Corn Relish Dog

This screams SUMMER! It’s perfect before the corn is even all that ready. It is sweet and just a bit tangy. We ate a bit on dogs and also just as a side.

Corn Relish Dog
Ingredients: (for ~4 dogs and some side servings)

2 ears of corn
1/4 cup pickles
1/4 cup tomatoes
2 tablespoons pickle juice
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Cut the corn off the cob, chop the pickles, chop the tomatoes all to the same size.

Add in the pickle juice, oil, salt, and pepper.
Stir and refrigerate until serving – at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Add on top of a hot dog or as a side. Enjoy!

This was crisp and sweet and crunchy and full of flavor. I liked the shake up of a hot dog but also think it would go quickly at a BBQ with so few ingredients.

Caprese Pasta Salad

This is such a winner and has great options as a side or meal! Pasta salad is tough to get beyond one that just tastes like oily noodles. It needs a strong flavor – i.e. a dressing that is vinegary, it has to have plenty of salt & pepper – more than seems right, and will need to be tasted a few times & adjusted as it refrigerates for 1 hour – overnight.  

Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients: serves ~8 as side dishes

1 pound pasta
2 large tomatoes
8 oz mini mozzarella ‘pearls’ or any larger size, chopped
1/4 cup Italian dressing (or equal oil/vinegar ratio)
salt/pepper/garlic salt
2 tablespoons pesto OR chopped fresh basil

Directions:
Cook the pasta in salty water until al dente – not too soft. Drain and stir a bit to cool it down with a drizzle of olive oil so it doesn’t stick together. 
Chop the tomatoes.
When the pasta is cool, add in the tomatoes, mozzarella, dressing and salt/pepper/garlic powder. 

Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour or over night.
Stir and taste. Add more dressing and salt if needed – if it doesn’t seem strong and bright, add a splash of vinegar (apple cider, red wine, or champagne are all great).

Before serving, add a few dollops of pesto (or torn basil if using).
Enjoy!

This was good – and nice as leftovers. I brought some to work for lunch with leftover grilled chicken and a pile of arugula on top. I liked the sudden pops of pesto versus mixed in. Also, the mini bow ties are too cute.

Apple Slaw

I preface this with: you do not have to love fruit in savory dishes to be into this slaw. It’s a touch mustardy, not creamy, and the apple makes it. I love it with broccoli slaw but cabbage works too!

You know slaws mean you have to make it in advance. It is not as eaten immediately. Give it at least an hour in the fridge – which, you’ll likely round down, so >30 minutes. Mine usually gets the whole workday to hang out.

Apple Slaw
Ingredients: (serves 4-6)

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
pinch black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 apple
1 package broccoli slaw

Directions:
Mix up or shake together the dressing of the oil, mustard, vinegar, honey, pepper, and red pepper if using.

Chop the apple into sticks similarly sized to the slaw.
Mix together the slaw, apple, and dressing.

Refrigerate for an hour, or at least 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

It is great as a side dish with anything. It is really great with barbecue flavors, or pulled pork, and it holds up for a few days if using broccoli slaw.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Chicken Caesar salad turned into a pasta salad! This one provides the beloved flavors and works great as a hefty side or as a cool meal!

Use any pasta you have, any greens you have, and rotisserie chicken to make it quick!

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients (serves 2 meals or ~4 sides)

~8 oz short pasta
1 chicken breast
1 head romaine
1/4 cup creamy caesar dressing
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
oil/vinegar
2 tablespoons parmesan

Directions:
Cook the pasta and allow to cool.
While the pasta cools, chop the chicken and romaine.
Stir the pasta, romaine (if serving right away), and chicken with the dressing and a splash of oil and vinegar.

Sprinkle on the parmesan and pepper.
Enjoy!

This is so cravable. I love these flavors and this is a nice but gentle twist. Make it in advance and stir in the lettuce just before serving!

We love caesar and it works just as well with other greens – I packed it for a work lunch with arugula to toss in.

Ranch Chicken Burgers

{originally published in 2012 and updated in 2024}

These are possibly the most-repeated dish from the blog. We’ve been having these since using a grill pan in our apartment way back when and now have them regularly in the spring and summer. They’re so good and such a crowd-pleaser.

Ranch Chicken Burgers
Ingredients: (for 4)

1 pound ground chicken
1 packet dried ranch dressing/dip mix (~2 teaspoons)
3 tbs ranch dressing
4 rolls

Directions:
Preheat the grill.
Mix together the ground chicken, ranch mix, 1 teaspoon of ranch dressing – reserving the rest for topping.
Form into 4 patties.

Sprinkle with salt & pepper then grill until cooked through 165-degrees being careful not to flip too often. These cook well on a griddle.
Serve on buns with more ranch and any toppings you like!
Enjoy!

We have these often but hadn’t yet this year. The kiddos didn’t remember them and each ate it all! There’s the lesson – repeat a previous dinner, nobody remembers how often you serve something! We each added ranch on the buns and these are great with lettuce, tomato, pickles, or anything! I think the kids add ketchup.