Recipes

On any week that’s peppered with late nights at the office and activities like sports practice, piano lessons, or book club, getting dinner on the table can feel like a feat of Everest-like proportions. These are the nights to pull out your slow cooker and rely on it to do the heavy lifting leading up to dinnertime.

Break out the pita chips!

Cool, crunchy cucumbers are at their absolute best in summer. Whether you picked up one too many at the farmers market or your garden is overflowing with them, we’ve got 10 ways to help you put those cukes to work. From salads to soups to sandwich spreads, these are the best cucumber recipes on the internet. This salad combines crunchy cucumber and red onion slices with a tangy Greek yogurt and lemon dressing.

You buy whatever looks good, we show you how to turn it into dinner.

Are you planning a trip this summer? Perhaps taking advantage of some of the cheap airfare deals to Europe? This past February, Norwegian Airlines announced $69 flights to Europe from select destinations in the United States. And just this morning, I was reading that Latvian airline Primera Air will be offering flights to Europe for as low as $99 each way. What’s the catch? Well, everything costs extra, including the food.

Oh, do I ever have a sauce for you today! Raita is just the sort of cooling, contrasting sauce that all of your summer grilling food needs. Warm with cumin, and studded with crisp cucumber and fresh cilantro, this yogurt sauce is welcome on everything from naan-wiches to grilled watermelon. This warm-weather-friendly sauce is one we think you should know by heart, for making all year long. Raita is mixture of yogurt, fruits or vegetables, and fresh herbs and spices used a sauce or condiment.

Welcome to Kitchn’s new series My Favorite Healthy Recipes, where we show you how real people around the country (and even world) eat “healthy,” however they choose to define that for themselves. Maybe you’ll even find a few recipes to add to your own meal plan. Name: Caroline Mitchell Carrico Location: Memphis, Tennessee Age: 29 Occupation: Museum curator Number of people in household: 4 (myself, husband, 3.

When that mid-week brain sets in and you’re seriously stumped on what to cook for dinner, you don’t have to resort to grabbing a pizza on your way home or calling in for delivery once you’ve scanned the fridge in desperation. Instead, you can whip up a satisfying stir-fry in next to no time. Stir-fries take just a handful of minutes to cook up and are infinitely adaptable, making them a winning solution for busy weeknights.

Grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food, which is why it’s such a crowd-pleaser. Whether you’re making lunch for a group of hungry kids or you’re having friends over for a cozy dinner party, you can’t go wrong with grilled cheese. The only downside? Standing over the stove with a spatula while those kids play unsupervised outside or your friends hang out in the next room. Enter: the sheet pan grilled cheese.

In April, my dad and I embarked on a road trip through the Florida Keys. What started out as a good old-fashioned drive from Key Largo to Key West turned into a quest to find the best slice of key lime pie. We ate a lot of key lime pie. We ate it as pie and on sticks. We tried it in jars and covered in syrup. We tried it with meringue and without. We ate it outside and inside. We even tried a gluten-free version.

We promise no fuss and no slimy texture in this classic chia seed pudding.

This is how to tackle pasta night all summer long.

Barbecue chicken is one of the most versatile things to have in your fridge or freezer. Whether you’re making tacos, a sandwich, or a salad, a batch of this chicken will take you far. And the best part? It practically cooks all by itself in your slow cooker. You barely have to left a finger! The secret to success here is making your own BBQ sauce instead of using bottled store-bought stuff.

It is so impressive and surprisingly easy.

Step away from the stove. Don’t even think about turning on the oven right now. And, while you’re at it, leave your slow cooker where it is, too. Hot summer days call for simple dinners that skip the heat, come together with no fuss, and put your farmers market haul or CSA delivery to work. From salads and sandwiches to chilled soups and summer rolls, these 10 no-cook vegetarian dinners are no sweat! Here’s your chance to use up any leftovers from your farmers market haul.

The next time a serious chocolate craving hits, this is the recipe you’ll want in your back pocket. It’s the least fussy cake you can make — the batter mixes up in one bowl, and it bakes in a sheet pan — but it totally delivers on rich, chocolatey goodness you’re after. Just make sure you have plenty of cold milk on hand to wash it all down. By far the best thing about sheet cakes is how simple they are (no layers to contend with!).

The best thing about Popsicles? They’re served on a stick! Sticks are fun — way more fun that spoons, forks, and even sporks! So your Popsicles should be just as much fun. None of that cherry and grape nonsense. That’s why we created a trio of totally weird, but cool, Popsicles. These recipes are the Popsicle equivalent of John Cusack in basically every movie from the ’80s. We wouldn’t want our frozen treats any other way and we hope you agree.

Pasta is easily one of my most favorite meals, and I have no shame in admitting it’s on weekly rotation in my household — all year long. I stock my pantry with noodles of all shapes and sizes, ready to be grabbed and transformed into a simple dinner with the addition of a green salad and perhaps a glass of wine. Come summer, pasta night still prevails, but to honor the laziness of the season, my pastas become lazier. I’m talking about one-pot or single-skillet pasta dinners.

These breakfast pops are sure to cool you down during these sticky summer mornings.

During the summer, the best time for pizza night is whatever day you hit the farmers market. Whether you shop with a plan or simply buy whatever looks good in the moment, this template teaches you how to transform your haul of fresh veggies and herbs into an irresistible pizza that tastes like summer. It will be cheesy and indulgent, thanks to a layer of herby ricotta and stringy mozzarella, and balanced with a mess of fresh toppings.

When you don’t have the energy to cook (say, on a busy weeknight after a long, hectic day), one-pan meals are the answer. This recipe in particular is one to have in your back pocket at all times. It’s truly a dump-and-bake affair — no browning, boiling, or sautéing required. The author affectionately dubs this recipe as an “ultra lazy” pasta bake.

No matter what you bring home from the farmers market, making this summery spin on a classic Cobb is easy.

Grab that blender!

It’s that time when my monthly grocery budget and my zeal for overbuying must work in unison. To put it more plainly, I’ve got a bunch of produce to use up and I’m going to pull from my pantry and freezer to spend less on groceries this week. Don’t worry — it’s not a week full of ramen and peanut butter and jelly for dinner.

Have you tried this?

Want some extra insurance that tonight’s dinner from the grill will be packed with big, bold flavor in every bite? The solution is simple: sauces and dry rubs. Whether you’re firing up the grill for burgers, brats, chicken, or a juicy steak, the secret to really great grilled meat is as simple as a medley of spices from the pantry or a vibrant sauce to match the smoky char.

These are the grown-up buttered noodles you need in your life.

I’m going to show you avocados like you’ve never experienced them before, and there’s a chance nothing will ever be the same again. You already know they’re pretty irresistible on their own and mashed over toast. We’ve shown you the wonder of whirling together avocado and goat cheese for an ultra-creamy dip. Now, it’s time to take it up a notch with a velvety-smooth sauce that’s tangy and pungent, thanks to crumbled blue cheese and a squeeze of lemon.

It’s summer, it’s Friday, and it’s unbearably hot outside, which can only mean one thing: you need a frosty drink. This rosé slushie is just the ticket. Blended with fresh strawberries and raspberries, it’s tart, sweet, and, most importantly, icy-cold. Similar to our frosé, this slushie recipe calls for freezing rosé in ice cube molds ahead of time. You’ll pour half a bottle into the trays and reserve the other half for later.

Add a spoonful of smoky, roasted tomatillo sauce to your plate and dinner instantly becomes a lot more exciting. Blended together with tangy tomatillos, poblano pepper, and a pop of garlic, this everyday sauce hits your tongue with punchy flavor that’s just the right balance of sweet and smoky, with a hint of heat. One of the first things that seems to come to mind when we think about tomatillo sauce is tacos. It’s an obvious pairing, and one that I cannot recommend enough.

Perfect for Shark Week!

A few big spoonfuls of bright, herby pesto make mac and cheese a weeknight dinner suitable for summer. The creamy, nutty flavors of sharp cheddar play nicely with the herby pesto, which brings a vibrant contrast to the cheese’s richness. Store-bought pesto is always a back-pocket shortcut for us, but during the summer fresh become our first choice. So when considering this for dinner, include homemade pesto in the plans too.

When it’s too hot to turn on the oven, baked goods are out of the question. But that doesn’t mean you can’t satisfy your brownie craving! These no-bake brownies are rich and fudgy — and there’s not an ounce of flour or drop of butter in sight. You only need seven ingredients to make these brownies: pitted dates, hulled hemp seeds, walnuts, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, and water.

I don’t know about your garden, but in summertime the mint in my own vegetable patch always threatens to take over. I love that sweet herb, but how many juleps can one gal make? Luckily I was in Portugal recently and I found that mint, or hortelã, as the Portuguese call it, was a common ingredient throughout the meal there.

If someone told you that you were having chicken and green beans for dinner tonight, you’d probably be a little disappointed, right? Maybe you’ve had a few too many dry, flavorless chicken breasts and mushy, bland green beans in your life, but this recipe is far from that. To get that nice golden-brown crust on the chicken breast, you first coat it in a mixture of all-purpose flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Warning: Strong pesto opinions ahead.

Our new favorite way to eat raspberries!

This is how you enjoy the taste of fresh summer peaches all year long.

The goes-with-anything, does-everything creamy peanut sauce you can make from pantry staples.

I love when a simple addition completely transforms a dish. Take this roasted tomato appetizer, for instance. Just a drizzle of honey (yes, honey!) is all you need to turn up the volume on an otherwise standard appetizer. If you’ve been buying pints of cherry tomatoes at the farmers market, you know how delicious they are this time of year.

I like to think of plums as the silent heroes of summer, sitting patiently among other more celebrated stone fruit like peaches and nectarines. Biting into a perfectly ripe, juicy plum is a rite of summer, and turning plums into dinner is one of the best ways to give them a place in the spotlight. When roasted with bone-in pork chops, plums get a bit jammy and turn into a sweet-savory sauce built around a few pantry staples and finished with a fistful of soft basil leaves.

When a craving for cashew chicken hits, you probably call for takeout from your favorite Chinese restaurant. But ordering in all the time can get expensive, which is why it’s good to have an easy recipe like this one in your back pocket. With a little foresight you can make this flavorful dish at home. All you need is a slow cooker and a few hours.

Some may argue that iced coffee is such a perfect warm-weather drink, so why not just leave well and good alone? You see, I don’t agree because it’s a perfect template for experimentation. Coffee works well with so many other flavors that riffing on the beverage is not only fun, but it also turns out to be seriously successful. If you thought regular iced coffee was great, just wait until you give one (or all) of these twists a try. Start with your favorite iced coffee.

Trust us.

Every once in a while, I get a week free from obligations — calendar or budget — and can just choose recipes that are new, enticing, or have just been on my to-try list for too long. This is one of those rare weeks, and how it fell in the middle of summer when produce is at its peak I’ll never know, but I’m thanking my lucky stars. This week’s meal plan features a bunch of seasonal suppers that have had me drooling.

Let me introduce you to your new summer BFF: tomato water pops. These blush beauties are a savory snack on a stick that will make you a hero at every backyard BBQ between now and September, or even just your own personal hero at midnight on a hot August night. These pops are packed full of tomato flavor and studded with fresh basil, making them a fast and fancy appetizer option for serving a crowd. Here’s how to make these tomato Popsicles this summer.

The name translates literally to "flame cake," but flammekueche is neither a cake, nor is it on fire.

When it comes to summer get-togethers, a couple six-packs of beer or a few bottles of wine may seem like the fastest, easiest answer to your drinking dilemma. But here’s another solution that works for even the most last-minute barbecue or pool party: a pitcher cocktail. It may seem complicated (and as a result, it looks fancy and impressive), but you can actually pull off a pitcher cocktail in the same amount of time — or less!

When I’m in need of a little afternoon pick-me-up, but I don’t want another cup of coffee, I always turn to matcha. I love its unique flavor, and the fact that it doesn’t leave me feeling jittery. I’ve covered my fair share of matcha drinks here, but this one really stuck out to me. Why? Because it’s creamy yet doesn’t contain a drop of dairy. Oh, and it doesn’t call for coconut milk either.

Eggplant is one mighty vegetable. It has the power to take center stage on a dinner plate, thanks to its meaty texture, but because of its mild flavor, it’s also ridiculously versatile. It’s willing to take on pretty much any spice, aromatic, sauce, and cooking method you throw at it. And, if you’re looking for a dish that will satisfy carnivores and vegetarians alike, there is no better solution than eggplant.

It’s hard to improve on the classic combination of bread and butter. But when you add dried seaweed (yes, seaweed!) to the butter, it turns the simple ingredient into a salty umami bomb you’ll want to munch on any time of day. This recipe comes to us from Chef Ben Jackson over at Drifters Wife in Portland, Maine. The cozy wine bar, known for its natural wine selection, features an inventive menu of small plates that changes nightly.

Here's how to make onions the star this summer.

You know lemons as the sunny citrus fruit that bring a pop of bright flavor to any dish with just a small squeeze of juice. Now I want to introduce you to another of side of lemons — the mellow, sweet side coaxed out from roasting. When partnered with roasted garlic and a few glugs of olive oil, in no time it’s transformed into a rich, sweet sauce with a faint bitter edge. Let me be clear about one thing: There is no wrong way to use this sauce.

If you’re lucky enough to have a back patio, front porch, or even just a fire escape, now is the time to enjoy dinner al fresco. There’s really nothing like sitting outside on a summer evening, enjoying a simple meal and a cold glass of wine. This skillet chicken with lemon, olives, and potatoes is the perfect dish to make for such a supper. To start, you’ll need to preheat your oven.

From crisps and crumbles to salads and sangria, here's how to turn those summer peaches into drinks, dinner, and dessert.

Welcome to Kitchn’s new series My Favorite Healthy Recipes, where we show you how real people around the country (and even world) eat “healthy,” however they choose to define that for themselves. Maybe you’ll even find a few recipes to add to your own meal plan.

You’re never too old to be obsessed with Disney princesses. Maybe you’re a little old to wear a full-blown costume to the bank to ask for a mortgage, but you’re always allowed to curl up on your couch with a cup of hot chocolate, throw on your favorite nostalgic movie, and belt out the power ballads. If you really want to take it to the next level, infuse your cooking with that Disney magic and match your dinner to your princess.

Happy National Mojito Day! Let’s celebrate with fresh blackberry mojitos. Before you head out to your favorite cocktail bar, know that these pretty-in-pink cocktails are super easy to make at home — no mixology degree required. If you’re anything like me, you might’ve gone a little overboard with the berries at the farmers market, but don’t worry — this cocktail is a great way to use them up.

These chard fritters are a perfect example of the French culinary ability to transform a few humble ingredients into something greater than the sum of their parts.

Summer is all about the simple side salads. When fresh produce is at its best, you only need a few pantry staples and spices to dress it up. Case in point? This cucumber salad with Greek yogurt, red onion, and fresh dill. It’s a prime example of letting peak-season ingredients shine. The first thing you’ll want to do for this salad is soften the sharp bite of the red onion by soaking thin slices of the onion in a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and dried oregano.

Have you tried this?

Grain bowls are a regular part of my meal plan because most of the components of this wholesome meal — from the grains and protein, to the veggies and sauce — can be prepped and cooked ahead of time. All that’s left to do is assemble the bowls for a fast lunch or dinner. Here are 10 fresh and hearty grain bowl recipes to make now and eat all week long. This combo is a timeless classic that’s always a meal plan hit.

Cobbler may be the best reason to turn on the stove in the summer. Jammy fruit, crisp and buttery topping — all you need is a scoop of ice cream. This particular cobbler might just be the easiest I’ve ever made. It’s the kind of recipe you make once and then remember forever. You can make it with a spatula or a soup spoon, in a New York apartment or at your vacation beach house, with peaches or with any other fruit you want to turn into dessert.

Authentic Italian carbonara is a pasta dish made with a few simple ingredients: eggs, hard cheese like Parmigiano and Pecorino, bacon, and black pepper. It’s pretty hard to mess up, right? Well, recently celebrity chef and cookbook author Nigella Lawson took to Twitter to share her take on the classic and people were not very happy about it. As her #RecipeOfTheDay, Lawson shared how to make “delicious Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

Cherry season is upon us, and we cannot get enough of these sweet jewel-toned stone fruits. Their season is fleeting, though, so it’s time to stock up and make the most of them while they’re around. To help you along, here is your cherry checklist. It’s where you’ll find the very best things make, bake, and stir together based on the size of your cherry haul, with no amount too small for something great!

Freeze the entire topping ahead of time for the easiest last-minute dessert.

Put this recipe on repeat all year long.

It’s summer, which means berries and cherries are in season right now at your local farmers market. Grab a couple pints, then mix up a pitcher of this sangria. It’s light, refreshing, and perfect for patio parties. What more could you want? Traditionally sangria is a bit heavier, with red wine and brandy, but this version calls for white wine and limoncello instead. The Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and fruity, while the limoncello offers a tart, sweet note.

This is exactly the kind of sauce I look forward to every summer. Yes, even more than pesto. At the risk of being a little controversial, I believe a good herb-packed green tahini is even better — and definitely a whole lot faster and easier to pull together. It has the nuttiness you’d expect from a tahini sauce, it’s bursting with an irresistible fresh herb flavor, and best of all it goes with everything.

When it's hot outside, twirl your fork around these thin, ultra-crisp cucumber noodles dressed with a vinaigrette of lemon zest, olive oil, a little garlic, and dill.

A case for peach crisp for breakfast.