I’ve already been to more than a few cookouts this summer. If you’re new to cooking, or simply short on time here are three recipes that take just a few minutes to whip up. I can guarantee your friends and family will be impressed. Typically the hostess prepares the ‘main meal’, usually something with meat. So all three of these dishes are meant to compliment typical summer cookout meals, like burgers and barbecue.
Candy Apple Salad
Ingredients:
Green apples
Fun-sized Snickers bars
Cool whip
All you have to do is chop up the apples and snickers bars and mix all three ingredients together. I like making mine a few hours before any party and then chilling it in the fridge. Since this is a desert, you can also leave it in the fridge until everyone is finished with lunch/dinner on hot days. This is a crowd please-er, so make extra!
Simple Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
Cooked pasta – any variety
Tomatoes
Olive oil
This salad is a nice base for whatever you have on hand – I threw in some olives for this one. The possibilities are endless with this. You can add ham or pepperoni or fancy dressing. As long as you can boil water, this dish is a no-brainer. I find that this recipe is best served cold as well.
Roasted Veggies
Ingredients:
Any 3 (or more/less) vegetables
I love bringing roasted veggies to parties because then I know I’ll have something healthy to eat. With heavy pastas and meat-based meals, it can be hard to stay low-calorie and low-fat during the summer. Of course salads are easy, but roasted vegetables are always a hit. Some of my favorite low-calorie picks are zucchini, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and cauliflower. I try to pick just one root vegetable, like potatoes or squash, and then use low-calorie veggies for the rest.
Of course if you are really short on time you could always pick up s’mores supplies or drinks!
What are your favorite summer recipes?
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