I grew up going to the beach every summer with my Mom’s side of the family. Along with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandma, my family would retreat to the shore for a fun and restorative week in the sun, and it was always the highlight of my year. One of my favorite traditions was the large shrimp dinner we’d always do the first night in town. My aunt would stop on a Carolina back road to find us the day’s fresh catch, and then bring it back to our rented condo or house and steam it up with OLD BAY. Served with fresh corn on the cob, broccoli, and peaches from a farmer’s stand, it truly was the quintessential summer meal.

Nowadays, because of all our busy schedules, we can’t make it to the beach for a week every summer. However, one thing hasn’t changed—OLD BAY is still part of my favorite summer meals. My sister Jennifer lives across town and my sister Lindsey is home from Clemson for the summer, so I recently invited them over to my apartment to catch up and enjoy some sister time outside. Since it’s hot and humid this time of year, I hate to serve heavy meals when entertaining and thought tapas and rosé would be the perfect girls’ night menu. My sisters love OLD BAY as much as I do, so I thought it’d be fun to use our favorite seasoning on a few of the dishes I served up.

In case you want to throw a similar girls’ night, here’s what I served:

OLD BAY Pita Bread
This pita bread is so easy to make and super delicious! Simply brush olive oil on your favorite wheat pita bread and sprinkle with OLD BAY to taste. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, cut into triangles, and enjoy.

OLD BAY Steamed Shrimp
In addition to being a great party food, this steamed shrimp seasoned with OLD BAY is one of my go-to easy weeknight dinners. Bring water to a boil and place shrimp in a steamer basket. Season with OLD BAY to taste. Cook shrimp until they are pink and season with additional OLD BAY if needed. Serve with tartar sauce.

OLD BAY Crab Dip
This crab dip recipes is one of my all-time favorites. In a bowl, combined 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1 cup of light mayo, and 2 teaspoons of OLD BAY. Once thoroughly mixed, fold in 1 pound of lump crab meat. Place mixture in a shallow oven-safe baking dish and sprinkle with ½ cup of your favorite cheese—I prefer pepper jack. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until edges are bubbly. This dip goes great with OLD BAY Pita Bread or multigrain crackers.

OLD BAY Popcorn
I love serving this popcorn at movie nights, too, because it’s so easy to make and really elevates your average microwave popcorn. It’s foolproof to make—simply pop your favorite microwave popcorn and then add OLD BAY to taste.

To round out our menu, I also served fresh strawberries and tomato, basil, and mozzarella skewers. It was so much fun to plan the OLD BAY tapas I share above, so definitely don’t be afraid to try some new dishes using OLD BAY this summer—it’s such a versatile seasoning!

Local friends—do you love OLD BAY as much as I do? Then I have good news for you—OLD BAY wants you to help us show how the D.C. area is doing #OLDBAYOurWay. #OLDBAYOurWay is a summer-long local contest for loyal OLD BAY fans in D.C. to show how you’re celebrating summer with OLD BAY.

To enter, simply share your favorite moments of summer with OLD BAY on Instagram using the hashtag #OLDBAYOurWay for a chance to win a season’s supply of OLD BAY seasoning and swag! Find all the official rules here.

Thank to you OLD BAY for sponsoring this post. As always, opinions are my own! Be sure to follow OLD BAY on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for innovative recipes and fun ideas for how to celebrate summer.