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

"Different cheeses to go on top Ie Chedder, Stilton, Boursin, etc, different bread rolls, olive, cheese, tomato etc, different chutneys Ie onion or chilli etc, different flavoured mayos, different salad toppings, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, avocado, erc and do a big pot of fried onions too"

Nooooo, keep it simple. This is way too much faff. Not to mention everyone always goes for the same bread so you get someone politely eating one when they'd have preferred the other!

Boursin sitting warm and untouched 🤢 Avocado completely ignored.

Stay simple and enjoy catching up with friends instead!

I would prefer just maybe couple of options rather than massive build your own station. When I eat at someo else's house, half the pleasure is nlt having to think about what I want to eat much😁

Pasta, Salad, Coleslaw, Potato Salad, Chips & Dips...

I want a bbq now 😭

@ineedaholidaynow

Tomato and chorizo salad, always a winner.

How do you make this? Sounds lovely.

This thread reminding me why I hate BBQs. All the preparation faff and lugging stuff in and out. Two years ago DH bought a big gas fired BBQ which I think has been used 3 times.

Keep it simple:

Nice burgers

roasted chicken thigh fillets in a marinade- cook in oven. Even just garlic, herbs, salt and oil would make a nice marinade.

lots of choices of sauces- ketchup, mayo, a decent bbq, mustard

Nice bread rolls- Sheldons are good.

Good quality sausages- thin ones though so they cook through without burning and each hotdog roll can hold a good few.

Crisps and dips

Tomato and feta salad (make last min so feta doesn’t draw water out of tomatoes making it watery)

Big coleslaw

Pavlova- buy base then just whip cream, sweeten and add fruit

German potato salad, halloumi souvlaki with tzatziki, watermelon with feta to freshen things up a bit.

Some chicken? Vegetable kebabs? Olives antipasti things eg. for nibbles

I find cleaning the bbq a lot easier than oven trays and indeed the oven. Food is finished bucket of very hot water and the top thing goes straight into that to be soaked. By the time I get round to pulling them out of the water food remnants have gone so a quick wipe down or in the dishwasher and job done.
Very occasionally I will give the coal bit a hose down.

@dementedma

This thread reminding me why I hate BBQs. All the preparation faff and lugging stuff in and out. Two years ago DH bought a big gas fired BBQ which I think has been used 3 times.

That's such a shame. It doesn't have to be as hard as threads here make it sound especially if it's just your family. 1 big tray. Part of it various veg, other part the meat. Keep it simple. Then you grill it, wash tray, put everything back on the tray when it's ready, put it in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves. Easy peasy. 1 knife, 1 chopping board (both washed in between), 2 bowls for marinated meat, 1 tray, 1 or 2 thongs. Tadaaa. Happy and easy occasion. Obviously then you have plates, and cutlery, but you would still have that normally.

I love the faff of hosting BBQs, miss it so much! I usually do kebab skewers (marinated teriyaki beef, lemon and herb chicken, prawn or chorizo and halloumi with loads of veg), potato salad, cous cous salad, normal salad, burgers, asparagus wrapped in Parma ham, garlic mushrooms or garlic butter corn on the cobs. Depending who is coming we sometimes do ribs or grilled sardines. I love preparing it all with my DH, we make a good team and do a lot of prep the night before and we eat any leftovers for the next few nights. I also do a big jugs of cocktails with non alcoholic ones for any non drinkers.

I think when it comes to a BBQ you can really do your thing either loads of fancy faff or simple as long as you have plenty of food and cater for all special diets. Even the slightly charred sausage in a cheap white bun has it's charm. This year especially it will just be nice to see our friends and have a laugh.

I'm going to go against the grain here and say nice burgers with salads and wedges is fine for a BBQ. If you cooked a meal indoors you wouldn't be adding a choice of different meats. If you went out for a burger you couldn't add in a couple of different protein choices. If you want to add other things do, but I don't think it's essential. One thing done really well is better than a heap of disconnected food stuff IMO

Saying that I would also offer a dessert of some sort. Minimilks or some such in the freezer are always popular with toddlers.

I'm planning an afternoon tea at the weekend and I'm so excited! I'm providing assorted sandwiches (cut into triangles of course) and scones with jam and clotted cream. So far my guests have all offered to bring something so we now also have a cheese board, fresh fruit platter, macarons and mini quiches. We will all freeze but we will be well fed.

Have a lovely BBQ.

Lamb chops
Corn on the cob
Sausages

Wrap some bananas in foil and grill or bake them.

Halloumi and corn on the cob

Fresh baked bread and then people can chose between ordinary butter and garlic butter.

Everyone goes mad for a salad caprese. Buy decent toms though and serve them room temp. Homemade potato salad (just little newbies in their skins tossed in creme fraiche, mustard, chives and seasoning) Killer slaw- my fave is red cabbage with red onions, yoghurt, lemon juice and chilli sauce. Fennel and orange salad is so refreshing or feta and watermelon- they both take 5 mins to make and look spectacular

With only four adults and two toddlers I’d just put a few nuts and crisps in bowls whilst the main food is cooking wouldn’t bother with anything else atm. Then burgers or hot dogs ( burgers are chewy on the bbq so not great for toddlers) then your wedges, coleslaw and side salad and a nice simple pudding cheese cake or similar.

I always do veggie kebabs with halloumi

Thanks so much for all the suggestions, really nice to see all the different things people make 💜

We’re not in the U.K., sun is forecast for Sunday (fingers crossed) although pouring down on Saturday.

I’m thinking

Crisps, breadsticks & dips on the side

Burgers with salad and buns
Sausages for hot dogs
Marinated chicken breast (we just do olive oil, garlic, lemon & rosemary maybe)

Salad on the side with cherry tomatoes, feta etc
Potato salad & coleslaw
Fresh baguettes
Maybe a few extra cheeses

Mini cakes/desserts
Strawberries & cream
Mini cornettos/ice lollies

Not a fan of hot dogs/sausages at all, we never have them, but think our friends like them and probably better for the kids.

It still seems quite a lot to me, we bbq most nights, just us in spring/summer, so would only ever do one meat

See now I think that's too much : )

I would do:

Two meats
Potato salad OR coleslaw
One dessert plus ice cream for the kids

I remember the simple times where I grew up where we grilled chicken parts, maybe some marinated pork slices (later from kaufland because who can be arsed), made salad, 1 more side, put bread on a table, bottles of sauces and that was it😂
No guests moaned because everyone did the same.
Simple times. 😁

I think if you have quite a few guests (8+) it's good to offer a few choices. But I agree with you that for just 4 adults and 2 children what you are suggesting sounds like far too too much. You've got three meat choices, plus a feta salad AND a cheeseboard for 4 people. Not to mention 4 choices of carbs. But if you are happy eating leftovers for the next couple of days (always the best bit of entertaining for me) then it won't go to waste.

I did one at the weekend and it was quite pared down compared to previous excess - started with curried lentil soup to warm up then grilled chicken/veggie burger; winterslaw salad, veg kebabs, flatbreads, fruit salad. I felt this was tons better than loading up on the meat and snacks like I used to.