How to Plan a Summer Barbecue

The weather is finally warming up. You've decided to host a summer barbecue for family and friends. Good for you! Are you wondering just what you were thinking? Is hosting anxiety setting in? No need for panic. Here is a summer BBQ menu that is easy to execute with a level head and some thoughtful planning.

I've also prepared your road map for getting things done without stress. You don't want to be frazzled when your guests arrive! This guide will help you to get organized and prepare for your party with a five-day schedule. You can even choose to use your oven instead of your grill for most of the cooking and still get the flavor you want for your BBQ.

How to Plan a Fun, Stress-Free Summer BBQ

Don't be afraid to ask family members for help. As the saying goes, "Many hands make light work." Most people would love to bring a dish. Just be sure to be specific when you ask someone to bring a dish.

This menu and plan assume you will do all of the cooking, but you don't have to. However much you will do yourself, do as much as you can in advance. That way you'll have plenty of time the day of the party to enjoy your guests.

Five Tips for Your Summer BBQ

Keep these five things in mind and your BBQ will be a hit.

Keep your menu simple but delicious.
Ice, ice, and more ice. Running out of ice is a bad thing.
Provide shade. The hot summer sun can be too much for your guests.
Keep your playlist fun with summer favorites.
Provide games. Frisbee, volleyball, lawn Twister (made with four colors of spray paint), croquet, and badminton are fun ideas.

Your Summer BBQ Menu

Appetizers and Drinks

Beer and barbecues go together like peanut butter and jelly. So stock your coolers with plenty of beer and ice. In my opinion, every party needs one signature cocktail for a festive sip. For a barbecue, you want to choose a drink that can easily be made in a big batch. Rum punch and margaritas are two great drink options. They can be made ahead of time and put in drink dispensers or pitchers so your guests can serve themselves. Another great drink option for a barbecue is sangria.

Appetizers and Drinks

Keep your appetizers simple. Parmesan pigs-in-a-blanket and BBQ jalapeno poppers can be made ahead of time and frozen. Both recipes go straight from the freezer to the oven with ease. No defrosting is required. Salsa, guacamole, and chips are no-brainers and BBQ favorites. Friends and family may have favorite appetizers they would love to share with your guests. Go ahead and ask them to bring their favorites. That way you'll have one less course to think about.

Printer-Friendly Appetizer and Drink Recipes

The BBQ Main Dishes

Where you live will influence your definition of barbecue. The menu I am suggesting is typical for my neck of the woods. No matter where you live, for a stress-free barbecue, you want your menu to be delicious and easy to execute. It's no fun to spend all of your time standing over a grill or in the kitchen.

That's why I am suggesting chicken with chipotle BBQ sauce and pork ribs as the stars of your barbecue. The chicken is baked completely in the oven and brushed with the barbecue sauce before serving. The barbecued ribs can also be made completely in your oven. The only part of this menu you'll need the grill for is the grilled corn.

BBQ Dinner

Printer-Friendly Dinner Recipes

Chicken with Chipotle BBQ Sauce: Marinate chicken thighs in your favorite Italian dressing overnight. Bake the chicken at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until cooked through. Brush with chipotle barbecue sauce before serving.
Slammin' Pork Ribs- These ribs can be cooked completely in your oven or transferred to the grill when you add the glaze/BBQ sauce.
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chili-Lime Butter
Red Potato Salad or kicked-up store-bought potato salad
Tossed Salad

Dessert

Desserts

I like my summer BBQ desserts to be easy to serve and easy to eat. Cookies and squares of all kinds fit that description. Pies are favorites in the summer because fresh fruit is abundant, but they can be messy to serve.

Dessert is another course that friends and family can easily help with by bringing a favorite treat to share. Don't forget about s'mores, especially if kids will be at your barbecue.

Printer-Friendly Dessert Recipes

My Summer BBQ Planning Guide

Here's a timeline to help you plan your summer barbecue. This schedule is meant to be a guide. This five-day planning schedule spreads the preparation out so you won't feel overwhelmed. The schedule assumes you have already invited your guests and that you have most of the basic necessities like a grill, seating, coolers, tablecloths, plates, and silverware. The timeline is flexible, so adapt it to your life and have some fun with it.

Day 5:

Print out the recipes. Make your shopping list and complete your shopping.
Check your supplies for plates, silverware, glassware, etc. Borrow or buy what you need.
Plan your tables, tablecloths, napkins, and decorations.
Make room in your refrigerator.
Be sure you have gas or charcoal for the grill.

Day 4

Make Molasses Cookies. Freeze them.
Make the BBQ Jalapeno Poppers and freeze.
Make the Chili-Lime Butter and refrigerate. You'll use it on your Grilled Corn on the Cob.

Day 3

Toast the coconut to top the Coconut Tres-Leches Cake. Cool and store.
Make Brownies. Freeze them.
Make the salsa and refrigerate.
Make the Chipotle Barbecue Sauce. Cool it and then refrigerate.
Make Red Potato Salad, and refrigerate.

Day 2- The Day Before the BBQ

Make the Coconut Tres-Leches Cake. Stabilize the whipped cream with unflavored gelatin.
Buy the corn on the cob and remove the husks.
Prep pork ribs with rub. Wrap in foil and refrigerate.
Make rum punch and margaritas. Refrigerate.
Marinate the chicken pieces in Italian salad dressing in your refrigerator overnight.
Clean the bathroom.

Day 1-BBQ Day

Make the guacamole.
Make the tossed salad.
Make sure you have enough ice. Fill coolers.
Set up your drink area.
Decorate and set the table
Thaw the cookies and brownies.
Plan for trash.
Cook the pork ribs.
Cook the chicken one hour before serving.
Heat chipotle BBQ sauce.
Cook the jalapeno poppers and pigs-in-a-blanket.
Cook chicken one hour before serving and top with chipotle BBQ sauce.
Fire up the grill, cook the corn on the cob, and top with chili-lime butter.

There you have it, a menu and schedule for a stress-free summer BBQ. Celebrate family, friends, and fun with a backyard BBQ!

Enjoy!

Comments

Coffee and Dessert-A Perfect Pairing

Coffee and dessert go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly, night and day, or Thelma and Louise. I've teamed up with three blogging friends who love coffee and dessert as much as I do to bring you three of their favorite fall desserts to pair with three specialty coffee drinks I've made in the Ninja Coffee Bar System. I was very excited to receive this Ninja Coffee Bar System (Model CF092) to review. I am by no means a coffee snob but I do like a good cup of coffee. I also like a coffee maker that is easy to use and can be depended on to produce a consistent cup of coffee day in and day-out. In the past few years, I have used a Keurig single-serving system, a French press, and a Cuisinart drip coffee maker. The Keurig is sitting on a shelf in my basement, the French press is on a high shelf in the kitchen and the Cuisinart sits in my beverage center waiting for me to return to it while I take the Ninja Coffee Bar System for a test drive. I have...

Five Keys to Growing A Healthy Ficus Tree

Have you ever wondered how a single Ficus benjamina tree could become a beloved part of your home for decades, thriving and growing alongside your family? If you haven’t yet, you might consider the addition of this living, air-purifying companion in your home that not only beautifies your space but also stands the test of time. You may know this tree as either a Ficus benjamina or a weeping fig. I have loved growing a ficus tree in my home for 36 years. It’s remarkable that I've had this tree for so long. How to Grow A Ficus Tree Inside for Decades This post includes affiliate links. I may receive compensation when you use these links. When thinking about how I managed to keep this indoor ficus tree happy, healthy, and growing strong all these years it boiled down to five key Ficus benjamina plant care tips. Follow these tips and you can have a happy, healthy ficus tree in your home for many years, too.

Traditional New England Whoopie Pies

Are you searching for the ultimate, classic New England whoopie pie recipe? Look no further! Whoopie pies are a beloved treat, a nostalgic dessert that evokes childhood memories and continues to delight today. My mom would make them for us every once in a while. Oh, what a treat to come home from school to a platter of chocolate whoopie pies! This recipe, inspired by traditional Maine-style whoopie pies, comes from my family recipe box. It delivers soft, chocolatey cakes with a rich, creamy cooked filling – no marshmallow fluff needed! The Best Whoopie Pies Recipe without Marshmallow Fluff This post includes affiliate links. Whoopie pies are essentially handheld cake sandwiches: soft, round, cake-like cookies embracing a luscious, creamy filling. While their origin is debated, New Englanders proudly claim them as their own. This recipe focuses on the traditional Maine-style filling, a cooked flour and milk mixture that creates a uniquely satisfying t...

Lemon Yogurt Cake

A Lemon Cake to Delight Lemon Lovers Something happens to my taste buds as soon as spring hits each year. I start to crave lemon. It seems like I can't stop thinking about lemon squares, lemon meringue pie, and lemon cake. Does this happen to any of you? It seems that my taste buds have seasons too! Today I'm making a lemon yogurt cake to satisfy my desire for anything lemon and to use some of the slow cooker yogurt I have in the refrigerator. Lemon Yogurt Cake This is another Ina Garten recipe, from the Barefoot Contessa At Home. It's a favorite because it is moist and lemony. You'll like this recipe because it is really easy to make by hand. No electric mixer is required. So, when you are in the mood for a little sweet something you'll be able to whip this cake up in a snap. Lemon Yogurt Cake Printer Friendly Recipe Makes 1 loaf cake Ingredients Lemon Yogurt Cake Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-p...

The Best Asian Dipping Sauce You'll Ever Taste

If you're looking for a versatile, easy-to-make Asian dipping sauce perfect for sushi and dumplings, then you've come to the right place. This recipe for the best Asian dipping sauce is perfect for any time you want a kick of delicious Asian flavor. An Asian Dipping Sauce for Sushi and Dumplings Try this if you are looking for a dipping sauce that is a little more flavorful than you typically get with your takeout order. You'll love it with dumplings, too!

How to Make a Perfect Bacon and Eggs Breakfast

In my opinion, the best breakfast consists of two perfectly fried eggs, crispy bacon, and toast made with hearty bread. This bacon and eggs recipe delivers. Bacon and eggs or eggs and bacon? No matter, it is definitely the breakfast you want on those lazy mornings when you have time to relax around the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee or two. The Best Bacon and Eggs Breakfast (This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. When you make a purchase using these links you help support this blog.) How to Cook Bacon and Eggs My technique was learned from my mom, by watching her make our family's breakfast over and over again, year after year. This is a basted egg recipe which means the eggs are cooked in bacon grease. Cooking eggs in bacon fat is easy and takes just a little practice to perfect. All you really need for a great bacon and eggs breakfast is a good nonstick skillet and a good toaster . If you want to make your own bre...

How to Trap and Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies can be a huge annoyance at certain times of the year. What can you do to kill fruit flies? We've all been there wondering how to get rid of fruit flies. Fruit flies in the kitchen. Fruit flies in the bathroom. Fruit flies buzzing around everywhere in your home. It's a frustrating problem that happens to everyone at one time or another. If you are a fresh fruit and produce lover you certainly know what I mean. How to Kill Fruit Flies with Two Ingredients Those pesky little buggers can often be brought into your home on the vegetables and fruit you buy. You don't have to tolerate the annoyance. This homemade fruit fly trap is one I have been using for many years and it works every time.

Homemade Tomato Rosemary Focaccia Bread: A Bread Machine Gem!

Today's recipe for Tomato Rosemary Focaccia Bread will whisk you away to the rustic streets of Italy without leaving the comfort of your kitchen. Imagine warm, from-the-oven Tomato Rosemary Focaccia Bread, infused with the enticing aroma of fresh rosemary, garlic, and olive oil topped with a burst of flavor from sweet grape tomatoes. And the best part? You can whip up this tasty delight effortlessly with the magic of your bread machine. Bread Maker Focaccia Bread with Rosemary and Tomatoes This post contains Amazon affiliate links This is a simple and sensational focaccia bread recipe that's perfect for modern families seeking a touch of tradition.

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

Are you looking for an easy dinner roll recipe? The easiest way to make fresh dinner rolls is with your bread machine. Relax while you use the dough setting of your bread machine to get the time-intensive steps out of the way. You'll be delighted with the results of this easy bread machine dinner roll recipe. The best bread machine dinner rolls are the ones you make yourself. How to Make Bread Machine Dinner Rolls This post contains Amazon affiliate links. When you use your bread machine to make dinner rolls most of the work is done by the machine. You'll be delighted with how easy it is to make fresh rolls. While most of the work is being done by the bread machine you can be doing something else.

Grandma's Soft and Chewy Date-Filled Cookies

One of the things I can count on as the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons arrive each year is a feeling of nostalgia. The traditional foods we serve at our family's holiday tables can sure bring out all the feels. Now that it is officially cookie season, we should kick it off with an old-fashioned homemade date-filled cookie recipe. This is a soft, tender cookie with dates that is a special, nostalgic, family recipe. An Old-Fashioned Date Cookies Recipe This old-fashioned, date-filled cookie was my dad's favorite cookie from his childhood. My dad was born in 1932 so this recipe has been around for quite a while.

Just~One~Donna

Search This Blog