We Built Your Ultimate Summer Grocery Cart — How Many of These Things Are on Your List?

Just last week, we launched Kitchn 100 — a list of the 100 groceries that Kitchn editors happen to be super excited about. It was hard narrowing down the list to just 100 — especially when we started talking about seasonal treats (pumpkin spice stuff, we’re coming for you!). So we decided to make a mini list of our essential groceries for summer. Many of these things are on our Kitchn 100 list, while some are new additions for these hot summer months.

Take a look and then tell us what you’re stocking up on this summer.

Whether you’re eating Kosher or not, these are some of the best hot dogs you can throw on the grill. They’re beefy, have a nice snap, and remain plump without bursting. Plus, they fit well in buns, even though they’re not marketed as bun-sized.

Related: The Hot Dog Taste Test: We Tried 9 Brands and Here’s What We Thought

These rolls are the perfect size for burgers (there are also hot dog buns), and they’re the only legit option for your summer cookouts. You’ll love the pillowy softness and buttery flavor. We’re not the only ones who swear by Martin’s, either: Shake Shack has been serving its burgers on Martin’s rolls since the day it opened.

Read more: The Only Buns You Should Ever Buy from the Grocery Store

These meatless patties can totally stand up to the flame of your grill. They’re not super thick (compared to others on the market), but what they lack in thickness, they make up for in smoky flavor. The resealable pouch is super handy, too.

Read more: Frozen Veggie Burger Taste Test: We Found the Best Veggie Burger For Every Preference

Aidells has so many fun flavor combinations and this is one of our favorites. Each pack has a very short list of ingredients and they plump up nicely in the oven, on the stovetop, or on the grill.

If you follow our Editor-in-Chief, Faith Durand, on Instagram, you’d know her thoughts on these bars: Sometimes you’ve just gotta eat one in the middle of the day — alone and in your car. She likes to bite right into them (they’re not too cold, she says) but other members of our staff prefer to take their time.

Trendy new brands can try all they want, but there’s no beating this OG ketchup. It won in our blind taste test and took a spot in Kitchn 100. If you plan on serving a single burger or hot dog this summer, you need one of these bottles in your fridge.

Read more: The Ketchup Taste Test: We Tried 7 Brands and Ranked Them

There are all sorts of mustard (yellow, stone-ground, brown, etc!) options out there, and, while we love them all, a good Dijon is just so versatile. This one is smooth and tangy and doesn’t contain sugar, which other common brands do.

Related: 15 Ways to Use Dijon Mustard in Your Cooking

There’s so much you can do with a watermelon that it’d be a shame to not pick one up every time you head to the store. You can eat it plain, grill it, make some watermelon s’mores, add some heat, and so much more.

• The Best Way to Pick a Watermelon
  
• Here’s How Much You Should Be Paying for Watermelons
• The Cleverest Way to Cut a Watermelon into Bite-Sized Pieces
• How To Grill Watermelon

You could buy each of these berries from the produce department and freeze them yourself, but the price on this ready-mixed frozen bag is almost always going to be better. Keep a bag in your freezer for smoothies, crumbles, and pies all summer long.

Don’t even think about making pasta salad with noodles of any other shape. The little cups deliver just the right amount of dressing with each bite. And, if you have kiddos around, we find the noodles are just the right size for tiny hands to pick up.

Start with this recipe: Feta & Eggplant Pasta Salad

We’ve bought off-brand marshmallows for s’mores plenty of times and we almost always end up regretting it. These last longer in the pantry and they char and melt just right over the fire. Oh, you’re also going to need these graham crackers and some Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars.

Because you can’t really rosé all day. We still love our Lime LaCroix, but we’re calling this as the next big thing in seltzer.

If you’re an iced-coffee-in-the-summer kind of caffeine-drinker, this is a must-try. It’s strong, unsweetened, and a staple in Faith’s fridge.

Know those hot summer nights when you just can’t even think about turning on the oven or standing in front of a grill? Stash this clamshell container of greens in your fridge and you’ll always have the base for a filling salad. Seriously, these greens last longer than most.

This flavor may seem like a classic but it’s unlike any other option you’d get from the bigger brands. It’s surprisingly complex, sweet, salty, and just so creamy.

Read more:

A Guy Named Patrick’s Favorite Pint of Ice Cream

What other groceries are you stocking up on this summer? Tell us about them in the comments below!