• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Get our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide
freezer meal quick start guide

Get Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide

Loading

About
Free Resources
Contact

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

Thriving Home

Food & Lifestyle

  • Recipe Index
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch & Dinner
      • Sides & Salads
      • Soups & Chilis
      • Appetizers
      • Snacks
      • Desserts
      • Baked Goods
      • Beverages
      • Condiments
    • Method
      • Freezer Meals
      • Stovetop
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Grill or Smoker
      • 6 Ingredients or Less
    • Diet
      • Gluten-Free
      • Dairy-Free
      • Vegetarian
    • Ingredients
      • Chicken & Turkey
      • Beef
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Pasta & Pizza
    • Holiday
      • Birthday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
    • All Recipes
  • Freezer Cooking
    • Start Here
    • Freezer Meal Recipes
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Cookbooks
  • Menu Plans
  • Shop
    • Cookbooks
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Shop Our Favorites
    • Gift Guides
Search...
Home Recipe Round-Ups

10+ Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas

Polly Conner
By: Polly ConnerPosted: 6/14/22Updated: 6/15/22

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Browse through handpicked ideas of our lazy summer dinner ideas. Recipes that work great for when you don’t feel like cooking!

10+ Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas

There are a few reasons why you are here:

  1. It’s too hot outside to even think about cooking.
  2. You want to spend extra time at the pool and don’t want to worry about dinner when you get home.
  3. You need someone to tell you what to make for dinner that will require minimal effort.

Whatever your reason is, we’ve got your back. We’ve scoured our ever-growing recipe index and handpicked dinner ideas that will work perfectly for summer nights when you just.don’t.have.it.in.you.

10+ Lazy Summer Dinner Ideas

a rotisserie chicken from the store in a black pan

1. Rotisserie Chicken (+ 15 Ways to Use It!)

These delicious leftover rotisserie chicken recipes utilize one of the cheapest and healthiest store-bought shortcuts! Perfect for nights you don’t want to cook.

See the Ideas
Pizza Quesadillas

2. Pizza Quesadillas

Pizza Quesadillas are filling snack or light meal that parents can feel good about feeding their kids. This tasty pizza snack comes together fast and can be customized so easily!

See the Recipe
Turkey Pesto Panini

3. Deli Bar

Grab a loaf of bread from a local bakery and lay out deli meat and toppings. Dinner is done!

Or Make Turkey Pesto Paninis

Taco Meat

4. Taco Meat

Hear me out on this. Make a BIG batch of taco meat all at once, freeze some, and then eat it in different ways: Taco Bar, Baked Nachos, Quesadillas, etc.

Taco Seasoning Recipe
pan seared pork chop on a white plate with mashed potatoes and broccoli

5. 4-Ingredient Pork Chops

These are a fan favorite! Simply dredge in the 4-ingredient seasoning mixture and pan fry in minutes. Serve with Baby Boiled Potatoes.

See the Recipe
bbq chicken sliders

6. BBQ Chicken Sliders

Simply season the chicken and then drop it in the crock pot. Toss with some BBQ Sauce at the end. Such an easy dinner with very little hands on time.

See the Recipe
egg in a hole

7. Egg in a Hole

Breakfast for dinner anyone? These do require few minutes on the stove but they come together fast and are a crowd pleaser. Serve with one of our smoothies!

See the Recipe
pizza bread

8. Pizza Bread

This pizza bread is made with simple ingredients, requires minimal effort, and is a kid favorite! It’s an easy, 20 minute meal that is also freezer friendly. You can also cut it in smaller portions for an appetizer!

See the Recipe
whole wheat mac and cheese in bowls on white plates with steamed broccoli on the side

9. Instant Pot Mac & Cheese

This recipe takes just 18 minutes from start to finish, dirties only one pot, and tastes creamy and delicious! Plus, it’s made with all real food ingredients.

See the Recipe
Chicken Parmesan Sliders

10. Chicken Parmesan Sliders

Throw a few ingredients into the crockpot (or Instant Pot), and you’ll have a family-favorite dinner for a busy night. Bonus: Freezing instructions included!

See the Recipe
horizontal side shot of plated crockpot mexican chicken in a bowl with a fork with toppings

11. Crockpot Mexican Chicken

A dump-and-go recipe that won’t heat up the kitchen in the summer. Serve over brown rice for a healthy and delicious summer meal!

See the recipe

More Ways to Make Dinner Easier

If you want to minimize your time in the kitchen this summer, we highly recommend you utilize your freezer. We have so many fabulous freezer meals that have freezing instructions, or try one of our 1 Hour Freezer Prep Sessions.

We also have a quick start guide to help anyone who is new to the idea of freezer cooking.

Start Here!

Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide

Get the best of the best recipes, tutorials, and freezer meal expertise straight to your inbox. A $9.99 value for free!

Loading

42 shares
  • Share
  • Email
Polly Conner

Polly Conner

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Polly’s passionate about helping busy parents get dinner on the table. With a house full of kids, dogs, and (usually) a DIY project in the works, she knows firsthand how every minute (and every dollar) counts. As a business owner, she enjoys wearing multiple hats and serves best as a project manager for Thriving Home.

Read more...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. AvatarRhonda Turner says

    Posted on 6/15/22 at 7:17 am

    The 4 ingredient pork chop link takes me to a crockpot drumstick recipe, which looks delicious but I would love to see the pork chop recipe. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 6/15/22 at 4:13 pm

      Thanks for the heads up. I’ll fix that now. Here is the link to the pork chops: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/easy-pan-seared-pork-chops/

      Reply

sidebar

polly and rachel

Welcome

We’re moms, cookbook authors, and freezer cooking evangelists. Our mission is to help your home thrive, one delicious meal at a time. Let’s make the most of your time in the kitchen! Read more.

Follow Us On Instagram!

freezer cooking

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More

freezer to table

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More
dump and go freezer meal email cta

Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour

  1. Shopping & equipment lists
  2. Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
  3. Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more

Try Session 18 (a $6.99 value) for free!

Loading

Trending Recipes

Overhead portrait photo of tomato bisque soup

Tomato Bisque

cheesy chicken and rice casserole being scooped out of casserole dish

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

cooked mexican soup

Crowd Pleaser Mexican Soup

Easter Favorites

ham sliders

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Cheesy hashbrown casserole

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

Fruit Pizza Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

spiral sliced crockpot ham slices on a platter with pineapple sauce on the side

Crockpot Ham with Pineapple Sauce

Popular Round-Ups

marinades for chicken breasts in freezer bags

7 BEST Chicken Marinades

freezer meal

100+ Best Freezer Meals on the Planet

6 mason jars with various overnight oats in them

7 Overnight Oats Recipes

smoothie packs

7 Frozen Smoothie Packs (+ Printable with Shopping List)

freezer meal update
New to freezer cooking?

Grab Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide!

5 days of recipes & tips from freezer meal experts.

Loading

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

About
About Us
Work With Us
Press
Recipes
All Recipes
Freezer Meals
Menu Plans
Shop
Cookbooks
1 Hour Prep Sessions
Gift Guides
Explore
Free Resources
Shop Our Favorites
Facebook Group
Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
Contact
© 2023 Thriving Home
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
42 shares