Summer is a great time for gathering with family and friends for a picnic, barbecue, or holiday celebration. And since no get-together is complete without a fantastic meal to share, we wanted to share some simple, delicious, and affordable summer recipes that are sure to impress at your next summer outing without burning your budget.
7 Summer Recipes You Can Savor Without Burning Your Budget
The key to spending less when it’s time to make and take a dish to your summer gathering is to remember that delicious doesn’t have to mean expensive. There are a variety of light and tasty summer recipes that are as easy on your budget as they are to make. Here are a few unique dishes to try this summer that are sure to please.
1. Couscous Summer Salad
This cool and crunchy summer salad from Pinch of Yum is the perfect poolside lunch with friends or a delicious alfresco dinner on a warm summer night. The unique combination of spicy couscous, sweet, juicy fruits, and creamy avocado brings summertime promptly to your plate. Add in the crunchy pepitas, delicious seasonal veggies, fresh herbs, and protein-filled chickpeas…and top it all off with a yummy honey, olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Once you try it, you'll crave this delicious and healthy salad all summer long.
2. Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad
Everyone needs a great pasta salad to take to barbecues and picnics this summer because it goes with everything. This delicious summer recipe for veggie pasta salad from Budget Bytes is sure to please with it's loaded bowtie pasta and a variety of fresh vegetables. The best part is that you can choose the veggies and dressing to customize it just the way you like. Choose from broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, cauliflower, bell pepper, black olives, asparagus, spinach, artichokes, and more. Dressing options include a tangy vinaigrette you can make, or bottled Italian or Caesar dressing.
3. Grilled Chicken Thai Lettuce Wraps
If you’re looking for light and healthy summer recipes, these Thai chicken lettuce wraps from Pure Wow simply cannot be topped. The fresh butter lettuce filled with your favorite Thai flavors including fish sauce, ginger, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and sesame oil are the perfect picnic lunch or light dinner when temperatures are high. This tempting dish is delicious and good for you, too. It’s no wonder why these popular lettuce wraps are one of the favorite summer recipes online.
4. Grilled Chicken and Mango Skewers
Serve up a delicious dish with a tropical flair that summer guests are sure to love. Fresh corn, juicy mango, and delicious grilled chicken finished with a spritz of lime juice will make this one of your new favorite summer recipes for the grill. The easy assembly, affordable ingredients, and 10-minute cooking time make these grilled chicken and mango skewers from Taste of Home a go-to summer staple that everyone will enjoy.
5. Baked Sesame-Ginger Salmon in Parchment
Who wants to spend time in the kitchen cooking and doing dishes when there is so much summer fun to be had? This simple and addicting baked sesame-ginger salmon from recipe Pure Wow is exactly what you need for your next get-together. It’s so easy and doesn’t even require pots or pans to make! In just 30 minutes, you can impress dinner guests with this Asian-inspired salmon dish that includes honey, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and veggies all baked together and served in parchment paper.
6. Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
If you’re trying to stay in your best swimsuit shape this season, this saucy sun-dried tomato chicken cutlet dish from Carolyn Malcoun at EatingWell will quickly become one of your favorite summer recipes. Not only does this chicken dish go with just about anything at your summer get-together, but it's also the perfect meal for those who are watching carbs. The creamy sun-dried tomato sauce with white wine is perfect over zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash for a low-carb treat. If you’re looking for a heartier meal, rice, orzo, or spaghetti are delicious alternatives.
7. Summer Peach Cobbler
No summer feast is complete without a yummy dessert recipe and if it calls for fresh fruit – even better. This refreshing summer peach cobbler from Love & Lemons will be the star of the barbecue dessert table with its fresh peaches and fruit crisp-style cinnamon sugar toppings. Served with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream, this dreamy summer peach cobbler will satisfy your sweet tooth and leave you wanting more.
Other Ways to Save
If you’re looking for other ways to save, have you considered participating in Peach State’s Visa Debit Round Up program? When you use your Peach State Visa Debit Card to pay for things like the ingredients for your summertime recipes, your total will be rounded up to the nearest dollar and the excess funds will be transferred to your Round Up Savings Account overnight.1 It’s that simple and the best part is, you don’t have to a thing. Now that’s what we call smart savings!
1 A separate club account will automatically be opened when signing up for and using the Visa Debit Card Round Up program.
