33 Summer Dump Dinners That Basically Cook Themselves

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

You can’t go wrong combining sweet and spicy flavors, and this skillet dish makes a quick homemade hot honey out of everyday ingredients. Bonus? It tastes like fried chicken without all the mess of frying. "The trick to nailing crispy chicken thighs is to start them like you would bacon, in a cold skillet over low heat," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen writes. "This allows the fat to render without burning the skin, yielding the satisfying texture that makes the dish."

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, sheet pan recipe, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6

It’s summertime and the living is easy. That means it’s totally cool to have totchos for dinner. "Add your favorite salsa, a drizzle of sour cream, some scallions, pickled onions and cilantro, and you’ve officially made yourself the most over-the-top nachos ever," Gillen raves. Make a topping bar so everyone can choose their own—the kids are gonna love it.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4 to 6

Save the sad, jarred pasta sauce for another night. Instead, toss together marinated artichokes and noodles, then make a “sauce” using grated cheese and lemon juice. "Top it all off with a sprinkling of mint, lemon zest and black pepper, and you’ve got a dish that looks—and tastes—like it took hours, not 30 minutes," Gillen asserts.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4

You can work magic with just a package of store-bought gnocchi. This meal tastes like the beloved Italian flavor combo it's named after and serves as an excuse to not do any dishes. "I prefer fresh gnocchi from the refrigerated section, but this dish will also work with the shelf-stable kind—both get crispy on the outside and soft on the inside without any boiling," Gillen says.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, vegetarian, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6

Here’s proof that you don’t need ground beef to make deliciously nostalgic sloppy Joes—in a single skillet, no less. The humble lentil takes its place, adding plant-based protein and lots of fiber. "They’re just as quick-cooking and convenient for weeknight dinners, and even kids won’t miss the ground beef," Gillen claims. "Top them with coleslaw and a sesame seed bun for the full effect."

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, kid-friendly, low sugar
• Serves: 4 to 5

Don't you almost always have tortillas in the pantry (or freezer), eggs and an avocado that’s threatening to go bad? If yes, this easy brunch-leaning dish should become a summer dump dinner staple for you. Start with store-bought tortilla chips to save time (and skip the messy frying).

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, <30 minutes, no sugar
• Serves: 4

Instant Pot salmon? Yes, it’s a thing, and it’s both delicious and impossible to mess up. Since the fish is steam-poached in the spiced coconut milk, it comes out moist and flavorful every time. Toss in about 12 ounces of sliced shiitake mushrooms or snap peas to make it even more satiating.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 6

This recipe requires just five minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking. If you use homegrown cherry tomatoes and basil, even better. (And once you’ve perfected the classic, try more one-pot pasta recipes to take advantage of the low-lift method.)

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
• Serves: 2 to 4

Cooking gnocchi (store-bought, of course) in the oven makes it crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, without any of that boiling-water business. Use premade pesto to streamline it even further. Then, pile on all the shaved Parm your cheese-loving heart desires.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
• Serves: 4

This flavorful chicken recipe has the added benefit of being cooked in a parchment parcel (aka en papillote), so there’s almost no cleanup required. "Crispy chicken skin is my guilty pleasure," recipe creator Louise Kenney writes, "and chicken thighs are, in my opinion, the tastiest part of the bird. This is a great one-pot meal—serve it with a simple, crisp green salad if you want more veg."

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

The key to achieving perfectly al dente pasta in a pressure cooker is to drop the dry noodles in with the aromatics, so they absorb as much flavor as possible, then quick-release the pressure once they’re cooked before they go mushy on you. It's only eight ingredients away—including salt and pepper.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free
• Serves: 4

Traditional ratatouille requires many pots and pans and a lot of time, but this recipe manages to streamline the process in an ingenious way. Spend that extra free time stocking up on veggies (eggplant! summer squash! tomatoes! bell peppers!) at the farmers market.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2

It’s true: Anything that involves squeaky, briny halloumi is bound to be a crowd-pleaser, but your dinner guests will also love that the tomatoes and olives in this dish meld together into a slightly sweet, deeply acidic sauce. Pair it all with crusty bread or white rice.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

This non-lasagna is proof that you can skip all the fussy layers and still make a cheesy, crave-worthy summer dump dinner that even picky kids will adore. (Plus, it’s a great way to use up all that zucchini and corn you bought at the farmers market, no?)

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <500 calories, one pan, <30 minutes
• Serves: 4

I know you’d rather be soaking up the sun than thinking about dinner, but you don’t have to resort to takeout either. Just make this 15-minute wonder, which cooks in a single pan and is packed with protein and fresh produce. Want to use a different vegetable? Just chop it into bite-size pieces so it cooks evenly with the peppers.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients, gluten free, dairy free
• Serves: 4

The entrée and sides cook side by side on your trusty sheet pan—what could be better than that? Swap the romaine hearts for kale or even broccoli if that’s more your jam, and roll the potatoes in some grated Parmesan cheese for added savory splendor.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

You’ll love how fresh and summery this tastes, not to mention the fact that it’s ideal for busy (or lazy) nights. Plus, you probably have all of the ingredients on hand already. "The end result isn't particularly saucy, but that makes it taste light, zesty and refreshing," PureWow VP of content and recipe tester Candace Davison explains. "Don't forget to spritz with a little extra lemon juice just before serving—it brightens up the whole meal."

• Time Commitment: 7 hours and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

Why go to the trouble of lighting the grill when you can make *this* Crockpot staple for your next cookout instead? Serve the chicken with a side of coleslaw, and you’re all but guaranteed to have a yard full of happy guests. (It pairs beautifully with mac and cheese, too.)

• Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

You probably don’t usually crave soup in the summer (unless it’s gazpacho), but this creamy chowder will be a major exception. Pick up some extra sweet corn at the farmers market and have it for dinner all week long (preferably alongside some impeccably grilled steak).

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, one pan, gluten free
• Serves: 2

Speaking of steak, everything in this summer dump dinner recipe cooks together in one sizzling hot pan, which means great flavor and no pile of dirty dishes after dinner. Call it a weeknight win—and serve it with a bottle of red wine for good measure.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 10

For those times you’re invited to a cookout and forget you promised to bring a dish, there's this lightning-fast crowd-pleaser that comes together in the pressure cooker for speed and convenience. (And even if there is no cookout on the horizon, I fully endorse this treat for a random Wednesday when only carbs and cheese will do.)

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

Summer is all about entertaining, and this simple sheet pan supper is the perfect way to feed a crowd. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like shrimp with a lemony garlic butter sauce. Pair it with couscous, potatoes, baguette, grits or white rice—and snack on it straight from the pan, if you're feeling extra lazy.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
• Serves: 6

Pineapple-pomegranate salsa? Consider your neighbors totally impressed. Serve these hot handhelds with sliced avocado and plenty of fresh lime wedges for the full effect. (They also pair beautifully with an ice-cold margarita.)

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, gluten free, slow cooker recipe
• Serves: 6

If you’re basically always in the mood for breakfast for dinner, look no further. But when it’s too hot to turn on the oven, this is how you make your frittata fix a reality without turning your home into a sauna. You basically just dump everything in the Crockpot and let it works its magic.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, make ahead, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

When you can’t look at another lettuce-based salad, try this meal-prep miracle. It’s loaded with veggies, high in protein and features an irresistible peanut sauce that will rival your go-to Chinese-American takeout spot. Crown it with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, gluten free, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

It doesn’t get any easier than this sheet pan wonder. Plus, it’s a great way to use up all the vegetables you have left in the fridge before you leave for vacation. Make one or two batches on a Sunday to nosh on all week long—leftovers are key when you're avoiding cooking.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, dairy free, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

I know what I’m eating every weekend this summer. If you’ve always been a little bit intimidated by ribs, this recipe (and your trusty pressure cooker) will take all the guesswork out of the saucy task. Can you believe you won't even need to fire up the grill?

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 8

Whether you stopped at too many farm stands on the way back from the beach, or you’re simply celebrating that there’s good produce at the market, I’m betting you have plenty of veggies to put in this super-simple (and very healthy) soup. It’s a good dose of virtue between all the hot dogs and peach cobbler.

• Time Commitment: 33 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, dairy free, whole30
• Serves: 6

Old Bay always makes me think of eating seafood on the beach. And whether you’re actually near a body of water or just dreaming about it, this is the easiest way to get into that vibe. Char plenty of lemons alongside the other components for a smoke-kissed spritz of fresh citrus.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

The secret ingredient to this pork dish? A can of soda—and it's just what the doctor (Pepper) ordered. I was skeptical too, but it’s hard to argue with a smoky-sweet, fork-tender pulled pork sandwich in the summer (especially when it basically cooks itself in the Crockpot).

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, low sugar, high protein
• Serves: 4

Can a salad be a summer dump dinner? You bet, especially when it's casually assembled on a sheet pan for simplified prep and communal dining. Best part? This chorizo- and potato-laced number won’t leave you feeling hungry in a few hours either, since it contains 25 grams of protein per serving.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

Resist the temptation to stop for a burrito bowl on the way home. You can make this in the Instant Pot just as quickly (or the slow cooker, if you plan ahead). Serve it over rice, in tacos or burritos, atop nachos or even a bowl of fresh greens.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

This summer dump dinner calls for using seasonal asparagus, zucchini and bell peppers, but you can also substitute whatever you have on hand. (Carrots, tomatoes and even kale are fair game.) Add a grain, starch or carb, and your no-sweat meal is complete.