16 Family-Friendly Dinners I’m Making All Summer Long (and Serving to Friends, Too)

I’m not the type of person who casually drops spontaneous invites to dinner, but I’ve been working on that. I enjoy feeding people, whether it’s family or friends—it’s the perfectionist, planner side of me that says everything needs to be all thought through and a bit fancy for guests to have a great time.

Having been on the receiving end of many a casual dinner invite, though, I know some of the best dinner parties I’ve been to have been evenings that come together naturally, with very little planning. They’re the type of nights where everyone lingers and fond memories are made.

So with that in mind, I’ve been making a conscious effort to gather small groups in my little Berlin apartment, make something I love that’s not complicated, and reframe these meals as family dinners, not dinner parties. It’s been fun and I’ve learned a lot, namely that it’s great to have a set of go-to recipes to turn to at a moment’s notice.

If you’re on a similar journey or want to be, or find yourself in need of easy, summery, family dinner ideas more generally, these recipes will serve you and yours any night of the week.