If you’re wondering what to actually throw on the barbie this year, now’s the time to spice up the usual menu with some flavorful chicken, juicy steak, fresh corn on the cob, and creative side dishes. From entertaining inspiration to cool cocktails, consider these your first steps toward grilling up a summer storm.
Kick It off Right with Stellar Small Bites
There are two options here: make-ahead appetizers that you can set out
on platters as friends start to arrive, or some simple snacks you can
quickly fire up on the barbecue. You can’t go wrong with guacamole, and
Aztec Guacamole with Peas
will leave guests wondering what that little twist is on the classic
dip. If you’re dedicated to making it a purely grilled meal, try Orange Teriyaki Wings, Flaming Weenies and the Purple Cabbage, Seafood Skewers with Cajun Red Butter, or Oysters Kilpatrick.
(Yes, oysters.) The weenies are social too; guests grill their own
little dogs before they eat them, sort of like s’more marshmallows—less
work for you, more fun for them. Whatever you make, serve along with
the pre-dinner drinks to set a laid-back mood for your lucky guests. Or
just you. No judgment.
Relax with a Drink … or Two
Branch out from the usual cooler of brews and shake up a festive cocktail. A Strawberry Basil Martini
celebrates the season’s produce, and the combination of sweet fruit
with basil is both interesting and refreshing. Want to step it up a
little? Serve up something with a real kick (caution everyone to sip slowly), like Planter’s Punch—a two-types-of-rum cocktail with some pineapple juice and grenadine—or an amazing, put-all-other-sangria-recipes-to-shame Sangria. (Hint: the secret’s in the booze.)
Go Veggie
Maybe you’re too broke to spring for the filet, too traumatized by The Omnivore’s Dilemma
to even go near the meat section, or just want to break free of the
dog-and-burger rut. Grilling doesn’t have to be synonymous with greasy
slabs of meat—you can easily create a meat-free meal, too. Really, it
doesn’t get much better than corn on the cob cooked in the husk, and
pretty much any other vegetable—peppers, onions, asparagus,
potatoes—tastes amazing grilled with some salt, pepper, and rosemary.
Wrap something in foil that you’d usually do on the stove, like Simple Squash Saute or Truffle Oil Roasted Potatoes,
and let it cook itself while you tend to other things. Serve up a
hearty main course of grilled Portobellos topped with pepper-jack
cheese and grilled pineapple between slices of fresh bread, like olive
or focaccia. It definitely won’t feel like anything’s missing.
Make a Meatier Main Dish
If a barbecue sans meat leaves you wondering, what’s the point?,
break out those tongs and make sure your friends come hungry. Grilling
best emphasizes simply-seasoned, well-cooked meats. The Best Steak Recipe for the Grill
has a steak rub made only of salt and confectioners’
sugar—simultaneously sealing in moisture and guaranteeing a caramelized
outer layer. (Trust me; it tastes even better than it sounds.) As for
the white meat, try spicing things up a bit. Marinate this Yummy Jerk Chicken
a few hours before you heat up the grill for a break from the bottled
barbecue sauce, or break out of that turkey burger rut with Divine Burgers, a combination of pork, turkey, and Herbes de Provence.
Select the Right Sides
Be careful not to choose anything that can’t stand up to the sun since it’ll save tons of time (and stress) to prepare these beforehand and leave them out for friends to graze on throughout the meal (which, judging by the cocktails you’re serving, may last quite a while). A crisp salad complements flavorful meats well and leaves everyone with room for dessert. Try the Mexican Papaya Salad for a little south-of-the-border zest, or Adelaide’s Super Summer Salad, with fresh greens, a hint of citrus, and garbanzo beans. Or serve some Cool Cucumber Soup for a fresh twist on the side dish.
Simplify the Sweets
Until I come up with a dessert that I can actually make on the grill
(because grilled pineapples just won’t cut it and cakes refuse to take
shape), my outdoor sweets have fresh, fruity flavors and are easy to
eat with my hands, or a plastic fork at the very most. It’s another
part of the meal that works best prepared ahead and simply set out on
colorful plates for guests to peruse at their own convenience. A plate
of The Best Lemon Squares holds up well, especially with its sweet, buttery crust, and Cool Strawberry Peach Bananas
is a fresh and creative take on the tried-and-true strawberry
shortcakes, plus everyone constructs their own—always fun. Can’t do
without a little patriotic kitsch? The all-natural Stars and Stripes White Cake is easy, homemade, and undeniably patriotic.
Go with a Theme
Speaking of summer kitsch … everyone loves a theme party. Simple
approach: try a potluck. Send out invitations asking guests to bring
their favorite beverage and one side to go with whatever you’re
grilling. Be specific to avoid a getting a gallon of German potato
salad, like “Bring a dish that hails from your ethnic heritage.”
(You’re out of luck if all your guests are actually German.) Get more
potluck-planning ideas here: Be a Barbie Doll: Grilling and Chilling. A more thematic approach: A Revolutionary Fourth of July!,
a creative way to be patriotic, celebrating the French-American
alliance that helped win both World War II and the Revolutionary War.
This one’s extra great because all your red-white-and-blue decorations
still apply.
It’s daunting to tackle new techniques (especially in a backyard full of guests). I’ve found that keeping it simple works best—choose just a couple of recipes, stick to Safe and Tasty Barbeque Grilling techniques, and ask your invitees to bring whatever you don’t feel like making. That way, even if your grill burns all the food to a crisp, guests will still have plenty to eat … and they’ll be almost too cheerful to notice after all that killer sangria.
Get more great ideas for for your weekly meals with Ten Dinners for Under $10.
