Father's Day - Sunday, June 16th

Why not spoil the men in our lives that we love with an amazing meal?! These Father’s Day dinner ideas will help you do just that.

CELEBRATE DAD WITH A MEAL!

I love celebrating Father’s Day and ensuring my husband is recognized and appreciated for all he does and for being the best father and hubby on the planet.

One of the ways I celebrate is with a delicious homemade dinner on this special occasion! I will even recreate his favorite restaurant meal on occasion.

Savory to sweet. There’s a mix of classic and unique main dishes, side dishes, and desserts for every skill level and taste preference!

Gift ideas. Besides delicious recipes, we’ve included creative non-food ideas for celebrating Father’s Day, adding an extra special touch to the occasion.

For every dad. Whether your dad is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, or loves a loaded salad, or a Pepperoni Pizza, there are plenty of yummy ideas to add to your Father’s Day menu.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

MAKING FATHER’S DAY FUN

Aside from spoiling them with a few homemade gifts, making dinner for DAD is at the top of my celebration list. Here are some other fun ways to make the day special.

To go all out, use your dad’s favorite hobby as a theme for the meal.

Crown him “King for the Day” and turn his seat at the table into a throne.

Have kids help cook dinner. Younger kids can help wash produce, pour, and stir. Older kids can help peel and cut produce. They can measure and follow simple recipes. Teens 12+ should be able to cook on the stove and in the oven.

Take him to his favorite ice cream parlor.

Plan to do dad’s favorite activity- have a video game competition, go to a car show, go fishing, play catch or his favorite board game.

Serve him breakfast in bed. (That's always a hit in my house!)

Begin a memory book. Ask questions about his childhood and record the answers. Continue to ask new questions each week and present him with a completed book the next year.

PLAN THE MENU

Whether you’re planning a small dinner for Dad or hosting a large gathering, planning your Father’s Day meal menu ahead of time helps:

Watch local grocery store ads for sales.
Make any new recipes ahead of time to work out trial and error. (Hey it happens to the best of us!)

Make it a pot luck gathering. Allow friends and family to bring a dish.
Include dishes that can be made ahead of time. (This is always a saver for me!)
Make sure you have enough time and space to cook everything. Using a crock pot helps free up the oven and stovetop space.

GRILLING TIPS

A backyard barbecue is a common way we celebrate Father’s Day. Some Dads love to grill but others may appreciate a break from the duty.

Here are a few tips to help you step in:

Take the meat out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before grilling.
Create a chart that lays out what item will be grilled in what section, as well as how long each piece of meat will need to cook. Do not overlap the different types of food before or during grilling.

Use a meat thermometer to test the temperature of each type of meat. (Be sure to clean it off with soapy water between uses so you don't cross contaminate.)
It can be tempting to poke, prod, and flip the meat, but don’t. It would help if you only flipped it once. By doing so you allow each side to heat up enough to start forming a nice caramelized crust.
Grilling vegetables takes a fraction of the time as the meat. Since meat needs to rest once it is done cooking, this is a perfect time to reduce the heat and grill up your veggies.
If you add BBQ Sauce or other flavorful sauces too early, it just tends to char. Allow your meat to cook almost completely before coating it with the sauce.
Allow meat to rest for a few minutes before cutting. This will hold in the juices so you don't loose all the flavor.

BEST FATHER’S DAY DINNER IDEAS

Grilled Steaks are always a hit with the guys. Marinated, or dry rubbed, and grilled to perfection with a side of corn on the cob and loaded baked potatoes and you're good to go!

Or check out this long list of hubby-approved favorites that any guy is sure to love – like my tender baby back ribs!