Can I have your BBQ/hosting tips, please? I'm anxious!

[WorriedAboutEntertaining]

Hello everyone - DH and I are hosting a BBQ in our back garden in a couple of weeks time for family and close friends. We reckon there will be about 40 adults and 10 kids, age range of the kids being around 4 to 10.

I. Am. Terrified.

Which is ridiculous. It's just a BBQ, right? But we've not often entertained, especially not for so many people, and we really want to make sure everyone has a great time. So, can I have your top BBQ-in-a-garden tips, please? For example - what are good games to keep kids entertained? Thank you!

Definitely get lots of non BBQ foods. Big salads, quiches, crusty breads etc. Get the fire going well before guests are due. Pray for sun!

Great idea to have big bins dotted around for rubbish and keep one next to the BBQ so you can chuck stuff in that. Also wipes for messy hands.

Make sure you have some time to enjoy it too! Good luck OP.

This doesn’t even give folks two buns each. It’s completely under catering

A trug / box with bin bag in for empty bottles and cans.

precook all the meat to reduce the time on the barbecue. Disposable foil trays and paper plates. Bamboo forks. Ice creams/ lollies.

lots of nibbles . Lots of salads

Rather than large jacket potatoes, we use lots of the small potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkling of sea salt, and spread on trays in the oven for an hour.

Very tasty and easy to eat with fingers/while standing

Yes to trays of 'baby' jacket potatoes - easy, delicious, summery, appeal to fussy eaters & kids.

Do an enormous pan of chilli (I do veggie so everyone can eat it). Provide grated cheese, sour cream & jalapenos. This eases pressure on the bbq itself.

If you aren't used to bbq-ing, I'd just keep it as a burger station (do some veggie burgers in the oven). Have a table nearby with buns, onions, ketchup, mayo, salad & pickles so people can build their own bun then just grab a burger.

Trays of marinaded chicken drumsticks but again, cook in the oven - or do them on half the bbq with the other for the burgers, if it's big enough. Have serving trays handy to move them to when cooked.

Stuffed peppers (oven in advance) are another good veggie option.

Ask people to bring (substantial - potato/pasta/couscous) salads, crisps, olives etc. If you encourage them to bring meat some pretentious bugger will want to commandeer the bbq to grill his ostrich steaks or something...

You can buy some good garden games for the kids from home bargains. They have a ring toss game, outdoors snakes and ladders etc. Craft stuff has always been a winner for me too. Agree with a movie and snacks so they can go in doors later.

For drinks, I would recommends filling up buckets with ice and having bottles, wine and soft drinks that people can help themselves too. If you can afford it, big jugs of sangria or other cocktails also works well.

For sides, I would do a potato salad, couscous salad and some baked potatoes plus fresh veg sticks with dips. Also have some normal salad stuff to hand for people to put on burgers.

For the main food, agree with PP to try and cook chicken thighs etc in the oven beforehand, get lots of burgers and sausages too. If you have any vegans or vegetarians then there are some good pre bought option these days.

I would get some pre made desserts and let them defrost overnight. I would also offer ice cream, fruit salad etc.

Toasted marshmallows for the kids is a great shout.

Enjoy it.

40 guests at 35 weeks pregnant sounds absolutely horrendous!

This is all brilliant, thank you so much. I particularly like the idea of a burger station!

I'm also thinking we supplement with a vat of chilli that we can do in the slow cooker, and chuck some stuff in the air fryer too.

Beginning to feel like this will be tiring but doable!

Try to include sides and oven food that are easily eaten with one hand. Assuming you’re not setting up a table for 50, people will have a drink in one hand and a burger in another - but they can’t eat pasta salad like that so easily.

Kebab skewers (pre soaked) can help with this a lot - you can put all manner of bbq food onto a skewer - including baby potatoes. Or have a hot dog station for the oven food and swap out skewers for hot dog buns.

Pulled pork is really easy to make, reheats nicely, can stay warm on the hob/in a slow cooker - and could also make for an easy food station.

Allowing people to move around and serve themselves food at a few different stations should ease the pressure vs a production line at the bbq.

If you do a big batch of chilli then get a load of disposable bowls and a few big bags of nachos. Don't forget the grated cheese , guacamole and sour cream etc. These always go down really well at my parties.

Defo get mini pork pies, quiches, pesto pasta, chicken and bacon pasta type dishes. Even a few of the Asda deli pizzas . I like a charcuterie board with bruschetta/crackers or a selection of meats , pickled onions and cheese cubes on sticks a la 70s style.

If you are looking to keep drinks cold, you can freeze water balloons the day before and then fill a clean bin/ paddling pool with water and the huge water balloon ice cubes. Then chuck the bottles in. The ice lasts for ages.

I know! I gave birth at 36 weeks! OP is a braver woman than me! Hope it all goes well!

How bits the slow cooker? Most even at their largest won’t make a vat of chilli big enough for 50 folks.

I made brownies and a large pineapple upside down cake for a barbecue for 20 people on Sunday. They went down well.

We cooked chickens whole, then shredded them for people to help themselves.

Sack off sausages and burgers, do a couple of big joints. Far less faff.

Lamb shoulder with Greek sides
Pulled pork
Brisket

The chilli wouldn't be for everyone (not everyone will expect to eat everything, surely?) - just to supplement the main BBQ stuff. Another option, I guess.

Definitely going to have a help-yourself set-up, and yes to lots of nibbles and mini pork pies etc.

I started buying some bits and pieces during the week - strong paper plates, wooden cutlery, napkins, garden games for kids etc. and we've spent a fortune already - I think this BBQ is going to cost more than our wedding