The Best Menu for a Backyard Cookout

YAY! Spring is finally here! That means warmer, longer days and many opportunities to spend time outside with your friends and family. What better way to do that than to have a backyard bbq. Everyone loves a good cookout so why not host one and invite everyone over for a good time. Here is one of the best menus for a backyard cookout.

Meat- It does not really matter what kind of meat you serve as long as it has been cooked on your wonderful grill. Everything tastes better when it's cooked on a grill. For us, we do a lot of hamburgers and hotdogs cooked on the grill during the summertime. Also the occassional steak seared to perfection is thrown in throughout those warm summer months. You can cook anything that you can think of from kabobs, fish, pork, ribs and even a variety of vegetables.

Potato Salad- Potato salad is always a staple on the menu for a backyard cookout here in the south. We never have a cookout without it. Some people also have other types of "salads" like macaroni salad but I will always prefer a good potato salad. If you don't know how to make potato salad then a simple and easy recipe is as follows:

4 cups of diced potatoes; boiled until tender

2 tablespoons of mayonaisse

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 boiled egg; chopped up

Combine all ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until time to serve.

Cole Slaw- Cole slaw is another menu item that always seems to be at a backyard cookout here in the south. Cole slaw is wonderful for those cookouts that have burgers and hotdogs. I love a good slawdog. Like potato salad, everyone has their own recipe for cole slaw. Some people put everything in their fridge in cole slaw, while others like to keep it simple. Here is my favorite, simple, cole slaw recipes.

1 small head of cabbage; chopped fine in a food processor

2 tablespoons mayonaisse

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the chopped cabbage with the mayo and add the salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until time to serve.

Baked Beans- Baked beans can be as easy or as time consuming as you prefer. I, myself, like to just open up a can of baked beans and heat them in the microwave right before serving. While others prefer to make then from scratch. No matter how you prepare them, they are great with almost any backyard cookout meal.

Chips & Dips- Chips and dips are generally considered party foods, so why not have them at your backyard cookout. A cookout is just a big outside party, after all. For small gatherings, chips can take the place of potato salad. For large gatherings it's probably better to have both in order to make sure everyone gets something that they like. You can also set out some tortilla chips and salsa for the crowd.

Drinks- Drinks are a necessity at any get-together, especially a cookout. Some people keep it simple with sodas, bottled waters and sweet tea. Others like to have adult drinks like beer, wine and mixed drinks. Only you can decide which is right for you and the group of people who will be at your cookout. The time of day is also a factor in whether or not your would want to serve alcoholic beverages. Evening cookouts are more popular times to serve alcohol than if you were having a lunchtime/mid-day cookout.

Condiments- As with any party, a backyard cookout is not complete without condiments. Make sure that you don't forget anything that could be a popular topping for whatever you are cooking on the grill that day. For burgers and hotdogs you will want ketchup, mustard, mayo, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, relish and anything else that you can think of. Make sure you have a wide variety of condiments to make sure that your guests have options.

Desserts- Desserts at a backyard cookout don't have to be extravegent affairs. You can even have your guests bring different goodies for everyone to try. For an easy cookout dessert you can set out a fruit tray filled with the most in-season fruits available. You can set out some yogurt for dipping. Try to make sure that you don't set out the desserts until right before you want everyong to enjoy them. Most desserts need to stay cold so don't have them sitting out for too long.

When it comes to a backyard cookout always remember to have plenty of food and drinks for your guests no matter what type of food and drinks you are serving. The whole point in having a backyard cookout is to have fun with friends and family while sharing the love of good food. Have a good time with whatever you fire up on the grill and enjoy your time together.