The summer grilling season may be winding down, but there’s still room for you to host one more backyard bash for your family and friends. Today, we’re helping you throw the Great American Barbecue, where we’ve thought of everything you need from drinks to dessert for the perfect BBQ. We’ve even got an opportunity for you to win an Amazon gift card so you can buy the party supplies!
The Great American Barbecue is a virtual potluck hosted by 13 fabulous bloggers to bring you wonderful picnic recipes and ideas. We’ve taken all the work out of planning the Great American Barbecue for you and your friends including drinks, appetizers, meats to grill, side dishes and desserts. Each blogger brought a different recipe or idea as their “dish to pass”. We even included an easy DIY utensil caddy and a fun outdoor activity for the kids. If that’s not enough, we’re also giving away a $130 Amazon Gift Card at the end of the party so one lucky winner can buy any remaining supplies he or she needs to throw the perfect backyard bash!
Refreshing Drinks to Welcome Your Guests
Whether your guests arrive from across town, out of town or from the house next door, the first thing a good host always does is offer them a cool, refreshing beverage.
Make Ahead Frozen Lemon Berry Slush {adult and kid versions}
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Get the Party Started with Appetizers
With a beverage in hand, your guests will need something to munch on while the main dish is cooking on the grill.
Bruschetta with Whipped Feta and Grilled Crostini
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Dana from This Silly Girl’s Life
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The Main Event – Fresh from the Grill
What would a barbecue be if you didn’t have meat to throw on the grill? For the Great American Barbecue, we’ve got two fabulous options for you!
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Angela from Handmade in the Heartland
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Chipotle Lime Chicken Skewers with Avocado Ranch
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Perfect Potluck Side Dishes
A barbecue always needs a few great side dishes to accompany the main meal. We’ve got pasta, potatoes and a green salad all ready for the making!
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Carrie from Ideas for the Home by Kenarry™
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Shauna from The Best Blog Recipes
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Delicious Crowd-Pleasing Desserts
How many of you head straight for the dessert table when you get to a barbecue? With desserts like these, it’s easy to see why.
Oreo White Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Ashlyn from Belle of the Kitchen
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Serving Your Guests in Style
Once you’ve got the food prepared and set up along your buffet, you’ll need to make the silverware easily accessible for your guests. Here’s an easy way to do that with something you already have on hand!
Upcycled Utensil Caddy (As of March 2019, this website is no longer available.)
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Katie from View from the Fridge
A Fun Activity for the Kids
No detail has been spared as we planned the perfect barbecue for you. We even have a fun game for the kids that’s easy to make!
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Courtney from Crafts by Courtney
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Enter to Win an Amazon Gift Card
We’ve tried to think of everything from drinks to desserts for the perfect Great American Barbecue, but now’s your chance to win a $130 Amazon gift card so you can buy all the supplies you need.
Giveaway Rules: The prize has been sponsored by the hosts of the Great American Barbecue. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM ET on September 2, 2014. All entrants must provide a valid e-mail address and be 18 years old. The giveaway is open worldwide. One lucky winner will be randomly chosen from among the entrants and notified via e-mail. The winner has 48 hours to respond via e-mail to claim the prize or another winner will be selected. The $130 Amazon gift card will be issued via e-mail by Carrie at Ideas for the Home by Kenarry™. The hosts and their immediate family members are not eligible to win. Odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Please read the complete terms and conditions on the Rafflecopter form. If you have any questions, please contact Carrie at ideas at kenarry dot com before entering the giveaway. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
What your favorite dish or activity to bring to a backyard barbecue?
Cheryl Rogers says
August 20, 2014 at 8:50 amI make a killer coleslaw! I love to make it for the family!
Carrie says
August 20, 2014 at 12:00 pmOoooh! I bet your whole family looks forward to your coleslaw when you come to the summer potluck, Cheryl.
Cathy French says
August 20, 2014 at 11:24 amThe best dish to bring to a bbq is my famous califlower salad. The best thing to make on the grill is pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon and brushed with maple syrup.
Carrie says
August 20, 2014 at 11:57 amCauliflower salad sounds delicious, Cathy! Thanks for sharing.
lesley says
August 20, 2014 at 12:19 pmi just like simple things like potato salad and coleslaw
Carrie says
August 20, 2014 at 8:43 pmThey are tried and true, aren’t they, Lesley? I think it’s almost expected you’d find those two at a barbecue or summer picnic.
Stacey Roberson says
August 20, 2014 at 12:22 pmI make these spicy chicken tortilla roll-ups, which are stuffed with spicy shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese and scallions. They are amazing!
Carrie says
August 20, 2014 at 8:42 pmYour chicken tortilla roll-ups DO sound amazing, Stacey! I bet they’re a big hit with your friends!
jamie says
August 20, 2014 at 7:22 pmI love Potato and Macronie salad and BBQ chicken!!
Thanks for the give-away!! Hope I win!!
Carrie says
August 20, 2014 at 8:42 pmPotato and macaroni salad are some of our favorites too, Jamie! Did you see we brought an Easy Macaroni Salad as our “dish to pass” for the barbecue?
James Robb says
August 21, 2014 at 2:36 pmCesar Salad
Carrie says
August 23, 2014 at 4:23 pmGreat choice, James!
Raina DelRio says
August 22, 2014 at 2:50 pmMy favorite dish to bring to a barbecue is baked beans.
Carrie says
August 23, 2014 at 4:22 pmOooh! I like baked beans too, Raina – especially when they have nice crispy bacon on top.
abedabun dawn says
August 22, 2014 at 9:47 pmMy favorite food is grilled corn on the cob!
Carrie says
August 23, 2014 at 4:21 pmThat sounds delicious. I don’t think I’ve ever tried it on a grill, only boiled!
abedabun dawn says
August 23, 2014 at 6:57 pmAhhhh! You have got to try it! Pull the shucks back, remove the silk, rub butter over the entire corn, season with your favorite seasoning (I like salt, pepper and paprika), pull the shucks back over the corn, tie the shucks closed if needed (most of the time this is not necessary). Place on the grill first. It should be done by the time everything else is done. Google grilling corn on the cob, Im sure there are plenty of recipes out there.
Carrie says
August 25, 2014 at 12:46 pmThanks for sharing the instructions for how to do it. We’ve been loving all the fresh corn from my Dad’s garden this week. We’ll have to try it grilled one of these days. It sounds delicious.
Benny Sequeira says
August 24, 2014 at 8:35 amMy favorite is grilled spicy chicken.
Carrie says
August 25, 2014 at 12:45 pmHi Benny! Great to hear from you! Grilled spicy chicken sounds great. Do you just do chicken breasts or other chicken parts too?
Benny Sequeira says
August 26, 2014 at 3:41 amI do drumsticks or chicken breasts.
Natasha S says
August 24, 2014 at 8:39 amGrilled hotdogs with mustard and ketchup.
Carrie says
August 25, 2014 at 12:45 pmMy two boys would totally pick this as their favorite summer barbecue dish too, Natasha!
A Gupta says
August 24, 2014 at 8:40 amI love grilled kebabs.
Carrie says
August 25, 2014 at 12:44 pmYou know, I love kebabs too, but I never think to make them. Great idea!
Vickie says
August 24, 2014 at 8:08 pmso many things come to mind..but, I get asked to bring my scratch over 100 year old family recipe of southern baked beans and potato salad the most.
Carrie says
August 25, 2014 at 12:44 pmYou can trace back your family’s recipe for southern baked beans over 100 years? Wow! What a special tradition, Vickie!
Vickie says
August 25, 2014 at 1:31 pmThanks..all my old timey recipes are that old! My granny was born in 1910. She taught me to cook..she didn’t have my mom until in her 40’s..therefore, I got to know and love her..and all her 11 brothers and sisters all great Georgia/Florida cooks. 🙂
Vickie says
August 25, 2014 at 1:33 pmI do feel blessed! 🙂
Carrie says
August 26, 2014 at 3:32 pmWhat a neat legacy, Vickie! I have a few family recipes that have been passed down to me too – but how special you got to learn the recipes right from her. 🙂
BETH DUNLAVY HOPPE says
August 25, 2014 at 1:09 pmI love to bring some yummy coleslaw and watermelon
Carrie says
August 26, 2014 at 3:32 pmWhat great classics for a summer potluck, Beth! Thanks for sharing.
Amy says
August 28, 2014 at 11:27 amI love bringing a fancy desert because that way it doesn’t stay at my house!
Carrie says
August 29, 2014 at 8:57 amGreat idea, Amy! Then you get to enjoy the dessert without having to worry about consuming the leftovers. Perfect!
kim thorne says
August 31, 2014 at 12:35 pmhamburgers
Carrie says
August 31, 2014 at 2:15 pmWe just grilled hamburgers last night, Kim! Great choice.
carol easterday says
August 31, 2014 at 7:00 pmI always bring the desserts and a side dish
Gina B says
September 1, 2014 at 2:19 pmQuinoa salad!
Ronald G says
September 2, 2014 at 10:09 amHas to be ribs..what can compare?
Carrie says
September 2, 2014 at 2:38 pmTrue, Richard! Very true. Did you see the great recipe for Fall Off the Bone BBQ Ribs from Handmade in the Heartland that’s part of this Great American Barbecue?
Janis Gibel says
September 2, 2014 at 10:16 amSpinach-artichoke dip and Kings Hawaiian bread.
Carrie says
September 2, 2014 at 2:37 pmYum! Love spinach artichoke dip, Janis!
tammigirl says
September 2, 2014 at 12:55 pmI bring the cake pops, the cobbler and the rolls.
I always hope it will be my mother who brings the potato salad. 🙂
Carrie says
September 2, 2014 at 2:37 pmYou bring cake pops! Wow. I always think they look amazing. Are they difficult to make?
tammigirl says
September 2, 2014 at 2:39 pmThey are not difficult to make as much as they are very labor intensive. You definitely need to plan a block of a few hours (after your cake is completely cooled) to work on them.
Carrie says
September 2, 2014 at 2:40 pmHmmm… with two little guys at home, extra time isn’t available these days, but I really ought to give it a try when they’re a little older. Thanks for sharing, Tammi!
Destiny says
September 2, 2014 at 2:48 pmMy favorite activity to bring is of course cards! Love to play a game of cards.
Carrie says
September 2, 2014 at 4:30 pmSo fun, Destiny! Do you have a favorite card game you like to play? My family always seems to play euchre when we’re together.
Destiny says
September 2, 2014 at 6:12 pmWell, UNO is our all time favorite card game to play. Like that’s our go to card game, and I like to think I’m the best at the game. Lol, but when it comes to a regular deck of cards we like to play games like speed and slam. I’m not too good when it comes to more advanced games when playing cards. But we also do board games such as monopoly, life, clue, last chance, etc etc. Basically pretty much anything that’s fun and entertaining for everyone we’ll play it.
Carrie says
September 2, 2014 at 8:11 pmI bet your family gatherings are a blast, Destiny! We love UNO too. Thanks for sharing.
Marta A Bilingual Baby blog says
September 2, 2014 at 3:07 pmI usually bring some wine and a cake. Thanks!
Carrie says
September 2, 2014 at 4:30 pmI like the way you think, Marta – wine AND dessert! Perfect!
Shannon F says
September 2, 2014 at 7:08 pmI love bringing Mini Strawberry Shortcakes!
Carrie says
September 2, 2014 at 8:10 pmHow fun, Shannon! Are they easy to transport?
Shannon F says
September 2, 2014 at 11:14 pmI usually bring the separate ingredients: whipped topping, strawberry (already sugared) and shortcake, and let everyone put them together themselves so they are fresh! They’re always a pretty big hit!
Carrie says
September 3, 2014 at 9:22 amAhhh… so that’s the secret! GREAT idea to bring it all separately and then assemble on site.
Piroska says
September 2, 2014 at 7:42 pmI make a wicked German Potato Salad!
Carrie says
September 2, 2014 at 8:10 pmIsn’t it great to have a specialty? I’m bringing my easy macaroni salad to a neighborhood pig roast this weekend.
Heather B says
September 2, 2014 at 7:57 pmI usually bring the desserts. For a BBQ, I would probably make a Death by Chocolate Poke Cake.
Carrie says
September 2, 2014 at 8:09 pmDeath by Chocolate Poke Cake! That sounds amazing, Heather B.
Spectre (@Spectreoutreach) says
September 2, 2014 at 9:22 pmthat would be all out water gun battle activity!
Carrie says
September 3, 2014 at 9:23 amOh boy! I bet you have quite the fun at your backyard barbecues. Everyone better bring dry clothes along with their dish to pass!
Angela Cash says
September 2, 2014 at 10:11 pmMy favorite dish to bring to a backyard BBQ is a tropical fruit salad with citrus-mint vinaigrette. Light & refreshing!
Carrie says
September 3, 2014 at 9:22 amThat sounds so summer-y, Angela! Thanks for sharing.
Karen Marie Kedzuch says
September 3, 2014 at 12:22 amCarrie,
We have an awesome corn hole game my son made. So I would think that would be fun for many ages. How are you? I love the concept of this giveaway and blog post. Let me know when you are doing it again. I would love to bring something to the party.
Have a Creative Day,
Karen Marie
Dragonfly & Lily Pads
Carrie says
September 3, 2014 at 9:21 amHi Karen, I’m so glad you came by for the barbecue. I don’t have any immediate plans to organize another one, but we recently started accepting guest posts on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry™. If you’ve got a great “dish to pass” with big bright pictures you’d like to share with our readers, we’d love to have you. Thanks, Carrie
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
September 7, 2014 at 9:51 pmLove this! I would be happy to go to a bbq with all these yummy foods! This is such an awesome roundup! We usually bring ribs or an appetizer.
Carrie says
September 8, 2014 at 7:45 pmYou usually bring ribs? Remind me to invite you next time we host a barbecue! 😉 Thanks for stopping by, Michelle. It’s great to see you over here at Kenarry.