Easy Summer Lunch Ideas

If you are looking for some easy summer lunch ideas that don’t require heating up your kitchen, then you will love these lunch ideas.

In our house, we don’t have air conditioning. In the summer time, it can get really hot in our house, and we like to avoid having to heat up the kitchen even more with cooking. All of these summer lunch ideas are easy to make and taste great on a hot summer’s day.

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#1 — Egg Salad

Egg salad is a very simple meal to make in the summer. You can boil eggs on the stove without heating up the kitchen by having the oven on.

My egg salad basically uses 8—12 eggs depending on how much you want to make. You boil the eggs and then shell them when cooled.

Next, chop the eggs up in very small pieces (I usually use a fork to mash them).

Add ¼ to 1/3 cup of mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip). Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

You can eat it on bread for a sandwich or just as is. Refrigerate any leftovers.

#2 — Bagel Sandwiches

Bagel sandwiches are really quick and easy to make for the summer.

I like to use “everything” bagels, but you could also use onion, plain, or any other kind you would like.

I toast the bagel in the toaster, which keeps the kitchen from being too hot in the summer.

Add your favorite meat and cheese. I personally like ham with American cheese. You can also add a condiment if you would like such as mayonnaise or mustard.

Making bagel sandwiches only takes a couple minutes, so it’s a great meal idea when you’re low on time.

#3 — Pineapple & Cheese Sandwiches

I know it sounds odd, but one of my favorite summertime sandwiches is pineapple and cheese with mayonnaise.

I spread a thin layer of mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip) on the bread. Then, I put a slice of American cheese on it. Lastly, I add canned pineapple slices (in 100% juice not syrup).

You can barely taste the mayonnaise on this sandwich. It’s more for the moisture.

I always enjoy this sandwich when it is hot and don’t feel like eating a lot.

#4 — Homemade Barbecue Pork

You can cook your pork in a crock-pot so it doesn’t heat up the kitchen.

The barbecue recipe I use doesn’t have a lot of ingredients. You can serve it on hamburger buns or as is.

You can find the recipe here.

#5 — Sub Sandwiches

A really easy meal for summer is sub sandwiches.

You can buy a variety of meats and cheeses depending on what you like.

Try some different types of breads. Walmart has a big variety of inexpensive breads in their bakery area.

You can buy fresh vegetables for toppings as well.

Just think about the types of toppings that you can get at a sub shop.

#6 — Special Salads

Make a special salad as a meal. Salads are great in the summer because they are not hot.

One of my favorite salads is a southwest salad.

Start with romaine or spring greens. Add black beans, corn, very thin slivers of carrots, and a Mexican or taco shredded cheese. Add chicken (sometimes I used chicken nuggets chopped up). Then add your dressing. I like Paul Newman’s Southwest dressing or Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Southwestern Ranch. I top the salad with a small amount of Fritos corn chips for a little crunch.

This is just one option. You could also make a different flavor such as Asian or Greek.

#7 — Crackers and Cheese

When it is really hot out, we will sometimes just have crackers with different toppings.

We usually have this for lunch a lot in the summer. It is also easy to pack for a picnic.

Start with some flavorful crackers. Chicken in a Biskit crackers made by Nabisco are great for this. If you want something a little plainer, Toasteds are good. They have onion, sesame, and butter flavored crackers.

Next, slice up some different flavors of cheese. Cheddar, pepper jack, and Colby jack all work well. Add some meat slices such as summer sausage or pepperoni.

Add any other toppings that you might like such as pickle slices or olive slices and enjoy!

#8 — Specialty Wraps

Wraps are a great summer lunch idea because they are easy to make and require no heat.

You can buy a variety of flavors of wraps such as tomato and basil, spinach, and southwest. You could also just use regular flour tortillas as well.

Top with your favorite sauce. Add meats, cheeses, and vegetables to finish it off.

My current favorite wrap consists of a southwest wrap, chipotle aioli sauce, pepperonis, bacon bits, salami, and shredded colby jack cheese.

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