Do you barbecue for your backyard parties? Barbecued meals almost always taste better than meals cooked in the oven or in a pan. Barbecued food is irresistible. You might think that’s just because the food is cooked by an open flame, but it’s also because food tastes better when you enjoy it with other people. Although that barbecued flavor is probably the best part of a party, here are some tips for making your outdoor parties even better.
1. Get an outdoor flat top grill
The cooking and meal prep appliances you have in your space make a huge difference in terms of your ability to create certain meals. If you’re just emptying boxes of mac and cheese and grilling up some potatoes, you probably don’t need much. However, if you’re taking the time to make real meals, it’s worth investing in some top-notch appliances.
In addition to a traditional charcoal barbecue, you’ll love having an outdoor flat top grill. Not every burger needs to be charbroiled in an open flame. Sometimes you want a burger that’s been grilled without the flame, but that’s hard to do outside – unless you have a flat top grill.
Like other cooking appliances, you can find a flat top grill with separate cooking zones to control the temperature in different areas. This makes it possible to cook multiple types of food on your grill at once, which means faster meal prep.
2. Try new recipes
Your party guests will probably eat your food no matter what you cook, but that doesn’t mean they’ll thoroughly enjoy it. If you want to make a memorable impression on your guests, that’s easy to do with food. The key is to come up with dishes people will find irresistible. Unless you cook new meals frequently, you’ll probably need to search for some recipes online.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of recipes for barbecue cookouts to be found. Some of the best recipes in this recipe gallery include:
· Jalapeño sour cream cornbread
· Smoky grilled dry-rub pork chops with peach relish
· Ritzy ranch mac ‘n’ cheese
· Strawberry cabernet barbecue sauce
· Grilled mushroom Panzanella with tomato vinaigrette
This is just a short taste of what’s included in the full recipe list. If you prefer certain types of protein or other dishes, you can find just about anything online or in a recipe book. Remember that not everything you cook needs to be made on the barbecue. You can also cook things in the kitchen beforehand and serve it cold or heat it up before serving.
Be forewarned, however, that if you start serving fancy meals at your backyard parties, people might come to expect that every time. Unless you have understanding friends, try not to make food so fancy that it becomes a tough act to follow at your next party.
3. Get the right serving dishes
Almost everyone has served food in Tupperware containers at some point. It’s convenient, but that doesn’t mean it’s always appropriate. Sure, if you’re plopping down in front of the television at night with a bowl of chili, Tupperware is the perfect serving dish, but it’s not for parties.
Invest in some good serving dishes for your backyard parties. It doesn’t matter how casual your gatherings are, when you use decent serving dishes and platters, you boost the atmosphere of your party.
Some types of dishes you should consider include:
· Solid wood cutting boards for serving pizza
· Small glass bowls for serving salsa and other sauces
· Square ceramic bowls for serving condiments
· Large plates with a lip for serving items that might slide off the edge
· Tiered plates that raise smaller items up off the table and make it easier to hold more on the table
· ½ gallon glass pitchers for serving prepared beverages and smoothies
You don’t have to buy anything too fancy – just get dishes that don’t look like they’re meant for food storage.
4. Serve the food in an organized manner
Sometimes it makes sense to have your backyard barbecue parties be a self-serve free-for-all, but it’s much better when you create some order for how food is served. All you need to do is line up the dishes on a long table and have people get in line to serve themselves. Having a definite line will keep people, especially kids, calmer when going back for seconds.
Make our next backyard barbecue party amazing
If your barbecue parties have been lacking, now you have several new ideas to spice things up and make them better. Try some of these tips at your next backyard barbecue and make it amazing for yourself and your guests.
