As another summer begins, it’s time to dust off those no-cook or low-cook summer recipes. Since spare time in the kitchen can be scattered during the summer, planning ahead and pre-preparing snacks and meals can be useful, as can planning for dishes that can be made in stages instead of all at once. Read on for some recipes that are sure to keep your family satiated and energized during the summer ahead.
Ranchy cottage cheese dip
Ingredients:
2 cups cottage cheese (low or full fat, your choice)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried dill (or more to taste)
Juice from half a lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Blend all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. This recipe is very adaptable. Feel free to increase or decrease any of the spices recommended, or even add an avocado to the mix for more heft and nutrition. Serve with chopped veggies, chips or crackers – it all works.
Chopped green goddess salad
Ingredients:
For the salad
1 head of green cabbage, chopped or diced in a food processor
3-4 baby cucumbers, sliced or diced
1 bunch of green onions, both green and white parts, sliced
1 bunch of chives, chopped
For the dressing
¼ cup olive oil
Juice from 1 or 2 lemons
2 tablespoons rice wine or white wine vinegar
1 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh spinach
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot
¼ cup cashews
⅓ cup nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Remember this viral salad from a few summers ago? It’s a great meal prep snack that stays good in the fridge and gets better with time. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Put all dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips or eat solo as a salad.
Cowboy caviar
Ingredients:
15 ounce can black-eyed peas
15 ounce can black beans
15 ounce can kidney beans
1 small can corn
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, diced
6 green onions, both green and white parts, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 or 2 teaspoons, tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Rinse all beans and drain corn. Add vegetables and beans to a large bowl. Add salt to taste and mix. Add together wet ingredients and garlic in a separate bowl. Whisk together, then pour over beans and vegetables. Mix well. Let sit for one hour. Serve with tortilla chips, or eat solo as a salad.
Rotisserie chicken salad
Ingredients:
For the salad
1 large rotisserie chicken, shredded (or use pre-shredded chicken, about 2 lbs)
1 cup chopped celery, or 1 teaspoon celery seed
2 cups seedless purple grapes, halved
2 ounces of slivered almonds
For the dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Juice from half a lemon
1 or 2 teaspoons curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Gently combine chicken, celery (or celery seed), grapes and almonds into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the dressing ingredients well. Add to the chicken mixture and stir gently to combine. Salt to taste. Serve on lettuce leaves, sliced bread, rolls or eat solo as a salad.
Marinated grilled chicken
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
Juice from 1 or 2 lemons
2 teaspoons salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup soy sauce
½ cup wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper
6 chicken breasts
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients except chicken in a gallon freezer bag and store in the fridge. This makes a lot of marinade and can be kept in the fridge for up to a day if you are planning ahead or wanting to split the work. Slice chicken in half length-wise if thinner pieces are desired (thinner slices won’t need to be grilled as long). Marinate the chicken in the bag in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Remove from marinade and grill over medium heat for about five minutes per side, though it depends on the size of the chicken breasts.
Strawberry Jello pie
Ingredients:
For the pie crust
1 ½ cups flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons milk
For the pie filling
3 tablespoons strawberry Jello powder mix
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 quart strawberries, halved
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix together flour, salt and sugar for crust in a bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour in oil and milk and mix well. Once combined, press dough into a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden. Meanwhile, in a saucepan on the stove, combine Jello mix, cornstarch, sugar for pie, and water. Stir and cook over low-medium heat until mixture is thick and bubbling slightly. Let mixture cool. Arrange berries in cooled pie crust and pour Jello mixture over the berries. Cover and chill the pie completely in the fridge before slicing and serving. This pie is great to prepare a day ahead, and is a very pretty end to a low-key summer meal.
Pamela Savage is a freelance writer living in Springfield. Though life doesn’t always allow it, she loves when she can prepare a few snacks or meals ahead of time and have a full fridge throughout the week.
This article appears in Parent Summer 2026.
