Simple BBQ Plans
Discussion
I'm hosting a barbecue for my son's 1st birthday (not a kids party, mostly adults) and want to keep it simple but still lay on a good spread. My plans for food are as follows;
Burgers (lettuce, tomatoes and condiments nearby to complete the bun)
Sausages
Chicken breast (sliced in half for quick cooking, spicy bbq marinade)
Veggie kebabs (pepper, red onion, haloumi cheese, courgette)
Veggie burgers
Fatoush salad
Waldorf salad
Potato salad
Coleslaw
Maybe fruit salad or something for desert but not sure.
How does that sound? Suggestions greatly appreciated and also your tips for cooking and preparation. Charcoal barbecue btw.
Cheers
Burgers (lettuce, tomatoes and condiments nearby to complete the bun)
Sausages
Chicken breast (sliced in half for quick cooking, spicy bbq marinade)
Veggie kebabs (pepper, red onion, haloumi cheese, courgette)
Veggie burgers
Fatoush salad
Waldorf salad
Potato salad
Coleslaw
Maybe fruit salad or something for desert but not sure.
How does that sound? Suggestions greatly appreciated and also your tips for cooking and preparation. Charcoal barbecue btw.
Cheers
One thing that we sometimes do, but always goes down a treat, is gem lettuces cut in half and cooked for 5mins or so (cut side down only). Sprinkle of feta on top and maybe some mint once done. They go very sweet and even the most ardent meat eater friends have really enjoyed them
Bonus is they're dead easy to do.
Bonus is they're dead easy to do.
ATG said:
Looks good to me, but I'm afraid we're all out of Waldorfs
I'm afraid Chef has just opened the tin.... 
OP - chicken on the bone is always a winner. Drizzle with oil and M&S Latino rub (or any dry rub of your choice!) and leave on an indirect heat for an hour or so. I like doing whole legs that way - BBQ finger food at it's best!
Swervin_Mervin said:
One thing that we sometimes do, but always goes down a treat, is gem lettuces cut in half and cooked for 5mins or so (cut side down only). Sprinkle of feta on top and maybe some mint once done. They go very sweet and even the most ardent meat eater friends have really enjoyed them
Bonus is they're dead easy to do.
This sounds very interesting. I'm having a small trial run this weekend so will give it a try :-)Bonus is they're dead easy to do.
BRISTOL86 said:
I'm afraid Chef has just opened the tin....
OP - chicken on the bone is always a winner. Drizzle with oil and M&S Latino rub (or any dry rub of your choice!) and leave on an indirect heat for an hour or so. I like doing whole legs that way - BBQ finger food at it's best!
I'm not the biggest fan of chicken on the bone but would probably be good to have some. I'm sure legs would be very popular.OP - chicken on the bone is always a winner. Drizzle with oil and M&S Latino rub (or any dry rub of your choice!) and leave on an indirect heat for an hour or so. I like doing whole legs that way - BBQ finger food at it's best!
OK, menu now shaping up to be something like this...
Burgers (lettuce, tomatoes and condiments nearby to complete the bun)
Sausages
Chicken breast (sliced in half for quick cooking, spicy bbq marinade)
Chicken legs with dry latino rub (sounds slightly deviant)
Veggie kebabs with zaatar marinade (pepper, red onion, haloumi cheese, courgette)
Veggie burgers
Fatoush salad
Waldorf salad
Potato salad
Gem lettuces with crumbled feta
Coleslaw
Might be slightly too much going on now... shall I ditch the waldorf salad? I do like the freshness of the apples.
Burgers (lettuce, tomatoes and condiments nearby to complete the bun)
Sausages
Chicken breast (sliced in half for quick cooking, spicy bbq marinade)
Chicken legs with dry latino rub (sounds slightly deviant)
Veggie kebabs with zaatar marinade (pepper, red onion, haloumi cheese, courgette)
Veggie burgers
Fatoush salad
Waldorf salad
Potato salad
Gem lettuces with crumbled feta
Coleslaw
Might be slightly too much going on now... shall I ditch the waldorf salad? I do like the freshness of the apples.
louiebaby said:
I've seen a few variations of this and it does look good but just won't have the space. I have a 57cm Weber and about 10 adults to cook for so can't tie up so much space for such a long time.How many is it for, personally I think you;re giving yourself too much to do, you want to enjoy the party, not spend the whole time worrying about the food.
Chicken breast (sliced in half for quick cooking, spicy bbq marinade)
Chicken legs with dry latino rub (sounds slightly deviant)
Veggie kebabs with zaatar marinade (pepper, red onion, haloumi cheese, courgette)
Jersey Royal Potato salad with crispy bacon
Homemade Coleslaw - Jamie Oliver does some awesome variations with Creme Fraiche/Yoghurt etc
I'd do that on its own, and have a big bowl of green salad and some nice breads/flatbreads on the table, you've got plenty there, it doesn't need the obligatory burgers and sausages.
You could even spatchcock the chickens and cook them ahead of time, then simply carve the bits off that people want after a short spell on the grill to glaze etc.
You'll be less stressed I promise, I have some serious grilling fiends as friends (big green eggs, outdoor kitchens etc), they tend to do 1 or 2 things REALLY well, almost like you would a main course, you'd have chicken,lamb, beef or pork, rubbed and slow cooked etc a couple of complimentary salad/sides and homemade bread/potato done to perfection.
That way you can tie things in together more effectively, I don't know anyone that serves a Sausage and Waldorf Salad dish, so why because we're outdoors do we need a million different things!
Chicken breast (sliced in half for quick cooking, spicy bbq marinade)
Chicken legs with dry latino rub (sounds slightly deviant)
Veggie kebabs with zaatar marinade (pepper, red onion, haloumi cheese, courgette)
Jersey Royal Potato salad with crispy bacon
Homemade Coleslaw - Jamie Oliver does some awesome variations with Creme Fraiche/Yoghurt etc
I'd do that on its own, and have a big bowl of green salad and some nice breads/flatbreads on the table, you've got plenty there, it doesn't need the obligatory burgers and sausages.
You could even spatchcock the chickens and cook them ahead of time, then simply carve the bits off that people want after a short spell on the grill to glaze etc.
You'll be less stressed I promise, I have some serious grilling fiends as friends (big green eggs, outdoor kitchens etc), they tend to do 1 or 2 things REALLY well, almost like you would a main course, you'd have chicken,lamb, beef or pork, rubbed and slow cooked etc a couple of complimentary salad/sides and homemade bread/potato done to perfection.
That way you can tie things in together more effectively, I don't know anyone that serves a Sausage and Waldorf Salad dish, so why because we're outdoors do we need a million different things!
TIGA, you make a good point. I will probably slim things down a bit but don't think I can live without burgers AND sausages! Might be ok to ditch the burgers though. However, they are very easy to do and kids will eat them without complaint.
I should have around 8-10 adults and 4-6 kids.
Maybe I could farm out some of the salad making to others. Friends already asked what they could bring so potato salad and coleslaw could be covered that way. However, I might risk getting pre-packed stuff that way...
I reckon if i can get all the salad stuff ready in the morning the actual cooking should be fine. Quite good fun standing at the barbecue with a beer all afternoon!
I should have around 8-10 adults and 4-6 kids.
Maybe I could farm out some of the salad making to others. Friends already asked what they could bring so potato salad and coleslaw could be covered that way. However, I might risk getting pre-packed stuff that way...
I reckon if i can get all the salad stuff ready in the morning the actual cooking should be fine. Quite good fun standing at the barbecue with a beer all afternoon!
Couple of interesting Chickens, big bowl of Fatoush, flatbreads, some tzatziki, houmos a block of feta to crumble over.
No-one, not even the kids will ask for burgers with a flatbread filled with that ^^^^ if you get it right I can guarantee you, and its a piece of piss, leaving ample time for Beer and cocktails.
No-one, not even the kids will ask for burgers with a flatbread filled with that ^^^^ if you get it right I can guarantee you, and its a piece of piss, leaving ample time for Beer and cocktails.
All sounds good. The best advice is just to chill out, get a bit of help from mates on the day. It's a social event, timing's no big deal.
Most importantly, don't try to do anything too quickly or the outside will be black before the middle is warm. Precooking things like chicken can be a winner if you don't have a BBQ specialist to jand.
Most importantly, don't try to do anything too quickly or the outside will be black before the middle is warm. Precooking things like chicken can be a winner if you don't have a BBQ specialist to jand.
Whatever you intend to cook make a point of running meat through the oven on low for a bit before you barbeque. If its 75% cooked before it hits the grill you will feed everyone much quicker freeing you up to enjoy yourself. And, you aren't constantly checking if its cooked properly.
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