Summer is a time to kick back, relax, and soak up the sun. And what better way to do that than with a delicious meal enjoyed in the great outdoors? Or, maybe I should say, how about some ideas for beach meals and summer vacation dinners? Because let’s be honest, it’s beyond time for summer meal planning.
Whether you’re spending your days at the beach, camping in the mountains, or grilling out in your backyard, there are endless possibilities for creating easy and flavorful summer meals.
Grab and Go Beach Meals and Summer Picnic Ideas
Whether you’re spending your days at the beach, camping in the mountains, or grilling out in your backyard, there are endless possibilities for creating easy and flavorful summer meals. This blog section we’ll share some of our favorite beach meal ideas and summer picnic plans, from classic sandwiches and salads to refreshing fruit and veggies and healthy snacks. So pack your cooler and get ready to enjoy the best of summer dining!
Sandwiches: A classic for a reason, sandwiches are easy to make, portable, and customizable to your liking. Try a classic PB&J, a grilled cheese with gooey melted cheese, or a turkey sandwich with crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and a drizzle of mayo.
“Fancy” Sandwiches: We started doing this a few years ago after my mother-in-law got the idea from a friend. We get “fancy” bread that we don’t usually get at home. It makes our lunch feel elevated and an easy “yes” moment for Mom. And by fancy bread, I usually mean bread from a local bakery or Orowheat flavors that we can’t get back home.
Salads: Light, refreshing, and packed with nutrients, salads are a great option for a beach meal. Try a simple green salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and a tangy vinaigrette dressing, or a more substantial salad with grilled chicken or shrimp, mixed greens, and a creamy ranch dressing.
Fruit and Veggies: Fresh fruit and veggies are a healthy and refreshing snack for the beach. Bring a variety of fruits, such as grapes, apples, oranges, and bananas, and veggies, like carrots, celery, and bell peppers, to munch on throughout the day.
Trail Mix: A great snack to have on hand, trail mix is packed with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, providing energy and flavor.
Snacklebox: This trend is taking off, and for good reason. It gives kids (and adults) the freedom to snack and eat their favorite things with portion control. You can take a plastic tackle box or craft storage box and fill it full of snacks. Then, you can eat it all day long. Just make sure there is room for it in your cooler if you include items that need to be refrigerated. I’ve seen some families at the park do this with a portable chip and dip tray where the individual compartments are bigger for more mouths.
At Home Summer Beach Lunches
Hot Ham and Cheese: make a little spread of mayonnaise and a little Italian dressing. Spread this on the inside of a hamburger bun. Fill with sliced lunch meat and cheese. Wrap in a paper towel and warm in the microwave. Or, you can press them in a skillet like a grilled cheese sandwich.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich and canned soup: if you are staying in for lunch, it’s likely you are ok eating a warm lunch. Why not bring back your favorite childhood memories with an easy lunch where you can dunk your grilled cheese in your soup?
Charcuterie Board and Pinwheels: my personal favorite lunch – you can do this any way you like. You can make a buffet line and let people pick what they want or find a sheet pan and make it pretty to put in the middle of the table to gather and graze. Include: meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, spreads, crackers, and a few sweet treats. Pinwheels are an easy way to stretch this meal by combining ingredients in leftover tortillas or wraps and cutting them crossways.
Chicken Salad: A light meal that can be eaten on bread, buns, in a lettuce wrap, or with crackers. Make it early in the week and eat it all week long. It is a hard meal to carry to the beach but perfect if you are sitting at the counter, on a patio, or watching a movie.
Pasta Salad: A versatile dish served as a side or a main course, pasta salad is a great summer meal. Try a classic pasta salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions or a more unique salad with grilled shrimp, feta cheese, and a lemon-herb vinaigrette. I love this option with chickpeas or a loaded veggie salad with pepperoni or lunch meat thrown in.
Potato Salad: Another classic summer side dish, potato salad is easy to make and can be customized. Try a classic potato salad with mayonnaise, celery, and onion or a more unique salad with bacon, cheese, or herbs.
Summer Vacation Dinners
Summer is a time for relaxation, fun, and delicious food. Whether you’re spending your days at the beach, camping in the mountains, or grilling out in your backyard, there are endless possibilities for creating easy and flavorful summer meals. This section will share some of our favorite summer vacation dinner ideas, from classic grilled burgers and hot dogs to quick, hearty meals to feed a crowd. So get ready to fire up the grill and enjoy the best of summer dining!
Many of the meals we love for summer are perfect at the beach, too! And, while it saves money to eat at home, don’t forget to plan a few meals out so you can enjoy yourself since you are ON VACATION!
Grilled Burgers and Hot Dogs: A classic American summer meal, grilled burgers and hot dogs are always crowd-pleasers. Serve them with your favorite toppings, such as ketchup, mustard, onions, pickles, and cheese, and don’t forget the buns!
Grilled Chicken or Fish: Try grilling chicken or fish for a healthier option. Marinate the chicken or fish in your favorite herbs, spices, and olive oil, then grill until cooked. Serve with rice, potatoes, or vegetables. I love adding a fruit salsa for a little more summer pizzaz. Stir together things like tomatoes, mango, cantaloup or strawberries, red onion, corn, fresh jalapenos, and a little lime juice. Salt and pepper, and you are ready for a real summer treat.
Pizza Night: They love this at home, so why not bring it on vacation? You can grab a couple of salad bags if you want to fill up on more than pizza. Try somewhere new or get new flavors. Or, stay in and make your own pizza on pizza crust with all the toppings. KEEP IT EASY!
Stroganoff: This is an easy meal in the crockpot while you are at the beach all day, or it comes together pretty quickly in a skillet. I like this meal over rice or egg noodles with a can of green beans. One thing to keep in mind is that you can do this with chunked stew meat, ground beef or chicken, or frozen meatballs.
Taco or Fajita Night: who doesn’t love taco night??? This is a meal I like to prepare ahead of time, as I’m unloading groceries or cleaning up dinner the night before. Store the meat in a gallon ziploc or storage container and you just have to heat up the meat when you are ready to eat. Add roasted vegetables, skillet corn, rice and beans, or a fun salsa and guacamole to take it to the next level. If you are near a Sam’s Club, grab a taco kit that’s already prepared. Or, use fajita meat from the frozen section that is already cooked and ready to eat!
“Mexican” Night with Margs: If you like something other than tacos or fajitas, consider a Mexican casserole or lasagna, enchiladas, a taco skillet, or something you’ve saved from Pinterest. You usually have a little extra time to try something new at the beach or check out these ideas from Cinco de Mayo night.
Seafood Night: Some of my family love this nightthe most. They grab options from a local seafood market or fish center and cook them together. Consider this an elevated shrimp boil. You can do crawfish or shrimp with sausage and chicken. Or pick out your favorite fish, crab legs, soft-shell crabs, or other treats you never get back home. Corn and potatoes make an easy addition, or just roast a pile of vegetables.
Pasta Night: The sky is the limit here when it comes to doing something your family loves. You could make spaghetti, tortellini, ravioli, stuffed shells, or something like a madeira chicken or cheesy chicken rigatoni. Make food your people love and will gobble up. Add a salad and garlic bread, and dinner comes together easily!
Prepared Meals from the Freezer: If you are driving, you could prepare something ahead of time and bring it with you or check out what’s available in the freezer section of a local grocery store. Meals like pot pie, lasagna, enchiladas, or skillet pasta dinners are easy to grab and feed a crowd. Often, deli sections will provide similar options.
Steak and Potatoes: The men love this night (and I secretly do, too). Marinate your steaks and chicken while you are out at the beach. Grill them and serve with baked potatoes or boxed instant potatoes to which you add butter, sour cream, and cheese. Meat, potatoes, and salad…nothing else needed!
Sweet and Sour Meatballs or Asian Night: I love this one. You can grab frozen Asian meals and prepare them according to the bag. Add roasted vegetables and egg rolls or dumplings, and it’s a perfect dinner. We also like to take frozen meatballs and add a sweet and sour sauce simmered with chopped onion, bell peppers, and pineapple tidbits. We get easy-minute rice, and dinner is ready!
Meatball Subs: This one takes no time at all. Frozen meatballs and pasta sauce are combined. The subs are served on hoagie buns with provolone cheese. This one is easily carb-friendly without the bread. We enjoy them with French onion dip and wavy chips.
Sloppy Joes: Similar to taco night, you can make the meat ahead of time and then warm it when you come in and take showers after the beach. We eat this on buns or leftover baked potatoes. It’s great with prepared chips and dips, but it’s easy to do with frozen French fries or tater tots. Or, turn these into sliders on Hawaiian Rolls.
Parent’s Night Out: Okay, this secretly is our favorite night. As families travel together, grandparents or aunts can stay back with the kids and have a pizza night while the parents get to go out on the town together or have a date night. Another option is to trade nights with another couple. They stay with the kids one night and then swap places so both can get away.
Slow-cooker meals are also great options if you drive to your destination and can bring one. Meals like Pork Tenderloin, Pulled Pork, Cheesy Crockpot Tortellini, roast, or Hawaiian Chicken all make great family dinners at the beach.
Easy Summer Vacation Desserts
Summer vacation desserts are all about being easy and refreshing, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your time off. From classic ice cream to no-bake treats and fruity desserts, there are endless possibilities for creating delicious summer desserts. In this blog post, we’ll share some of our favorite easy summer vacation dessert ideas so you can enjoy the best summer dining without spending hours in the kitchen.
Ice Cream: No summer meal is complete without dessert, and ice cream is the perfect way to end a warm day. Whether you prefer classic flavors like vanilla and chocolate or more adventurous flavors like salted caramel and pistachio, there’s an ice cream flavor for everyone.
Ice Cream Sandwich Cake: It will be a total hit if you’ve not had this. It takes 3-4 three ingredients and comes together easily. When you are at the beach you have to get creative with the dishes available, but this can even be made in a disposable metal pan. Unwrap and lay out ice cream sandwiches. Drizzle with half a jar of caramel ice cream topping. Then spread and top with whipped topping. You can spring on toffee bits or cookie pieces, but I don’t even add those!
Brownies or Cookies: Keep it simple you know they love these, so just give them what they love!
Yes, Treat Night: Stop by the grocery store or pick them up on your way in, but say yes to everything you say “no” to at home. Let each kid pick their favorite treat for everyone to enjoy—the things you find on the grocery shelf, and you don’t have to bake!
Poke Cake: There are various options, from chocolate earthquake to key lime. Find something that complements your dinner plan. But poke cakes are usually store-bought cake mixes that you poke holes in when they come out of the oven. Then, you top them with some liquid and cover them with whipped topping.
Sopapilla Cheesecake: this is always a good way to round out a taco or Mexican night, and any leftovers can go on the breakfast spread in the morning.
These are just a few ideas to inspire your summer meal planning. With creativity and planning, you can create delicious and memorable meals that everyone will love. So fire up the grill, pack a cooler, and get ready to enjoy the best of summer dining!
