Food and Recipes No-Cook Recipes 20 Crowd-Favorite Recipes For Weekends At The Beach With these in the cooler, this just might be the best family vacation yet. By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is a Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 19, 2024 Close Photo: Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Even though dinners out are a fun part of vacation, there’s something to be said for those nights when the family all decides they want to stay in and cook while at the beach. No one has to get dressed up, and you can just fire up the grill for burgers or throw on a pot of water to boil some fresh shrimp. There are certain groceries a Southerner would never head to the beach without, and these recipes are the best way to put them to good use. 40 Easy Beach Vacation Dinner Ideas For A Stress-Free Trip 01 of 20 Shrimp Salad Rolls Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely The only cooking involved in this 10-minute sandwich recipe is boiling the shrimp, so if you pick up cooked shrimp from a local seafood supplier at the beach, you can throw this portable dinner together lightning fast. get the recipe 02 of 20 Ham-and-Cheese Sliders Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin “As a lifelong sandwich enthusiast, I've discovered my favorite part of an afternoon near the waves (apart from seeing loved ones, of course): no matter what you've packed between those two slices of bread, it always tastes better on the beach,” writes Senior Social Media Editor Brennan Long. These big-batch mini sandwiches are the ultimate beach lunch. get the recipe 03 of 20 Hush Puppies If you’re served a seafood basket at a beach restaurant, you can bet it will have a few hush puppies thrown in, so why not make them at home? “And whether you dunk yours in spicy remoulade or slather them with honey butter, it’s hard to stop until the basket is empty,” writes Katie McElveen. get the recipe 04 of 20 Crab Cake Bites with Old Bay Mayo, Chives, and Lemon Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke If there’s one seasoning in every beach house pantry, it’s Old Bay. You actually prep these crab cakes a day in advance and let them chill in the refrigerator to best hold their shape, so you can enjoy a full day on the beach before coming up and popping them in the skillet. get the recipe 05 of 20 Classic Grilled Corn on the Cob Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer While you’re already flipping burgers on the grill, you might as well get one of the side dishes done as well with affordable, fresh grilled corn. We included four flavor variations if you want to spice up this classic. get the recipe 06 of 20 Blackened Fish Tacos Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley If your beach weekend includes a deep-sea fishing trip, there’s no better crowd-pleaser for serving your fresh catch than fish tacos. get the recipe 07 of 20 Classic Shrimp and Grits Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Sure, you could go out to brunch and enjoy shrimp and grits for a premium price, but you could also sleep in and make this Lowcountry classic at home. get the recipe 08 of 20 Cheesy Tomato-and-Sausage Strata Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Basically any weekend trip requires a breakfast casserole for a crowd. Prep this one the first night you arrive, and it’s ready to bake in the morning when the first person wakes up. get the recipe 09 of 20 Grilled Watermelon Caitlin Bensel While you’re cooking up burgers and hot dogs for dinner, don’t be afraid to include watermelon in your grilling lineup. Many Southerners recommend a pinch of salt on top before enjoying. get the recipe 10 of 20 Marinated Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad This simple salad is the ultimate summer side dish. Crunchy, colorful, and oh-so-fresh, this salad is ideal for long beach weekends because it only tastes better as it sits. Make a big bowl of it at the beginning of the trip and pick on it the entire time. get the recipe 11 of 20 Basic Pimiento Cheese Fred Hardy; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Whether you bring along a tub of pimiento cheese to enjoy as a beach snack with crackers or to use it as a spread on your beach sandwiches, it’s going to get gobbled up while you’re there. get the recipe 12 of 20 Cheese Lover's Snack Mix Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer When you head down to the beach for the day, you want to stay there as long as possible. Satisfy snack cravings from the comfort of your beach chair with this homemade snack mix that’s so much better than store-bought. get the recipe 13 of 20 Deviled Crab Dip Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely From cold and creamy to hot and cheesy, we have published plenty of crab dip recipes over the years, but this beauty is our latest and greatest. It’s the ideal appetizer to make while at the beach because the freshest lump crabmeat will yield the best results. get the recipe 14 of 20 Classic Southern BLT Monica Farber/Southern Living When in doubt, throwing together a batch of BLTs with juicy summer tomatoes is always a good idea. Don’t skip our gussied-up garlic mayo. get the recipe 15 of 20 Texas Caviar Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Crunchy, fresh Texas Caviar (or Cowboy Caviar, if you prefer) comes with a can’t-eat-just-one-bite warning. Set a bowl out with some tortilla scoop chips while you cook dinner to tide everyone over. get the recipe 16 of 20 Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Because it can be served cold or at room temperature and is welcome at lunch, dinner, or even a mid-beach day snack, a big container of pasta salad is always smart to have on hand on a trip. get the recipe 17 of 20 Ice Cream Sandwiches Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Does anything taste more like childhood than a classic ice cream sandwich with chocolate cookies and vanilla ice cream? Go above and beyond this summer and make them at home for a fun family activity. get the recipe 18 of 20 Red, White, and Blue Popsicles Jennifer Causey Perhaps nothing screams summertime more than these nostalgic popsicles. Instead of wondering if the ice cream truck will ever come, whip up a batch for a fun activity with the kids if they’ve had too much sun or you have a rainy beach afternoon. get the recipe 19 of 20 Crispy Cereal-and-Berry Bars Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Skip the store-bought cereal treats and spend an afternoon making these with the kids before you leave for the beach. Freeze-dried berries add a festive and tasty touch to the classic recipe. get the recipe 20 of 20 Seafood Pasta Salad Photographer and Props: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Shrimp, bell pepper, grape tomatoes, celery, and scallions coated in a flavorful, mayonnaise-based dressing is the perfect recipe for a day in the sand. get the recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit