Kick Up Your Favorite Summer Dinners

 I'd like to welcome Meredith K. and thank her for doing this guest post by on behalf of Ro*Tel.

There are certain meals that just scream, “summer”—the ones you crave when the sun is shining and you can eat outside. While these dishes are popular for a reason, eating the same meals over and over again all summer long can get boring. Make your meals more exciting this season with these easy ways to kick up your favorite summer dinners:

• Burgers

Burgers are one of the most popular foods to grill and the variations you can put on them are endless. Instead of ground beef burgers, make turkey burgers, chicken burgers or veggie burgers out of garbanzo or black beans. You can even grill portobello mushroom caps for a hearty meat patty substitute. Experiment with toppings beyond ketchup and mustard, too; salsas and aiolis are flavorful twists on classic toppings.

• Tacos

If you usually eat ground beef in your tacos, try grilling steak, chicken or shrimp instead. You can also make tacos vegetarian with beans, grilled peppers and onions. Fish tacos are another yummy option—serve them with cole slaw and guacamole for zesty flavor. Make taco night even more fun by serving chips and queso alongside your tacos for a restaurant-like experience.

• Pasta Salad

Macaroni, mayonnaise, celery and carrots are a classic pasta salad combination, but there are many other ways to enjoy this potluck favorite. Play around with different types of noodles—spaghetti or fettuccine noodles can be a fun option—and try using Greek yogurt, balsamic, red wine vinegar or pesto for other flavorful sauce options. Add tuna or chicken to turn any pasta salad into a main dish, and remember that there’s no limit as to what types of veggies you can use.

These grilled shrimp tacos are a delicious way to put a summery seafood spin on one of the most popular Mexican recipes out there. Not only are they refreshing and delicious, but they’re a sneaky way to expose kids to seafood, too!

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

Total Time: 30 min

Serves: 4

You’ll need:

• PAM® Grilling Spray
• 1 large avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
• 1 10 oz. can Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained
• ½ cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• ¼ cup chopped red onion
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (31/40) with tail, thawed if frozen
• 1 tablespoon Pure Wesson® Canola Oil
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 8 6-inch white corn tortillas, warmed

Spray the cold grate of a gas grill with grilling spray. Preheat grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, toss together avocado, drained tomatoes, corn, onion and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Remove tails from shrimp; toss with oil and chili powder in a large bowl. Thread shrimp evenly onto metal skewers and grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side or just until shrimp turn pink.

Divide shrimp evenly between tortillas. Top each with about ¼ cup avocado mixture and serve immediately.

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Meredith K. on behalf of Ro*Tel. Browse through zesty summer dinner ideas, queso and guacamole recipes at www.ro-tel.com.