Cookout season: summer recipes for the grill, on the side

WASHINGTON — Slather on the sunscreen, set up the picnic table and fire up the grill: It’s still officially summer, and for many, that means enjoying outdoor entertaining.

Planning a big backyard barbecue or an intimate evening with friends? Use these seasonal recipes to inspire your summer menus.

Grilled Argentine steaks with chimichurri sauce A fresh, herby sauce is the perfect pairing for grilled steaks. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (AP/Carl Tremblay)
Tomato cobbler with pimento-cheese biscuits  Who said cobbler is just for dessert? Make a savory version of the dish with summer’s tomatoes and pimento-cheese biscuits. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Elizabeth Karmel via AP)
Grilled Caesar salad A little char brings a whole new dimension to a classic Caesar salad. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Joe Keller/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Burgers with pimento cheese spread Take your next cheeseburger to the next level. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Cheyenne Cohen via AP)
Cucumber salad with creamy roasted garlic dressing A cooling side for a hot summer cookout, this cucumber salad is the perfect addition to any lunch or dinner spread. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Steve Klise/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Grilled harissa lamb burgers Spice your burgers up a bit with a dollop of harissa mayonnaise. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (AP/Daniel J. van Ackere)
Ultimate seven layer dip Need a crowd-pleaser? Look no further. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Joe Keller/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Jerk chicken The key to a successful jerk is all in the marinade. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Steve Klise/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Grilled vegetable kebabs  Vegetables on the grill? Yes, please. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Daniel J. van Ackere/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
S’mores ice cream cake Hold the fire. Get a taste of s’mores in an ice cream cake. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Joe Keller/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Vegetable and orzo tian with garlic toasts Extra summer veggies? Throw your zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes in this casserole. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Steve Klise/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Grilled cauliflower A trick? Dunk the cauliflower in a salt and sugar solution before cooking it. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
French Potato Salad  A lighter, fresher version of the classic picnic side. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Carl Tremblay/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Salmon, avocado, grapefruit and watercress salad A light, bright and refreshing summer salad. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Carl Tremblay/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Cherry Cobbler  There’s nothing more classic than a summer cherry cobbler. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Joe Keller/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Grilled tuna steaks with lime-ginger vinaigrette  Give burgers a break and try tuna steaks for your next cookout. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Carl Tremblay/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Baked crab dip  A warm, creamy and full-of-seafood dip. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Joe Keller/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Grilled shrimp with spicy lemon-garlic sauce The secret to keeping shrimp from drying out on the grill? Finish them with a delicious sauce. Find the recipe on wtop.com. (Daniel J. van Ackere/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Flank steak tacos with charred corn salsa Top tortillas with strips of juicy, tender flank steak and fresh summer corn. Find the recipe here. (Joe Keller/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Boston baked beans Ditch the cans. These homemade baked beans, filled with pork and brown sugar, require minimal effort since they cook in the slow cooker. Find the recipe here. (Daniel J. van Ackere/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Summer peach cake  This recipe helps the home baker steer clear of a soggy summer cake. (Carl Tremblay/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Watermelon-strawberry smoothie  Keep cool at your next cookout with this fruit smoothie. (And if you’re feeling it, make it an adults-only beverage with a shot or two …) Find the recipe here. (AP/Cheyenne Cohen)
This April 2017 photo shows grilled lemony chicken and peppers in New York. This dish is from a recipe by Katie Workman. (Sarah Crowder via AP)
Grilled Provençal chicken and peppers  This recipe only requires a handful of ingredients, and a lemony marinade pulls everything together. Find the recipe here. (Sarah Crowder via AP)
Classic barbecue sauce  Sure, you can buy your barbecue sauce in a bottle … but you can also make it in under 30 minutes. Find the recipe for this classic sauce here. (Carl Tremblay/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Texas-style blueberry cobbler One of the best ways to use summer fruit is in a desert. Find the recipe for this blueberry cobbler here. (Keller + Keller/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
This April 2016 photo shows grilled eggplant parmigiana in Concord, N.H.  This dish, a staple of Italian cuisine, is a wonderful candidate for the grill, cooking up quickly and cleanly. And grilling this dish not only requires less oil than the traditional recipe, it ends up imparting a smokiness it could never claim before. (AP Photo/J.M. Hirsch)
Grilled eggplant parmigiana Warmer weather ushers in a wave of fresh produce, perfect for the grill. Try cooking the Italian staple, eggplant parmigiana, over the grates this summer. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/J.M. Hirsch)
This May 18, 2015 photo shows Florentine pasta salad in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Florentine pasta salad Fresh basil, grape tomatoes, garlic and ricotta cheese are the stars in this Italian-inspired pasta salad. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Pesto farro salad with cherry tomatoes and artichokes  Alternatively, swap pasta for nutrient-rich farro for your next summer salad. Find the recipe for this dish here. (Carl Tremblay/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Grill-roasted beef short ribs Start these ribs in the oven and finish them on the grill for a smokey taste and crunchy texture. Find the recipe here. (Daniel J. van Ackere/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)
Grilled asparagus with romesco sauce Every summer party needs a few snacks and dips. Try this recipe for grilled asparagus with a classic romesco sauce on your next spread. (Elizabeth Karmel via AP)
Chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream pie End your summer party on a sweet note with this cold, but rich, dessert. Find the recipe here. (Cheyenne Cohen via AP)
This May 5, 2014, photo shows sweet potato, grilled corn and black bean salad with spicy cilantro dressing in Concord, N.H. This recipe swaps sweet potatoes for the more traditional white potatoes and loses the standard recipe’s abundant mayonnaise in favor of a dressing high in flavor and low in fat. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Sweet potato, grilled corn and black bean salad with spicy cilantro dressing For a more nutritious potato dish, swap sweet potatoes for white potatoes and use a flavorful dressing instead of mayo. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This July 22, 2017 photo shows a summer peach clafoutis in Houston, Texas. This dish is from a recipe by Elizabeth Karmel. The recipe that can be tailored to whatever summer fruit is on hand, and not just cherries, which are traditionally used in France for this rustic dessert that envelopes the fruit in a custardy crepe-like batter. (Elizabeth Karmel via AP)
Summer peach clafoutis  Have a ton of cherries and peaches from the farmers market? Bake them into a clafoutis. Find the recipe here. (Elizabeth Karmel via AP)
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This April 2017 photo shows grilled lemony chicken and peppers in New York. This dish is from a recipe by Katie Workman. (Sarah Crowder via AP)
This April 2016 photo shows grilled eggplant parmigiana in Concord, N.H.  This dish, a staple of Italian cuisine, is a wonderful candidate for the grill, cooking up quickly and cleanly. And grilling this dish not only requires less oil than the traditional recipe, it ends up imparting a smokiness it could never claim before. (AP Photo/J.M. Hirsch)
This May 18, 2015 photo shows Florentine pasta salad in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This May 5, 2014, photo shows sweet potato, grilled corn and black bean salad with spicy cilantro dressing in Concord, N.H. This recipe swaps sweet potatoes for the more traditional white potatoes and loses the standard recipe’s abundant mayonnaise in favor of a dressing high in flavor and low in fat. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This July 22, 2017 photo shows a summer peach clafoutis in Houston, Texas. This dish is from a recipe by Elizabeth Karmel. The recipe that can be tailored to whatever summer fruit is on hand, and not just cherries, which are traditionally used in France for this rustic dessert that envelopes the fruit in a custardy crepe-like batter. (Elizabeth Karmel via AP)
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