Easy Dishes That Shine in Summertime

Jenny deRemer

Jul 28, 2025

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Celebrate lite summer fare with a lineup of fresh, no-nonsense recipes that let flavor do all the talking. Crisp and colorful, Strawberry Blueberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Fresh Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad with Burrata bring bright, effortless charm to the table. Dive into the savory satisfaction of Southern Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Herb Crust or the irresistible crunch of 5 Ingredient Southern Fried Zucchini Fritters. For a touch of elegance that’s still approachable, Eggplant Napoleons with Whipped Ricotta stack layers of flavor without any complications. These dishes make summer dining simple, soulful, and totally satisfying.

Table of Contents

Hearty Penna Dutch Potato Salad

Hearty Penna Dutch Potato Salad in a patriotic motif serving bowl with a spoon.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Hearty Penna Dutch Potato Salad turns classic potato salad into a full-on flavor fiesta with tender potatoes, tangy pickles, and fresh herbs. This isn’t your picnic table filler—it’s the star that steals the show.

Get This Recipe: Hearty Penna Dutch Potato Salad

Classic Southern Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs topped with paprika and chopped chives, arranged on a decorative plate.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

With a perfect balance of creamy, tangy, and a whisper of heat, Classic Southern Deviled Eggs deliver a bite-sized Southern charm offensive that no gathering should be without. These deviled eggs mean business.

Get This Recipe: Classic Southern Deviled Eggs

Strawberry Blueberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

A plate containing mixed green lettuce, fresh strawberries, blueberries, mozzarella pieces, and mint leaves.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Bursting with fresh berries, crisp greens, and a punchy balsamic dressing, Strawberry Blueberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette is summer in a bowl—bright, juicy, and dressed to impress.

Get This Recipe: Strawberry Blueberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Southern Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Herb Crust

Sliced roast pork arranged on a white plate, accompanied by a jar of yellow fruit sauce with a spoon placed nearby.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

The elegant crust on Southern Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Herb Crust seals in juicy, tender pork with a savory herb kick that proves simplicity wins every time. Roast, slice, and watch it vanish.

Get This Recipe: Southern Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Herb Crust

Eggplant Napoleons with Whipped Ricotta

A stack of breaded eggplant slices layered with whipped cheese and roasted cherry tomatoes is plated with a fork beside it.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Layers of tender eggplant, creamy whipped ricotta, and fresh herbs make Eggplant Napoleons with Whipped Ricotta a veggie tower worth bragging about. This dish transforms humble ingredients into something elegantly simple and impressive.

Get This Recipe: Eggplant Napoleons with Whipped Ricotta

King’s Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders

A slider layered with ham, cheese, and pickles inside a soft roll, topped with onions and mustard seeds.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Soft King’s Hawaiian rolls are loaded with savory ham, melty cheese, and a tangy glaze in King’s Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders—the kind of sliders that vanish faster than you can say “pass me another.”

Get This Recipe: King’s Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders

5 Ingredient Southern Fried Zucchini Fritters

A plate of golden-brown fritters garnished with chopped herbs and sea salt, with toothpicks inserted into some.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Golden, crispy, and requiring just five ingredients, 5 Ingredient Southern Fried Zucchini Fritters bring the perfect crunchy bite to your table with minimal fuss and maximum flavor. Fried zucchini never tasted so good.

Get This Recipe: 5 Ingredient Southern Fried Zucchini Fritters

Citrus Shrimp with Louis Sauce

Cooked shrimp arranged around a glass bowl of cocktail sauce, with lemon slices and lettuce.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Zesty and fresh, Citrus Shrimp with Louis Sauce combines bright lemony shrimp with a creamy, tangy sauce that’ll make you rethink what shrimp cocktail can really be. Perfect for sharing (or not).

Get This Recipe: Citrus Shrimp with Louis Sauce

Coosaw Island Creamy Cold Crab Dip

A bowl of cream cheese dip topped with lemon zest and chopped herbs, with a silver spreader inserted. Edges of crackers are visible in the background.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Cool, creamy, and loaded with fresh crab, the Coosaw Island Creamy Cold Crab Dip is the ultimate crowd-pleaser that’s as easy to make as it is impossible to resist. Spread it, dip it, love it.

Get This Recipe: Coosaw Island Creamy Cold Crab Dip

Beet Napoleons with Garlicky Balsamic Vinaigrette

A layered salad of diced beets, cheese, dark sauce, and edible flowers sits on a white plate with a fork. Whole beets are visible in the background.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Beets get the gourmet treatment in Beet Napoleons with Garlicky Balsamic Vinaigrette, stacking earthy layers with sharp cheese and a zingy dressing for a salad that’s as pretty as it is punchy.

Get This Recipe: Beet Napoleons with Garlicky Balsamic Vinaigrette

Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich

The image shows a crispy chicken sandwich with lettuce and mayonnaise in a soft bun, accompanied by potato chips on a wooden board.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, the Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich is a Southern fried classic wrapped in a soft bun and topped with just the right amount of mayo and crunch. Sandwich envy starts here.

Get This Recipe: Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Fresh Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad with Burrata

A platter arranged with sliced tomatoes, peaches, and mozzarella is garnished with basil leaves and drizzled with balsamic glaze. Olives are served on the side. Peaches, whole tomatoes, and utensils are placed around the plate.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Juicy peaches and ripe tomatoes meet creamy burrata and fresh basil in the Fresh Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad with Burrata, delivering a summer salad that’s sweet, savory, and utterly irresistible.

Get This Recipe: Fresh Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad with Burrata

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About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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