Any ideas on nice food for a BBQ?

Question

I'm having a BBQ at the weekend - its our house warming and I want to make sure that we put on a nice spread. Any suggestions on what we can make for our friends over and above the normal food you get??

Answer 1

Start with the basics; your meats ( you'll have to decide what these will be ), potato salad, baked beans, assorted pickles, onions and peppers, peach or cherry cobbler.

Add a separate table and feature fresh fruit and fresh cut vegetables. It's probably going to be scorching hot, and these food will keep your guests cooler - they won't feel as sluggish after eating. Your health-conscious friends and those watching their weight will thank you too.

For a beverage mix one part iced tea with one part lemonade ( instant will work fine for this ) ... this is called an Arnold Palmer and is very popular at outdoor gatherings.

Avoid ice cream. Dairy products and outdoor activities don't mix well; tastes great going down but reacts badly with heat.

Best of luck, and have a great time.

Answer 2

ok, heres the drill.... ensure you start your fire, lots charcoal and old fashioned firelighters at least 3 HOURS before you plan to eat. Very important the fire is going well and hot, alot of people get into trouble by rushing.If you have a second small BBQ, get that going as well, and one of those old, heavy cast iron saucepans.
Create a baste with tomatoe sauce, honey, cooking oil, worcester sauce, mustard powder, and a few spots tabasco.
Take some Chicken Breasts, pork chops etc, and baste. Chops no problem, but the chicken will need about 1 1/2 hours to cook. Start with the basted chicken LOW on a HOT fire, let the baste seal the chicken both sides. Lift it up to a cooler , higher slot, cook , baste, turn frequently for about 1 1/4. Then baste well, and lower to a hot fire, let it crisp up.
Now, the cast iron pot should be nicely warm, pop some beer in the pot, enough to cover the bottom. use this pot as a keep-warm, carry on to your pork chops etc, baste as you go. Your guests can help themselves to meat from the big pot....but some tongs (like cake server tongs, small ones) are good. This keep warm will enable you to cook for quite a few people (Ive done 20 from a smalll BBQ)

Answer 3

Hamburgers, hot dogs and fries are what you normally get at a bbq. My husband and I like to spice it up a bit. Not much so that everyone won't be overwhelmed with the idea of new food. (We like to try new foods, gourmet foods, different styles of food but the people we know don't.) So, we go for things like pork chops, lamb chops, ribs, chicken wings, drumsticks, baked potatoes, grilled fish, corn, etc. Then there are necessities to every bbq like fried chicken, potato salad, garden salad, macaroni salad, chips & dips, etc. Well, I hope that these gave you some ideas. Think decorations too. If you are trying something different serve up some california rolls or sushi but be forewarned that it's hard to keep outside. Best wishes and take care.

Answer 4

Go to allrecipes.com and they have a thing there that you can type in the main dish and it will give suggestions and recipes that go well with that food. I personally think that a variety of things is best and not as expensive as you might think. Most of it you can make the night or two before. For BBQ, things like potato salad homemade slaw, baked beans, garden grean beans, corn on the cob on the grill, macaroni salad( use multicolored noodles, celery, red and green peppers, cucumbers, mozerella or cheddar cheese cut in small blocks, pepperoni, pimentos and then use italian dressing and spinkle with parmesean cheese). Your best bet though is to go to the web site and find new and interesting ideas and different twists to suit the main dish.

HAVE FUN

Answer 5

A nice side dish would be some chunky guacamole, also called "Pico de Gallo".

Get some avocados, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime, a dash of salt and fresh jalapeños if you like them (I make mine w/o because I have kids)

Cut the onions, tomotoes and avocado into little squares and mix well. Then grab the bunch of cilantro and start cutting it into small pieces at the top, until you get to the stem. (The stem you throw out).

The jalapeños can be cut anyway you like depending on how much you like it, I prefer cutting it into small, teeny tiny pieces. Add everything together. Sprinkle some lime and salt on it and mix well. Serve w/ tortilla chips or tostadas.

Answer 6

Burgers
Sausages ( I like a choice Pork, and Lincolnshire)
Chicken Wings/Thighs
Lamb Kebabs
Hot and Spicy Pork Kebabs
Steak Strips

Put on a seperate rack
Vege Burgers
Vege Sausages
Sweet corn on the cob
Garlic Bread

Also savoury Items, and Salads. Ensure you have plenty of sauces/dips and dressings.

Most of all have fun.

Answer 7

Ecute Gremolata grilled salmon with oven-roasted tomatoes and Lemon
Ingredients
8 ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp caster sugar
flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, cut into 4 wedges
1 heaped tbsp capers, drained
2 large handfuls of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 lemon, grated zest only
8 green olives, pitted
4 thick salmon fillets, approximately 200g/7oz each, skinned

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and the grill to medium.
2. With a small, sharp knife, remove the green 'eye' from the tomatoes as this is tough and bitter to eat. Sit the tomatoes cut-side up in a roasting tray, then scatter over the chopped garlic and caster sugar and season with salt and pepper. Pour over a generous drizzle of olive oil and sit the lemon wedges next to the tomatoes. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes until the tomatoes are rich and juicy and the lemon wedges are golden and caramelized. By roasting the lemon wedges you get a sweeter-flavoured juice
to squeeze over the cooked salmon.
3. To make the gremolata, place the capers, parsley, lemon zest, olives, about 2 tbsp olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper in a pestle and mortar, then pound to a rough paste. Alternatively, blitz briefly in a small food processor, or finely chop the capers, parsley, lemon zest and olives together, then mix with the oil and seasoning.
4. Spread the gremolata over the top of the salmon fillets and sit on BBQ wrapped in foil brushed with a little oil to stop the salmon sticking. for 7-8 minutes until just cooked through.

5. Serve the salmon with the roasted tomatoes and a roasted lemon wedge to squeeze over. All that's needed is a green salad to complete the dish and to complement the colours of the salmon and tomatoes.

Answer 8

try cooking a turkey if you have never had grilled turkey this is the best time to serve it what you do is go to your grocery store to the meat department and buy a whole fresh turkey clean it of coarse cut it in half season it with your favorite seasoning and grill it until tender I like to serve mine with potato salad, cole slaw, and hush puppies it is the best try it the people at your BBQ will ask for your recipe and if you cook it right I bet you that you will cook three or four of them before the summer is over. Try this Ok

Answer 9

Square Scottish Sausages

Answer 10

Do haloumi cheese kebabs! Delicious.

Spear chunks of haloumi, halved mushrooms, pieces of red onion and cherry tomatoes, dribble with olive oil and place over bbq till charred - mmmm. Watch the haloumi doesn't stick to the bbq though - can get a bit messy.