When it’s hot outside, you face a classic dilemma: entertaining a crowd with ease. Lugging around three bags of groceries and turning out a five-course feast in 90-degree heat? Not gonna happen, if you ask me. So when you’re in the mood to entertain but really don’t feel like cooking for hours, try one of these 66 effortless summer dinner party ideas—from easy appetizers and sides to impressive desserts—that taste (and look) spectacular.
66 Low-Maintenance Summer Dinner Party Ideas
For the lazy hostess
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Published May 6, 2024
Katherine Gillen/Liz Andrew/Katherine Gillen
Mains
1. Lamb Chops With Buckwheat and Black Pepper Strawberries
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, special occasion–worthy, one pan
A seven-ingredient entrée that comes together in a single skillet? Be still my heart. This one features strawberries for a pop of seasonal sweetness to offset all the savory flavors.
2. Seared Scallops with Citrus-Shallot Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, gluten free, <10 ingredients
This refreshing dish looks fancy but is secretly so simple. Scallops are sneaky like that—they take about two minutes per side to get a golden sear (just make sure you dry them well first).
3. Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage, Peppers and Onions
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Well, isn’t this a delicious (and effortless) excuse to not do dishes. It’s inspired by one of my favorite lazy summer meals, grilled sausages and peppers.
4. Tomato and Yellow Zucchini Risotto
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, dairy free, gluten free
The best way to use up all that fresh seasonal produce is to put it into this dreamy, secretly vegan risotto. Cooking the squash long enough is the key to getting a creamy texture without any butter or cheese.
5. Roasted Salmon Tacos
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, dairy free
Salmon in a taco isn’t typical, but it’s a nice, light-yet-substantial filling when it’s hot out. Wait ’til you try the grilled pineapple salsa and cashew lime crema. You’ll never go back to a store-bought seasoning packet.
6. Weeknight Skillet Paella
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, gluten free
Personally, I never knew it was possible to make paella in one hour. It turns out the trick is to let your oven do most of the hard work (and to choose only the most essential seafood, like clams and shrimp).
7. Skillet Pasta with Summer Squash
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian
This one-pan meal is ready in less than an hour, plus it will use up some of your overflowing zucchini crop. Yellow squash and yellow cherry tomatoes lend a classy monochromatic effect, but you can really use any color you want.
8. Skillet Lasagna with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, one pan, crowd-pleaser
Corn and cherry tomatoes have the same cheesy, carb-y taste you crave, minus the hours of assembly time that layering sheets of pasta into a baking dish requires.
9. Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, high protein
Just throw ’em on the grill and set the table. The Mediterranean flavors pair perfectly with white wine, a salad and warm pita.
10. Asparagus, Pea and Ricotta Tarts
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, vegetarian
Let me share a secret: Store-bought puff pastry always makes dinner look so fancy. Feel free to swap out the vegetables for something more summery, like squash or peppers.
11. Pasta alla Norma with Eggplant, Basil and Pecorino
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly
Pasta is always a good idea, and this vegetable-forward one is ready in an hour. The dish traditionally uses ricotta salata, a type of pressed and aged ricotta cheese, but I suggest subbing in pecorino if you can’t find the former.
12. Corn Fritter Caprese with Peaches and Tomatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
It’s fancy enough that it will elicit oohs and ahhs (but simple enough to make). Make sure your peaches and tomatoes are pristine, since they’re kind of the star flavors here.
13. Creamy Chicken, Corn and Tomato Skillet
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, one pan
A handful of ingredients and just three simple steps are all it takes to make this 30-ish minute crowd-pleaser. Don’t skip the fresh basil garnish—it makes the whole dish pop.
14. Zucchini & Tomato Ragù
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, vegan
It’s ratatouille’s chic Italian cousin, and it’s good on everything from pasta to toast. My favorite way to serve something like this is tossed into couscous for a stupid-simple summer salad.
15. Creamy Sweet Corn Pappardelle
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, dairy free
This delightful dish just so happens to be vegan. The sweet, juicy corn kernels paired with the ‘milk’ from the cobs become a perfect cream sauce without using actual cream.
16. Shrimp and Pasta Stew
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Making stew doesn’t have to mean spending hours in a hot kitchen. This one is ready in 45 minutes, but tastes like it took all day. The pasta and shrimp both absorb tons of flavor and cook relatively quickly.
17. Skillet Chicken Fajitas
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
After marinating, these babies are ready in about 15 minutes. Just add the tortillas and extra guac. (In my house, there’s no up-charge for that.)
18. Bacon Jalapeño Smashburgers
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
Burgers are a dime a dozen, but these are made with chicken, are quick cooking and don’t need a grill if you don’t have access to one.
19. Lemongrass-Ginger Coconut Grilled Steak
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, high protein, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Once it’s marinated, this savory, umami-rich steak takes ten minutes to cook. How’s that for effortless entertaining? If you’re. nervous about slicing it, take my advice: Look for the stripes of the grain, and make sure you cut into them, not with them. That way, your slices will be tender and not chewy.
20. Shrimp Rolls with New England–Style Dressing
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
I certainly don’t have the budget for lobster rolls whenever a craving strikes (which, come summertime, is often). These shrimp rolls have all the same elements—buttery buns, fresh herbs and a creamy yet light New England–style dressing that has just the right amount of mayonnaise—but don’t cost a fortune to make.
Appetizers and Sides
21. Bitter Greens Salad with Herby Ranch Dressing
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, no cook
Homemade dressing sounds like a drag, but this entire salad takes just 15 minutes to toss together. Skip the bottled; your guests will thank you.
22. Grilled Melon With Tahini, Chili Oil and Sesame Seeds
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
I’m sure I’m not the only sucker for grilled fruit, but I bet you’ve never seen it like this. The tahini adds creaminess and a subtle nutty, savory flavor that would pair great with grilled fish.
23. All-Year-Round Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly
A little olive oil, salt and heat can do wonders for out-of-season produce, but if you’re making this dish in late summer with ripe tomatoes, it will taste *that* much better.
24. Baked Cheese with Hot Honey
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
New party trick: Warm an entire wheel of cheese until it’s gooey, then smother it in spicy honey and set out crackers for dipping. The crowd will go wild.
25. Caesar Pasta Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Lettuce, pasta, crispy croutons: It turns out your salad can have it all. My advice: Make extra dressing to use as a dip for veggies, pretzels, pita bread and all other dunkable picnic items.
26. Green Beans with Garlicky Pistachio Vinaigrette
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, make ahead
These beans are served cold instead of hot—refreshing in every sense of the word. Blanching them will ensure the texture stays crisp and the color is bright.
27. Bruschette with Heritage Tomatoes and Burrata
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, vegetarian
For the best results, use the freshest heirloom tomatoes you can get your hands on. (But with all that burrata, I promise you can’t really mess it up.)
28. Rodney Scott’s Pimento Cheese
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
It’s spicy, creamy and cheesy—the ultimate party dip. Serve it with celery, carrots, crackers or chips. You can’t go wrong.
29. Roasted Radishes with Butter
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
This riff on the classic French pairing of radishes and butter takes just 25 minutes and fewer than five ingredients. And just like that, your search for an easy summer side dish is done.
30. 5-Minute Bean Salad
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, no cook
This lightning-fast side starts with canned white beans for ultimate ease. Add a few fresh herbs and some lemon zest to work total magic.
31. Mini Skillet Pizzas
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
The surface of your cast iron skillet gets extremely hot, which is the secret to the crispy, pizzeria-style crust. Try heating it on your grill if you don’t want to warm up your kitchen. It is 1,000 percent OK to use store-bought dough—in fact, I encourage it.
32. Melon Caprese Skewers
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, gluten free
Aren’t these skewers the cutest? Your guests will go wild for the combination of sweet and savory. Cantaloupe and honeydew tend to take a backseat to watermelon, but I think if you pick a ripe melon, you’ll find they’re just as juicy and delicious.
33. Skillet Nacho Dip
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pan, beginner-friendly
It’s ready in half an hour and will be devoured in mere seconds. Since you can practically make it with your eyes closed, I don’t foresee that being a problem.
34. Avocado Avenger Salad
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, vegetarian
Face it: Everyone’s just eating around the lettuce to get to the avocado anyway. I can’t think of a better way to use up the avocados that you just know are going to be perfect tonight and rotten tomorrow.
35. Corn, Feta and Tomato Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
Ahh, my two favorite summer vegetables paired in one summery side dish. It’s delicious enough on its own, but I’ve also used it as a salsa-esque condiment for tacos and grilled meat.
36. Greek Wedge Salad
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, vegetarian
The classic wedge is wonderfully simple, but tomatoes, feta and a lightened-up dressing give it a welcome summery update. (See ya later, blue cheese.)
37. Panzanella Salad
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, vegetarian
Behold, a light yet satisfying side that won’t take all day to make. The recipe serves one, so scale it up for a crowd by multiplying the ingredients by at least four.
38. Grilled Caprese Skewers with Halloumi and Sourdough
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
You had me at halloumi, which gets golden and slightly melty when cooked but still retains some satisfying bite. Mark my words, it’s the next best thing since burrata.
39. Summer Corn and Heirloom Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
If I’m being honest, I wish all of my meals looked this colorful and tasted this fresh. Use gluten-free bread or sourdough depending on your preferences—I’ll be choosing the latter.
40. 20-Minute Burrata Salad with Stone Fruit
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, gluten free, vegetarian
This dish is practically no-cook, feeds a crowd and won’t wilt in a hurry. What more could you ask for on a summer night? (Just a glass of white wine sangria, I guess—see no. 48 on this list.)
41. Blistered Green Bean and Veggie Skillet
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, gluten free
You and I eat veggies every day, sure, but these go beyond the usual roasted ones. Charring them slightly adds a ton of flavor, so don’t skip that step.
42. Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Feta and Honey-Lime Dressing
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, crowd-pleaser, no cook
It’s juicy, sweet, tangy and ready in five minutes. Store-bought fruit tray, see ya never. Skip the pre-cut melon for the tastiest dish. Not sure how to cube one yourself? Oh, look: Here’s a handy how-to.
43. Marinated White Bean and Tomato Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, gluten free, vegan, <10 ingredients
I’ll let you in on my new summertime motto: less time cooking, more time eating. In this instance, it applies to this seven-ingredient stunner, which should ideally be consumed in the backyard.
44. Tomato-Peach Caprese Skewers
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser
It doesn’t get simpler than a no-cook finger food that feeds a crowd. If most party appetizers seem like too much work, this one has your back.
45. Za’atar Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, gluten free
Pair this spiced side dish with a yogurt, tahini or herb sauce for maximum effect. My favorite thing is to mix Greek yog, lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil for a versatile three-ingredient sauce.
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes (+ chilling time)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
In my mind, you can’t entertain in the summertime without a massive bowl of macaroni salad. It’s crowd-pleasing, kid-friendly and adaptable to your own tastes, plus it tastes better when you make it ahead of time. Just please don’t let that mayo-based dressing sit out in the sun for too long.
Drinks
47. Summertime Rosé Tequila Sangria
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <15 minutes
Tequila in sangria? I’ll start chilling the glasses. Using rosé instead of red wine keeps things light and fresh for hot nights on the patio. (I’d suggest a sangiovese rosé for a balance of fruitiness and acidity.)
48. White Sangria Recipe with Peaches and Berries
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Sure, it’s extremely sippable, but as an added bonus, this concoction is also totally white-jeans-friendly. Freezing the fruit means you can add less ice if you want a stronger drink.
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
I’ll be frank: Most mocktails suck. Just because I’m not boozing doesn’t mean I want a glass of store-bought juice with a splash of seltzer. This rum-less rum punch is just as easy to make, but the combination of sweet and tart flavors tastes way more special.
50. Sangrita
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
If you crave the refreshing fruitiness of sangria but, like me, can’t resist a margarita, meet this cocktail, which offers the best of both. Make the lime-sugar garnish as written, or swap it for salt if you prefer.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
This summery NA option is so much more exciting than the usual soda offerings, and it’s not difficult to make. Using fresh, ripe watermelon adds sweetness without any additional sugar (and means you don’t have to make simple syrup).
Desserts
52. Mini Key Lime Pies
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes (+ chilling time)
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Silky, sweet, tart and crunchy in every bite—bring out the muffin tin. While it doesn’t hurt that they’re cuter as minis, I actually prefer this size because they bake and cool faster (so you can eat them sooner).
53. Easiest-Ever Blueberry Biscuit Cobbler
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser
This bubbling berry skillet is best served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. (Go ahead, use store-bought biscuit dough if you must.)
54. Strawberry Galette with Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
The secret ingredient that takes this freeform pie over the top? Balsamic vinegar, which adds a subtle tang and brings out the sweetness of the berries.
55. Strawberries and Crème
- Time Commitment: 16 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
The definition of elegant? Pairing fresh fruit with whipped cream. (Psst: It’s no cook and ready in 15 minutes.) You can use this formula with any summer fruits, TBH.
56. No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Time Commitment: 5 hours
- Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, gluten free
Believe me, if you can make whipped cream, then you can make this dessert, which is just as creamy as buying a pint at the store (except better, because it tastes like fresh mint).
57. One-Ingredient Watermelon Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 4 hours (includes freezing time)
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead
Freeze, puree, freeze, eat. In the words of Ina Garten, how easy is that? (Psst: Pick the ripest watermelon you can find. Not how? Use this helpful guide.)
58. Broiler S’mores
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
The ’mallows will be toasty and the chocolate melted just enough—without all the fuss of setting up a campfire. The kids-at-heart will be so impressed, but the real kids will go absolutely wild.
59. Skillet Peach Cobbler
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser
This is everything a cobbler should be: Simple, cinnamon-y and jam-packed with fruit. I don’t know about you, but my summer-loving heart just skipped a beat.
60. Key Lime Pie
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
This pie combines white chocolate and coconut with tart lime juice, transporting you to the tropics in just one bite. Don’t believe me? Well, that’s because you have’t made it yet.
61. Blackberry Jam Pie Crust Straws
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
You’ll use store-bought jam and frozen puff pastry, but no one will ever guess the shortcuts. It’s giving “pie for lazy-but-elegant people.” Swoon.
62. No-Bake Avocado Lime Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: no bake, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
It’s creamy, rich and doesn’t need an oven. Need I say more? Sure, avocado in dessert sounds outlandish, but it only enhances the texture—the flavor is so mild, you won’t even taste it.
63. Cheater’s Mini Strawberry-Vanilla Galettes
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Remember what I said about puff pastry? It works for dessert too. Pair these cuties with ice cream, whipped cream or, my personal favorite, a drizzle of cold heavy cream.
64. White Sangria Ice Pops
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser
I like to call these refreshing, boozy pops fruit salad on a stick. Mix things up by swapping the strawberries and peaches for another seasonal option, like plums or nectarines.
65. Mini Strawberry Ice Cream Pies
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
All you have to do is roast strawberries, crush graham crackers and scoop ice cream. (Can’t all desserts be this easy to make?)
66. Berry Galette
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
A galette is basically a free-form pie. It’s easy to assemble, and the crust doesn’t have to be perfect—my ideal.
