Favorite bbq food?

Fun! I find that a flavorful corn salad is always a hit at BBQs. I'm super lazy about my corn salad, so I use the canned corn, which would work well for a group of your size. There's tons of easy corn salad recipes online but I usually end up adding chopped bell peppers, red onion, cilantro, and a lime vinaigrette. If you can find really good tomatoes, it's easy to arrange sliced tomato, mozzarella, and basil on a platter and drizzle with some EVOO and S&P for a simple and substantial side dish. If you're into slicing and dicing, cucumber, tomato, and red onion in a red wine vinaigrette is pretty healthy.

For what it's worth, in my experience, nobody will eat a standard green vegetable salad at a BBQ (unless your party is all people from MFP ).

Grilled fruit drizzled with chocolate or caramel is a tasty dessert for a bbq. Pineapple and peaches are my favorites. Or ice cream with a berry compote.

For sides I typically go for grilled vegetables and/or some type of slaw or grain based salad with a vinaigrette dressing. I steer clear of mayo based salads when eating outside.

I make a bacon horseradish potato salad that is amazing. I use light mayo and no one is the wiser.

Pasta salad with lots of fresh veggies is another easy dish that can be made in large quantities ahead of time.

Baked beans. I just open a few cans of Bush's baked beans and warm in the oven.

Desserts - brownies with ice cream is always a crowd pleaser and super easy (I like betty crocker supreme chocolate chunk.)

I love this Mojito Fruit Salad and grilled corn or a corn salad is a great addition to a bbq.

BBQ chicken! Corn on the cob. Grilled veggie kabobs.

If you have time to spare, one thing that's fun to do is cut out the stem and inside part of a strawberry, fill it with whipped cream (or cool whip or whatever) and top it with a blueberry. OR a quicker option- skewers of strawberry, banana, and blueberries- with whipped cream on the side. Both are healthy, yummy, and patriotic for Memorial Day theme. Strawberry shortcake is another good one- I use angel food cake to make it lighter (and most people seem to prefer it!) The other good thing about fruit "treats" like these are if you end up with leftovers, it still fits a healthy lifestyle! I rarely have leftovers though

Potato salad is always good- for July 4th and Memorial Day BBQs I use red, purple, and yellow potatoes to make a "red, white, and blue" potato salad.

Hungrygirl and Skinnytaste both have great recipes too including a ton of options that are healthier versions of traditionally junky food. These go over GREAT when I have BBQs and parties.

acheben wrote: »

I love this Mojito Fruit Salad and grilled corn or a corn salad is a great addition to a bbq.

That looks delicious!!!! I have to try that.

I agree with the poster that no one eats green salads (not even health conscious people) at parties. With that said, the other suggestions are great. Fruit salads, grilled fruit and veggies and caprese-style salads (tomato, mozzerella, vinegar & evoo) are all good options that are easy and people love. Here is my favorite guacamole recipe (also well-loved!):
First, chop up onions (vidalia or red are best), soak generously in lime juice and set aside (this tremendously cuts their "bite" and is a good technique for other raw onion dishes, too). Carefully scoop the meat out from your avocados and gently blend them with a fork with chopped jalepeno, cilantro, tomatoes (squeeze the juice out so it doesn't get runny), the onion mixture and generous amounts of salt and pepper. The key is to not over work the avocados, less mashing=better guac! Nothing ruins guacamole more than a blender.....

Another yummy treat (for the grownups) is to soak cut up or balled watermelon in flavored vodka (whipped cream vodka is delicious for this!).

Here is another good fruit salad recipe (made up by me but inspired by ethnic fruit stands that serve salted chili mango):
Mix tropical fruits (mango, pineapple, kiwi) with stone fruits (apples, peaches, plums) and toss in a mixture of lime, salt, chili peppers (as hot or mild as you like) and honey. Delicious!