On The Menu 2nd Week Of July

This week’s menu plan features 48 seasonal summer recipes, from grilled favorites to a berry cake, perfect for easy weeknight dinners.

Summer is in full swing, and roadside stands across Lancaster County are overflowing with seasonal fruits and vegetables. I love to plan my shopping around what I am making that day, picking up produce the same morning I plan to cook it so every dish gets the best flavor possible.

My herb garden is lush and abundant this time of year, and I find myself bringing in handfuls of whatever looks good, even when a recipe does not call for it. This week’s menu plan is full of bright, seasonal dishes that make the most of everything summer has to offer, so let’s get right to it.

Our DC kids and grandkids are here with us for a whole week, and I am loving every minute of cooking for this crew. My daughter Jacqueline is a better cook than I am, so I’m excited to cook together.

Zucchini grows like a weed in our area right now, and this Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Casserole is a cheesy, savory way to make good use of it. We are pairing it with Grilled Sweet Italian Sausage and a Nuts About Berry Salad for a little sweetness on the side.

🌿 TIP BOX: If your zucchini is on the larger side, scoop out the seedy center before slicing. It keeps the casserole from getting watery and holds its shape beautifully.

Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Casserole

Grilled Sweet Italian Sausage

Nuts About Berry Salad

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My gang loves chimichurri sauce, and I will let the grandboys pick the fresh herbs from the garden for it this time. This Grilled Lemon Chicken is bright and juicy off the grill, and the homemade chimichurri adds depth of flavor and a taste of the season. We are rounding out the meal with Nani’s Sauteed Rice and my favorite summer salad, Panzanella Salad, which never disappoints.

🌿 TIP BOX: Let the chimichurri sit for at least ten minutes before serving. The flavors meld beautifully and taste even better than they do right after mixing.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

Nani’s Sauteed Rice

Chimichurri Sauce

Panzanella Salad (Tuscan Bread Salad)

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With family here for the week, grilling night is one of our favorite ways to gather everyone on the patio. We are getting the first of the local corn now, and Meck’s Farm Market is close enough that I can pick it up the same day I plan to make it, so it is truly just picked. This Honey Glazed Salmon is a wonderful main for the occasion, and we are serving it with that fresh Garlic Parmesan Corn On The Cob and a Cucumber Salad With Fresh Herbs to keep things light.

🌿 TIP BOX: Corn is sweetest the day it is picked, so try to buy it the same day you plan to cook it. The sugars start converting to starch soon after harvest, softening the fresh, sweet flavor.

Honey Glazed Salmon

Garlic Parmesan Corn On The Cob

Cucumber Salad With Fresh Herbs

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What a fun way to serve dinner! This Caprese Grilled Chicken Salad turns into a beautiful board for the night, and I am planning to grill chicken and flank steak, then add a few extra veggies to round it all out. A side of Grilled Garlic Bread is the perfect thing to have on hand for scooping up every last bite.

🌿 TIP BOX: Arrange the board just before serving so the tomatoes and mozzarella stay fresh, and the bread stays crisp. It also makes for a beautiful presentation everyone can dig right into.

Caprese Grilled Chicken Salad

Grilled Garlic Bread

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When we are all together, pizza night is standard Friday fare here, and my son-in-law Jonathan is a fabulous pizza maker, so he happily takes over that job. He is making this Spicy Italian Flatbread, and we are rounding out the table with a Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing and wings from Costco, which are huge and delicious. We like to air fry them and keep them warm in the oven until we are ready to eat.

🌿 TIP BOX: Keep air-fried wings warm in a low oven, around 200 degrees, while you finish the rest of dinner. They stay crisp instead of going soft, as a microwave can.

And of course, No-Bake Butterfinger Pie is waiting for dessert

Spicy Italian Flatbread

Caesar Salad With Homemade Dressing

Frozen Wings From Costco

No-Bake Butterfinger Pie

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Tonight I am trying a new stovetop recipe for White Chicken Chili, and our family loves a good soup, especially with fresh bread alongside it. I do have a delicious crockpot version of White Chicken Chili if you would rather let the slow cooker do the work. It’s fun to try something new every once in a while, even if your own recipe is THE family favorite. We are serving it with Best Super Moist Cornbread, which is just scrumptious, and a bowl of garden tomatoes.

🌿 TIP BOX: If you love a thicker chili, mash a portion of the beans before adding them to the pot. It gives the chili body without changing the flavor at all.

White Chicken Chili

Best Super Moist Cornbread

Garden Tomatoes

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We are hosting a cookout for friends this weekend using these easy, delicious recipes. If the weather cooperates, we will eat out on the patio, where the golfers in the group can discuss, or more likely heckle, the golfers coming through on the seventh tee. This Grilled Korean Flank Steak is packed with flavor and always a hit with a crowd, and we are keeping things easy with Fried Rice and a Ramen Noodle Salad on the side.

We’ll serve it with this week’s sweet treat.

🌿 TIP BOX: Grilled Korean Flank Steak is even better made ahead. Marinate it the night before so all you have to do is grill and slice when your guests arrive.

Grilled Korean Flank Steak

Fried Rice

Ramen Noodle Salad

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This cake looks as beautiful as it sounds scrumptious, and I may end up making it twice this week, once for our family early on and again for our golf friends at the cookout. This Summer Berry Cake is bursting with fresh summer berries and looks just as lovely as it tastes, making it a wonderful centerpiece for either gathering.

🌿 TIP BOX: This cake is best made the day you plan to serve it, but the berries can be washed and prepped the night before to save time. That way, assembly comes together quickly when you are ready to bake.

Summer Berry Cake

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I see so many recipes each week when I search for great dinner recipes. And some are just so delicious looking and sounding. I just can’t pass them up without sharing them with you!

Super easy lemon bars are bright, tangy, and the perfect treat to have on hand all summer long.

You will want a big bowl of the best potato salad you will ever make at your next cookout, no question about it.

Even the simplest grilled bread or vegetables become something special with a batch of easy herb compound butter.

Ripe summer strawberries turn into something wonderful in this strawberry lemon pound cake with lemon glaze.

For a sweet breakfast or afternoon snack, glazed lemon zucchini bread is hard to beat.

On the hottest days, a chilled bowl of easy gazpacho soup is exactly the refreshment you need.

The sweetest individual dessert for any summer gathering comes in little jars of easy cherry pie in mason jars.

Rich, comforting, and a dinner your whole family will ask for again, this smothered chicken is a keeper.

Warm from the oven with a bit of butter, the best sour cream scones are impossible to resist.

Few dinners come together as easily, or taste as good, as a classic pasta carbonara.

Slice it warm and slather on the butter, because easy and delicious beer bread is that kind of bread.

Your garden’s summer harvest finds a happy home in this sweet corn and zucchini pie.

Pack a few easy puff pastry ham and cheese hand pies for a picnic or a quick weeknight dinner.

Save yourself a drive-through and make this Taco Bell copycat Mexican pizza at home instead.

Topped with a bright berry sauce, easy strawberry cake with strawberry sauce is a beautiful way to celebrate summer fruit.

Flaky layers and juicy summer tomatoes come together in this tomato ricotta phyllo tart.

For a meatless dinner that still feels satisfying, try this summer vegetable torta.

Drizzled with hot honey, the melon mosaic salad with hot honey vinaigrette is a fresh take on a summer favorite.

A batch of Neiman Marcus cookies in the cookie jar never lasts long around here.

Brunch gets a little more special with a quiche with hashbrown crust on the table.

This coleslaw orzo salad is a nice change from traditional coleslaw and holds up well for a crowd.

Cool and elegant, lobster salad is a lovely choice for a warm evening dinner.

When you want dinner on the table fast, a no-cook black bean taco bowl comes together in minutes.

Zucchini and yellow squash au gratin is a comforting side dish that makes the most of summer squash.

This caprese chicken casserole brings all the flavors of a caprese salad into one cozy, satisfying bake.

I hope you will pick out your favorites from this week’s lineup. Make them, share them with the people you love, and pin the ones you want to save for another week!

Have a scrumptious week, friend!