Dream Grills

Kebabs. Throw some vegetables, chicken or steak pieces, pineapple, and a few potato chunks in a zippered plastic bag with a little light Italian salad dressing, shake, put on a skewer, and pop on the grill.
Rosemary Wurster
Coatesville, Pennsylvania

My favorite — and easiest — summer meal consists of grilled rib-eyes rubbed with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper; grilled vegetables; and grilled apricots with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Heather Bjur
Fargo, North Dakota

My family’s favorite summer-meal tradition starts with an afternoon spent in the pool. Once everyone is waterlogged, I call my husband and three children in to dine on grilled hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and slices of watermelon. We sip on Kool-Aid from paper cups. This ritual keeps our nights simple and memorable.
Ellen Drews
Sarasota, Florida

Anything on the barbecue. That way, my husband does most of the work and my kitchen stays cool and clean.
Jennifer Burr
Sand Point, Arkansas

Nice Spread

When it’s super-hot, I love to make sandwiches for dinner — no heating the oven! I take a big loaf of French bread, cut it in half and hollow it out, then fill it up with all kinds of meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Top with some oil and vinegar and let it rest for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend together.
Mandy Strickland
Irmo, South Carolina

I love anything that’s vegan. My favorite meal is either a hummus wrap with tomatoes, spring onions, lettuce, sprouts, and shredded carrots, or a Tofurkey sweet Italian sausage on a bun with corn on the cob and fruit.
Heather Moore
Norfolk, Virginia

My son gets the jar of peanut butter, my daughter grabs a loaf of bread, and I get the butter knife, a small jug of lemonade, and some cookies. We sit outside on a blanket in the grass eating slice after slice of bread slathered with peanut butter and watch the clouds go by. To me it’s not only the quickest summertime meal but also the best. I share stories of my childhood with my kids, and they share their sticky, gooey kisses that I don’t want to wash off.
Andrea Cardinal
White Bear Lake, Minnesota