Weekly Menu Plan 112 makes outdoor dining easy with grilled pizza and flatbread, steak, a fabulous BLT, and some fruity summery extras.
Dining al fresco is practically a summertime rite of passage here in the Midwest. Warm summer days give way to breezy nights that are perfect for eating outside on the deck. There’s just something about eating out in nature that has a way of slowing the meal down long enough to truly connect with those around you in good conversation. With that in mind, the Weekly Menu Plan 112 offers a week’s worth of dinner ideas that are either prepared or easily eaten outdoors. Take a look:
Monday kicks off the week with Jenni/Pastry Chef Online’s Gourmet BLT. Gourmet in that it blends a variety of flavors and textures together to elevate the sandwich. Toasted bread, crisp bacon, soft cheese, avocado, and more make this one terrific bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. Try it on slices of my Leftover Oatmeal Bread!
Ease into Tuesday with a simple Grilled BBQ Chicken Flatbread from Erin/The Speckled Palate. Grilled flatbread is the perfect centerpiece for outdoor dinners because the combination of potential toppings is seemingly endless. Follow my 3 Rules for Easy Entertaining and then set it up “bar-style” to let everyone top them with things that they love to eat. Erin’s BBQ chicken version looks positively scrumptious!
Cheryl/Pook’s Pantry’s Potato Corn Chowder is just the thing for those cool summer nights when a little soup sounds divine. Of course, the crumbled bacon on top is always a crowd favorite. I like this soup with fat slices of my No Knead Herb Batter Bread.
This Asian Inspired Flank Steak with Avocado Corn Salsa is one of my family’s favorite summer dinners. The warm steak has a hint of citrus-y sweetness that is nicely complimented by the fresh tangy salsa. In fact, I make this salsa all summer long because it goes with most anything–even if it’s just tortilla chips for snacking.
Jenni/Pastry Chef Online gets fun and festive with her red, white, and blue-ish Grilled Pizza with sweet red peppers, sliced purple potatoes, and creamy goat cheese. I’d love a slice of this pizza fresh off the grill with an icy glass of refreshing lavender lemonade.
Speaking of refreshing–Cheryl’s Strawberry-Cherry Wine Spritzer looks just that. I love all of the fruity flavors going on here. You just can’t go wrong with fresh cherries and strawberries in the summertime. I can see myself with a glass of this while dredging fresh veggies from the garden through skinny french onion dip.
After the cocktails and snacks, I certainly wouldn’t turn away a slice of Lemon Meringue Pie! Let’s be honest, I won’t turn away a piece of pie at any time. Since we’re friends, I figure that you’re with me on that one. Besides, a fat slice of tangy lemon pie with creamy meringue is a good idea no matter the season.
Tell me! Tell me! What recipe are you most looking forward to trying from the Weekly Menu Plan 112?
Drop a comment, email, or DM and let me know what kind of recipes that you’d like to see on these weekly menu plans. We aim to please!
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