Barbecue Advice please - group of 20 year olds.

[LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood]

I am providing/preparing food for DD2s birthday barbecue tomorrow. There will be 20 19/20 year olds. 4 are vegetarian.

I have 20 large burgers, 8 veggie burgers, 36 sausages, 8 veggie sausages, 20 chicken kebabs, 12 halloumi kebabs. Approximately 60 burger buns/bread rolls.

Ketchup, burger sauce, mayo, Nando’s sauce.
cheese slices, pickles, sliced tomato and cucumber.

Pasta salad, coleslaw, Caesar salad

Dips, breadsticks and crisps.

Eton mess and cheesecake.

I’ve not catered for barbecue food for young people before. Is this sufficient do you think both in terms of variety and quantity? I’m preparing it and leaving them to cook it. It’s in the afternoon. They will be bringing their own drinks.

Thanks all.

I’d get a few more burgers I think. Sounds lovely.

I think you'll have a lot of bread left. The veggies can't eat the Caesar salad as parmesan isn't veggie and the dressing contains anchovies.

Maybe more chicken kebabs? I'd advise your DD to segregate enough for the veggies - ask them what they want and keep it separate - as ime non veggies eat it as people seem to eat more of the main elements at a barbecue.

Vegetarians can eat cheese Vegans can't. The Caesar dressing may not contain anchovies but if it does maybe get some garlic dressing instead. If they are vegans presume halloumi would not be acceptable either I think it sounds good

I think the boys (and possibly girls too!)are likely to eat more than one burger - my brothers and husband certainly would so I would get another 10 of those. Otherwise I think it sounds fine - I might get some koftas or marinated pork chops to have as extra. People always eat way more at bbqs than they would for a normal dinner

Unless the halloumi is vegetarian, with non-animal rennet, then the vegetarians won't eat those.

Sounds yum though, can I come? 😃

Tell DD to cook the veggie stuff first as then it wont get contaminated by the meat on the bbq.

do you have enough charcoal/propane and does DD know how to operate the bbq

personally I would pre cook all the chicken and sausages in the oven before the party starts, then it just has to be reheated/crisped up on the bbq…there is less chance of it being undercooked and food poisoning someone.

that is an awful lot of food to cook. Is the bbq big enough,

does dd know about being scrupulous about not mixing raw meat with cooked meat and washing platters, utelsils ans hands that have touched the raw meat

the food sounds great, I am sure they will have a great time

You need more burgers - some people may only want burgers and nothing else and may want 2 or 3 so 20 isn't going to be enough by a long shot. I'd get at least 40- you can always use any left over another time.

Is the halloumi veggie? Are you doing different grills?

Sounds good otherwise

Maybe a few more veggie bits. Those halloumi skewers will be popular with everyone!

Not all cheese is vegetarian

Thanks all - I’m making the Caesar salad. More correctly it’s a Caesar inspired salad. It’s veggie. As is the halloumi.

There is a small separate BBQ for the vegetarian food.

DD is good with food hygiene / safety. She works in a cafe doing pretty much everything during the holidays from uni (that’s where she is today so why I’m taking on so much of the prep to help her).

Good call re getting more burgers and more chicken. I needed that steer. Thanks.

Really good idea to pre cook chicken and sausages too.

More halloumi on the list too!

what about corn on the cob?

Most, if not all, halloumi is vegetarian. I think some are getting confused with Parmesan?

If it's chicken kebabs they'll just be horribly dry from pre-cooking and then barbecuing. Someone I know boils sausages (just normal sausages) before barbecuing them. They do seem to shrink less.

Boiling sausages first is absolute genius. I have read up on that now. Total game changer @NigelHarmansNewWife.

I have doubled my burger and halloumi quotient. Added corn on the cob and salmon parcels. Think we are there now! Thanks all