Okay, can we talk about rice for a second? It's criminally underrated as a full-on summer dinner. Add a few toppings and boom, it's a whole meal, no oven, no stress, no standing over a hot stove when it's already 95 degrees outside. Here are 12 ways I keep coming back to all summer (or anytime of the year, really) long!

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Rice Summer Meals
A pot of plain rice is dinner waiting to happen. Add the right toppings and it goes from side dish to the whole meal, no oven required. Easy to make and reheats beautifully!
- Fried rice, whatever's in the fridge. Leftover veggies, an egg, a splash of soy sauce. This is the easiest way to use up odds and ends and it never tastes like leftovers.
- Rice bowls. Grilled chicken or shrimp, whatever vegetables are in season, a sauce you like. Build it once, eat it all week.
- Cold rice salad. Cucumber, herbs, a simple vinaigrette. Serve it straight from the fridge and it's one of the few dinners that actually gets better in the heat.
- Rice, fried egg, hot sauce. That's it. Five minutes, almost no dishes, still feels like a real meal.
- Coconut rice with mango and lime. Sweet, a little tart, cool enough to eat outside. Dinner that tastes like a vacation.
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