Plan your week with 46 delicious summer dinner recipes that include Fourth of July ideas, easy weeknight meals, and a sweet treat.
Every single day is worth celebrating, whether it’s a quiet Monday with the slow cooker bubbling on the counter or a Fourth of July filled with family, swimming and fireworks. That’s the philosophy behind every On the Menu post I write, and this week’s 46-dish menu is no exception.
From Monday’s deeply flavored slow cooker Bolognese to a festive family gathering on the Fourth, there’s something delicious for every day this week. The menu is full of fresh summer flavors, easy weeknight dinners and some special dishes that are perfect for celebrating the season. Let’s make this weeknight dinner something to look forward to!
There is something so satisfying about starting the week with a slow cooker meal. I have a day at home, and I can’t wait to let this rich, deeply flavored bolognese sauce simmer all day. It fills the whole house with the most wonderful aroma, and at dinner time, it tastes like it has been lovingly cared for for hours, because it has!
When I make Caesar salad for dinner, I make extra salad so I can have it for lunch the next day. Toss it with a bowl of spaghetti, and you have a dinner the whole family will love.
🌿 TIP BOX: Double or triple the homemade Caesar dressing and freeze it in silicone ice cube molds with lids. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. When you’re ready to use them, just pop a cube or two in the microwave to melt and your favorite salad dressing will be ready in minutes.
Bolognese Slow Cooker Sauce
Spaghetti pasta
Caesar salad with homemade salad dressing
I’m making a real effort to eat more salmon, and grilled cedar plank salmon is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it. The cedar plank gives the fish a beautiful, subtle smokiness that you can’t replicate any other way. The main thing is not to overcook it! I take my salmon off the grill at 140 degrees and let the carryover cooking bring it to the full 145.
A lemon arugula pasta salad looks so fresh and delicious, and arugula is another ingredient I try to work into my meals more often. It’s a little early for homegrown tomatoes here, but Max’s, my favorite farm market, carries hydroponic tomatoes that are the next best thing.
🌿 Tip Box: Simply dress your sliced ​​tomatoes and let them shine. A drizzle of good olive oil, a pinch of Maldon flaked salt and a few fresh basil leaves is all you need.
Grilled Cedar Planked Salmon
Israeli Couscous Salad
Freshly sliced ​​tomatoes
Did you know that Cornish hens are very small chickens? Its flesh is beautifully tender and cooks very easily. Spatchcocking, which means removing the backbone and flattening the bird, allows the chicken to cook more evenly and quickly, giving you crispy skin and juicy meat every time. I save the backbone, skin and surrounding meat for homemade chicken stock. Nothing goes to waste!
I can’t wait to make the olive salad. We’ll layer it on a slice of my homemade no-no-need artisan bread, which I’ve been making for years. The dough recipe makes enough for six loaves, and I keep Mother’s dough in my garage refrigerator, cutting off a slice and baking it whenever we want a fresh loaf. It’s not sour, but it’s incredibly smooth and absolutely delicious.
🌿 Tip Box: When spatchcocking a Cornish hen or chicken, use sharp kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone for the cleanest cut. Store the backbone and trimmings in a zip-top bag in the freezer until you’re ready to make a rich, flavorful homemade stock.
Spatchcock Cornish game fowl
Perfect Rice Pilaf
New Orleans-style Briney Olive Salad
No-nonsense artisan bread
I love when a great recipe carries over to the next few dinners! Leftover no-knead artisan bread from Wednesday is getting a second life tonight. I’ll grill the slices, rub them with a fresh clove of garlic while they’re still hot, and put them on top of the crockpot BBQ pulled beef for the tastiest open-face sandwich. North Carolina corn is just starting to pop, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with this fresh corn salad. Sweet summer corn deserves a recipe that lets it shine, and this one does exactly that.
🌿 Tip Box: Rub a chopped clove of garlic on hot toasted bread the moment it comes off the grill. The heat opens up the surface of the bread and the garlic melts right through, adding wonderful flavor without being overpowering.
Crockpot BBQ Pulled Beef
Fresh Corn Salad
I’ll be honest, I don’t usually pair cheese with fish, but one look at this Boston Baked Cod and I was completely won over. It looks absolutely amazing, and I can’t wait to try it!
And leftover artisan bread from Wednesday? He’s making his third appearance this week, this time as the star of a classic panzanella salad. If you only make one thing from this week’s menu, please make it this Tuscan Bread Salad. I can eat it every summer day, and I really think you and your family will love it too.
🌿 Tip Box: Day-old or slightly stale bread is actually ideal for panzanella. It soaks up the juice of the tomatoes and dressing without turning to mush, giving you the perfect chewy, delicious bite every time.
Boston Baked Cod
Panzanella Salad (Tuscan Bread Salad)
Saturday is the Fourth of July, and we’re celebrating with an extended family gathering! Everyone is bringing something to share, and I’m contributing two crowd favorites, my Dill Pickled Potato Salad and Asian Ramen Noodle Salad. These are recipes that disappear quickly at a party, so I always make plenty.
It would be so wonderful to spend the day with family that we only get to see twice a year.
🌿 Tip Box: When making potato salad for a crowd, cook your potatoes a day ahead and refrigerate them overnight. Cold potatoes hold their shape better when you mix in the dressing and give the flavors more time to develop.
The best dill pickle salad
Asian Ramen Noodle Salad
Tonight’s dinner is a delicious spin on the wildly popular Bang Bang Shrimp, swapping out the shrimp for beautiful salmon fillets. All that creamy, sweet and spicy bang bang sauce works perfectly with the salmon, and the whole dish comes together in just 15 minutes. It’s a wonderful way to end the week with something special and completely effortless. The accompanying lemon arugula pasta salad makes it feel like a real occasion without the extra fuss.
🌿 Tip Box: Bang Bang Sauce comes together in minutes with just a few pantry staples. Make a double batch and refrigerate it for up to a week. It’s wonderful as a dipping sauce, salad dressing or drizzled over roasted vegetables.
15-Minute Bang Bang Salmon
Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad
I was first introduced to icebox cake when I was dating my husband Bobby, and it was love at first bite! That classic version was made with chocolate cookies and whipped cream, simple and absolutely delicious. This Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake is a modern take on a nostalgic dessert, with bright, fresh flavors that seem perfectly suited for summer. This is the kind of treat that looks impressive but comes together without any fuss, and I think my family will absolutely love it.
🌿 Tip Box: Icebox cakes actually get better the longer they chill. Make it the night before you plan to serve it so the cookies have plenty of time to soften into a beautiful cake-like texture.
Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake
The ultimate queso nacho recipe Party appetizers will have everyone reaching for the night.
Nothing says summer quite like it Easy Strawberry Cobbler from Box Mix Hot from the oven.
Summer-ripened tomatoes never look as beautiful as they do in the countryside Tomato Galette.
You are going to fall in love Key lime pound cake The moment you take your first bite.
Every summer cookout needs a showstopping frozen dessert, and Buster Bar Ice Cream Cake It just is.
Summer isn’t complete without a gathering Creamy Pasta Salad on the table.
Fire up the grill and reach for it Magic dust BBQ rub To make everything taste absolutely incredible.
A beloved family tradition, Grandma Lo Bianco’s famous meatballs It’s the type of recipe that gets everyone to the table.
Festive, charming and absolutely delicious, Mini Cherry Pies in Mason Jars with Star Crust Tops Perfect for your Fourth of July table.
Weeknight dinners have never been easier or tastier Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken.
Celebrate summer’s best fruits with a slice of gorgeousness Brown Sugar Peach Cake.
Cheesy Zucchini Corn Tomato Bake Filled with everything wonderful from bubbling, golden and summery gardens.
Your summer table will never be the same once you try Southern Tomato Pie.
Sour, sweet, and impossible to resist, one slice Lemon Raspberry Cake with Sugar Crust It’s pure summer bliss.
Outback Blue Veg Salad Brings all the drama and flavor of a steakhouse classic to your own dinner table.
When dinner looks simple and special Citrus Dijon Roasted Chicken is on the menu.
Tomato, peach, cherry and burrata cheese salad A stunning summer salad is the type of salad that makes everyone stop and stare.
Nothing gets a backyard party like a thali Crackers hot dogs.
Trust me, once you do Dill Pickle Juice Potato SaladEvery other potato salad will pale in comparison.
Sweet summer corn has never tasted better Summer Caesar Salad with Roasted Sweet Corn.
Delicate, charming and totally unique, Italian Peach Summer Cookies Your guests will be talked about.
Fresh, bright and full of tropical flavor, you’ll want to make Salmon with mango salsa Repeat throughout the summer.
Sweet Cream Cornbread using box mix It’s tender, slightly sweet and a perfect side dish for many summer meals.
Get the best out of your summer garden and make a pot Summer Corn and Zucchini Soup tonight
On a hot summer day, nothing is as refreshing as a big bowl Watermelon fruit salad.
Loaded Chicken Frito Cowboy Cabbage Hearty, bold and full of great flavor it will become a new family favourite.
If you’ve ever craved that iconic fast food taco, Beef Tacos (like Taco Bell) Lets you recreate that favorite taste right in your own kitchen.
Whether you’re grilling for the Fourth of July, gathering around the table with the family on a regular Tuesday, or enjoying a quiet evening at home treating yourself to something delicious, every day deserves something special.
I hope this week’s menu inspires you to get into the kitchen, try something new, and make every meal feel like a celebration. If you make any of these recipes, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below. Wishing you a wonderful week filled with wonderful food, good company, and lots of Fourth of July cheer!
Happy summer cooking, friend…
