(Family Features) Few things complement warm weather like a summer spread with everyone’s favorite foods. From fresh appetizers and classics like grilled hot dogs to skewered sides and sweet, sugary desserts, these summertime recipes are sure to bring friends, family and neighbors running to get in on the action.

To find more recipe ideas that bring the heat to summer cookouts, visit Culinary.net.

Up Your Grilling Game with Beloved Toppings

Hot dogs and brats are summer favorites for a reason: the delicious (and personalized) add-ons. Make sure your spread fits everyone’s taste buds with an assortment of tasty toppings like these:

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Relish
• Hot sauce
• Onions
• Pickles
• Sauerkraut
• Cole slaw
• Jalapenos
• Diced tomatoes
• Guacamole
• Nacho cheese
• Shredded cheese

Start Summer Meals with a Bright, Fresh Salad

Bright colors and fresh flavor bring out the best in summer meals, starting with seasonal salads that look as though the ingredients were just picked from a garden.

Orange, grapefruit and avocado are perfect accompaniments in this Citrus Spring Mix Salad when paired with Fresh Express Spring Mix. This garden-fresh blend combines carefully selected tender baby butter and red and green leaf lettuces with baby greens including spinach, arugula and kale that are picked when the tiny leaves are perfect and whole.

With more than 100 varieties of fresh, healthy and convenient ready-to-eat salads, as well as an assortment of salad greens you can use to create your ideal summer dishes, the kits and lettuce blends are available in the refrigerated product department of your favorite grocery store.

Visit freshexpress.com to discover more than 300 fresh recipes and find availability near you.

Citrus Spring Mix Salad

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Salad:

• 1 package (5 ounces) Fresh Express Spring Mix
• 1 navel orange, peeled and sectioned
• 1 red grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1. To make dressing: In small bowl, whisk orange juice, orange zest, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar and salt. Set aside.
2. To make salad: In large bowl, toss spring mix with salad dressing. Divide salad evenly among two plates. Top with oranges, grapefruit, avocado and onion.

A Simple, Skewered Side

Keep your summer meals simple by leaning into versatile ingredients that can help you whip up a variety of side dishes.

These Grilled Red Potato Skewers display the delicious, nutritious, versatile qualities of Wisconsin Potatoes. With a multitude of varieties, they’re a favorite among world-class chefs, home cooks, large and small supermarkets and even the pickiest of eaters.

It can be love at first bite with these 100% gluten-free potatoes that can add a touch of nutrition to summer cookouts. They’re a good source of vitamin B6, high in vitamin C, rich in potassium and an excellent source of fiber.

Find more recipe ideas by visiting eatwisconsinpotatoes.com.

Grilled Red Potato Skewers

Recipe courtesy of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

• 2 medium russet or Yukon gold Wisconsin potatoes or 6 red Wisconsin potatoes
• 2 medium zucchini
• 1/2 smoked sausage rope
• 4 skewers (12 inches each)
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing

1. Preheat grill to medium heat. Cut potatoes in half. Cut zucchini and sausage same width as potatoes. Skewer potatoes, zucchini and sausage. Repeat for each skewer.
2. Place skewers in dish and cover with Italian dressing. Marinate 5 minutes.
3. Place skewers on grill and cook 5 minutes on each side, or until potatoes are done. Remove from grill and serve.

Cap the Night with a Brown Sugar Delight

Summer meals from small plates to grilled fare may be tasty, but don’t fill up entirely on the main course. Remember to save room for your favorite warm-weather sweets.

These Brown Sugar Meringues provide bursting summertime flavor in a little, handheld bite. They’re ideal for sharing with loved ones after a weekend barbecue or birthday celebration and, with just a few ingredients, they’re as easy to make as they are to enjoy.

To help bake this delicious dessert, you can trust Domino to deliver quality, consistency and results that only a century of experience can bring. Its Light Brown Sugar offers a buttery, caramel flavor, making it a perfect choice for sweets of all kinds.

Find more summery sweets at DominoSugar.com.

Brown Sugar Meringues

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, plus 1 hour rest time
Yield: 3 dozen meringues

• Water
  6 large egg whites, at room temperature
  1 cup Domino Light Brown Sugar
  3/4 cup Domino Granulated Sugar Easy Baking Tub
  1/8 teaspoon salt
  2 tablespoons Domino Turbinado Sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 225 F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Pour 1 inch of water into medium saucepan and heat it until simmering. In heat-proof bowl, mix egg whites, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt. Put bowl on top of saucepan and warm mixture until it reaches 125 F. Stir continuously and make sure mixture does not touch water.
3. Carefully remove from heat. Using electric mixer, beat mixture at high speed 8-10 minutes. Transfer meringue into piping bag fitted with star tip. Pipe 12 meringues per baking sheet.
4. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of meringues, if desired. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven and allow meringues to rest inside oven 1 hour. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (hot dogs)

(Family Features) Finding a simple solution for your family's dinner can be as easy as reaching in the pantry for ingredients like canned tuna to create Tuna-Carrot Cakes with Garlic Lemon Aioli. With less than half an hour spent in the kitchen, you can have a meal on the table in a hurry that delivers the irreplaceable nutrients of dairy. Find more family dinner ideas at milkmeansmore.org.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

Tuna-Carrot Cakes with Garlic Lemon Aioli

Recipe courtesy of Marcia Stanley, MS, RDN, on behalf of Milk Means More
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4

Garlic Lemon Aioli:

• 3/4       cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 1          tablespoon lemon juice or orange juice
• 1/4       teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8       teaspoon salt

Tuna-Carrot Cakes:

• 3/4       cup fine corn flake crumbs, divided
• 1/3       cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3       cup shredded carrot
• 2          tablespoons chopped green onion
• 2          tablespoons dill pickle relish or finely chopped dill pickle
• 1          can (12 ounces) tuna in water, drained and flaked
• 2          tablespoons vegetable oil
• chopped green onion (optional)

1. To make garlic lemon aioli: In small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
2. To make tuna-carrot cakes: In medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs, yogurt, carrot, onion and relish. Add tuna; mix well.
3. Place remaining corn flake crumbs on piece of wax paper. Shape tuna mixture into eight 3/4-inch thick patties. Lightly coat both sides of patties with crumbs.
4. In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook patties in hot oil 4-6 minutes, or until golden brown, turning once. Stir aioli. Spoon dollops on patties. Garnish with additional onion, if desired.

Source:  United Dairy of Michigan

(Family Features) This holiday season, you can impress your guests with these tips and recipes from award-winning chefs Seamus Mullen and John Tesar:

• Start with fresh, high-quality ingredients that are versatile and easy to cook, like fresh pork.
• Look for meats with marbling, which translates to flavor and tenderness.
• Let your meat rest before cutting into it, to help retain moisture and juiciness.

Try out these festive dishes featuring all-natural, hand-trimmed Smithfield Prime Fresh Pork. For more holiday recipe inspiration, visit smithfield.com/primechefs.

Pork Tenderloin and Fennel with Cranberry-Ginger Relish

Recipe courtesy of Chef Seamus Mullen
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Servings: 8

• 2          Smithfield Prime Fresh Pork Tenderloins
• 1          piece fresh ginger
• 2          tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4          stars anise
• 2          cups cranberries
• 1/4       cup honey
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 4          bulbs fennel, quartered
• 1          lemon, sliced thin, seeds removed
• 6          tablespoons olive oil, divided

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Remove fresh pork tenderloins from package and let rest up to 15 minutes.
3. Use vegetable peeler to peel skin off ginger. Cut lengthwise to make paper-thin slices. Stack slices and use knife to cut into thin threads.
4. In saucepan, heat butter until foamy. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons ginger, star anise and cranberries; saute about 5 minutes.
5. Add enough water to cover mixture. Reduce heat to simmer; cook until cranberries break down, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in honey; season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
6. In large baking pan, combine fennel, lemon slices and 1/4 cup olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven 25-30 minutes.
7. While fennel is roasting, in cast-iron skillet, heat remaining olive oil over high heat. Season tenderloins with salt and pepper; brown all sides, about 5 minutes.
8. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until internal temperature reaches 145° F. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
9. Place tenderloins and fennel on platter; top with cranberry-ginger relish.

Ancho Chile Rubbed Pork Loin with Fig Chutney

Recipe courtesy of Chef John Tesar
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus marinade time
Cook time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Pork Loin:

• 1          Smithfield Prime Boneless Center Cut Fresh Pork Loin
• 1/4       cup ancho chile powder
• 1 1/2    tablespoons paprika
• 2 1/2    teaspoons mustard powder
• 2 1/2    teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 1/2    teaspoons ground oregano
• 1          teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
• 1          teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning
• 1/2       teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2       teaspoon ground chile de arbol
• 3          tablespoons canola oil

Fig Chutney:

• 1          cup tawny port
• 3/4       cup dried figs, quartered
• 1/4       cup water
• 2          tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1          strip lemon zest
• 1          small bay leaf
• 1/2       cinnamon stick
• 1/2       tablespoon sugar
• coarse ground salt
• ground black pepper

1. Remove fresh pork loin from package and let rest up to 15 minutes.
2. Mix together ancho chile powder, paprika, mustard powder, coriander, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, cumin and chile de arbol. Combine with canola oil; mix well.
3. Rub pork loin with chile rub and refrigerate 4 hours.
4. Heat oven to 400° F.
5. Season pork loin with salt and pepper, and place in roasting pan; roast 1 hour until internal temperature reaches 145° F. Let stand 15 minutes; slice into 1-inch-thick slices.
6. To make chutney: In saucepan, combine port, figs, water, butter, lemon zest, bay leaf, cinnamon and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until liquid is consistency of jam, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
8. Place pork loin slices in bowl and top with chutney. Serve over creamy polenta.

Source: Smithfield