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A full cookout menu — drinks, everything off the grill, the sides that go with it, and something sweet at the end.
There’s a stretch at the end of summer where the evenings go cool but the afternoons are still warm enough to eat outside, and I try to use every one of them.
Not passing round bites standing up — an actual meal, at a table, with the grill going and people sitting down.
This is that menu.
Twenty-seven recipes, organised the way the day actually goes: something cold to drink while the coals heat up, something substantial off the grill, the vegetables and salads that sit next to it, and a cake or a bowl of fruit at the end when nobody wants to move.
Most of it can be prepped ahead.
The salads are better made the day before.
And if you’re hosting over a long weekend, you can spread the work across two days and barely notice it.
Drinks
Start here, because the drinks need to be ready before anyone arrives and the grill needs your attention later. Everything in this section can be made in a pitcher or poured over ice with no shaking.
1
Mango Daiquiri
Blended mango, rum and lime – thick, cold and tropical. Make the mango base ahead and blend with ice as people arrive, or batch the whole thing and keep it in the freezer until it's slushy.
Elderflower, prosecco, mint and lime. Lighter than a spritz and far less sweet than most sparkling cocktails — the one people ask about when they've never had it before.
Fresh berries, sparkling water and a little sweetener. No alcohol, so it works for the kids and for anyone driving home, and it looks like everyone else's drink.
The main event. There’s a mix here — beef, chicken, pork, fish and one pizza — so you can pick one or run two for a bigger crowd.
5
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri
Skirt steak takes high heat and a short cook, which makes it one of the easiest cuts to grill well. Slice it against the grain and spoon chimichurri over the top — the sauce does most of the work.
Marinated beef on skewers with the barbecue sauce added at the end so it caramelises instead of burning. Skewers are the easiest thing to scale — make more, cook in batches.
Chicken skewers served over a crunchy cabbage slaw, so the main and the side arrive on the same plate. Good for a crowd because the slaw is made ahead and the skewers cook in minutes.
Marinated chicken with a peanut sauce for dipping. The marinade does the heavy lifting overnight, and the sauce keeps in the fridge for days — both can be done well before the day.
Thighs are more forgiving than breasts on a grill — more fat, harder to dry out, better colour. This is the recipe to make when you're cooking for people whose timing you can't control.
A dry rub rather than a marinade, which means no dripping and no flare-ups. The rub goes on an hour ahead and the chops take about ten minutes on the grate.
Pizza on the grill, finished with prosciutto and arugula after it comes off so the greens stay fresh. Something different when everyone expects burgers.
While the grill is hot, use it. These go on before or after the main, and most of them are just as good at room temperature — which matters when everything can’t be ready at once.
13
Grilled Eggplant, Zucchini and Peppers Salad
Grilled summer vegetables dressed while still warm so they soak up the dressing. Better after an hour on the table than straight off the grate.
Carrots wrapped in foil and left on the grill to steam and caramelise at the same time. No turning, no attention, and they come out sweeter than roasted.
Grilled vegetables, mozzarella and basil in a sandwich — the vegetarian option that doesn't feel like an afterthought. Press it on the grill for a minute to melt the cheese.
The make-ahead part of the menu. All three are better the day after, which means you can do them entirely the night before and forget about them.
18
Easy Elote Pasta Salad
Everything you like about Mexican street corn, tossed with pasta so it feeds a crowd. Creamy, smoky and tangy — this is the one people ask me to bring again.
Blue cheese dressing made with Greek yogurt instead of a full mayonnaise base. Lighter, tangier, and it works as a dip for raw vegetables as well as a dressing.
You don’t need all twenty-seven. A cookout for eight works with one thing off the grill, two sides, one salad, a sauce and a dessert.
The day before: make the pasta salads, the mango salsa, the dressing, and whichever cake you’ve picked. Marinate the meat.
The morning of: cut the fruit, make the drinks base, prep the vegetables for the grill.
When people arrive: pour drinks, put the vegetables on first, then the main. Everything else is already on the table.
The point of a menu like this is that by the time anyone shows up, you’re not cooking any more. You’re just eating outside while the weather still lets you.
I share simple, mostly low-carb and Keto recipes, that don't take a lot of time to make and use mostly seasonal, easy to find ingredients. I'm a supporter of healthy eating, but you'll also find some indulgent treats too.
