In the dog days of summer, you’d rather be anywhere than a hot kitchen (though your first choice is probably on a float in an infinity pool with a cold glass of wine in hand). So, to minimize the whole standing-over-a-hot-stove thing, it’s time to rely on “dump” dinners: easy, set-it-and-forget-it meals that are seasonal, fresh and delicious without too much effort (like sheet-pan gnocchi and Instant Pot coconut salmon). Intrigued? Here are 33 summer dump dinners to get you started.
33 Summer Dump Dinners That Basically Cook Themselves
Including the easiest steak recipe ever
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Published Jul 1, 2024
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
1. Hot Honey Chicken Thighs
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 4
You can’t go wrong combining sweet and spicy flavors, and this skillet dish makes a quick homemade hot honey out of everyday ingredients. Bonus: It tastes like fried chicken without all the mess of frying.
2. Tater Tot Nachos
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, sheet pan recipe, kid-friendly
- Serves: 6
It’s summertime and the living is easy. That means it’s totally cool to have tatchos for dinner. Make a topping bar so everyone can choose their faves—the kids are gonna love you.
3. Sheet Pan Chilaquiles
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, kid-friendly, low sugar
- Serves: 4 to 5
Who doesn’t almost always have tortillas in the pantry (or freezer), eggs and an avocado that’s threatening to go bad? This easy brunch-leaning dish should become a dinner staple, too.
4. One-Pot Pasta with Peas, Artichokes, Lemon and Mint
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 4 to 6
Save the sad, jarred pasta sauce for another night. Instead, toss together marinated artichokes and noodles, then make a “sauce” using grated cheese and lemon juice. Voilà, a fresh and light pasta that tastes like it took hours to make.
5. Sheet-Pan Gnocchi with Sausage, Peppers and Onions
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
- Serves: 4
You can work magic with just a package of store-bought gnocchi. This meal tastes like the beloved Italian flavor combo and serves as an excuse to not do any dishes.
6. Instant Pot Coconut Salmon with Fresh Herbs and Lime
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, ready in <30 minutes, no sugar
- Serves: 4
Instant Pot salmon? Yes, it’s a thing, and it’s both delicious and impossible to mess up. Since the fish is steam-poached in the spiced coconut milk, it comes out moist and flavorful every time.
7. One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 6
This recipe requires just five minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking. If you use homegrown cherry tomatoes and basil, even better. (And once you’ve perfected the classic, try more one-pot pasta recipes to take advantage of the method.)
8. Sheet-Pan Tomato Basil Gnocchi
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
- Serves: 2 to 4
Cooking gnocchi (store-bought, of course) in the oven makes it crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, without any of that boiling water business. Use pre-made pesto to streamline it even further.
9. Greek Chicken with Feta and Kalamata Olives
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, beginner-friendly, special occasion–worthy, gluten free
- Serves: 4
This flavorful chicken recipe has the added benefit of being cooked in a parchment parcel (aka en papillote), so there’s almost no cleanup required.
10. Instant Pot Spaghetti with Goat Cheese, Mint and Peas
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, ready in <30 minutes, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 6
The key to achieving perfectly al dente pasta in a pressure cooker is to drop the dry noodles in with the aromatics so they absorb as much flavor as possible, then quick-release the pressure once they’re cooked, so they don’t go mushy on you.
11. Easy One-Pan Ratatouille
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free
- Serves: 4
Traditional ratatouille requires many pots and pans and a lot of time, but this recipe manages to streamline the process in a major way. Spend that extra free time stocking up on veggies at the farmers market.
12. Sweet Potato, Tomato, Kale and Halloumi Sheet Tray
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe
- Serves: 2
It’s true, anything that involves halloumi is bound to be a crowd-pleaser, but you’ll also love that the tomatoes and olives in this dish meld together into a sauce.
13. Cheater’s Skillet Lasagna with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 6
Proof that you can skip all the fussy layers and still make a cheesy, crave-worthy dinner. (Plus, it’s a great way to use up all that zucchini and corn you bought at the farmers market.)
14. 15-Minute Skillet Pepper Steak
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, one pan, ready in <15 minutes
- Serves: 4
I know you’d rather be soaking up the sun than thinking about dinner, but you don’t have to resort to takeout. Just make this. Want to use a different vegetable? Just chop it into bite-size pieces so it cooks quickly.
15. One-Pan Roasted Salmon with Potatoes and Romaine
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients, gluten free, dairy free
- Serves: 4
The entrée and sides all cook at the same time—what could be better than that? Swap the romaine hearts for kale or even broccoli if that’s your jam.
16. One-Pot, 15-Minute Pasta Limone
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, ready in <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 4
You’ll love how fresh and summery this tastes, not to mention the fact that it’s ideal for busy (or lazy) nights. Plus, you probably have all of the ingredients on hand already.
17. Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken
- Time Commitment: 7 hours, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 6
Why go to the trouble of lighting the grill when you can make this for your next cookout instead? Serve with a side of coleslaw and you’re all but guaranteed to have a yard full of happy guests.
18. Crockpot Corn Chowder
- Time Commitment: 6 hours, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 6
You probably don’t usually crave soup in the summer (unless it’s gazpacho), but this creamy chowder will be a major exception. Pick up some extra sweet corn at the farmers market and have it for dinner all week long.
19. Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 8
Resist the temptation to stop for a burrito bowl on the way home. You can make this in the Instant Pot just as quickly (or the slow cooker, if you plan ahead).
20. Skillet Steak with Asparagus and Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, one pan, gluten free
- Serves: 2
Everything cooks together in one sizzling hot pan, which means great flavor and no pile of dirty dishes after dinner. Call it a weeknight win (and serve it with a bottle of red wine).
21. Instant Pot Southern Macaroni And Cheese
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
- Serves: 10
For those times you’re invited to a cookout and forget you promised to bring a dish. (Although I also fully condone it for a random Wednesday when only carbs and cheese will do.)
22. Sheet Pan Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 4
Summer is all about entertaining, and this simple sheet pan supper is the perfect way to feed a crowd. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like shrimp with a lemony garlic butter sauce.
23. Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Chicken Tacos
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
- Serves: 6
Serve these with sliced avocado and plenty of fresh lime wedges for the full effect. (The ice-cold margarita goes without saying.)
24. Slow Cooker Mediterranean Frittata
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, gluten free, slow cooker recipe
- Serves: 6
If you’re basically always in the mood for breakfast for dinner, look no further. If it’s too hot to turn on the oven, this is how you make it happen.
25. Spicy Instant Pot Peanut Noodles
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, ready in <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 4
When you can’t look at another lettuce-based salad, try this meal-prep miracle. It’s loaded with veggies, high in protein and features an irresistible peanut sauce.
26. Sheet Pan Lemon Butter Veggies and Sausage
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, gluten free, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 6
It doesn’t get any easier than this sheet pan wonder. Plus, it’s a great way to use up all the vegetables you have left in the fridge before you leave for vacation.
27. Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, dairy free, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 4
If you’ve always been a little bit intimidated by ribs, this recipe (and your trusty pressure cooker) takes all the guesswork out. I know what I’m doing every weekend for the rest of the summer.
28. Instant Pot Summer Soup
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 8
Whether you stopped at too many farm stands on the way back from the beach, or you’re just celebrating that there’s actually good produce at the market, I’m betting you have plenty of veggies to put in this super-simple (and extremely healthy) soup. It’s a good dose of virtue in between all the hot dogs and peach cobbler.
29. Old Bay Shrimp and Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner
- Time Commitment: 33 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, dairy free, whole30
- Serves: 6
Old Bay always makes me think of eating seafood on the beach. And whether you’re actually by a body of water or just dreaming about it, this is the easiest way to get into that vibe.
30. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Time Commitment: 4 hours, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 8
The secret ingredient to this pork? A can of soda. I was skeptical too, but it’s hard to argue with a smoky-sweet, fork-tender pulled pork sandwich in the summer.
31. Smashed Potato and Chorizo Sheet Pan Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, low sugar, high protein
- Serves: 4
Can a salad be a summer dump dinner? You bet, especially when it comes together on a sheet pan. And good news, this sausage- and potato-laced number won’t leave you feeling hungry in a few hours either.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, vegetarian, kid-friendly
- Serves: 6
Here’s proof that you don’t need ground beef to make deliciously nostalgic sloppy Joes. The humble lentil takes its place, adding plant-based protein and lots of fiber. (Even better, everything cooks in a single skillet.)
33. Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Vegetable Sheet Pan
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <30 minutes
- Serves: 4
This summer dump dinner calls for using seasonal asparagus, zucchini and bell peppers, but you can also substitute whatever you have on hand. (Carrots, tomatoes and even kale are fair game.)
