Let’s be honest, a summer dinner sounds easier than it is.
In your mind, it’s simple: you fire up the grill, throw a few sides together, get cold drinks ready, and eat outside. In reality, it looks much different. 6 o’clock rolls around, and it’s still 95 degrees outside, the wind is pushing smoke around the yard all the time, and by the time your burgers are finally done, a storm starts.
You could avoid this if you plan better, you know.
Plan the Menu Around Heat and Holding Time
Here’s how not to drive yourself crazy while preparing a summer dinner.
Choose Mains That Go With the Conditions
Grilling is the obvious choice because, if the day is hot, you don’t want any extra heat inside the house. Chicken thighs, burgers, sausages, kebabs, salmon, corn, peppers, and zucchini are all probably on your mind already. However, you don’t need to serve them all at the same time.
A steak can sit for a few minutes and still be okay, and the same goes for grilled vegetables. Burgers and fish, on the other hand, need to be served right away.
The point is, try to combine foods that can sit for a minute with a thing or two that needs to be served immediately.
Prepare Sides Before the Hottest Part of the Day
The last thing you could possibly want is to have a kitchen full of boiling pots at 6 PM while also having stuff on the grill outside.
Many sides can be prepared earlier, like pasta salad, slaw, bean salad, marinated vegetables, dips, fruit, sauces, and dressings. You can do it all in the morning, and keep it in the fridge until the evening. And actually, a lot of them will end up tasting better that way.
You can assemble leafy salads ahead, but don’t pour dressing over them until right before you serve them, or they’ll get soggy and gross.
Keep Cold Foods Cold Until You Need Them
Cold dishes are ideal for summer, but they need to be kept cold until it’s time to eat. Salads with creamy dressings, dips, meat, seafood, eggs, and anything with a dairy base should be in the fridge until dinner. Pro tip – bring food out in stages, and leave the rest in the fridge. Or you can serve smaller portions and refill them.
That way, everything stays cold all the time. And the same goes for drinks, too.
Make Drinks and Desserts Work With the Weather
A rich chocolate cake probably isn’t ‘the best’ way to finish a hot evening.
You want something lighter, especially after you’ve finished eating grilled meat and sides. Chilled fruit is a good idea, or berries with cake, parfaits, frozen desserts, or a cold pie. And you can prepare most of it way before dinner. Just keep everything frozen or refrigerated until you’re ready to eat it, or you’ll end up with mush.
And prepare drinks before dinner, too. Make sure there’s plenty of ice ready, chill everything, make lemonade or iced tea, and slice fruit and garnishes.
Time the Cooking Around the Forecast and Serving Window
Now that you have an idea of what you’re cooking, you need to figure out when to cook it.
The weather can change pretty quickly during summer, so if you’re planning to eat at 7, the sides should be done well before that. Also, the meat needs to be seasoned a few hours before, and get going on anything that needs to be chopped or mixed in the afternoon at the latest.
Once you’re outside, the weather can be your worst enemy or your best friend.
Here in Kansas, summers are hot and windy, so give yourself some extra time in case the wind makes the grill hard to control. You might need to eat dinner a little later than planned.
But if you’re in a state like Tennessee, where there’s a lot of warmth and humidity, a cover would be smart because you don’t want rain all over your dinner. Keystone Outdoor Living in Tennessee, or any other reputable builder company that’s familiar with the area, can help you out there.
They’ll know what type of deck, patio, or porch a TN family needs to fend off those evening bugs and the during-the-day heat and direct sun exposure.
This dinner doesn’t have to be elaborate; it’s not like the King of England is coming to dinner. But you still need a plan. Luckily, that plan is really simple: plan what you’ll make, time it, and set it up around the weather. That’s it.
Conclusion
Summer dinners can be way more enjoyable if you don’t pretend like the weather has no effect on you or what you’re cooking.
And the best move is always to keep it simple – get the sides done early, keep the cold food and drinks cold, prepare plenty of ice for the drinks, choose mains that don’t need perfect timing, and give yourself some room in case the rain decides to show up.
The weather doesn’t have to be perfect, but you won’t be able to pull this off (well) without a plan.
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