When mike’s LITE hard lemonade reached out to me about creating healthier takes on summer fare, I was more than up for the challenge! I decided to revamp two appetizers, one entrée and one dessert and did my best to make dishes made with wholesome, healthy ingredients that we can all feel good about eating!
And stay tuned at the bottom of this post (it’s a LONG one!) for an awesome giveaway!
Appetizers
For the appetizers, I created two different creamy dips that utilize Greek yogurt as the main ingredient: An almond butter and honey fruit dip and a savory veggie dip!
Both dips come together in a flash and can be made with ingredients you likely already have on hand. No fuss!
First up is the almond butter and honey fruit dip!
I served this dip with crunchy apples and sweet strawberries.
It was a hit!
Cinnamon Almond Fruit Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cups fat free Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup all-natural almond butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (+ more for garnish, if desired)
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir together until completely combined
- Top with additional sliced almonds, if desired, and serve with fresh fruit
The veggie dip is super simple to make and only requires one mixing bowl, so dishes are minimal!
A quick note about this veggie dip: It’s also delicious as a sandwich spread! I love it on top of a whole wheat roll with avocado and turkey.
Savory Veggie Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped scallions
- 1/4 teaspoon dried chives
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir together until completely combined
- Serve with fresh vegetables and enjoy
Entreé
When I set out to create a healthy entrée, I wanted to make a delicious burger. I decided to use lean ground turkey as a base and knew I needed to add a lot of spice and flavor to the turkey to kick it up a notch. The end result was a tasty southwest burger that Ryan and I thought was fantastic!
I made these burgers for the first time over Mother’s Day weekend and again during a casual cook out at our house in Ocala. They were a hit on both occasions!
A little sliced avocado on top of the burgers make them even better!
Southwest Turkey Burgers
Makes 4 burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
- 3/4 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
- 3 tablespoons salsa
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 avocado, sliced
Directions
- Combine all ingredients except for the sliced avocado
- Using your hands, squish everything together and mold into four patties
- Coat a sauté pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat
- Place the burgers in the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side
- Top burgers with sliced avocado and desired toppings and enjoy
During our Sunday afternoon barbeque with friends, we all ate our burgers with the mike’s LITE hard black cherry lemonade. This flavor was new to me and I was excited to try it since I’ve enjoyed the original mike’s hard lemonade for years. (I’ve been using it to make an awesome sangria since college!)
After one sip of the mike’s LITE hard black cherry lemonade, I absolutely loved it! It’s sweet, refreshing and reminds me of the perfect poolside beverage.
It’s light and crisp and sweetened with a bit of honey which is right up my alley.
And here’s the quick and easy sangria recipe I’ve been making with mike’s hard lemonade for years, though I made it with mike’s LITE hard lemonade this time to stay with the “lightened up” theme of today’s post!
It’s incredibly easy to throw together in a flash and is a refreshing summertime sangria!
Lemonade Sangria
Ingredients
- 1 bottle white wine (Riesling or Moscato work well)
- 3 11.2-ounce bottles mikes LITE hard lemonade
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 lime, sliced
- 1 pint fresh raspberries
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and refrigerate for approximately two hours.
- Pour into glasses, garnish with a lemon slice if desired and enjoy!
Note: You may also add lemon-lime soda or lemonade to taste for additional sweetness and lemon flavor.
Dessert
Dessert! My favorite course!
When I think of summertime desserts, ice cream immediately pops into my mind. I could easily eat a bowl of ice cream after every meal and never get sick of it, so that was the dessert I decided to tackle to try to make a little healthier. By using my favorite banana “soft serve” as a base, I added cacao powder and almond butter to the cold and creamy banana to make a dessert that only tasted indulgent!
Ryan and I both gobbled this up in no time at all and it definitely satisfied our sweet tooth in a healthier way!
Chocolate Almond Banana Soft Serve
Ingredients
- 5 frozen bananas, sliced (the riper the better!)
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons almond butter
Directions
- Place bananas and almond milk in a large food processor and blend until creamy, approximately 5 minutes
- Add cacao powder and almond butter and blend until combined
- Top with desired toppings and enjoy immediately
And now you’re hopefully all feeling a little hungry and ready to get cookin’ in the kitchen, so let’s move right along to the giveaway portion of this blog post!
Three PBF readers will win a $100 gift card to use at the grocery store to pick up the ingredients you will need to make your own lightened up version of your favorite summertime recipes.
Awesome, right!?
To enter this giveaway, simply comment on this post by answering one (or both!) of the following questions:
- What is your favorite dish to enjoy at a summer cookout?
- What healthy dish do you like to bring to a summertime barbeque?
I will randomly select a winner on Monday!
Good luck!!!
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My favorite dish to enjoy at a bbq are the burgers. Sounds really boring right? Burgers really aren’t the same grilled in the kitchen or at a restaurant. There’s something about the smokiness from an outdoor grill that makes them taste so nostalgic and delicous.
I LOVE corn on the cob in the summer. Yum. And I like making guacamole for get-togethers – it’s pretty much the only thing I can make without a recipe, and it’s always a hit.
There’s nothing like a good fruit salad during the summer! Light and sweet! 🙂
I LOVE a good fruit salad at a summer bbq. All those colors and flavors — perfection!
Cut up fruits – so refreshing 🙂
My favorite dish to enjoy is grilled corn on the cob!
My favorite is guacamole! 🙂
I love bringing a fruit salad to summer BBQs!
Love that Mike’s has a LIGHT lemonade now! I didn’t know that! YUM! I love all the fresh fruit that makes an appearance at BBQ’s. Also, I love your dip ideas with greek yogurt as a base. Definitely going to make one for the 4th of July! 🙂
I really enjoy chickpea cutlets or BBQ Jackfruit! So delicious
Watermelon!!!
My favorite is Mexican street corn. Yum!
My favorite dish is guacamole salad from Ina Garten! So tasty and fresh!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/guacamole-salad-recipe.html
i love enjoying corn on the cob and any type of bbq’d meat. my go-to dish to bring is healthy guac! p.s. my family and i LOVE mike’s hard black cherry, so im so glad there’s a lite version now!
My favorite dish to enjoy at a summer cookout is definitely fruit! Its such a summertime cookout staple and it’s so refreshing!
I used to like a good medium-rare burger, but I haven’t been satisfied by any burgers I’ve tried recently. Maybe I’ve lost the taste for them? So I’d have to say barbequed chicken is my favorite.
My favorite dish is always the desserts. If someone made homemade brownies, cookies, or cake, I’ll definitely be eating all of it! 🙂
I too love dips during the summer time! I think my ultimate favorite is either chips and salsa, or chips and guacamole!!! When I go to a summer bbq, I either bring pasta salad, or a refreshing greek salad dip which you spread on cucumbers and top with little slices of tomatoes. YUMMY!!!
I love watermelon and potato salad. yum!
A big salad with fresh cheese like goat cheese, feta and tons of fresh veggies that are in season from the farmers market and berries – always a good way to get fruits and veggies in at any cook out 🙂
My favorite cookout meal is grilled burgers, baked beans, pasta salad and watermelon for dessert. If we are camping its all about the s’mores!
I make a loaded baked potato salad, made healthier with greek yogurt instead of full fat mayo. It’s amazing.
I love grilled corn on the cob and love bringing fruit salad
I like to bring a big bowl of my mama’s minty tabbouleh salad.
That slaw-like salad made with uncooked ramen noodles is something i love. I’ve never seen it served anywhere but at cookouts.
I am a sucker for homemade guacamole and salsa! Or a lovely ear of corn – mmmm!! Yep, I totally go for all the appetizers rather than the main course!
I love anything from the grill – hamburgers, hot dogs, you name it! I like to bring a healthi-fied version of a pasta salad to BBQ’s.
I love corn on the cob! (I’m a Missouri girl living in Florida.)
I usually bring my take on Texas caviar – black beans, peppers, corn, jicama, and avocado tossed in lime juice and various other seasonings.
I love the veggies and dip or a layered bean dip with chips for a bbq.
I love grilled corn and asparagus at barbecues! My husband taught me that you can throw the corn directly on the grill, still in the husk, and it comes out delicious. (You can also do this in the oven at 400 for about 40 minutes.) I love to bring cubed watermelon with basil to summer parties. It’s super easy, and the basil adds a great flavor that pairs wonderfully with the watermelon!
Pulled Pork sandwiches!!
I love corn on the cob!
Best ever 7-layer healthier bean dip – fresh ingredients: mashed black beans, greek yogurt, fresh avocado, fresh tomatoes, green onions, black olives, salsa, taco seasoning, and sharp cheddar cheese
ENJOY with homemade tortilla baked chips or veggies mmmmmmm
I love grilled veggies & even fruit.
Eggplant, tomatoes, Zucchini, red peppers, red onions, corn ect. Once they are off the grill sprinkle with S&P, drizzle with EVOO.
Peaches, Strawberries, & watermelon ect. drizzle with agave nectar & little salt. AMAZING
Favorite lightened up dish for the summer is Tabbouleh with all grilled veggies & lemons.
I love a nice, seasoned hamburger, bunless, with fresh avocado and tomato at a cookout! So good when it’s cooked perfectly. Your hamburgers look delicious and juicy! I never thought about taco seasoning to add to the meat. I need to do that next time!!
My favorite dish to bring to a cookout a light pasta salad
My favorite thing to eat at a BBQ has got to be a good cheddar brat! But my favorite healthy dish to bring is black bean corn salsa. It’s made with Rotel, corn, black beans, diced avocado and red onions. Great as a side or served with tortilla chips!
Wow! I was just telling my husband that I want to be in charge of appetizers this summer on our family trip. I always love chips and guacamole but after reading about that fruit dip, I am so interested to try it out!
I love to bring a “healthy” dessert trifle made with angel food cake, strawberries, and chocolate mousse (chocolate pudding mixed with light cool whip).
i love healthy dips at a bbq — pico de gallo, guac, or a homemade corn/bean/tomato/avocado salsa…mmmm.
My favorite summer food is definitely anything on the grill! I recently made a pea salad for the first time and it was delicious.
I usually bring some kind of bean salad…that way I know that I (a vegetarian) will have something to eat and I always find that someone else always appreciates the thought 🙂
I always bring a healthy broccoli slaw to bbqs!
I love brining home-made hummus! Much better than store-bought. 🙂
My all time favorite dish to bring to a summer cookout is a broccoli-cauliflower salad. It has raisons, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits so I like to think it’s mostly healthy.
I don’t know what it is, but I always associate summer barbeques with angel food cake with whipped topping and berries! Maybe from 4th of July BBQs? It’s delicious! And so summery.
Deviled eggs are my favorite!
I love, love, love bean salad for summer barbecues! Mix rice, red onion, corn, black beans, avocado, tomato, and bell pepper with cilantro, olive oil, and balsamic. It’s amazing!
My favorite thing to eat at a cookout is kabobs…I love grilling them with different kinds of meat & veggies! And I like to bring avocado brownies to summertime barbecues. They are a treat, but still healthy!
I love to make quinoa summer salad. It’s loaded with fresh veggies, easy to make, and is super delicious! Everyone always asks for the recipe. It’s one of our summer favorites!
My BBQ fav is a hot dog on a toasted bun. Simple! & I’m usually the one that brings fresh fruit to a gathering.