10 Cookout Ideas: Mains and Sides Edition

Hello friends and happy Monday! I took last week off from blogging so I could catch up on a few things but now I'm back with a few BBQ ideas for your summer. A few are classic, a few are slightly odd in a good way, and all of them belong outside with paper plates! (Note: these are just ideas and not recipes)

1. 1) Classic Cheeseburgers
2. I'll admit it: I'm picky about burgers, mostly because dry ones make me feel personally insulted. Use 80/20 ground beef, form those patties, season right before grilling, and don't squash them like you're mad at them. Add cheese during the final minute so it melts without turning into a waxy blanket. If you set out onions, pickles, and mustard, people will act like you hired catering.

1. 2) Grilled Hot Dogs
2. Hot dogs are underrated because they're easy, and easy gets mistaken for boring. Grill them until they blister a bit, then pile on onions you've cooked until they're sweet and a little smokey. I like setting out a "toppings station" because it keeps people busy while you try to remember where you put the tongs. Also: toast the buns. It's a tiny move with outsized impact.

1. 3) BBQ Chicken Thighs
2. Chicken thighs forgive your mistakes, which is exactly what a holiday cookout needs. Sear them over direct heat, then finish over indirect heat so they cook through without burning the sauce. Brush BBQ sauce late so the sugar doesn't scorch we learned that one the hard way, with a small cloud of regret. The result is juicy, sticky, and basically designed for seconds.

1. 4) Grilled Pork Tenderloin
2. Pork tenderloin is the quiet overachiever of cookouts: quick, tender, and friendly with marinades. You can rub it with garlic, rosemary, salt, and a little brown sugar, then grill until just blushing in the center. If you overcook it, it gets tough, so keep an eye on it and trust a thermometer. Slice thick and serve with a mustardy sauce or chimichurri.

1. 5) Baby Back Ribs
2. Ribs on a holiday can be mildly terrifying if you're trying to do everything on the grill. My favorite compromise: bake low and slow until tender, then finish on the grill for smoke and char. Sauce goes on at the end, or it'll burn and taste like a campfire prank. People love ribs so much they temporarily forget to check their phones.

1. 6) Grilled Corn on the Cob
2. Corn on the grill smells like summer's opening credits. I like leaving it in the husk for a gentle steam, then peeling back and charring a bit for drama. Finish with butter and chili-lime salt, and watch people eat like they haven't had food in weeks. 

1. 7) Baked Beans
2. Baked beans are the side dish that acts like a main if you let it. Start with canned beans if you want to (no shame) and build your flavor with onion, a little molasses, mustard and smoked paprika. I like adding bacon because bacon makes everything taste like you know what you're doing. Let it bake until thick and glossy, the way cookout beans should be.

1. 8) Grilled Vegetable Platter
2. Somewhere between the burgers and the beans, you'll want something green and charred. Grill zucchini, peppers, onions (whatever looks good) and dress with olive oil, salt, and whatever else you like. It's simple, and it tastes like summer gardens even if your "garden" is a grocery store. I've had people pile it on their plates like it's the main event!

1. 9) Classic Pasta Salad
2. Pasta salad can be a limp disappointment unless you treat it with respect. Cook pasta just past al dente (it firms up as it cools), then toss with a zingy dressing while still warm. Add tomatoes, olives, herbs, and little cubes of cheese for interest. It's the kind of side that improves as people keep picking at it. 

1. 10) Classic Deviled Eggs
2. Deviled eggs are the first thing people "just grab one of" and then somehow eight are gone. Mix yolks with mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Dust with paprika if you want them to look cared for. Transport tip: use a deviled egg tray or nestle them in lettuce so they don't slide around like hockey pucks.

I hope these gave you some ideas for your summer cookouts. Stay tuned to tomorrows blog for some yummy (and easy) cookout dessert ideas! 

Much Love,

Beth

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