I took an unintended hiatus from blog posts, but I'm back with a bang! This past fall I posted 5 quick comfort dinners for fall, and I got great reviews! So I decided to do another little summer version, 5 summer dinners your family will love. All of these recipes appeared in the Whisk magazine over the past few weeks. I hope these recipes become summer staples in your home!
What recipes are included in 5 summer dinners your family will love?
- Best tuna melt sandwich- A sandwich is always a good idea…but especially when it’s got an incredible tuna salad and melted cheddar cheese! I love to use sourdough bread for my sandwiches, that I slice into nice thick slices for that loaded buttery and crunchy bite. If you’ve got picky eaters, you can also make a sourdough tuna toast or a sourdough grilled cheese once you’ve got all these ingredients out. Dinner is ready!
Best tuna melt sandwich
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 5oz cans of tuna
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 rib celery finely chopped
- 2 dill pickles finely chopped
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch ground black pepper
- 4 slices bread, such as sourdough
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tomato sliced
- 8 slices cheddar cheese
- chips for serving optional
- pickles for serving optional
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl combine the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, pickles, red onion, Dijon, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder and pepper.
- Butter one side of each of the slices of bread. Put the butter side down and add the cheese on the unbuttered side. Add the tuna mixture on top. Top with tomato slices and additional cheese.
- Preheat a skillet to medium heat. Add the sandwich to the skillet and heat for 2-3 minutes until the cheese starts to melt and the bread is golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.
2. 2 Ingredient Pizza- Homemade pizza is a dish that I’m sure everyone can agree on! This 2 ingredient dough has been trending lately and I have to admit, it’s a game changer! In addition to only having two ingredients (self raising flour and yogurt) there is no need to wait for the dough to rise. You can instantly roll it out and use it. Of course you can top the pizza however you’d like. I love to make a simple margarita pizza because it’s just the perfect taste of summer.
2 ingredient pizza
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 ¾ cup self-raising flour
- 1 cup full fat greek yogurt
Sauce:
- 1 small garlic clove
- 15 oz can crushed or san Marzano tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ½
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings:
- 1 fresh mozzarella ball sliced
- fresh basil
- chili flakes optional
Instructions
- For the dough: Preheat oven to 500F and place a pizza stone inside. Combine the yogurt and flour in a bowl. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 7-8 minutes until a smooth ball forms. I like to roll out my pizza dough on a piece of parchment paper, feel free to do whatever works best for you. Roll out the dough into a large circle. Carefully transfer the parchment paper to a pizza paddle and into the oven onto the pizza stone. Bake for 10-12 minutes, keeping a close eye on it, until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with fresh basil leaves and chili flakes, if using. Let the pizza stand for a few minutes before slicing.
- For the sauce: cut the garlic into a few rough pieces. Place the garlic, canned tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, and kosher salt in a blender. Blend until fully combined. (You'll use about ⅓ c for the pizza so store the remaining sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.)
3. Sheet pan shawarma- To be honest, it’s hard to make really good shawarma at home since it’s impossible to mimic the spit that’s used in restaurants. I’ve found that making your own shawarma blend and cooking chicken thighs at a high heat for a short period of time is really your best bet and oh so delicious. Of course you can serve yours in a classic pita with toppings, or try something new like this couscous bowl.
Sheet pan Shawarma
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs cut into 1" pieces
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon all spice
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- instant couscous for serving
- Israeli salad for serving
- kalamata olives for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F. Combine the olive oil and spices in a bowl. Add in the chicken and spices and toss to coat evenly. Toss in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet pan , making sure the pieces are not overlapping. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes. Serve in a bowl with instant couscous and Israeli salad or in a pita with desired toppings.
4. BBQ steak sandwich- I’m always in the mood of a good grilled steak, but sometimes you want to make just one dinner that pleases both kids and adults. Sandwich steak is the perfect cut of meat for this dish, as the name implies, it’s perfect in a sandwich. I know it’s a lot to make your own bbq sauce from scratch when you're just trying to get dinner out on the table, so I like to doctor up a bottle of store-bought sauce. You won’t need all this BBQ sauce for now, so store the rest in the fridge for later use. This sandwich pairs beautifully with coleslaw, potato salad, and/or grilled corn.
BBQ steak sandwich
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lb sandwich steaks
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion sliced into half moons
- baugettes for serving
- coleslaw for serving
Sauce
- 1 18oz bottle plain bbq sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoon molasses
- 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tsp hot sauce
Instructions
- Whisk together the sauce. Place the steak and half of the sauce in a bag. Let marinate for at least an hour or all day! When you're ready to prepare the sandwich, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until caramelized and golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Cook the steak strips in batches, 3-4 minutes per side. When the steak strips are all brown, add back in the browned steak, remaining sauce from the marinade, and sauteed onions. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. Serve in a baguette.
5. Green goddess grilled chicken pasta salad- Green goddess salad has been ever so popular lately, and for good reason. The dressing is similar to pesto but with a really delicious tang from the lemon juice and rice vinegar. I decided to keep with the “green theme” and added in scallions, green olives and cucumbers. It makes a very refreshing yet filling dinner when served with grilled chicken.
Green goddess grilled chicken pasta salad
Ingredients
Green goddess dressing
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small shallot, peeled
- juice of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup cashews
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
Salad
- Pasta cooked according to package directions
- 2 persian cucumbers diced
- 4 scallions sliced
- 1-1.5 lb chicken cutlets
- ⅓ cup Italian dressing for marinade
- nutritional yeast optional
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the dressing ingredients until fully combined and set aside. Marinate chicken cutlets in italian dressing. Grill or pan sear over medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side. Set aside to cool before slicing. Combine the cooked pasta with the cucumbers, scallions, olives and dressing. Serve with sliced grilled chicken and nutritional yeast, if desired.
