I bet many of you will be hosting cookouts this coming week as well as throughout the summer so I thought I would share a fun recipe and some tips for when you are hosting the party.
So fire up the grill and consider these tips:
*Prepare items ahead of time: Tackle the marinating, chopping, preparing side dishes & even having your plates, napkins and condiments ready the evening prior to your cookout.
*Serve the food and drinks buffet style
*Consider serving food in phases with kids going first.
*Clean the grill ahead of time!
*Get your guests involved. It is always a bummer being stuck alone at the grill. Therefore, make the grill part of the entertainment: Try grilling unique foods as this will always draw a crowd around you. Try grilling:
Pineapple: Oh my, if you are craving something naturally sweet, grill some pineapple as they become even sweeter and the way they caramelize is truly divine.
Octopus: Talk about impressing a crowd!
Potatoes: My grandma used to wrap them in foil and we would go crazy in anticipation. To speed up the process, use baby red or quarter your potato of choice.
Pizza: Yes, pizza. I am sure you have heard of this phenomenon. you.must.do.it. Can you imagine the looks on your friends faces, when you serve a grilled Thai pizza?
Lettuce: Yes, you read lettuce. Look what I made and trust me, it will be a hit!
Ingredients:
2 heads of organic romaine lettuce
1 teaspoon olive oil
Pinch of coarse salt and ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped feta
1/3 cup sliced organic grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped olives
Directions:
1. Preheat the grill at medium to medium-high heat.
2. Cut each head of romaine lettuce lengthwise, brush a thin layer of olive oil on the cut side and dust with a bit of salt and black pepper.
3. Place the romaine lettuce, cut side down on the grill and cook for about 2-3 minutes, when you have some nice brown grill marks.
4. Scatter the feta, tomatoes and olives on top and cut up for serving.
These are just a few of my tips for grilling while also being the host. I would love if you would share your tips with me! One of my lucky readers who answers below will win a $25 Sears Gift Card!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
candice says
That looks simply amazing! Yum!
jodi says
We tend to grill everything ahead of time and then reheat on a low fire. Not good for burgers, but fine for ribs and chicken. Also, I agree with you, we definitely feed the kids first!