July 5 Day Meal Plan

In much of the world, a July 5 day meal plan needs to be all about keeping cool. Let's cook outdoors, keep the oven turned off, and eat things that won't weigh us down in the summer heat.

I know at first glance it may seem like I'm just suggesting a bunch of side dishes, but here's the deal. I don't want you turning on your oven or standing over your stove for an excessive amount of time. Everything here is either quick-cooking, make ahead, no-cook, or can be cooked outside on a grill. Take some help from the store and stock up on proteins you can just throw in the grill like your favorite sausages, chicken, or fish, then make some lovely sides to go along and round things out. It'll be awesome.

What's for dinner?

For meatless Monday, make this Chickpea & Spinach Curry. You can boil the eggs ahead of time. Do it in the morning or at night when the kitchen is cooler, then stash them in the fridge. The curry itself comes together in a flash, all in one skillet.

Cook these Grilled Chicken Skewers with Chilli Mint Yogurt outside on the grill, and serve some fresh veggies to fill things out. If you have a rice cooker, you could also make this Lemon Rice outside just by plugging it into your outdoor outlet.

Like I said above, pick up some of your favorite hot dogs or sausages and grill them up and serve them alongside this Za'atar Potato Salad. This needs to be made ahead and sit in the fridge, and it just gets better as it chills. Make it at night or in the morning when your kitchen is a little cooler.

If you're a fish lover, I think this Red Bean Salad would be the perfect side to some grilled fish. This doesn't need to cook at all. It's perfect for summer.

Wrap up your week with something super awesome, a Peanut Butter & Jelly Burger. If you have leftovers of any of the side salads you made earlier in the week, get them out. Or just open a bag of chips/crisps. Nobody will care about anything else. This burger is too good.

What else are we eating?

Okay, sorry I'm hitting you with more PB& J again, but I figured with the kids home from school, they'd love some Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast for breakfast. Bonus, it's super simple and quick cooking.

You're gonna want a bottomless pitcher of Mint Limeade in your fridge all summer long. Grown ups can add a splash of vodka, gin, or rum in the evening to make it a litte more fun.

The iterations for Instant Ice Cream Cake are endless, and all you need to do is whip cream. Not a bit of heat required.

What groceries will you need for your July 5 Day Meal Plan?

Fresh ingredients or things you may need to pick up from the store:

• baby spinach
• chicken breasts
• Greek yogurt
• green onions
• jalapeno
• garlic
• fresh mint
• lemons
• Yukon gold potatoes
• red onion
• cherry tomatoes
• fresh parsley
• bacon
• ground beef
• smoked cheddar
• brioche buns
• limes
• heavy/double cream

Check your pantry and fridge to see if you have these on hand:

• eggs
• olive oil
• curry powder
• ground cumin
• garlic granules
• ground ginger
• mustard powder
• canned chopped tomatoes
• canned chickpeas
• lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes
• dried oregano
• basmati rice
• turmeric
• dried mint
• mayonnaise
• za'atar
• red wine vinegar
• canned kidney beans
• onion powder
• cayenne pepper
• Worcestershire sauce
• peanut butter
• chilli jam or pepper jelly
• sandwich bread
• your favorite fruit jam/jelly
• milk
• vanilla extract
• butter
• maple syrup
• sugar
• white chocolate
• gingersnaps

I hope you eat gloriously and keep cool this month, friends. If you’ve made any of these recipes, I’d love for you to share a photo on Instagram and hashtag it #awesomeon20. I can’t wait to see what you’ve created. Make it awesome.