Is this enough food for a barbecue?

[Theresip]

I’m having a barbecue for 24 people on Saturday. I haven’t hosted for this many before so can I check with those if you who are more experienced whether this is the right amount of food?

On the barbecue:

24 burgers
24 hot dogs

Prepared in advance and served cold:

50 buns
A large gammon joint
15 barbecue chicken drumsticks
15 plain drumsticks
A potato salad with lemon and garlic
Homemade coleslaw
A Caesar salad
Another type of vegan salad

Then for people arriving I’ll have a cheeseboard, crisps, dips, and sweets out.

Is it enough? Should I add a pasta salad?

Going to look now!

As you have asked for advice, I personally wouldn't be overly impressed with food being served cold if you've been invited to a BBQ. Buffet would be different.

We regularly host BBQs and I cook burgers and sausages for arrival. Offer what's hot out and then gauge what people are eating. I will have extras of everything in the fridge so if it's needed it gets cooked. If it doesn't, it gets used for family meals or frozen.

Jacket potatoes and corn on the cob are always popular in our family and cheap fillers. I get a bag of spuds. Pop them in the oven in foil and then finish them off on the BBQ.

There's nothing worse than hosting within too little food. I personally don't think it's unreasonable to ask people to bring a plate and share what's being brought. Most polite people will offer. If you feel uncomfortable with this in pastas, salads, rice dishes are good fillers but people will expect a decent amount of meat too.

I went camping last weekend. We cooked proper sausages on the BBQ and did hotdogs in the pan for the kids.

However. I love hotdogs and now want to try one on the BBQ.

I do think it's a risky move as a lot of people don't like them and may be expecting proper sausages. But if I was going to a BBQ to socialise I wouldn't really give a shit about the food, as long as there was enough.

Looks like you're doing this on your own. Sounds like you've done enough! If people want seconds later on they can order in!!

I’m going to do pulled pork now rather than gammon. I’m serving the chicken cold just because it’s easier.

I’m not wound up at all. The behaviour is a bit concerning though.

We are all rooting for you to have a magnificent BBQ OP!!!!

Surely there’s always cold food at barbecues? The salads etc?

The burgers, hot dogs/sausages, and pulled pork will all be hot. The potato salad, coleslaw, and salads will be cold, as they should be, and the chicken will be cold.

Mmmm. Cold chicken on a bone.
yummy!

Sounds lovely but id be adding more sides, coleslaw, crisps and dips etc. maybe some chicken skewer type things x

Bet you will be glad when this bbq is over OP!

Thanks. I’m going to give homemade coleslaw a try and I’ve bought skewers and am going to do some just veg and some veg and halloumi.

I just hope it looks like smooth sailing to the guests.

Sounds like it's your first time making homemade coleslaw - my advice is shred the cabbage, carrot and red onion earlier on but don't add the mayo (and whatever other "wet" things are going in) until just before you serve it. Stops it going all soggy.

😆

I would dispute that!

Having read the responses to the dozens of suggestions for more food, I get the sense that the Op is on a very tight budget, so that probably explains the focus on rationing

This will be vehemently denied but clearly - budget restrictions are driving this very tight rationing and focus on quite cheap and cheerful processed meats.

I would love some salmon in the list but I don’t think that’ll make it!

I hate gammon and I don't eat chicken on the bone so I'd only go for burgers and hot dog, and yeah....I think I'd eat more than just one.

Me too. It would be because I didn’t like the limited offerings rather than actually being full.

I would love salmon but it would seem that something like this isn’t even a thought. But if budget is a real consideration which it would appear to be - then I can understand that

It’s like I know the guests and you don’t.

Oh yes… some of the guests that you’ve met “a couple of times”

But forget my suggestion of salmon
Too pricey