Bold Summer Recipes with Big Southern Energy

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From porch-friendly appetizers to hearty mains and over-the-top casseroles, this Southern-inspired summer lineup brings the flavor without heating up the house. Recipes like Easy New Orleans-Style Skillet Barbecue Shrimp, Crazy Good French Onion Noodle Casserole, and Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs are built for second helpings, while Italian Tomato Salad, Furikake Tomato Toast on Sourdough, and Simple Summer Spaghetti with Garlic and Lemon take full advantage of what’s in season. Don’t miss the Beef and Sour Cream Noodle Casserole, The Best Fresh Savory Tomato Pie, or The Best Seafood Boil Recipe with Garlic Butter Sauce—these dishes were made for long days, full plates, and good company!

Easy New Orleans-Style Skillet Barbecue Shrimp

A skillet filled with cooked shrimp, lemon slices, chopped green onions, and fresh herbs. A wooden spoon rests in the skillet.
Photo Credit: Little Black Skillet.

Easy New Orleans-Style Skillet Barbecue Shrimp is what happens when buttery spice meets Gulf Coast swagger. These shrimp sizzle in a skillet with garlicky sauce and just enough heat to make you reach for a napkin and another slice of bread.
Get the Recipe: Easy New Orleans-Style Skillet Barbecue Shrimp

Bruschetta with Mozzarella

Diced tomatoes, basil leaves, and cheese on toasted bread slices arranged on a white surface with scattered basil leaves.
Photo Credit: Britney Breaks Bread.

Bruschetta With Mozzarella keeps things classic with juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and basil piled high on golden toast. It’s the kind of appetizer that pretends to be humble while stealing the whole show.
Get the Recipe: Bruschetta with Mozzarella

Italian Creamy Beef Ragu Recipe

A plate of penne pasta with creamy tomato sauce, ground meat, and basil leaves. A fork is beside the plate.
Photo Credit: The Pasta Project.

Italian Creamy Beef Ragu Recipe delivers the kind of stick-to-your-ribs comfort that somehow still feels fancy. It’s a simmered tomato-beef situation that says “dinner is handled” with very little fuss.
Get the Recipe: Italian Creamy Beef Ragu Recipe

Parsley Pesto Salmon Recipe

A fork holding a piece of cooked salmon topped with green herbs and diced red tomatoes.
Parsley Pesto Salmon Recipe. Photo credit: Not Entirely Average.

Parsley Pesto Salmon Recipe is proof that healthy doesn’t have to mean boring. Bright, herby pesto over flaky salmon is just the kind of fresh flavor you want when the evening’s too warm for anything heavy.
Get the Recipe: Parsley Pesto Salmon Recipe

Beef and Sour Cream Noodle Casserole

A baked pasta dish with melted cheese, tomato sauce, and herbs in a white baking dish, accompanied by a serving spoon.
Beef and Sour Cream Noodle Casserole. Photo credit: Not Entirely Average.

Beef And Sour Cream Noodle Casserole is the ultimate weeknight hug in a baking dish. With beef, tangy sour cream, and cheesy noodles layered up, it’s all the cozy without the effort.
Get the Recipe: Beef and Sour Cream Noodle Casserole

Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs

Sizzling, grilled meat with a golden-brown, crispy exterior garnished with chopped herbs.
Photo Credit: Happy Foods Tube.

Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs bring juicy, charred flavor to the table with barely any prep. These cook fast, taste like summer, and somehow manage to go with just about everything.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs

Simple Summer Spaghetti With Garlic And Lemon

A bowl of spaghetti with asparagus, peas, and black pepper.
Photo Credit: Emily Leary.

Simple Summer Spaghetti With Garlic And Lemon is sunshine in pasta form. It’s light, lemony, and finished with just enough garlic to keep things interesting—but not enough to scare off company.
Get the Recipe: Simple Summer Spaghetti With Garlic And Lemon

Italian Tomato Salad Recipe

A bowl of cherry tomatoes, sliced red onions, and chopped basil.
Photo Credit: Strength and Sunshine.

Italian Tomato Salad Recipe keeps things crisp and unfussy with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and a vinaigrette that knows when to step back and let the produce shine. It’s the side you didn’t know you needed—until now.
Get the Recipe: Italian Tomato Salad Recipe

French Onion Noodle Casserole

A plate of buttered egg noodles topped with caramelized onions and garnished with herbs, accompanied by a gold fork.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average.

Crazy Good French Onion Noodle Casserole lives up to the name with buttery noodles, caramelized onions, and rich, savory flavor packed into every bite. No need to babysit a stovetop soup here—this one’s oven-bound and weeknight ready.

GET THE RECIPE: Crazy Good French Onion Noodle Casserole

Smoked Brisket Sandwich | Leftover Brisket Idea

Close-up image of a smoked brisket sandwich with coleslaw and pickles on a bun.
Smoked Brisket Sandwich | Leftover Brisket Idea. Photo credit: Sweet Tea + Thyme.

Smoked Brisket Sandwich | Leftover Brisket Idea turns yesterday’s barbecue into today’s best meal. Pile smoky brisket on a bun with tangy slaw and watch it disappear faster than the original roast.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Brisket Sandwich | Leftover Brisket Idea

Carne Asada (the Secret to Tenderness)

Sliced grilled steak garnished with fresh herbs, served with diced tomatoes and onions on a white plate.
Photo Credit: Chew Out Loud.

Carne Asada (The Secret To Tenderness) is marinated magic you don’t need a culinary degree to pull off. Bright with citrus and loaded with flavor, this grilled beef is made for tacos, tortillas, or just eating straight from the cutting board.
Get the Recipe: Carne Asada (the Secret to Tenderness)

Creamy Lemon Basil Pasta

Wavy pasta topped with creamy sauce, garnished with fresh basil leaves.
Photo Credit: The Savory Cipolla.

Creamy Lemon Basil Pasta strikes the perfect balance between rich and refreshing. The sauce is light but indulgent, the lemon sings, and the basil brings it all home—ideal for nights when salad just won’t cut it.

Get the Recipe: Creamy Lemon Basil Pasta

Chicken Cutlets with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

A skillet containing creamy chicken with fresh basil and a rich sundried tomato cream sauce, with a metal spoon resting in the dish.
Chicken Cutlets with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce. Photo credit: Not Entirely Average.

Chicken Cutlets With Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce is a one-skillet wonder that looks like a dinner party and eats like comfort food. That creamy, tangy sauce clings to golden chicken in all the best ways.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Cutlets with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

Keto Radish Recipes – Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Roasted Radishes

The image features roasted chicken thighs, red onions, and radishes on a bed of greens.
Photo Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Keto Radish Recipes – Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Roasted Radishes keeps things low-carb without skimping on flavor. Golden chicken and crisped-up radishes roast together on one pan—and somehow taste like way more effort than they are.
Get the Recipe: Keto Radish Recipes – Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Roasted Radishes

The Best Fresh Savory Tomato Pie

A baked vegetable and cheese dish topped with breadcrumbs, served in a metal pie tin.
Photo Credit: Boulder Locavore.

The Best Fresh Savory Tomato Pie is Southern potluck royalty. Juicy tomatoes, cheese, and a buttery crust come together in a dish that works just as well on the porch as it does on a brunch buffet.
Get the Recipe: The Best Fresh Savory Tomato Pie

How to Smoke a Texas Style Pellet Grill Brisket

Sliced, cooked beef brisket with a charred exterior and marbled texture, featuring a reddish-brown crust and a moist interior, served on a wooden surface.
Photo Credit: Sweet Tea + Thyme.

How To Smoke A Texas Style Pellet Grill Brisket is for anyone who thinks “low and slow” is more of a life motto than a cooking technique. This brisket turns out tender, smoky, and ready to make you the MVP of any backyard gathering.
Get the Recipe: How to Smoke a Texas Style Pellet Grill Brisket

Furikake Tomato Toast on Sourdough

A slice of toast topped with yellow and red tomato slices, chopped chives, sesame seeds, and seasonings on a white plate.
Photo Credit: Street Smart Nutrition.

Furikake Tomato Toast On Sourdough brings a little umami flair to your summer snacking. With juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and that signature furikake crunch, this isn’t your average toast—it’s toast with a personality.
Get the Recipe: Furikake Tomato Toast on Sourdough

Simple Summer Spaghetti With Garlic And Lemon

A bowl of spaghetti with asparagus, peas, and black pepper.
Photo Credit: Emily Leary.

The Best Seafood Boil Recipe With Garlic Butter Sauce is pure chaos—in the best possible way. It’s loud, messy, buttery, and spicy, and if you’re not elbow-deep in shrimp and corn, you’re doing it wrong.
Get the Recipe: Simple Summer Spaghetti with Garlic and Lemon

The Best Seafood Boil Recipe with Garlic Butter Sauce

Crab legs, shrimp, lobster, potatoes, corn on the cob, and a bowl of melted butter arranged on a newspaper-lined surface.
The Best Seafood Boil Recipe with Garlic Butter Sauce. Photo credit: Sweet Tea + Thyme.

Simple Summer Spaghetti With Garlic And Lemon (yes, again!) deserves a second look. It’s the back-pocket pasta you’ll pull out on busy nights—bright, easy, and good enough to make you forget takeout exists.

Get the Recipe: The Best Seafood Boil Recipe with Garlic Butter Sauce

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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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