BBQ - Side dishes

[pontipinemum]

What are your favourite sides at a BBQ?

We have approx 30 people coming this weekend, (4 are babies/ toddlers)

I am thinking homemade coleslaw/ potato salad/ pasta salad? Or should I just save myself the hassle and buy them? I made coleslaw in my food processor last week it was very easy. Potato salad didn't come out too good, it was like glue, but I think I know where I went wrong.

I'll have 1 bag of ice berg lettuce, slices tom's/ onions, cheese

30 burgers, 40 sausages, approx 27 small steak slices, approx 30 chicken skewers, approx 40 bacon ribs (looking for a recipe on these too).

It is too much I am sure but it will all be eaten during the following days and I will ask family if they want to bring any home.

I make a potato and egg salad. Boiled egg and boiled new potatoes roughly chopped with mayonnaise and chives/spring onion

Homemade coleslaw, beetroot salad, salad, tomato and mozzarella with balsamic, grilled halloumi, grilled asparagus, veggie skewers?

Potato salad with egg - Boil at bag of new potatoes and then remove skins. Hard boil 6 eggs and then cool, remove shell and chop. Mix together with a chopped red pepper, chopped bunch of spring onions, salt, pepper and mayo.

Homemade coleslaw using onion, carrots, red cabbage and 50/50 mayo and salad cream. Or alternatively Asian style slaw using lime juice, chilli and coriander for the dressing instead of May/salad cream.

A couple of microwave pouches of Mexican rice in a bowl.

Pasta rusted with presto and a sprinkling of pine nuts.

A big mixed green salad.

Tomato and onion salad.

A giant Pavlova for dessert.

Pasta served with pesto I mean.

We make Greek salad - red onion , cucumber , black olives , feta and olive oil , salt and pepper .
Also
corn on the cob is low input and is lovely on a bbq .

Couscous salad

I love to do homemade guacamole with tortilla chips and it always goes down well.
-Chunky mashed avocados
-Diced beef tomatoes
-Finely chopped onion
-Lots of fresh chopped coriander
-Squeeze of lime and salt

Make sure to make it at the last minute as it browns if you make it in advance.

These all sound great.

Yes I was thinking of doing pesto with the pasta

I will be putting peppers/ onions/ mushrooms on the chicken/ steak skewers.

Someone is brining fruit skewers

I have corn on the cob - plan to pressure cook it in advance.

Obviously burgers buns/ sausage buns

Ketchup/ mayo/ mustard (French and English)/ tomato relish and some other strange relish that has been lurking around from Christmas.

We don't drink and its a kids 1st birthday. So I have about 50 cans of soft drinks. Different squash/ ribena. Sparkling water plan and lemon. 2 bottles of "fancy soft drink" (also Christmas lurkers!)

Arrival nibbles? dh think nothing but I think some nuts/ bread stick type things.

I will be making a chocolate cake and a strawberry cheese cake. Buying some GF cakes ( we have a coeliac coming) and some diabetic cakes too. Then ice creams/ ice pops.

We have no vegetarians coming but a few who only eat chicken

I think the thing I would like would be more vegetable-y things. So coleslaw and potato salad are more mayo/carb than vegetable and pasta is quite a stodgy carb. If you are having lots of meat, then a nice big green salad, corn on the cob, which you mentioned, gherkins, maybe some beetroot, just something not as heavy as pasta and meat to go on the side.

@mindutopia I like beetroot and carrot salad. That would be easy to make. Yes it is quite carby. I know that salads then to get left behind by my family though so I don't want to do too many of those.

I like the sound of the guac but I don't think I'll have time to do it that morning.

I like Greek salad but thinking of leaving it all separate. So people can take/ leave what they want. I could bowls of olives/ red onion/ feta/ cucumber and people could take the parts they like.

Cous cous might be lighter than the pasta.

I want to get 90% done the night before. My family live 2/3hrs away so we are having it early.

My ILs sort of criticised my family they said at least you don't have to worry about us being fussy when they asked what deserts I was doing. As if some of my family chose to be coeliac/ diabetic!! They are coming all this way I need to provide food they can eat.

I did 4 salads for a bbq at the weekend.
I made
Cucumber & pomegranate salad with cumin and lime
Sweet Potato & bacon with pumpkin seeds, ricotta & shallots
Apple slaw
Chopped Mexican salad
Judging by the lack of leftovers, they went down pretty well.

Hang on you are cooking 167 pieces of meat for 26 adults and you want advice on sides!! Stop! Way too much. You really should reduce this and I say that as someone who believes in over catering for a party!

@AtleastitsnotMonday what is apple slaw? And Mexican salad?

@Fourlegsandatail I don't think I will cook it all. I plan to sort of do it in rounds. Have about 15 or so burgers, 15 sausages, 20 chicken, 15 steak (these really are very small approx 35g), and 15 rib also these are very small.

Apple slaw is exactly as it sounds, coleslaw with apple. I just make my regular coleslaw and grate in an apple. I don't like it to be too mayo heavy so I use a mix of mayo and natural yoghurt with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.

The Mexican salad is a tin of mixed beans, sweetcorn, red peppers, red onion, celery. Dress with lime juice and plenty of coriander. If you like chilli add that too and season.

@AtleastitsnotMonday thank you

Glad to hear you will stagger serving the meat OP 😊

I think the sides you suggest sound lovely but here are some ideas:

Potato salad… you said yours went wrong- imo the best potato salad is made using new potatoes (as you want waxy not floury so they hold their shape). Add mayo and lots of horseradish to taste (I do 50:50 but I love horseradish) with chives and lots of pepper.

Roasted vegetable, feta and cous cous salad.

Vegetable kebabs.

Pesto cannellini beans (literally drain a can of cannellini beans and stir in pesto and finely chopped tomato).

corn on the cob - cooked in foil on the BBQ with chilli and honey butter

panzanella salad

garlic mushrooms

Celeriac remoulade

The BBQ went really well. We were still having left overs for dinner last night. I have some salads left still that I think we should finish tonight.

Along with 4 burgers in the freezer, 10 sausages, 1 pack of ribs and 3 portions of marinaded chicken pieces for dinners!! OK I went way OTT but none of it has been binned so that's the main thing.

I did coleslaw, potato salad, pesto salad, cous cous and then just chopped cucumber/ toms/ feta/ olives/ lettuce/ rocket in bowls. And corn on the cob.