Make the most of longer days and warmer weather and take dinner outside. Whether hosting a barbecue with friends or enjoying a family dinner under the stars, these recipes will delight everyone. From main meals to side dishes, and grilling options to desserts, you’ll make these backyard dining recipes all summer.
Steak Tacos with Avocado Salsa
“Sour cream and guacamole also make tasty toppings for these steak tacos.” – Elisabeth
Juiciest Hamburgers Ever
“For you guys who like to grill, this one is for you. This is so easy and so simple. If you are a hamburger lover like my family, you will love this.” – Thedford
Grilled Flat Iron Steak
“My family and friends love this and ask for it at dinner and cookouts. I always make extra and that is even gone by the end of the meal – you just keep wanting one more piece. If there are any leftovers, they are great in a salad or sandwich.” – Delores
Greek Asparagus Salad
“It’s such a simple and easy recipe with huge flavors.” – Nick
Herbalicious Grilled Corn
“We love grilled corn at our house. This is a great accompaniment to grilled ribs, burgers, and chicken. I can smell summer already!” – Jane
Cabbage Salsa
“I make this once a week. My family and friends love it! I can’t take it to a function without the recipe to hand out.” – Vicki
The Angry Pig Baked Beans
“These Angry Pig Baked beans is a dish I came up with my husband in mind. He loves meat added to his baked beans and wants everything spicy.” – Debbie
Brown Rice Citrus Salad
“Are you tired of potato and macaroni salads for picnics and outings? This rice salad is a great alternative. It is light and has fewer calories than mayo-based cold salads.” – Trish
Blackbear’s Grilling Sauce
“This is my husband’s recipe, and he finally gave it to me to share. It is so yummy I could drink it right out of the container! This sauce goes well with pork, steak, and chicken!” – Dana
Lisa’s Chocolate Cobbler
“A cobbler is delicious and sweet. My family loves chocolate cobbler. It is so simple to make.” – Lisa
Sweet Cucumber Relish
“Passed on by my Aunt Carol through our family reunion cookbook. The perfect sweet relish for adding to tuna fish sandwiches, tuna macaroni salad, burgers, and hot dogs.” – Judy
Asian Marinated Chicken Breast
“Everyone in my family loves this dish. It’s simple and it saves on ordering takeout.” – Melinda
Bacon and Tomato Pasta Salad
“Perfect side dish for a hot summer night. It comes together quickly and is not too heavy! I’m serving it alongside grilled BBQ pork chops.” – Marianne
Balsamic Garlic Grilled Mushroom Skewers Recipe
“Smoky grilled balsamic and garlic marinated mushroom skewers!” – Kevin
Chocolate Eclair Cake
“This chocolate eclair cake is super easy!” – Penny
Grilled Vegetables with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Glaze
“My mom and grandmother would make this when they had leftover veggies that they couldn’t use, or it wasn’t enough to make a complete dish. It never really makes it to the dinner table! You can swap out the goat cheese for any cheese you prefer and use any vegetables you like.” – Denise
Apricot Barbecue Sauce for Grilling
“My husband requested barbecued chicken on the grill for dinner. Since I didn’t have any store-bought barbecue sauce, we played around with some ingredients and came up with this delicious sauce that was perfect for the chicken. Served with a huge fresh salad, this was a wonderful dinner.” – Amy
Better Than K.F.C Coleslaw
“I promise you if you make this coleslaw, you will like this. It has just the right mix of ingredients.” – Brenda-Lee
Grilled Shrimp and Sweet Potatoes
“Let’s wow your family and friends during this grilling season. The grill is not just for hamburgers, hotdogs, ribs, and chicken. Try out my newest grilled creation – the South meets Jamaica.” – Sherri
Caprese Pasta Salad
“America’s fascination with pasta salads has taken us a long way from the original macaroni salad. In the last few decades, pasta salads have become colorful and fresh, relying on vinaigrettes and an array of seasonal vegetables, cheeses, meats, poultry, and seafood to help them sparkle. Pasta salads without mayonnaise are especially nice because they don’t need the refrigeration that mayonnaise-based salads do.” – Marsha
Zesty Grilled Chicken
“The chicken is tender and tasty and appeals to all of my picky eaters! This is a very easy mop or basting sauce to use when grilling or broiling chicken. Forgot to marinade? No need! We serve it with a side of rice and edamame.” – Peggy Sue
Bruschetta & Cheese
“I made Bruschetta last night using an extremely ripe NJ tomato. The fragrance of the cut-up tomato wafted into the living room… pure heaven! The same with fresh basil.” – Bobbi
Naughty Cheesecake Bars
“With two kinds of cookies in the crust, a cheesecake center, and a cookie and candy topping, these bars are truly naughty!” – Laurel
Chicken Pasta Salad
“Bacon adds even more flavor to this recipe I came up with to use up the veggies we had on hand. Serving it crumbled in a bowl alongside the salad gives people a chance to top their individual salad to taste.” – Dana
Grilled Pork Medallions With Lemon and Rosemary
“I am notorious for over-cooking my pork loins and also didn’t want to turn on my oven (it’s summer right now and very hot). So, I decided to wing this one and WOW, it turned out fantastic!” – Cassie
Bacon Cheeseburgers To Die For
“Perfect for picnics and BBQs, this is a summertime family favorite. My husband is a fan of bacon cheeseburgers, but he doesn’t like all the fat and grease. I decided to experiment and this is what I came up with.” – Freda
Quick Summer Tortellini Salad
“This is a quick, delicious summer salad. Perfect for picnics, no need to refrigerate. A little sweet, and a little tart with a touch of fresh basil for a punch of flavor.” – Deb
Out-Of-This-World Baked Beans
“I have made this so long that I don’t remember where I got the recipe. I only know that my family, friends, and neighbors love them and always ask me to bring them to picnics when invited.” – Norma
Herbed Potato Salad
“A wonderful, fresh-tasting potato salad using the fresh herbs from your garden. Any fresh herbs can be substituted in this creamy salad.” – Carolyn
Grilled Caesar Salad
“I had this once in a bistro and copied it to my liking. I hope you enjoy it.” – Trish