Fire Up the Grill for your Hotdog & Hamburger Station

Hotdog & Hamburger Topping Station
Dessert Table

 Our menu (below)  is fun and typical summer fare.  My hubby has a June birthday, so hosting a family cook out is always an easy idea.  Even better if the weather cooperates with sunshine and a warm day.   My family likes the Barbecue printables I found online. I printed them as signs and put them in frames for our table...put a fun spin on it.  

Our menu included:

• Grilled Burgers with Provolone and American cheese
• Hot Dogs with a "Fix your Own Hot Dog Toppings Station"
• My "Famous" Bow tie Pasta Salad with Hard Salami, Cubed Mozzarella, black olives & Italian Dressing
• Fresh Fruit Salad (grapes, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, raspberries) 
• Homemade Macaroni Salad with Mayonnaise, chopped pimento and diced green pepper
• Large relish tray with fresh broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, cut celery and dill ranch dip
• Potato Chips...Kettle and Barbecue (love!)
• Baked Beans with bacon (crock pot)
• Homemade cupcakes and Birthday Cake (yellow and chocolate)
• Large Dispenser of Homemade Sangria with raspberries and pineapple (delish)
• Large tub filled with iced bottled waters, ice tea, colas and various soft drinks..juice boxes for the little ones
• Toppings:  Chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, black and green pimento stuffed olives, pickle relish, sweet pickles, ketchup, various mustards

Quick tips for putting together a fast but fun BBQ:

1.  Never shop without a list.  Mentally think through all you need to make your event a success.
2.  I always make an effort to go with dishes I can prepare ahead of time. I made my pasta salad, fruit salad, vegetable and relish tray the day before, stuck them in the refrigerator until serving time.
3. I made baked beans in my slow cooker the morning of the barbecue, let them cook all day long and you can serve them up in the slow cooker or pour into a pretty bowl before serving.
4. Any baking you need to do can be done the day before too.  Basically, taking advantage of these steps allows you time before your family or friends arrive to chop and dice your toppings and fire up the grill.

Happy Grilling and thanks for stopping by .

                                                                  LakehouseLyn