There are three main components to a backyard party – Food, Fun, and Frosty Beverages. For the Fun, you can check out some of our other articles around great dice games for your backyard and games you can play in the dark. I’m sure that you can take care of the Frosty Beverages part, which leaves us only with the Food.
Now Food at a party can be a challenge. You don’t want to throw a party in order to just be the cook! Standing at the grill all day might be a long standing tradition, but wouldn’t you rather be chatting and socializing with your guests, or being part of that Fun we mentioned earlier? With this in mind, let’s look at 10 backyard party foods that will be easy to put together, easy to prepare early, and won’t get too much in the way of you enjoying your party.
Most of these dishes will require a couple of minutes to bring together and bring out during the party but we’ve tried to pick dishes that would take you away from your guests for less than five minutes.
Of note before we begin – what we’re targeting here is real backyard party food. This usually means something hot, and usually meaty. There are a million blogs out there that will tell you what kind of salad you can make before you have people over, but what we’re trying to do is make backyard parties exactly what they should be – just easier.
For backyard parties I also lean towards the disposable – especially if compostable or recyclable. Where we live there is weekly compost and recycling pickup so when we do backyard parties we make sure that the cooking and eating is done on disposable dishes that can avoid the landfill.
Ready for the food? Here we go:
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Food 1: Slow Cooker Hot Dogs
I have a dirty secret to admit – I don’t like barbecued hot dogs. To me, they’re just okay and not what I would ever choose to apply flame to. I much prefer the taste of a hot dog cooked on indirect heat or even boiled – when the skin of the hot dog isn’t significantly change by fire.
Given that, hot dogs are a classic backyard party food – along with burgers, they are probably the most classic food for your backyard party – and I wouldn’t ever want to exclude them from the backyard. The perfect solution for me was learning how to cook hot dogs in a slow cooker. I really enjoy the texture of the hot dogs cooked this way and it allows you to make them ahead so you don’t need to spend time away from your guests before dinner.
Slow cooker hot dogs are also going to be the easiest cook ahead recipe on this list – in 3 simple steps;
- Place the right number of hot dogs for you party in your slow cooker. Depending on the size, you could easily do 20, 30, 40, or even 60 hot dogs at a time.
- Turn on the slow cooker. Let that puppy cook for 3-4 hours on low or 1-2 hours on high. When the ends of the hot dogs start popping, you know it’s done.
- Turn down to the Keep Warm setting and serve when ready!
Given how easy this is to make ahead, put out buns and all your favorite fixings just before serving. Use paper plates and disposable utensils, and cleanup is relegated to just the crock pot!
Food 2: Make Ahead Sliders
Let’s say that you are interested in burgers for your backyard party, but aren’t interested in flipping them while your guests continue with the fun and games. The perfect solution in my mind? Sliders.
While they don’t have the heft of regular burgers, you can make a lot of them in one pan. They don’t take very long to cook, so if you’re going to have a larger party, make up a few pans in advance and then thrown them on one after the other in order to keep the food flowing. You won’t have to guard the grill while they’re cooking – just set a timer on your phone and take them to the table as the next batch goes on.
I base my make ahead sliders on this recipe here. I like the onion base, and serving them off the tray with buns and condiments on the side make them act more like burgers than sliders.
The major differences when I make these sliders for my backyard parties is I use a disposable pan, and use my gas grill as an oven. I use a medium-high/off/medium-high setting to get to 425 degrees on my grill and use shredded cheese on top. I use a pizza cutter instead of a spatula to separate – just make sure you don’t press too hard and cut through the disposable pan!
If you need more sliders than you can fit in one pan, it’s easy to stack the pans and run them through the grill one after the other.
Food 3: Meatballs
Meatballs are another perfect backyard food – mostly because they can be turned into meatball subs! Prepare the meatballs cold in advance, and when it’s about time to eat pre-heat the BBQ to cook them. Use aluminium foil to create a package for the meatballs and cook on your grill. While this recipe is heavily branded, it’s a good basis for how to get meatballs on the plate for your backyard party. Tweak the recipe for your own tastes.
When your meatballs are ready, serve with fresh sausage or hot dog rolls and shredded cheese. Optionally, add diced onions and hot peppers as sides.
Food 4: Barbecue Slow Cooker
Your barbecue can be your most versatile cooking tool. Need fast, direct heat to sear that beautiful steak? Check! Need indirect heat to do a little baking? Check! Need low and slow indirect heat to break down those connective tissues and make mouth-watering slow cooked foods? Check!
With your barbecue you actually have two options when it comes to slow cooking. The standard method would be to use indirect heat and smoke in order to slow cook (or barbecue!) your food. Less traditionally, you can grab a couple of disposable pans and a pan lid and replicate what you could complete in your slow cooker inside.
This will be an easier task on the gas grill, as you’ll have better and more accurate temperature control. On a charcoal grill you’ll have to work with the vent to manage the temperature properly
To accomplish the outside slow cooker, first choose your favorite slow cooker recipe and do all the prep required. Instead of putting it in your slow cooker vessel, put it in a doubled-up disposable foil pan. Pre-heat your BBQ to 300 degrees and make sure one or two of the elements are off (if you’re using a gas grill). Follow instructions on the recipe to get to delicious outside slow cooker goodness.
If your recipe calls for your slow cooker on high, you are targeting 300 degrees. If you are looking for low temperature you’re targeting 190 degrees.
Food 5: Casserole on the BBQ
Just like your barbecue can be used to slow cook, it can also be used as a standard oven to cook a delicious casserole. In advance prepare the casserole and stick it in the fridge – and when it’s time to entertain pull it out and throw it on the BBQ! Extra points again for preparing it in recyclable foil dishes to make cleanup a snap.
You can basically choose any casserole, as you’ll be cooking on indirect heat and can cover as required. If you’re looking for suggestions you can try a ground beef casserole, a pasta casserole like lasagna, a potato casserole, or even a keto casserole.
To prep the barbecue make sure it’s clean and preheat it as you would to cook for any direct heat meal. For a gas grill you can then turn off the middle element and set the outside elements to medium for a box temperature about 350 degrees. If you need higher or lower, adjust as necessary.
When you pull the casserole out of the BBQ you’re going to be serving it directly on the table so a little prep helps. If you’re concerned about what’s already on the grill or the strength of the pan make sure you have a standard sheet pan ready to receive the pan directly from the frill.
Food 6: Loaf Sandwiches
I love classic Jamie Oliver. I used to watch his food shows and my mouth would water with the different pastas, meats, and desserts he would whip up.
In one of the greatest shows I had ever seen, Jamie created a sandwich out of a loaf of focaccia bread and sliced it into wedges as if for a picnic. I thought to myself – that is a winner for any backyard party. He’s got an article here about loaf type sandwiches which is short and worth reading.
While my family often disagrees with me on sandwich toppings, my favorite follows here. You can use any kinds of toppings you want, but if it’s not this, you’re just wrong.
Grab a crusty loaf of bread from the local baker and split it in half. Scoop out some of the middle (Jamie recommends saving that for breadcrumbs or croutons) and fill it with prosciutto, chicken or turkey, shredded cheddar (the older the better), olives, roasted red peppers, and hot banana peppers.
When the filling is packed tight in there, put the top back on and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store it in the fridge overnight with something pressing down on it so the flavors meld together properly.
When it’s party time, pull out the loaf and slice it into appropriate size handhelds. Put it on a platter or leave it on the cutting board and serve.
Food 7: Taco Casserole
Tacos are classic party food, but sometimes you just don’t want to deal with the work of delivering tacos to your party – especially if it means preparing everything inside while your guests party outside.
As an alternative I present the idea of a taco casserole. Packed with the same flavors as tacos but prepared in advance so that you don’t spend a ton of time away from your guests.
Taco casserole can take several forms, but my favorite serves up like a lasagna (you can find a recipe here) with that taco deliciousness. This can be cooked outside on the BBQ (see food 5) or in the oven and transfer to the table outside. Top with taco toppings and serve with ice cold beer and you’ve got a fantastic combination for any party.
Food 8: Skewers / Shish Kebabs
Call them skewers, call them shish kebabs – call them whatever you like, as long as you call them delicious. These are bamboo or metal sticks or skewers that are pushed through meat and vegetables in order to make a fantastic (and potentially balanced) meal.
You can build the kebabs using any kind of recipe – standard beef and peppers, chicken and mushroom, Greek chicken, or anything else that might come to mind. Skewers are very forgiving, and are simply applying heat to food.
The problem with preparing skewers or kebabs for a party is that they need constant attention – constantly being turned in order to avoid burning one side. This means concentration on cooking and not on your guests.
There are a couple of solutions for this, and both depend on you having a rotisserie. If your barbecue didn’t come with one you can pick one up at Amazon or your local hardware store.
With the rotisserie you have two choices. One is the more classic skewer/kebab plate that attaches to your rotisserie, and the other is a kebab basket – which accomplishes the same thing but cooks in a basket rather than with a skewer through the meat.
Food 9: Southwest Lentil Nachos
A family favorite of ours – with a little twist. This is a recipe we use all the time – whether we’re eating outside or not.
Everyone loves nachos but it’s a problem delivering them for a backyard party. Getting them prepped and out the door requires time that would be better used hanging out with your guests.
To alleviate this, we start with a southwest lentil and rice bake. On its own, this is a delicious dish that could be served straight up and your guests would be happy. We’ve passed this on to friends who do eat it that way – just pull out a spoon and dig it.
What we love it to take it to the next level. To do this you’re going to have to make some purchases before the party to include nacho chips (we go for the hint of lime), sour cream, guacamole, and some fresh toppings. Before your party prepping diced peppers, tomatoes, green onions, etc… and store them in the fridge until it’s time to eat.
When it’s time to eat put out the chips, sour cream, guac, and fresh toppings. Serve the lentil bake on each plate and your guests use the chips to scoop out the deliciousness.
Food 10: Barbecue Finished Ribs
For all the foods above, I have tried to keep the time you spend away from your guests to a minimum – good backyard party food that doesn’t keep you away. For this last food, we’re going to move away from that a little – only because it’s worth it.
Now I’m not a big ribs fan. It’s terrible to admit but when it comes to barbecue, I’d much rather have a brisket or chicken. That being said, the one way I do like to eat ribs are those that have been slow cooked for a long, long time and then finished on the grill.
There’s something about the amazing texture, the fall apart and fall off the bone meat, and the amazing sauce that you get when you grill ribs after they soak it up for hours.
My wife has forbidden the sharing of the amazing recipe, but you can find many out there that come close. This is a great example. If I can ever get her to change her mind I’ll post it.
Barbecue finished ribs cook for 8-10 hours in the slow cooker, and then 15-20 minutes on the grill. While that is a sacrifice, it’s definitely worth it. And as Alton Brown says – your patience will be rewarded.
Other Foods
Outside of the main dishes above, you’re going to need some side dishes to round out the food. Vegetables, salads, salty, crunchy – whatever you think will complement the main course. Sides are classically easy to make in advance and store in the fridge until it’s time to dig in.
When writing this article, I considered adding foods like sous vide steak and other that required specialized equipment, but decided to keep it really simple. I figured most people would have a barbecue and a slow cooker, which would form the basis of the foods to make ahead here.
There are lots of very fancy other foods that you can make that will save you time while entertaining in your backyard – and I encourage you to go and look for them! The best part about finding a new food is the chance to hold a new party. Now go out and enjoy your backyard!