With Independence Day just around the corner, this month we’re grateful to the Food & Wine Test Kitchen and our talented contributors for creating a selection of barbecue-friendly entrées, sides, and desserts. From mouthwatering smash burgers to mango-infused Caprese salads, there’s truly something for everyone. Round out the meal with a show-stopping Fraser Cake or a chocolate chip cookie perfect for sharing. Check out June’s most popular recipes.
Jalapeno Onion Smash Burger
Victor Protacio / Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
Inspired by the Oklahoma Onion Burger, this Double Stack Smash Burger from F&W Food Editor Paige Grandjean features paper-thin onions pressed directly into the flat patty, and a tangy burger sauce really brings out the flavor of the burger.
Summer squash salad
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
This summery side dish features slices of zucchini and yellow squash charred in a cast iron skillet, tossed in a smoky tomatillo sauce and sprinkled with cotija cheese.
Gâteau aux yogurts (yogurt cake)
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
You don’t even need measuring cups for this easy vanilla and citrus cake: Use a saucepan of French yogurt to measure out the yogurt, sugar, flour, and oil.
Green bean, butter bean and tomato salad
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
This quick twist on the classic three bean salad is served with buttery cashews and a sun-dried tomato romesco sauce.
Fish tacos fried in masa butter with citrus pickled onions
Victor Protacio / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling: Claire Spollen
Best New Chef Fall/Winter 2023 Isabel Cos’s restaurant-quality tacos feature warm corn tortillas smeared with a vibrant orange aioli and topped with crispy masa harina-crusted cod and tangy pickled onions.
Grilled Italian Sausage with Apple Mustard and Giardiniera
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
By searing Italian sausage and then finishing it over indirect heat, chef Tyler Florence creates links that are crisp on the outside and juicy in the middle, served in a hot dog bun and topped with sweet apple mustard and store-bought giardiniera.
Spaghetti alla Nerano
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling: Phoebe Houser
A quick broil under the broiler gives the zucchini slices their golden brown exterior on this traditional summer pasta dish, some of which are simmered with cheese and butter for a creamy sauce, while the rest serve as a crunchy garnish.
Gramercy Tavern Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cedric Angeles
Created by Gramercy Tavern pastry chef Karen DeMasco, these oversized cookies are over the top in the best sense of the word: They’re flavored with brown butter and made with three types of chocolate—white, milk, and dark—to create a pool of melted chocolate that’s both sweet and bittersweet.
Al Pastor style chicken skewers
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling: Tom Driver
These smoky chicken skewers are coated in a flavorful ado d’Abo, or al pastor marinade made with chilies and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.
Spanacorizo
Food & Wine / Photography: Jen Causey / Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
This traditional Greek rice dish contains spinach, lemon, garlic, feta cheese and lots of herbs and makes a satisfying dinner as a vegetarian side dish or with grilled fish or meat.
Mango Blackberry Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuits
Victor Protacio / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling: Claire Spollen
This unique summery dessert from F&W’s vice food editor Diana Perez features a delicious fruit filling topped with fluffy drop biscuits flavored with corn-based masa harina.
Spaghetti with cherry tomatoes in garlic butter
Food & Wine / Photography: Jen Causey / Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
Cherry tomatoes are a shortcut to fresh, delicious summer pasta: when tossed with a little garlic butter and pasta water, their juices turn into a delicious sauce.
Tostadas with Herb Guacamole
Victor Protacio / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling: Claire Spollen
Chef Enrique Olvera’s party-friendly appetizer features freshly fried tostadas perfectly paired with buttery, herby guacamole.
Drunk Mushroom’s Izakaya Burger
Victor Protacio / Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
From F&W Food Editor Paige Grandjean, this chunky pub-style burger is loaded with beer-braised mushrooms, cheddar cheese, and garlic mayo.
Grilled Corn Ribs with Honey Butter
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
This delightful dish combines the best parts of corn on the cob and barbecued ribs. Smoky dried spices and a honey butter dressing bring out the sweetness of this popular summer side dish.
Deep fried ravioli with cacio e pepe dip
Food & Wine / Photography: Hannah Huffam / Food Styling: Marianne Williams / Prop Styling: Josh Hoggle
Store-bought cheese ravioli is coated in a seasoned breadcrumb mixture and baked (or air-fried) until crispy, and don’t forget to serve it with a side of cheesy, peppery cacio e pepe dipping sauce.
Tomato and mango salad with nuoc cham vinaigrette
Victor Protacio / Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
Food stylist Kari Young’s flavorful Caprese Salad features juicy heirloom tomatoes, sweet mango, creamy mozzarella, tangy lime juice, spicy serrano chiles and an umami-packed nuoc cham vinaigrette.
Patty Melt
Food & Wine / Photography: Jen Causey / Food Styling: Emily Neighbors-Hall / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
Our Classic Patty Melt features the requisite burger patty, caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and mustard on a toasted rye bun, grilled to perfection.
Fraise cake
Food & Wine / Photography: Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling: Christina Daly / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling
This lovely traditional French cake is made with genoise sponge, mousseline cream and juicy strawberries, skipping the traditional marzipan topping in favour of a light cream.
Honey-glazed pork chops with peach salsa
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
These spiced pork chops from cookbook author Caitlin Prettyman are smeared with red-pepper honey during the last minutes of grilling to caramelize the outside, then topped with a pico de gallo-like peach salsa.
Espetinhos de queijo de coalho (grilled Brazilian cheese with hot honey)
Victor Protacio / Food Styling: Margaret Dickie / Prop Styling: Claire Spollen
Chef Junior Borges’ grilled cheese skewers are drizzled with hot honey for a delicious combination of sweet and salty.
Char siu style pork tenderloin
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling: Tom Driver
A combination of hoisin, soy sauce, and honey acts as both a marinade and a glaze, imparting a savory, sweet flavor to the juicy pork tenderloin.
Croissant Breakfast Casserole with Lemon Curd and Berries
Food & Wine / Photography: Robbie Lozano / Food Styling: Tricia Manzanero / Prop Styling: Josh Hoggle
Breakfast casseroles are the most delicious way to use day-old croissants, especially when filled with lemon curd, cream cheese, summer berries, or cardamom-infused custard.
Swordfish steak and salmoriglio
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling: Tom Driver
A simple lemon-and-herb marinade does double duty, infusing thick swordfish steaks with summer flavors and acting as a tangy garlicky topping.
Sonoran Hot Dog
Food & Wine / Photography: Jen Causey / Food Styling: Richon Hannahs / Prop Styling: Josh Hoggle
Inspired by those sold in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, these crispy and juicy hot dogs are wrapped in crispy bacon and loaded with toppings like pinto beans, pickled peppers, charred onions, salsa and mayonnaise.
