With the start of summer quickly approaching and the US slowly opening back up, cookouts are bound to happen at record rates. Here are some of my favorite dishes that always get compliments.
Red, White, and Blue Strawberries
(easy and fun for the kids to help with)
Ingredients:
Carton of strawberries
White chocolate melting wafers
Blue (or any color) sanding sugar (poured into a bowl)
Directions:
- Rinse strawberries.
- Dip about half of the strawberry into the melted chocolate.
- Dip the part of the chocolate-covered strawberry into the sanding sugar.
- Set on parchment paper and put in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens.
Pasta Salad with A Twist
(prepare the day before)
Ingredients:
1 box tri-colored rotini
6 tbsp Italian seasoning mix (1 packet)
1 16oz bottle Italian dressing
2 cups cherry tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ yellow bell pepper, chopped
1.5 bags cubed cheese (cheddar, colby, etc)
1 bag pepperoni
Directions:
- Cook pasta until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
- Whisk together Italian seasoning mix and Italian dressing.
- In a large salad bowl, combine pasta, tomatoes, bell peppers, cheese, and pepperoni.
- Pour dressing over salad.
- Toss and refrigerate overnight.
Potato Salad
(my go-to cookout dish)
Ingredients:
5-pound bag of red potatoes
3-4 stalks of celery
1 small-medium sized onion
8 eggs
1 small-sized jar of Miracle Whip
Mustard
Sweet pickle relish
Seasoning salt
Pepper
Paprika
Directions:
- Boil potatoes in skins until tender. They are done when the skin starts peeling/breaking open and you can stick a fork in them. Drain and peel and cut them into cubes (bite-sized). Put into large bowl.
- Boil eggs for 20 minutes (boil them at the same time as the potatoes). Drain the eggs and let them cool in cold water. Crack, peel and rinse eggs. Add them to the bowl.
- Chop up the onion (use about ½-¾ of it) and celery and add both to the bowl.
- Start putting in mayonnaise (~4 big tablespoons), ½ jar of relish, mustard (~1 tablespoon), seasoning salt and pepper to taste. Mix and add more mayonnaise and/or mustard if desired. Sprinkle paprika on the top. Chill in the refrigerator.
If you’re a tired mama like me, you’ll enjoy having a few fairly simple cookout recipes like these as a go-to for gatherings. What are your favorite summer recipes?
