Beat the heat: Refreshing dinner recipes for hot days

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Here’s a collection of dinners you can make when it’s too hot to cook. Whether you lean on precooked ingredients or quickly cooked ingredients, or small appliances that don’t heat up the house, you can make dinner for your family AND keep your cool.

Blackened shrimp on grits with a fork on the right side.
Blackened Shrimp. Photo Credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad

A crispy buffalo chicken salad featuring crispy chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese, and dressing.
Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Start with pre-cooked crispy chicken OR spicy chicken. Lay it on top of a bed of fresh greens, add blue cheese and dressing, and of course, more buffalo sauce!
Get the Recipe Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad

Club Sandwich Salad

Club Sandwich Salad with tomatoes, cheese, bacon, and dressing.
Club Sandwich Salad. Photo Credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Everything you love in a club sandwich but in a salad!! perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want to cook!
Get the Recipe: Club Sandwich Salad

Cobb Salad

A big cobb salad on a platter with crispy chicken, avocados, eggs, tomatoes, all on top of greens.
Cobb Salad. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Too hot to cook?? Try this easy-to-make Cobb Salad. You can buy everything for it in the deli or deli section of your grocery store.
Get the Recipe Cobb Salad

Instant Pot Hawaiian Meatballs

A bowl of hawaiian meatballs over rice in front of an Instant Pot.
Hawaiian Meatballs. Photo Credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Hawaiian Meatballs cook up easily in the Instant Pot for a filling and tasty dinner!
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Hawaiian Meatballs

Wendy’s Jalapeno Popper Salad

A jalapeno popper salad on a big platter full of lettuce, greens, crispy chicken, bacon, jalapenos, and more!
Wendy’s Jalapeno Popper salad. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Love a good spicy salad AND jalapeno poppers?? You have to try this “almost Wendy’s Jalapeno Popper Salad” I think you’ll like it!
Get the Recipe Wendy’s Jalapeno Popper Salad

Blackened Shrimp

Spicy shrimp on a scoop of grits.
Blackened Shrimp. Photo Credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Quick and easy, these blackened shrimp will make everyone happy! Don’t like it spicy? Reduce these cayenne pepper and just enjoy the delicious flavor.
Get the Recipe: Blackened Shrimp

Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers

A bread roll with sausage and peppers being held in a hand
Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers. Photo Credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Easy and delicious this instant pot dinner is almost too good to be true.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers

Burger In A Bowl

Burger bowl with bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado and special sauce.
Burger in a Bowl. Photo credit: Running to the Kitchen.

This burger-in-a-bowl recipe includes a homemade special burger sauce. It’s got all the toppings and flavors of your favorite fast food burger with a healthier spin served on a bed of lettuce.
Get the Recipe Burger In A Bowl

Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

A crock pot filled with casserole topped with stuffing and cheese.
Crock Pot Cordon Bleu. Photo Credit: Little House Big Alaska.

The easiset dinner you’ll ever make. When it’s too hot to cook pull out the slow cooker and make this easy tasty casserole.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

Steakhouse Hamburger Salad

Smoked burger patties over a hearty bed of lettuce.
Steakhouse hamburger salad. Photo credit: GirlCarnivore.

This steakhouse hamburger salad combines juicy smoked burgers nestled over dark leafy greens with a homemade keto blue cheese dressing and crispy onions for a filling meal that forgoes the bun.
Get the Recipe Steakhouse Hamburger Salad

Chickpea Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing

A small white bowl of white salad next to a large wooden salad bowl.
Chickpea Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing. Photo Credit: MOON and spoon and yum.

A nourishing and refreshing chickpea kale salad with a creamy tahini dressing.
Get the Recipe Chickpea Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing

Reuben Sandwich Salad

Salad with corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut, dressing and rye bread cubes.
Reuben Salad. Photo Credit: Little House Big Alaska.

This Reuben Sandwich Salad has everything from a good Reuben. Like swiss cheese, corned beef, thousand island dressing, rye bread, and sauerkraut all in one big dinner-sized salad.
Get the Recipe Reuben Sandwich Salad

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