BBQ & Summer Hosting
Summer hosting should feel like an exhale
BBQ night is not the time to debut a twelve-step recipe. I keep the grill menu short, prep salads indoors before guests arrive, and always have something cold within arm's reach.
The goal is a spread that looks abundant but asks very little once people are there. Charred corn, chicken you marinated yesterday, and a dessert you bought proudly and plated beautifully. No shame in that.
A menu that lets you sit down
Marinate chicken the night before. Grill corn while the chicken rests. Toss the burrata salad at the last second so it stays creamy and cool against the heat of the grill.
Assign someone else to refill drinks. You are the host, not the catering staff.
Before the first guest arrives
Clear the path to the backyard, set out bug spray and sunscreen like you planned it, and put ice in the bucket early. Stack plates where people can see them.
String lights on, playlist queued, grill preheated. That is most of the job.
When to do what
- Night before Marinate chicken, chop salad ingredients except burrata, chill drinks.
- Two hours before Set the table outside, prep grill, arrange serving platters.
- One hour before Start charcoal or preheat gas grill. Put corn and cold sides in the fridge.
- 30 minutes before Grill chicken. Rest it under foil while you char the corn.
- When guests arrive Pour drinks, toss the salad, let people serve themselves.