(Family Features) Few things complement warm weather like a summer spread with everyone’s favorite foods. From fresh appetizers and classics like grilled hot dogs, to skewered sides and sweet, sugary desserts, these recipes are sure to bring friends, family, and neighbors running to get in on the action.
Hot dogs and brats are summer favorites for a reason: the delicious (and personalized) add-ons. Make sure your spread fits everyone’s taste buds with an assortment of tasty toppings like these:
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Relish
- Hot sauce
- Onions
- Pickles
- Sauerkraut
- Cole slaw
- Jalapenos
- Diced tomatoes
- Guacamole
- Nacho cheese
- Shredded cheese
- Start Summer Meals with a Bright, Fresh Salad
Courtesy of Fresh Express
Start Summer Meals With a Bright, Fresh Salad
Bright colors and fresh flavor bring out the best in summer meals, starting with seasonal salads that look as though the ingredients were just picked from a garden.
Orange, grapefruit, and avocado are perfect accompaniments in this Citrus Spring Mix Salad. This garden-fresh blend combines tender baby butter and red and green leaf lettuces with baby greens including spinach, arugula and kale.
Citrus Spring Mix Salad
(Courtesy of Fresh Express)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Salad:
- 1 package (5 ounces) Fresh Express Spring Mix
- 1 navel orange, peeled and sectioned
- 1 red grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
To make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk orange juice, orange zest, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
To make salad: In a large bowl, toss spring mix with salad dressing. Divide salad evenly among two plates. Top with oranges, grapefruit, avocado, and onion.
Courtesy of Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association
A Simple, Skewered Side
Keep your summer meals simple by leaning into versatile ingredients that can help you whip up a variety of side dishes.
These Grilled Red Potato Skewers display the delicious, nutritious, versatile qualities of Wisconsin Potatoes. With a multitude of varieties, they’re a favorite among world-class chefs, home cooks, large and small supermarkets, and even the pickiest of eaters.
It can be love at first bite with these 100% gluten-free potatoes that can add a touch of nutrition to summer cookouts. They’re a good source of vitamin B6, high in vitamin C, rich in potassium and an excellent source of fiber.
Grilled Red Potato Skewers
(Courtesy of Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
- 2 medium russet or Yukon gold Wisconsin potatoes or 6 red Wisconsin potatoes
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1/2 smoked sausage rope
- 4 skewers (12 inches each)
- 1/2 cup Italian dressing
Preheat grill to medium heat. Cut potatoes in half. Cut zucchini and sausage same width as potatoes. Skewer potatoes, zucchini, and sausage. Repeat for each skewer.
Place skewers in dish and cover with Italian dressing. Marinate 5 minutes.
Place skewers on grill and cook 5 minutes on each side, or until potatoes are done. Remove from grill and serve.
Courtesy of Domino Sugar
Cap the Night with a Brown Sugar Delight
Summer meals from small plates to grilled fare may be tasty, but don’t fill up entirely on the main course. Remember to save room for your favorite warm-weather sweets.
These Brown Sugar Meringues provide bursting summertime flavor in a little, handheld bite. They’re ideal for sharing with loved ones after a weekend barbecue or birthday celebration and, with just a few ingredients, they’re as easy to make as they are to enjoy.
Its Light Brown Sugar offers a buttery, caramel flavor, making it a perfect choice for sweets of all kinds.
Brown Sugar Meringues
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, plus 1 hour rest time
Yield: 3 dozen meringues
- Water
- 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup Domino Light Brown Sugar
- 3/4 cup Domino Granulated Sugar Easy Baking Tub
- 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons Domino Turbinado Sugar (optional)
Preheat oven to 225 F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Pour 1 inch of water into medium saucepan and heat it until simmering. In heat-proof bowl, mix egg whites, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Put bowl on top of saucepan and warm mixture until it reaches 125 F. Stir continuously and make sure mixture does not touch water.
Carefully remove from heat. Using electric mixer, beat mixture at high speed 8-10 minutes. Transfer meringue into piping bag fitted with star tip. Pipe 12 meringues per baking sheet.
Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of meringues, if desired. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven and allow meringues to rest inside oven 1 hour. Remove from oven and enjoy.
Recipes and images courtesy of Culinary.net, Fresh Express, Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association, and Domino Sugar.