Ah, the much-awaited summer brings its sweet flavors and fresh veggies and fruits into our kitchens. It’s like an infinity of delicious puzzles for you to put together for each meal. To help you make the best of all available freshness, we’ve put together seven summer dinner recipes that will be like mini-vacations for your taste buds. Each dish features a harmonious blend of seasonal ingredients, creating a flavorful escape from the ordinary. We're talking fresh salads, wraps, one-pot meals you can serve over rice, creative sushi reinterpretations, and delicious sandwiches—an oasis of culinary inspiration for those lazy summer days to come.
1. Chicken & Cheese Taquitos
We begin our culinary adventure with Mexican-inspired cuisine. This chicken taquitos recipe requires only a few minutes of prep time, a handful of ingredients, and less than 20 minutes in the oven.
Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner during hot summer days when time spent in the kitchen should be kept to a minimum by law, these taquitos can serve as vessels for the bold flavors of salsa and guacamole alongside a refreshing salad or cold lemonade.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (9 oz) tub of Buddig Original Chicken
- 12 small corn tortillas
- 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Olive oil, for brushing
- Optional: salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, for serving
DIRECTIONS
- Place 2 to 3 slices of Buddig Original Chicken on top of each tortilla. Add shredded cheese on top.
- Roll the taquitos and place seam-side down on a baking tray.
- Brush the taquitos with olive oil.
- Bake for 18 minutes in a preheated oven at 400 F.
- Serve with dips like salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
Read the full recipe!
2. Caribbean Chicken Recipe with Mango & Black Beans
Our next stop is in the Caribbean islands. This Caribbean chicken recipe blends exotic flavors like mango and coconut with surprising ingredients such as roasted nuts and hot peppers into the perfect sweet and savory summer dinner. The garlic, scallions, and habaneros make it burst with savor and depth while the black beans, cashews, and chicken nurture your body with a good amount of protein, fat, and carbs. So, if you’re on the lookout for healthy summer dinner recipes, you should give this one a try.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 (6 oz) packages of Buddig Fix Quix Grilled Chicken Breast Strips
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 bell peppers, cut into thin strips
- ½ tsp minced habanero (or jalapeño) peppers
- ½ tsp minced fresh garlic
- ½ cup canned low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 tsp jerk seasoning
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 large ripe but firm mango, peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (plus more for garnish)
- ¼ cup chopped roasted and salted cashews
DIRECTIONS
- Saute the bell peppers, habaneros, and garlic in vegetable oil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the mixture from the skillet and set it aside.
- In the same skillet over medium-low heat, cook the chicken together with broth, coconut milk, and jerk seasoning for 2 minutes or until the chicken is hot.
- Add the previously sauteed peppers and garlic mixture to the skillet.
- Add beans and mango, and simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After everything is heated thoroughly, stir in the scallions.
- Garnish with cashews and more scallions, and serve over rice if desired.
Read the full recipe!
3. Tuscan Chicken Wrap
Our Tuscan chicken wrap recipe takes you away from the Caribbean's daring spice and covers your tastebuds with fresh flavors inspired by Italian gastronomy. We’re talking sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, provolone cheese, and lots of green salad, Romaine, to be specific. It’s an easy summer dinner recipe for you to enjoy with your family while traveling mentally to the sunny coast of Tuscany with its crystal clear blue waters, beautiful scenery, and rich history.
To make it healthier and more suitable for torrid heat, this summer recipe idea features low-fat condiments and toppings that you can always swap for the full-fat version and adapt the dish to your personal dietary preferences.
INGREDIENTS
- 10 oz Buddig Original Chicken (5 packages, 2 oz each)
- 2 tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 2 oz pesto
- 4 large spinach tortilla wraps
- 4 slices reduced-fat provolone cheese
- 8 romaine lettuce leaves
- Italian giardiniera to taste
- 1 oz sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
DIRECTIONS
- For the sauce, combine mayonnaise and pesto.
- Spread the sauce on each tortilla and add your toppings
- Fold the sides of the tortilla and roll. Slice in half before serving.
Read the full recipe!
4. Antipasto Salad
If the last recipe left you still dreaming about sunny Italy, this antipasto salad is here to help you imagine yourself in the heart of Bel Paese without leaving your kitchen. It blends the taste of oven-roasted and smoked meats with Italian cheeses, fresh vegetables, and a mouth-watering balsamic vinaigrette dressing. All of that goodness is embraced by crunchy Azteca Crispy Salad Shells for easy and practical plating.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 package Azteca Crispy Salad Shells
- 8 oz Buddig Original Ham or Premium Deli Smoked Ham, sliced into ½" strips
- 8 oz Buddig Original Lunch Beef, sliced into ½" strips
- 8 oz Buddig Original or Premium Deli Oven Roasted Turkey, sliced into ½" strips
- 2 heads of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper, roasted and diced
- 8 oz mild giardiniera peppers, drain well and reserve the oil for dressing
- 4 oz provolone cheese, sliced into ½" strips
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced into ½" cubes
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 oz olive oil, to add to giardiniera oil as needed
- ½ oz Italian seasoning
- Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Prepare Azteca Crispy Salad Shells according to the directions on the package.
- For the dressing, whisk together balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt, and giardiniera oil.
- Mix half the meats and cheeses with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add half of the balsamic vinaigrette dressing and mix well.
- Transfer everything to Azteca Crispy Salad Shells and top each salad with the remaining meats, cheeses, and a drizzle of the remaining dressing.
Read the full recipe!
5. Deli Meat Sushi Rolls
The next station of our taste bud voyage is the Land of the Rising Sun. This deli meat sushi draws inspiration from one of Japan’s most loved foods and puts a delicious twist to it. Instead of raw fish, you’ll use smoked honey ham which pairs oh so well with the sourness of rice vinegar and the punchy spice of jalapeno chiles. What an adventure!
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
- Rinse the sushi rice under cold water and place it in a pot with 1 ½ cups water.
- Let the rice soak for 30 minutes.
- Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
- Simmer rice vinegar with sugar until the sugar dissolves.
- Transfer the cooked rice into a bowl and pour the vinegar-sugar mixture over it, stirring carefully. Let it cool.
- Lay out stacks of two slices of Premium Deli Smoked Honey Ham for each roll.
- Place a tablespoon of rice on each ham stack and pat it down with dampened hands.
- Add a chile strip on each ham stack.
- Roll tightly.
- Cut rolls in half and serve.
Read the full recipe!
6. Pita Sandwich
We’re flying you from Asia back to southern Europe—specifically Greece—so you can enjoy another finger-licking summer recipe for dinner: a pita sandwich jam-packed with seasonal flavors. The stars of this show are the ham and roasted peppers, all enveloped with the tang of pickles, the crunch of fresh lettuce, and the sweetness of barbeque sauce. Stuff everything into a steaming pita, add some Dijon mustard and cheese, and you have yourself a dinner you can eat while streaming My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz Buddig Original Ham (6 packages, 2 oz each)
- 1 oz Dijon mustard
- 1 oz sweet BBQ sauce
- 2 pita breads
- 4 leaves lettuce
- 2 oz roasted red peppers
- 2 oz bread and butter pickles
- 4 slices Muenster cheese
DIRECTIONS
- For the dressing, whisk together the Dijon mustard and BBQ sauce.
- Spread it on the pita.
- Add the lettuce leaves and roasted red peppers.
- Top it with pickles.
- Add a layer of Buddig Ham.
- Put in the cheese.
- Place the sandwich under the broiler for one minute until the cheese melts.
Read the full recipe!
7. Raspberry Summer Salad
We’re ending our savory summer safari with a flavorful bang: a raspberry salad with lots of fruit, nuts, cheese, and smoked meats. It comes together faster than you can say summer wine! From melons to strawberries to toasted sesame seeds covered in a scrumptious raspberry-based dressing, this salad will leave your senses refreshed for the warmest of summer days.
INGREDIENTS
Salad
Raspberry Dressing
- 1 cup raspberries
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup balsamic vinegar
DIRECTIONS
- Toast the sesame seeds and chop the nuts.
- Roll 2-3 slices of Buddig Ham and slice them with a knife.
- Mix the goat cheese with milk to achieve a creamier consistency.
- Combine all the ingredients and decorate the top of your salad with the goat cheese.
- Next, prepare the raspberry dressing by blending crushed raspberries with honey, salt, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
- Pour the dressing over the salad.
Read the full recipe!
Spice up Your Summer Cooking with Buddig
Long cooking hours and summer heat don’t go well together. Buddig is here to make cooking easier by providing you with premium deli meats ready to add to any recipe. With Buddig’s selection of high-quality lunch meats, there’s no need for long hours of grilling, oven-roasting, or pan-frying for you to enjoy a delicious summer dinner. So, don’t shy away from twisting and tweaking your favorite recipes to include Buddig’s flavor-packed meats.
Reduce prep time without sacrificing yumminess and find the nearest store that sells Buddig products to make summer cooking enjoyable!