Our contributors brought the ideas, and our Test Kitchen put them to the test. These brand-new recipes went straight to our favorites list.
Banh Mi Burgers
Regular burgers are so status quo. Instead, grab topping inspo from your favorite Vietnamese sandwich for a memorable mashup. Banh mi burgers start with a super savory, succulent patty made from ground beef, ground pork, chopped green onions and a little fish sauce for umami. Once the patties are seared, build the burgers on a toasted sesame seed bun with quick-pickled carrots and daikon radish, fresh cilantro, sliced cucumbers, jalapenos and lots of Sriracha mayonnaise.
Poolside Spritz
Poolside, beachside or just outside, this fizzy strawberry spritz is meant to be enjoyed in the summer sun. Like an Aperol spritz, it’s built on bubbles—dry Prosecco and crisp club soda—and just enough sweetness from strawberry liqueur for some flavor. One of my favorite aspects of our poolside spritz is how easy it is to stir together right in the glass. Top off, anyone?
Fruit Salad with Fish Sauce Dressing
We get it: Fish sauce and fruit may seem like an out-there combo, but there’s genius behind it. The vinaigrette starts with umami-rich fish sauce that’s diluted with water, bright lime juice, brown sugar, fresh garlic and refreshing mint. After tossing together peaches and blackberries, pour on the vinaigrette and garnish with extra mint leaves and thinly sliced serrano. Every bite is a beautiful balance of sweet, umami, spicy and herby, and it’s the perfect side for burgers.
Za’atar Pesto Mac and Cheese
This unexpected mac and cheese is among my favorites. When dressed up with za’atar, garlic, parsley, pistachios and paprika, classic mac and cheese becomes earthy, pungent and nutty. Among the white cheddar and cream cheese sauce is tangy feta for a little more liveliness. Serve this with a gorgeous roast chicken, crispy falafel balls or glazed carrots, or take it along as a potluck side to your next party.
Easy S’mores Chocolate Mousse
S’mores are a summer essential, but we don’t always have access to a roaring fire for freshly roasted mallows. That’s where s’mores-inspired desserts, like this best-served-cold s’mores chocolate mousse, come in. The recipe actually came about in an attempt to make a fuss-free chocolate mousse, using mini marshmallows as the secret ingredient for a gelatin boost for structure. With the chocolate and marshmallow combo, it felt right to garnish it with toasted marshmallow graham crackers.
Kale Caesar Pasta Salad
Sign up to bring the pasta salad? Skip the ho-hum versions for this modern, healthy-ish kale Caesar pasta salad with crispy beans and shaved Parmesan. It’s an epic summer side to lighten up barbecue recipes and heavy, smoked meats. The key here is to massage the kale for two minutes to break down its tough, fibrous texture and soften the bitterness. Keep this recipe in your back pocket for winter, too, and serve it with roast chicken or baked pork chops.
Chicago Dog Panzanella
I was born in Chicago, so I realize my bias when I say the Chicago hot dog is the best regional hot dog style in the country. Bold and briny toppings complement the rich, fatty Vienna Beef frank nestled in a supremely squashy sesame seed-coated bun—with no ketchup … ever. Here, though, the legendary combo is reimagined into a panzanella for a shareable summer potluck side. Of course, the usual toasted bread is the sesame seed-coated buns. They’re tossed with grilled and sliced all-beef frankfurters, tomatoes, celery, pickles, onions and sport peppers. Finally, everything is coated in an olive oil, pickle juice, mustard, onion, poppy seed and celery salt dressing.
Copycat McDonald’s Dirty Dr Pepper
Dirty sodas are a product of Utah, where our favorite fizzy sodas get an upgrade with cream, fresh fruit juice and flavored syrups. Thanks to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, dirty sodas hit the mainstream so hard that fast-food brands around the country immediately started incorporating them into their menus. Just this year, McDonald’s entered the competition with its own lineup of dirty sodas and refreshers. After our own taste test and a lot of buzz online, McDonald’s dirty Dr Pepper is the clear favorite. Here’s our copycat version to make at home with vanilla syrup, half-and-half and a cherry to top it off.
Red, White and Blue Puppy Chow
Classic puppy chow is the perfect sweet snack to take to backyard barbecues. The original chocolate-peanut butter flavor is hard to beat, but our red, white and blue puppy chow makes an excellent patriotic dessert for all the 250th-themed summer parties this year. Colored candy melts bring the festive hue, and peanut butter gives the puppy chow the flavor we expect. It’s a tiny bit more work than the classic recipe, but once you set it next to all the other red, white and blue desserts, you’ll know it was totally worth it.
Tortellini Grinder Salad
Take the components of a grinder sandwich, build them into a bowl of pasta and you get this reimagined tortellini grinder salad. Cheese-filled tortellini meet fresh tomatoes, red onions, a spring mix, charcuterie meats and provolone, all coated in a homemade Italian-style dressing. It’s a fantastic barbecue side dish or make-ahead lunch to eat throughout the week. Make it uniquely yours with pickled veggies, spicy meats or a creamier dressing, if desired.
Whipped Goat Cheese Dip
When whipped feta first hit the American mainstream a few years ago, everyone fell in love with the smooth, creamy, tangy dip. Now, it’s goat cheese’s turn, whipped with cream cheese, hot honey, and a host of herbs and spices. We finish it with good olive oil and crushed pistachios for texture. Set out a platter of dippers, like crudites, crostini or the fire crackers recipe below.
Fire Crackers
Ever marinate crackers before? It’s a really simple technique to infuse them with olive oil and a mix of herbs and spices (ranch seasoning, red pepper flakes and black pepper) for a more flavorful snack. Once they’re baked, the crackers turn out irresistibly crispy and coated in flavor. Our fire crackers recipe is a fun Fourth of July-themed appetizer that turns a bowl of simple party crackers into a can’t-stop-eating snack. Feel free to try the marinade on pretzels or oyster crackers instead.
Cherry Bomb Cocktail
Our ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb cocktail is ready to light up a summer night. Sweet, tangy and finished with pretty Luxardo cherries, it’s a refreshing summer sipper. Light and clean white rum makes the base, while a Danish cherry liqueur masks the flavor without making the drink taste like cough syrup. Freshly squeezed limes brighten, and grenadine sweetens. Then, top it all with soda water to give your cherry bomb its fizzy fuse.
Strawberry Crackle Salad
This two-for-one combo is a genius spin on the classic strawberry pretzel salad, turned into a decadent midwestern salad. Instead of a layered dessert, everything is served in one bowl. A sweetened cream cheese filling is lightened up with Cool Whip, then folded with strawberries. Only when you’re ready to serve do you top it with the candied pretzel “crackle” so the topper stays nice and crunchy.
Caramel Crunch Cornflake Brownies
If you’ve even so much as opened TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest lately, you’ve probably seen someone smoosh caramel-coated cornflakes down onto freshly baked brownies. This layered dessert bar is one of our favorite ways to upgrade boxed brownies, adding crunch, complexity and sweetness in every bite. It’s texture city, but the homemade caramel is truly irresistible with the fudgy brownies.
Creamy Caesar Dressing
Sure, you can buy a good Caesar dressing nowadays, but with so many grocery store products on recall lately, the appeal for homemade has really picked up. So culinary producer Josh Rink whipped up this no-raw-egg homemade Caesar dressing, and everyone in our Test Kitchen went crazy for it. Instead of eggs, the base is made with mayo and heavy whipping cream, then for an authentic flavor the usual Caesar dressing ingredients are blended in: Dijon, anchovies, lemon juice, Parmesan and Worcestershire.
Tinto de Verano
Before I headed out to Spain a few years ago, senior editor Lindsay Mattison gave me the ultimate tip: Skip the sangria and order a tinto de verano—it’s what the locals drink! Translating to “red wine of summer,” tinto de verano starts with a lighter red wine, like a Spanish tempranillo, then meets ice and is topped with fizzy lemon-lime soda. That’s all you need to make this refreshing boozy beverage.
Yankee Doodle Casserole
Looking for patriotic recipes to make this month? A traditional Yankee Doodle casserole combines an easy weeknight dinner with an American history lesson. When women entered the workforce during WWII, they were still expected to come home and prepare a homemade dinner too. Convenience foods helped make this demand attainable. Made from hot dogs, sauteed onions, condensed tomato soup, condensed cheddar cheese soup and pasta, then finished with bread crumbs, the Yankee Doodle casserole provides a filling meal ready in an hour.
Poolside Dip
Whether it’s a low-key get-together, a day by the water or a full-blown Fourth of July party, homemade dips are always a welcome addition. This tangy, creamy poolside dip is made with Greek yogurt and cream cheese, and flavored with ranch seasoning, diced green chiles, fire-roasted corn and green onions. Set out good potato chips, crudites, pretzels or crackers so everyone can keep on dipping. Trust me, they’ll want to!
Banana Pudding Lush
Once the temps hit 90, there’s no way I’m turning on my oven. Although, as the baker of the group, I’m still expected to tote dessert to get-togethers. No-bake desserts save the day, and this banana pudding lush is a trendier take on the classic. There are four distinct layers: a graham cracker crust, a sweetened cream cheese filling, a thick banana pudding and a whipped cream topping. Garnish with crushed vanilla wafers, and wait to add the banana slices just before serving so they don’t show up browned.
Cookie Dough Bark
Everyone is going crazy for our cookie dough bark right now. The base tastes just like cookie dough, but instead of regular flour, we use almond flour. It is safe to eat (unlike raw flour) and makes this dessert conveniently gluten-free. Once you make the cookie dough, flatten it and top it with melted chocolate. When frozen, break off the bark and enjoy this best-served-cold summer dessert.
Lion’s Head Meatballs
Who else constantly feels as if they’re repeating the same dinner ideas every month? If Italian American meatballs are one of your go-tos, consider a meatball recipe from a different cuisine: Swedish meatballs, Mexican albondigas or Chinese lion’s head meatballs. The latter has been served in China for more than 1,100 years, so they’re pretty much guaranteed to be excellent.
Tiramisu Cake
We’ve been loving all the tiramisu recipes coming out of our Test Kitchen lately. This tiramisu cake is one of them, and it’s every bit as creamy and mocha-y as the classic version but layered in celebratory cake form. The Genoise sponge cake is a nod to ladyfingers—another type of sponge cake. It is soaked in coffee and topped with mascarpone, true to the usual tiramisu layering. The entire cake is finished with a Swiss meringue coffee frosting and dusted with cocoa powder, combining all the elements of tiramisu into beautiful layers.
Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats
Summer mornings call for cold breakfast recipes. I usually stick to chia seed puddings or overnight oats, but I need to switch up my flavor variations each week. This cinnamon roll overnight oats recipe is in my rotation constantly. Brown sugar and cinnamon give the oats the cinnamon roll filling flavor, while milk and Greek yogurt plump the oats and add creaminess. Add “icing” on top in the form of Greek yogurt mixed with maple syrup.
