summer bruschetta, but these are definitely two of my favorite ways to make it for the season. You can find the full recipe by clicking here!
When I saw a recipe for guacamole that included pimentos AND bacon, I instantly knew it would be a winner before even tasting it! Like many of my favorite recipes, I originally came across this one in Southern Living Magazine here. I pretty much stuck to the original recipe, just slightly adjusting a few of the ingredient amounts and adding some extra seasonings. You can find the full recipe by clicking here!
Main Dishes
Caprese is the perfect fresh summer dish, whether it be in its traditional appetizer form or a bright and light pasta. This Caprese pasta with marinated tomatoes is not only a great way to use fresh herbs and produce from your garden or the farmer's market, but it also makes a great side dish for picnics, cookouts, or barbecues. Find the full recipe by clicking here!
One of my favorite dishes ever is the Bella Original Penne Pesto from Bella Notte restaurant here in Lexington. This place has always been one of my favorite restaurants, and even better it's locally owned, and they use as many locally sourced ingredients as they can. Their penne pesto is a super simple dish with penne pasta, toasted pine nuts, grilled chicken, and the most wonderful fresh pesto sauce. It has been my secret project to try to imitate their delicious pesto sauce because it is just SO much more delicious than any other pesto I have ever tasted! Find the full details and recipe by clicking here!
Nothing says summer like a picnic spread full of bright and colorful fruit, gingham galore, and lots of snacks + light bites to share. It's also a perfect excuse to get outside with friends and family and enjoy a meal in the sunshine or even under the stars. I've made your picnic prep super easy by putting together a list of easy to transport picnic foods that also require zero prep so they're ready to pack straight from the grocery! You can find the full details by clicking here!
In my opinion, hot dogs are THE all-time classic summer food. I'm usually pretty simple with my hot dog topping (just a little ketchup- maybe some chili and cheese occasionally), but for a day celebrating the hot dog, I had to pull out all the stops! So for those who are ready to be a little more adventurous with your hot dog toppings- this is for you! Find more details and recipes by clicking here!
Side Dishes + Drinks
One of my favorite ways to entertain outdoors is to set up different food and beverage stations for guest to enjoy. Putting together a big bar cart or beverage table away from the food set-up gives your guests plenty of drink options and the ability to customize their own drinks, while also freeing up space for food on your counter-tops or buffet! You can find the full details and recipes by clicking here!
While this recipe may be for asparagus, I'm basically giving you the blueprint to the easiest and most delicious way to cook any vegetables. A little olive oil and balsamic, salt and pepper, and toss it all in a bowl to coat before spreading it out on a baking sheet to roast. It's my foolproof way for making any vegetable so much more flavorful with the perfect crisp texture! For more details and the full recipe click here!
This super cheesy zucchini tart has to be one of my favorite recipes to date! It is the perfect summer vegetable side and looks so beautiful coming out of the oven. It reminds me of a classic southern tomato pie, but dare I say it, WAY better! Find the full recipe by clicking here!
My favorite single food is the potato. I love everything involving potatoes: french fries, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and especially hashbrown casserole. The recipe I use is super simple and has all of the delicious ingredients that you want in a casserole: bacon, cheese, sour cream, and lots of butter! It's topped with cornflakes tossed in melted butter (yes, MORE butter!) which adds the perfect amount of texture and crunch to the dish. You can find the full recipe by clicking here!
Desserts
These are a dessert that your entire family will enjoy and you can easily whip them up for an entire crowd! There are only a few ingredients and just a couple of steps, then you let your freezer do the rest! You can find the full ingredients list and instructions by clicking here!
This super easy summer recipe combines some of my favorite ingredients: fresh strawberries, moist pound cake, and the most delicious lemon mascarpone cream. All the ingredients are amazing on their own but when layered up, the flavors and textures perfectly compliment each other! Find the full details and recipe by clicking here!
Summer isn't truly summer without fresh peach desserts! When I saw all the gorgeous peaches at the farmer's market this weekend, I knew some baking would be in my future this week! I came across the recipe for this bourbon, peach, and blueberry crumble and thought it looked too delicious not to try! You can find more details and the full recipe by clicking here!
I have been dying to make a peach dessert after seeing all the delicious-looking peaches at the farmer's market each week. I found this recipe on Pinterest from Practically Functional blog and decided to try it. I made a few small tweaks, and added raspberries because they added more color and are pretty much my favorite fruit lately. Not much prep goes into making a trifle and it's pretty much all assembly- my kind of baking! This is the perfect dessert to whip up quickly for a summer cookout or last minute picnic! Find the full recipe by clicking here!
