Just burgers isn’t enough

[Eamonnyoujoker]

Anyone else almost feel they’ve forgotten how to host?

Planning bbq this weekend for friends with a toddler (we have one too)
Am planning nice burgers (bit special ones from the butcher) with salad and homemade wedges I’m thinking? What else would you include at a bbq? Starters/chips and dips, cake for dessert? I feel like it’s been sooo long and need ideas to make it special

Oh and garlic bread, everyone eats that.

Hot dogs or sausages. A big green salad. Crisps (or tortilla chips) and vegetable crudites with a dip or two (hummus, guac, salsa). Ice cream and brownies for dessert, maybe some biscuits too.

@Ikora

I have made skewers with chicken, chorizo, onion and peppers. I have also cooked salmon in foil. Very large mushrooms that have cheese and chilli on the flat side.

I really like bananas cooked in foil in their skins and then have them with ice cream.

Bananas, split in skins, add chococolate then cointreau, wrap in foil and cook, lovely.

I also hate pasta salad. Don’t know why.

Op you need lots of garlic bread too. Coleslaw and/or potato salad (baby pots, Mayo, chopped chives, bit of mustard and a couple of chopped boiled eggs... amazing!)

English strawberries have just arrived on the shelves and they are delicious compared with the insipid offerings from Spain, Morocco and Egypt. Some thick double cream to go with them - nothing better for a spring barbecue!

I'd cancel the barbeque given the temperatures expected.

Sausages with hotdog rolls (rather than hotdogs as I prefer sausages).
Chicken Wings.
Wedges and/or chips
Salad
Potato Salad
A selection of salad dressings

Sausages, chicken/pepper/onion skewers, tortilla chips and salsa, salad, corn on the cob, I always like baked pots done in foil. We usually just have a small amount of each though so have more variety.

Anything on skewers is a win from me. Chicken, peppers, onion, mushrooms is my favourite 🤤
Hotdogs, corn on the cob. My uncle use to do jacket potatoes!
Potato salad/pasta salad/regular salad.
Crisps, breadsticks & dips.
Ice cold drinks!

We had a bbq last weekend. Burgers, Chinese chicken wings, veg kebabs and corn on the cob. Then I did home made coleslaw and a side salad. Sometimes I do belly pork, bratwursts, cous cous and pasta. Water melon in slices, sprinkled with sugar and mint is crazy delicious even though it sounds gross. My kids love tin foil stuffed with bananas, chocolate chips and then warmed in the bbq and with a a scoop of ice cream on top

@dreamingbohemian

I'm really curious what's wrong with pasta salad!

I do one that I think is really nice but now I'm afraid to make it when we have people over : )

There’s one good thing about pasta salad.

At least it’s not rice salad.

God this now made me think of lamb ribs. They are the most amazing things when in season. Soooooo good. Lips are lush after too😂

Vegetable skewers.
Lettuce, tomato, onions, gherkins etc for the burgers.
Coleslaw.
Crisps / taco chips and dips.
Brownies.
Fruit salad.

If you’re putting on the bbq anyway, throw a bunch of veg on first. Pretty much any veg tastes good a bit charred up.

Onions, asparagus, eggplant, corn, lettuce, tomatoes, sliced root veg.

If you want to be fancy, offer small bowls of ‘drizzle’ for the veg. So younger kids can eat them plain, but for older kids an olive oil/garlic one, adults one with stronger herbs (salsa verde) and chilli based (harissa).

A big platter of bbq veg always goes over very well at our bbqs. Saves time on making all those unhealthy stodgy creamy ‘salads’ too.

Consider a quick dessert of Nutella or pita ‘pizza’ too. Whack some fruit in or on them, 2 mins on the bbq for gooey-ness and done.

Vegetable kebabs, maybe with halloumi if you like it. Marinate overnight in a garlic and herb or Herb and Lemon dressing - delicious and a nice break from all the meat and bread.

Whatever you end up eating, make some pico de gallo - always a winner.

What you have is fine.
Add coleslaw, hot dogs, veggie sausages, and corn on the cob and you're good to go...
Plus a nice dessert/something people can just grab (mini chocolate rolls/cakes/ice cream bars or ice cream sandwiches).

Beer can chicken, brisket or pulled pork and a few sausages for the kids. So much easier than flipping burgers.

We would have corn, grilled asparagus, some form of salad probably potato, baps and bbq sauce for pulled pork, and then grilled pineapple for dessert with ice cream.

Another one here who doesn’t like pasta or rice salad ( pasta and rice should only be served freshly cooked IMHO )
I’d suggest
Home made coleslaw ( far superior to shop bought and easy to make , when you think there’s enough mayo , add another spoonful )
Corn on the cob ( par boil and just char on the BBQ )
Sausages or chicken
An easy dessert is to cut lots of fruit , ( obviously peel and destone , do this in advance ) pineapple, banana , plums , strawbs etc , dot with butter and a little brown sugar , make a foil parcel and let it bake on the embers , serve with vanilla icecream

Mini sausages/hot dogs/meatballs cut up lengthwise for the toddlers. Cheese sticks, cucumber sticks, quartered cherry tomatoes. Ice cream and strawberry syrup. Perhaps some chopped up strawberries, which will also work for the adults with the ice cream.

Then burgers, nice sausages for grown up hotdogs, salad, wedges and dips (mayo, chopped garlic, salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika, pink sauce - mayo and salad cream - lemon mayonnaise, ketchup), lettuce, tomato and sliced pickles for the burgers, slow cooked onions, mustard and some chilli sauce (Sriracha is good) for either. If you've got crispy onions in a tub, I'd add those as well.

Some nice cold drinks - because a lot of people haven't had much alcohol for a long time - plus something for the children to drink if they have squash - and if anybody wants to drink, I'd get some bottles of beer to have ice cold.

Should be plenty.

Have fun!

I'd go for complete buffet style so all you have to do is bbq the meat!

Salad bits, beetroot, coleslaw, veg sticks, rolls, burger cheese and various sauces.

Halloumi was a great call by above poster.

Breadsticks and dips also a good call with toddlers!

For potato type things with potato salad, herby buttered new potatoes, potato cubes or wedges. Or even jackets.

Also agree hotdogs is good. I'd go for the skinless sausages as toddler sized and adults can just have more!

With potatoes you can cook them and then either keep warm on top of new or in oven so there's no cooking them when guests are there.

Grilled halloumi
Mac and cheese
Potato salad
Corn on the cob
Veg kebabs

Pineapple! Love putting thick and juicy fresh pineapple slices on the BBQ. Goes great on top of a burger with a dollop of relish.

Can't go wrong with peppers, onion, mushrooms and halloumi as well.

Jacket potatoes are easy, and usually go well, cous cous, savoury rice.

I would add potato salad and I’d also do corn on the cob and sliced aubergine, both cooked on the bbq. Yum!