In The Kitchen Meal Plans

Meal Plan for July Week 3

Here's your meal plan for July Week 3! We've got Nicoise salad, a turkey zucchini burger, beer can chicken, and more!

Summer Miller
Summer has worked in food media for the past 12 years as a recipe developer, recipe tester, food journalist, essayist, cookbook author, and public speaker. Her work has appeared in Eating Well, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Grit and Edible Communities publications among others. She started working with Simply Recipes in 2017. Her book, New Prairie Kitchen, won the Nebraska Book Award for non-fiction in 2016 and Epicurious noted it as a “Need to Read” cookbook.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Summer Miller
Published July 14, 2018
Summer Miller
Meal Plan for July Week 3

This month, Summer Miller is back, sharing her meal plans for July. Summer is a mom, a full-time food writer, and also helps test the fabulous recipes we bring you every week at Simply Recipes.

Summer has arrived launching cannonballs of heat and humidity. The air is thick and heavy like wet blankets. I can feel the weight of it on my skin and in my lungs.

I wade through the sticky and heat-stricken Midwestern masses by day, awaiting the cooler evenings that seem endless this time of year.

The fireflies are out in droves looking for love in the twilight skies and between blades of grass peppered with white clover. Every evening is an opportunity for dinner and a show. Meals by the window or on the porch suit me just fine in July even in the thick summer air.

  • Fattoush Bread Salad

    Fattoush with summer vegetables and pita chips in a round bowl
    Sheryl Julian

    This vegetable packed salad is an easy way to refresh and beat the heat. It’s ready in 30 minutes!

  • Quick Sausage, Kale, and Crouton Sauté from Smitten Kitchen Every Day

    Quick Sausage, Kale, and Crouton Saute
    Summer Miller and Emma Christensen

    I’ve made this one-pan meal at least a half a dozen times. Everyone in the family loves it, and it’s ready in 30 minutes. The recipe calls sausage links with the casings removed, but I substitute packaged ground Italian turkey sausage -- no need to remove casings, which is one less thing to worry about.

  • Turkey Zucchini Burger with Garlic Mayo

    Turkey Zucchini Burger with Garlic Mayo
    Elise Bauer

    Zucchini is a great way to add moisture to lean meats like this turkey burger.

  • Beer Can Chicken

    Beer Can Grilled Chicken
    October Creative and Elise Bauer

    You can make beer can chicken on the grill or in your oven – it’s up to you. If you don’t do booze, replace the can of beer with a mason jar filled halfway with chicken stock. You will still get tender, juicy chicken. Pair it with grilled corn on the cob for a nearly effortless summer meal.

    Continue to 5 of 5 below.

  • Nicoise Salad

    Salad Nicoise
    Elise Bauer

    It’s Friday! Go light with a little seafood and summer vegetable combination, then chase it down with fruity strawberry watermelon aqua fresca!