Too Hot to Cook? 10 Cooler Ways to Cook Summer Dinners
August 06, 2019
We all know the feeling of opening the oven and immediately being hit with a blast of overwhelming hot air. Now imagine that feeling when it’s already 90+ degrees outside. As we head into the dog days of August, extremely warm temperatures are still on the horizon. If you’re on the hunt for no-cook summer dinner recipes, look no further. We’ve got great dinner ideas for the summer heat that won’t require you to crank up the oven or sweat over the grill.
Best Meals to Cook This Summer
Spicy Shrimp Tacos
These light and flavorful shrimp tacos are a good recipe for hot days. They feature mango, cilantro, lime, and Sriracha. And the only cooking they require is sautéing the shrimp on your cooktop. The only heat involved is the Sriracha you add!
Pub Grub Sandwiches
Sandwiches are great dinner ideas for the summer heat. These Pub Grub sandwiches are incredibly filling and include unique flavors like onion sandwich rolls, horseradish-dijon mayo, Havarti cheese, and pepperoncini peppers.
Skillet Ziti with Ground Pork
When you think about making a ziti dinner, you probably envision baking it in a hot oven. But, ziti can actually be a good recipe for hot days. Skillet ziti gives you the same classic taste, but with less prep and no oven necessary. By cooking pasta and browning ground pork on your cooktop, you can get dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.
Classic Fried Rice
Craving Chinese take-out? Prepare your own right from home in just 15 minutes! You can make this dish more robust by adding leftover grilled chicken or pork from your Summer BBQs. Chinese Fried Rice also makes for a great vegetarian option if you leave out the chicken broth, and instead substitute healthy vegetable stock.
Convenient Chopped Salad
Summer and salads go hand-in-hand! This convenient chopped salad is overflowing with summer’s freshest produce, including leafy greens, tomatoes, sweet peppers, and avocados. The recipe calls for grilled chicken, which breaks the no-cook rules, but you can always use rotisserie chicken or packaged, pre-grilled chicken strips in this hot summer meal.
Watermelon Sandwich Wraps
Ditch the heavy bread and roll your way into pure refreshment. These Watermelon Sandwich Wraps offer a brilliant, crisp alternative to standard lunches by using juicy, hydrating watermelon slices paired with savory fillings. It’s a beautifully light, no-cook option that keeps your meal entirely fresh and effortless, making it the perfect antidote to a scorching afternoon.
Chipotle Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Coleslaw
Give a nostalgic childhood favorite a bold, grown-up makeover. These Chipotle Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Coleslaw trade the standard sweet sauce for a smoky, spicy chipotle kick, perfectly balanced by a cool and crisp homemade slaw. It’s a messy, satisfying comfort food classic that comes together entirely on the stovetop, keeping your kitchen cool while delivering a massive upgrade to your weekday dinner routine.
Pepporoni Pizza Poppers
Skip the delivery wait and the blazing hot oven entirely. These Pepperoni Pizza Poppers deliver bite-sized bursts of melted mozzarella, savory pepperoni, and rich pizza sauce in record time. They are a brilliant, low-effort solution for busy summer nights, giving you a fun and crowd-pleasing comfort food fix without turning your kitchen into a sauna.
Slow-Cooker Root Beer Ribs
Let your countertop appliance do all the heavy lifting while you stay far away from a hot stove. These Slow-Cooker Root Beer Ribs emerge incredibly tender and fall-off-the-bone juicy, smothered in a rich, caramelized glaze that gets a uniquely sweet depth from classic root beer. It’s the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it summer meal, delivering deep barbecue-shack flavor without adding a single degree to your home’s thermostat.
Angel Wings Pasta
Trade heavy, slow-simmered sauces for a plate that feels as light as a summer breeze. This Angel Wings Pasta pairs delicate strands of capellini with a fresh, vibrant toss of seasonal vegetables and a whisper of garlic and olive oil. Ready in the time it takes to boil water, it’s a beautifully elegant, minimal-effort dish that satisfies your comfort food cravings without leaving you feeling weighed down in the summer heat.
No-Cook Summer Dinners On The Go
What are the ultimate no-cook summer dinner recipes? That’s easy. They’re the dinners that are taken care of for you! When you’re short on time and the summer heat has you dragging, swing by Stauffers Fresh Food Stores and find multiple dinner ideas for hot days.
- Brick Oven Pizza: Choose from cheese, meat, veggie, Margherita, BBQ chicken, bacon cheeseburger, and cheesesteak pizzas.
- Sushi: Fresh sushi is hand-rolled every day at our stores using high-quality ingredients. Even more tempting? Each Wednesday and Friday we offer eight roll varieties for just $5.
- Subs: Sized for individuals or meant to share, subs are a great grab-and-go meal for your entire family. Add fruit or a deli salad on the side and dinner is completely taken care of!
- Fried & Rotisserie Chicken: Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Pick up Stauffers Signature rotisserie chicken or fried chicken. You can also pick up sides like potatoes and cooked vegetables for a complete meal.
Shop our Rohrerstown or Lititz Fresh Food Stores this summer to create easy and cool dinner ideas to beat the summer heat.
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