Thread: summer meal ideas

My grand kids come visit everyother weekend. We spend most of the time in the swimming pool and outside. I need quick dinner ideas so that I don't have to be inside for long. I've run out of ideas. We've done hot dogs, pizzas, etc in the past. Did grilled cheese last time, and they loved that. I am racking my mind to think of what to make this weekend. Any suggestions?

Spagehettie's with meatballs were the only one recalled. My kids don't like the meatballs anyway.

Tonight we are having ham slices, mac & cheese for the kids & pasta salad for the grown-ups; green salad with tomatoes & cucumbers, and watermelon for desert.


I love anything made in the crockpot for summer meals - less stress and not heating up the house.

I used my crock pot just the other day to make beef bar b que. All I done was cooked a pot roast in lipton onion soup till it got tender, drained some of the soup off it and shredded the roast with a fork and added our favorite bar b que sauce to it and let it heat through. It was good, even on a hot day. I served it with home made cole slaw.

I just got done eating a piece of pie that I made yesterday. All I did was mixed a tub of Cool Whip with a can of crushed pineapples and put it in a graham cracker crust and put it in the fridge. It was very good.

In the summer time I make a lot of pasta salads...sometimes add chopped chicken or ham so there is no need for 'meat'....Tuna and extra boiled eggs work well too when mixed in...I serve it on a bed of lettuce with sliced cukes and tomatoes...A meal that can be dished out as needed...Lunch or dinner...

Many times as a kid and being raised on a farm, in the summer there were a lot of times we had no meat at dinner time...Mother made items from the garden..tomatoes, corn, fresh dug potatoes, beans, peas, greens, radishes, squash..fresh berries and such...It wasn't like we did not have meat , as we raised our own...It was just a nice change in the summer...

Here is another summer fun idea for kids and adults too... Make up Grill Packets...Take a section of tin foil and spray with non stick spray..and in some fish, chicken (par cooked is best), pork, beef chunks, then let each person pick choice what else to add..like potatoes, carrots, celery, squash chunks maybe some onion if they like..Top with a dap of butter/marg., salt pepper.seal up the packs and cook on the grill...Each person can make their own to their liking... Easy clean up too!!!