Food and Recipes Dinner 33 Easy Summer Dinners for When It's Too Hot for the Stovetop By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 27, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner There's nothing more fun than summer in the South, but there's also nothing hotter. When the temperature starts to spike, the last thing you want to do is stand over a hot stovetop and heat up the entire kitchen at dinnertime. But sticky summers are inevitable, and dinner still needs to be made. To keep your house cool, your wallet safe from endless dinners out, and your life on track, we rounded up the best summertime cold dinners for hotter-than-hot days. These recipes take minimal effort, make use of time-saving kitchen hacks, and taste like a family favorite waiting to happen. There's twists on old classics and introductions to new recipes that are bursting with summer's best ingredients. With refreshing shrimp-topped salads, no-fuss pita sandwiches, slow-cooker spectaculars, and sheet pan dupes for grill classics, you won't need to touch that stovetop. Dinner tonight? Done! Here are our favorite dinner ideas for hot summer days that taste great hot or cold. 01 of 33 Herbed Chicken-and-Rice Salad Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Herbed Chicken-and-Rice Salad Microwaveable rice and rotisserie chicken are the helpful ingredients to help pull together this pretty salad without having to turn on the stove. 02 of 33 Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas Pick whichever pasta you prefer and combine with an easy honey-lemon vinaigrette and fresh veggies for a side dish that goes with anything. 03 of 33 Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches Use that rotisserie chicken to the bone with these delicious sandwiches that are perfect for lunch or dinner. The chicken salad mixture can be made a day ahead for extra ease when assembling your sandwiches. 04 of 33 Steak-and-Bell Pepper Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Steak-and-Bell Pepper Salad This savory salad is delicious and hearty enough to enjoy for a quick summer dinner on the patio. Toasted sourdough croutons and juicy steak take it from basic to super special. 05 of 33 Tropical Chicken Lettuce Wraps Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Tropical Chicken Lettuce Wraps These healthy lettuce wraps are no-cook and all good. The light chicken salad mixture brings both heat and sweet for a 15-minute recipe that's anything but boring. Serve in lettuce wraps, wheat wraps, or over a bed of greens. 06 of 33 Easy Egg Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Easy Egg Salad Southerners do love to smear up an egg salad sandwich on the go, so pack up a basket of these to eat outside on your porch or at the park. 07 of 33 Watermelon Gazpacho Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Watermelon Gazpacho We didn't know a five-ingredient recipe could look and taste fancy, but this chilled soup is proving otherwise. If watermelon is your favorite summer fruit, this recipe is a unique, fun, and delicious way to prepare it. 08 of 33 Shrimp Cobb Salad with Bacon Dressing Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Shrimp Cobb Salad with Bacon Dressing The only thing you have to prep for this salad is the bacon, and once you taste this dressing, you won't mind the few minutes you spent cooking it. This light recipe feels so much more indulgent than it is. 09 of 33 Greek Grilled Chicken Pita Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Greek Grilled Chicken Pita This is worlds away from that boring deli chicken sandwich, while still being easy enough to whip up on the busiest of days. 10 of 33 Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos This taco night classic just got way easier by being able to make it all in your slow cooker, which leaves you ample time to savor the summertime breeze outside. 11 of 33 Tuna Pasta Salad Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Tuna Pasta Salad This isn't your great-aunt's tuna salad, and thank goodness for that. Packed with fresh arugula, cherry tomatoes, and some pickled peppers for a pop of heat and color, this tuna pasta salad is a crowd-pleaser. 12 of 33 Instant Pot Crack Chicken Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Instant Pot Crack Chicken Made with a winning combination of pepper Jack cheese, sour cream, chicken, and bacon, this family-friendly recipe is what we turn to when we need something comforting and no-fuss. 13 of 33 Salmon Bagel Sandwiches Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Salmon Bagel Sandwiches Stay cool with this recipe that you can eat from brunch to dinner. Cook the salmon ahead in the slow cooker and assemble the best bagel sandwich you've ever had. 14 of 33 Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos Using this convenient shortcut to typically skillet-toasted carnitas, you can broil the meat on a sheet pan to brown and crisp the entire batch at once before popping in a slow cooker until oh-so tender. 15 of 33 Marinated Tomato-and-Herb Salad Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Marinated Tomato-and-Herb Salad When it's too hot to cook, we look to our farmers' market baskets and get creative. This chunky tomato salad will be your new favorite side dish to throw together. 16 of 33 Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans Will Dickey Recipe: Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans Turn leftover chicken (or rotisserie chicken if you want to make this recipe but don't want to cook) into an elegant but simple chicken salad. The juicy grapes and nutty pecans provide a nice balance to the just-sweet dressing. 17 of 33 Chilled Radish-and-Avocado Soup Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chilled Radish-and-Avocado Soup This refreshing summer soup gets a peppery bite from radishes, hot sauce, and chile powder that is wonderfully balanced out by creamy avocados, tangy whole buttermilk, and a little honey for sweetness. 18 of 33 Field Pea Fattoush Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Field Pea Fattoush Salad This salad makes the most of your summer peas. Bright and fresh in flavor from mint and lemon, it gets great added crunch from both the crisp romaine and toasted pita. 19 of 33 Creamy Pesto-and-Shrimp Penne with Peas Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Creamy Pesto-and-Shrimp Penne with Peas Pre-peeled shrimp, frozen peas, and store-bought pesto makes this tasty pasta come together in a jiff. Just like that, you have a hearty summertime dinner up your sleeve. 20 of 33 Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa Greg Dupree Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa Let the slow cooker do the work on the pork, and throw the tacos together with a healthy salsa recipe when you get home for dinner. 21 of 33 Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich You can snag all of these ingredients at the grocery at the start of each week and dole out these hearty sandwiches filled with turkey, hot pepper jelly, Dijon mustard, brie cheese, and more whenever you don't feel like cooking. Ask for thick-cut turkey to make it more filling! 22 of 33 Ham Salad Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Ham Salad This retro Southern recipe is ideal for having on hand when you don't feel like cooking. Serve on a buttery croissant (or between two slices of whatever bread you have), with a side of crackers, or over leafy greens for a quick, comforting meal. 23 of 33 Ham-and-Cheese Sliders Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Ham-and-Cheese Sliders These sliders are a great crowd-pleasing dinner that's reminiscent of a croque monsieur. 24 of 33 Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Recipe: Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken This chicken recipe is prepped right in the slow cooker and then left to cook for five hours. 25 of 33 Shrimp-and-Corn Succotash Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Shrimp-and-Corn Succotash We served this succotash cold so it tastes as refreshing as can be on summer nights. 26 of 33 Chicken Salad-Stuffed Tomatoes Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chicken Salad-Stuffed Tomatoes Take advantage of in-season tomatoes and make this irresistible handheld chicken salad dish. 27 of 33 Kale-and-Chicken Salad with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Kale-and-Chicken Salad with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing This salad is a cool and light dinner option that will keep you full thanks to the healthy greens and plentiful protein. 28 of 33 Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray Recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad This easy pasta salad is full of fresh flavors like sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, feta cheese, and basil. 29 of 33 The SL BLT Alison Miksch Recipe: The SL BLT Nothing hits the spot like a BLT on a hot day. 30 of 33 Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad Jennifer Davick Recipe: Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad This salad does it all. Broccoli and bacon add crunch, while grapes add a burst of juicy summer fun. 31 of 33 Spaghetti with Marinated Tomatoes and Mozzarella Alison Miksch Recipe: Spaghetti with Marinated Tomatoes and Mozzarella Just a few minutes of stove time is required to cook the spaghetti in this recipe. The rest comes together after the pasta cooks. 32 of 33 Brisket Tacos with Summer Salsa Alison Miksch Recipe: Brisket Tacos with Summer Salsa Flavorful tacos are a favorite summer meal, and we love the bright salsa on these ones. 33 of 33 Grilled Shrimp Lettuce Wraps Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Recipe: Grilled Shrimp Lettuce Wraps This recipe tucks grilled shrimp, cilantro, and quick pickled veggies into lettuce leaves for a light lunch or appetizer that's sure to cool you off. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit