On The Menu 5th Week Of July

A full week of summer dinner menus with 53 easy recipes, from tacos to sushi night, plus a sweet treat and more to try.

I have been in a cooking mood lately, and it’s not just summer food I’m craving; stews and soups have been calling to me too. I get this “bug” a few times a year where I read cookbooks like romance novels, and my kitchen is often a mess to prove it! It does not help that Mecks Farm Market is not far away, where their homegrown fruits and vegetables are some of the best Lancaster has to offer.

I am not sure I will actually make everything on this week’s menu; it is quite ambitious, but at least all the recipes will be here waiting for me when I am ready to try them.

Yesterday, another product of this cooking mood, I posted a fun and helpful roundup called What To Make For Dinner When You Don’t Want To Cook: 25 Easy Dinners Better Than Takeout. There are many days I just don’t feel like cooking, and I call on many of these easier recipes using things I already have on hand. That post also has other helpful info, like quick side dishes to serve and what to keep stocked in your kitchen. I hope it helps you too!

Here’s what’s On The Menu This Week.

Tacos are a favorite on our menu, and these Baja fish tacos are always a special treat. This is an old recipe on the blog, but it is still very delicious, and when I make it, it’s a treat. I most often bread the fish with panko breadcrumbs and air fry it until it is done, though the original recipe is beyond delicious. It calls for a battered, dipped, fried fish that tastes heavenly. Either way you make them, Baja fish tacos are a real treat.

🌿 TIP BOX: If you air fry the fish, give the panko a light spray of oil before cooking. It helps the coating turn golden and crisp instead of pale and soft.

Baja Fish Tacos

Homemade Refried Beans

Chips And Queso

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BBQ and summer go hand in hand at our home, and Bobby loves to grill, so BBQ chicken usually means a no-mess kitchen meal for me.

This sticky oven-baked BBQ chicken caught my eye, and I’m giving it a try this week. It’s pretty no-mess too. I like that the recipe starts with store-bought sauce that gets doctored up for more flavor and stickiness. Alongside, a panzanella salad rounds out the meal. This is a delicious summer salad to make, especially when tomatoes are fresh from the garden or local market.

🌿 TIP BOX: When doctoring up store-bought BBQ sauce, add it in layers during the last part of cooking rather than all at once. It builds a stickier glaze without burning the sugars.

Sweet And Sticky BBQ Chicken

Panzanella Salad

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I can’t wait to try this easy sheet pan gnocchi with roasted vegetables. Doesn’t that sound tasty? Store-bought gnocchi goes right onto the pan with cherry tomatoes, garlic, and vegetables, no boiling required, and roasts until the gnocchi turns lightly golden and the tomatoes burst into a light sauce. Alongside, air fryer honey mustard salmon rounds out the meal with a sweet, tangy glaze of honey, whole grain mustard, and a touch of smoked paprika.

Air frying salmon really makes it perfect. I temp mine and stop the air fryer about 5 degrees before it’s done, around 130, and it finishes cooking as it rests.

🌿 TIP BOX: Don’t overcrowd the sheet pan with the gnocchi and vegetables. Give everything room to roast instead of steam, and you’ll get those lightly golden, crisp edges on the gnocchi.

Easy Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Roasted Vegetables

Air Fryer Honey Mustard Salmon

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Tuna noodle casserole is a real blast from the past. Both Bobby and I ate it as kids, and it still feels like the ultimate comfort food, with flaky tuna, egg noodles, and a creamy sauce baked under a buttery crumb topping. I’m not a fan of peas, so I’m making half the pan with them and half without; everyone gets what they like! The watermelon berry salad on the side, tossed with honey and lime, almost sounds like dessert.

🌿 TIP BOX: Boil the egg noodles just to al dente. They’ll keep cooking in the oven, and starting them slightly undercooked keeps the casserole from turning mushy.

Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Watermelon Berry Salad

Sliced Tomatoes

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Tonight is a fun dinner! I’m not sure who is coming, but I’m hoping a few dear neighbors will join us. I don’t know if they know how to roll sushi, but I think we will have fun learning together. We’re making gluten free beef lo mein with tender flank steak, green beans, and carrots tossed in a sweet and savory sauce, along with California sushi rolls filled with avocado, cucumber, and crab.

If I have time, I’m hoping to make Purin, a Japanese caramel custard pudding. It reminds me a little of flan, and everyone loves flan! If not, a nice store-bought fruit tart will do just as well.

🌿 TIP BOX: When slicing flank steak for lo mein, cut against the grain into thin strips. It shortens the muscle fibers so the beef stays tender instead of chewy.

Gluten Free Beef LoMein

Easy California Sushi Rolls

Purin (Japanese Caramel Custard Pudding)

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We will be having our son Christopher and his beautiful family for dinner, and everything about tonight’s menu says family dinner to me. Garlic butter creamed corn chicken is a company-worthy dish made in one skillet, with bacon, sweet corn, garlic, and a touch of cream, but it’s simple enough that three slightly picky grandkids will love it too, especially with a basil caprese salad on the side. Dessert is a warm peach and blueberry cobbler with a buttery crumb topping, served with vanilla ice cream, and I have a feeling it will be the favorite part of the meal for the grandkids.

Christopher and his family have lived near us for many years, but they will soon be heading to Florida so he can work in ministry there. We are so happy he is following God’s will for his life and his family, but this is also hard on this mama and Gigi’s heart. I see many trips to Florida in our future!

🌿 TIP BOX: Buy fresh corn the day you plan to make this dish if you can. Corn starts losing its sweetness soon after it’s picked, so the fresher it is off the stalk, the better it tastes.

Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Chicken

Basil Caprese Salad

Peach And Blueberry With Vanilla Ice Cream

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I’m on a constant quest to make the perfect, juicy pork tenderloin, and this one looks pretty good, with a herb and garlic paste under a crisp panko crust. Zucchini grows riotously here in Lancaster County, and I’m trying a new recipe this week, a French onion zucchini bake with caramelized onions and plenty of melted gruyere. I’m also making an oldie but goodie StoneGable recipe that everyone loves, lemon zucchini bread.

🌿 TIP BOX: Pat the pork tenderloin completely dry before adding the herb paste and panko. Any extra moisture keeps the crust from getting crisp and golden.

Juicy Herb Pork Tenderloin

French Onion Zucchini Bake

Lemon Zucchini Bread

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My dear friend Ann, over at On Sutton Place, is a very talented baker, and her blog is so beautiful; it really speaks to my heart. I wish I had her gift for baking, and honestly, so much more! This week I’m making her Lemon Cake Cookies, made easy with the help of a box cake mix. Yum!

🌿 TIP BOX: Chill the cookie dough for at least 15 minutes before baking. It keeps the cookies from spreading too thin in the oven and helps them hold that soft, chewy texture.

Lemon Cake Cookies

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I have been meaning to make lavash bread for ages. This unleavened bread is so simple, and I love how versatile it is.

These air fryer zucchini fritters are another delicious way to use up all that summer zucchini.

My creamy bacon ranch pasta salad is a delicious summer side dish that always disappears fast at a cookout.

A work of delicious art describes this melon mosaic salad with hot honey vinaigrette perfectly.

I’m making these one-point WW pancakes this week too.

For overnight guests, a spinach, feta, and artichoke bake would make a wonderful breakfast.

These spinach lasagna roll-ups are such a pretty way to serve this Italian favorite.

Air fryer salmon cakes are one of my favorites. I grew up eating salmon cakes, but nothing quite like these.

I’m making this gorgeous tomato ricotta phyllo tart soon.

Last summer I made this summer vegetable torta, and it was spectacular.

A company-worthy main dish that’s easy to make any night of the week, cheese tortellini with butter, mushrooms, and crispy sage is on my list this week.

When my sister and her husband, the best thing Canada ever exported, visit this weekend, I’m making this blueberry lemon pull-apart bread.

This summer corn and zucchini chowder sounds like the perfect way to use up the last of the season’s corn.

Serve bacon onion tomato pie for lunch, brunch, or a light summer dinner. It’s full of fresh flavor and always a crowd pleaser.

I can’t wait to try this brown sugar peach cake.

Zucchini scarpaccia is a beautiful, thin Italian zucchini cake that’s perfect for using up a garden surplus.

This creamy pasta salad would be wonderful alongside any of this week’s dinners.

For dessert, a buster bar cake is such a fun, cool treat for a hot summer night.

Frito corn salad is the kind of side dish that disappears the moment it hits the table.

These easy stuffed mushrooms would make a lovely appetizer for your next gathering.

My easy herby chicken salad with dill and lemon is light, fresh, and perfect for a summer lunch.

I love the bright, simple flavors in this one skillet salmon with lemon orzo.

The best egg salad recipe you’ll ever make, with one simple twist, truly lives up to its name.

These butterscotch zucchini bars are a sweet, unexpected way to use garden zucchini.

My tomato peach cherry and burrata salad with herb vinaigrette is one of my favorite ways to celebrate summer produce.

For something with a little kick, this Thai spaghetti salad is a fun change of pace.

I’m intrigued by these zucchini cookies, a clever way to sneak in even more zucchini.

This Mediterranean stuffed salmon looks like a beautiful, healthy dinner option.

My watermelon and feta salad with mint and balsamic lime drizzle is one of my favorite ways to use summer watermelon.

For a quick, light dinner, these teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps are hard to beat.

This easy seven-layer salad recipe would be a wonderful addition to any potluck table.

A dump-and-bake chicken tzatziki casserole sounds like the perfect no-fuss weeknight dinner.

And these crispy zucchini fritters are yet another delicious way to use up your garden’s bounty.

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There is such a blessing in gathering around the table with family and friends, whether it’s a quiet weeknight meal or a full house with the grandkids underfoot. Good food has a way of drawing people together, slowing us down, and giving us a reason to linger a little longer in each other’s company. I believe it is worth treating both our bodies and our souls to meals made with care, whether that is a simple recipe on a busy Tuesday or a special dinner shared with the people we love most.

I hope this week’s menu gives you a little inspiration for your own table, and that you find as much joy in the gathering as you do in the cooking. Have a wonderful week, friends!

Happy summer cooking, friend…