Your perfect BBQ

[Atalune]

I have 13 coming, mix of adults, tweens and kids. I want it to be yummy, relaxed and not too much of me being in the kitchen or with dh by the bbq

I want to make burgers for the kids and that’s as far as I have gotten.

Hit me with your best ideas!

Chicken wings. Easy, quick and tasty. Loads of options for seasoning/marinating.

HALLOUMI

Lots of salads prepared before. On the bbq - sausages, corn on the cob, prawns, sardines and some steak, all really quick to cook apart from the sausages but I usually start them off in the oven.

Halloumi. And some more halloumi. With some extra halloumi for the real halloumi fans.

Fresh pinapple and halloumi.

I reckon you should probably make sure to include some halloumi.

Oh and fish..salmon and prawns.

Ok-

Halloumi- got it! I’ll make sure I have lots.
Love the idea of wings and different seasonings.
Salmon- I am scared it will flake and disappear down the grill....? Should I do it in foil?

Salads-
Big green salad
Hone made coleslaw (Greek yoghurt, Mayo and horseradish)
Green string beans with shallots and flaked almonds and grilled lemon
Tomato and basil
Orzo salad with chopped tiny veg and pomegranate

Breads- maybe some flat breads? Or just some nice crusty bread?

I hate halloumi!
Just had a bbq a couple days ago. Great thing is major shops have kebabs and things already prepared. We went to our local butchers and got Thai marinaded chicken kebabs, lamb kebabs, burgers, sausages, marinaded chicken wings. You could also make up kebabs of your faves with peppers and mushrooms etc etc. Then had coleslaw, big green salad, bowls of cherry tomatoes, carrots, sliced peppers, onions and cucumbers for people to add to their salad or have on their own (picky kids). I had ketchup, mustard, some sort of pickle relish. Salad dressing.
Also had crisps/Doritos with hummus and guacamole to munch on while meat cooking. I had buns for the burgers and those dinner rolls you pop in the oven for ten minutes.
Strawberries and watermelon for dessert.
Beers for the teens, Prosecco with cassis (to make kirs) for the mums, juice and water for the kids.
Then afterwards teens went out to beach for a bit and mums and youngsters lit fire pit and toasted marshmallows! Good night.

Marshmallows! Yes!

@happyasasandboy fist bump to you fellow halloumi worshipper

Yes wrap the salmon in foil. Dont 4get a slice of lemon. Yum.

Par boil lots of baby new potatoes - leave to cool. 1/2 put back in oven later with butter 1/2 mix with mayo and spring onions for potato salad ! Carbs for everyone however they prefer

We recently did the following for a family bbq

Corn on the cob 🌽
Burgers
Sausages
Satay chicken skewers (a great Jamie Oliver recipe)
Haloumi skewers with peppers and tomato
Chilli coriander noodle salad
A mixed salad

Strawberries, pineapple and grapes with cream for pudding

Marshmallows

Various snacks / crisps / sweets and drinks

I love chicken satay! Good shout!

Sausages - but only if very good quality.

Kebabs - prawns, peppers, mushrooms

Chicken satay with fresh peanut sauce.

Marinated halloumi.

Burgers - if home-made.

Salads. Caprese and potato and a fresh pesto pasta salad if we have a big crowd.

Delia's rice salad.

Plus a strawberry pavlova and I usually do 2 cheesecakes, one lime and one fruity.

The potato salad sounds yum- it’s not my fave but DH will appreciate.

There will always be loads of leftover salad, particularly if it is green.

Homemade burgers are no better than good shop ones, save yourself the bother.

If you get nice bread and basic rolls, all the basic rolls will get chosen first :-)

Eton mess is easier to make and to serve than pavlova. Ditto gooseberry or elderflower fool.

The kids will choose the cheapy ice pops anyway.

I say key ingredients are ensuring you have plenty meat, bread and ice for drinks, plus one good looking salad. Ensure supplies of ketchup etc. Try and muster enough chairs and proper plates/crockery for all adults.

However, it does sound like you guys all go to classier bbqs than I do!

This is the satay recipe OP. I make the satay and the noodles and they’re delicious.

The day before, slow cook a beef joint all day until it becomes ‘shreddable’.

Shred it and then store in foil in fridge overnight. When the BBQ is rating to go, add some bbq sauce or a thick gravy in with the beef and mix... then put the beef on the bbq (in the foil).

It’s so easy as all your prep is the day before and people rave over it.

Hot shredded beef on soft bread is amazing.

Raring to go not ranting lol

I love a bit of steak on the bbq; I marinate it in olive oil, garlic, lemon, thyme. Season with plenty of salt and pepper just before cooking. When it’s ready, cut into strips and serve with rocket in folded flatbreads (we get ours from Aldi but I’m sure you can get them elsewhere). A little bit of harrisa paste or some other chilli sauce is good with it too.

I always serve some baguette or similar crusty bread, just because it’s yummy!

Oh these ideas are all so good thank you! And thank you for the satay recipe reeree.

No prob OP. Hopefully you can read it. You basically put the satay ingredients in a blender, coat the chicken with half of it and save half as a sauce, then grill. For the noodles you just put all the ingredients in the blender too other than the cashews which you toast in a pan with some honey and then toss into the noodles. You can prep it all the night before. Enjoy your BBQ!

Not food related but some shade needed! I would hate to sit out in this this with no cover. Gazebo or umbrella would be good