Summer Recipes for a Backyard Barbecue
Category: Recipes

Summer Recipes for a Backyard Barbecue Bash: Part II

More great summer recipes from our readers

We’re hanging on to these last days of summer and sneaking in a few more backyard barbecues! We’ve asked our readers to share their favorite summer barbecue recipes that keep family, friends, and neighbors coming back for more. Enjoy this second installment of delicious, crowd-pleasing dishes! Do you have a good recipe to share? Send it our way! 

Strawberry Salad

Sandra Foster

Ingredients:
  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 1 head Boston lettuce
  • 1 to 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 quart strawberries
  • ½ to ¾ cup chopped pecans

Dressing follows.

Chop lettuce and strawberries in a large bowl. Have pecans and cheese ready, but you won’t add until serving time. Dressing is best when made the night before.

Dressing ingredients:
  • 1 cup oil
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic minced

Shake well then shake well again before serving.

Put all ingredients in your bowl with the lettuce and strawberries, mix and enjoy.


Cool Mint Oreo Brownies

Emily Harris

Ingredients:
  • 1 box brownie mix (my favorite is Ghirardelli® Double Chocolate)
    ingredients listed on brownie box
  • 1 package Mint Oreos®|
  • 1 jar white frosting (vanilla also works)
  • mint extract
  • green food coloring
  • chocolate chips (optional)

Mix brownies according to box instructions. Crush about 6 or 7 Oreos (you can use more if you like) in a bag and stir in with brownie mix. Bake according to box directions. Let completely cool. Stir mint extract in with frosting. I only use a couple of drops, but you can use more if you want a stronger mint flavor. Add food coloring until you get the green color you want. Spread over cooled brownies. Crush more Oreos and spread on top of frosting. If you like, melt chocolate chips and drizzle on top of brownies.

They can be served room temperature, or kept in a refrigerator and served cool.


Spicy Peach Marinated Pork Chops

Michael Westman

Marinade ingredients:
  • ½ cup peach marmalade
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • Juice from one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Whisk all ingredients together.
Pour all but a cup of the marinade over the pork chops (I use a gallon zip lock bag), refrigerate for 4 hours.  Save the unused marinade for basting later.
Take pork chops out of the bag (discard bag) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Grill Pork chops on low to medium heat, turning frequently; use remaining marinade to baste the pork chops every time before turning.


Sopapilla Cheesecake Squares

Robin Covington

Ingredients:
  • 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
  • 2 (8 oz.) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup butter, room temperature
  • ¼ cup honey
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray
Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth
Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9×13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, and then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together ¾ cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.


Won Tons

Kylie Mercer

Ingredients:
  • 1lb. ground sausage (I use mild)
  • ½ bottle buttermilk ranch dressing
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 1 package won ton wrappers (usually found in the organic section)
Directions:

Cook sausage in skillet until done.
Drain sausage and place in a medium-size bowl.
Let sausage cool to room temperature.
Add cheese and ranch dressing.
Mix until well blended.
Place won ton wrappers in muffin tins (wrappers are square, push center of dough down into the muffin tin to make a small bowl).
Place small amount of sausage mixture in won ton.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook for 10 minutes or until won tons are brown on edges.
Makes approximately 36-40 per batch.


Deli Pasta Salad

Nicole Pierce

Ingredients
  • 1 pkg (16 oz.) Rotelle pasta, cooked and drained
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 oz.  pepperoni slices, quartered
  • 4 oz. provolone cheese, chunked
  • ½ cup Italian dressing

Mix it altogether and cover, then refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.


Tuna in Shells

Suzette Donovan

Ingredients:
  • 1 box large pasta shells
  • 2 cans tuna in water
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1 container alfalfa sprouts (about 1 cup)
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tsp dried basil or 4 leaves fresh basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Cook shells according to package directions.
Mix olive oil, vinegar, basil, red pepper flakes, then set aside.
Drain tuna, and then mix tuna, onion, garlic, celery, alfalfa sprouts, and mozzarella cheese.
Add oil and vinegar mixture, and then turn in tomatoes.
Fill shells with mixture.
You can eat right away, or you can refrigerate for later.


Pineapple Pie

Debbie Hudson

Ingredients:
  • 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained very well
  • 1 can Eagle Brand® milk
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 8 oz. Cool Whip®, thawed
  • 2 Graham Cracker pie shells

Mix all ingredients well, and then fold in the Cool Whip®. Divide evenly between the two pie shells, and refrigerate a couple of hours (overnight is best).
You can make this healthier by using fat-free Eagle Brand and Cool Whip.


Amie’s Orzo

Amie Stout

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup uncooked orzo
  • 2 cups baby spinach, chopped and washed
  • 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup Italian dressing (or any light vinaigrette—you can add more or less to taste; the type of dressing used will determine if your salad is sweet or savory)
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook the orzo according to directions on box but don’t add any salt/butter, etc. Drain and rinse.

Combine orzo and remaining ingredients, and then lightly toss.


Banana Pudding

Terri Bell

Ingredients:
  • 1 large vanilla instant pudding
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 – 12 oz. Cool Whip®
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 6 bananas, sliced
  • 1 box Nilla® Wafers

Mix the pudding and milk together, beating until slightly thickened.
Fold in the Cool Whip® and Sour Cream. Stir in bananas.
Line a deep bowl, bottom and up the sides with cookies.
Layer banana mixture and cookies to fill bowl.
Crush several cookies and sprinkle on top for decoration.
Note: This dessert can be made with all combinations of sugar free/low fat/non-fat ingredients, and it’s just as good as with all the fattening ingredients. Enjoy!


Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos

Dustin Wilks

Ingredients:
  • jalapenos (however many you want)
  • cream cheese
  • Applewood-smoked bacon (or any bacon you like)

Slice jalapeños in half, gut to decrease their heat or leave them spicy, your choice.
Fill with cream cheese.
Wrap with bacon (usually a half slice) and use a toothpick to keep together.
Grill and enjoy.


Homemade Ice Cream

Dustin Wilks

Ingredients:
  • 1pt. heavy cream
    3 cans evaporated milk
    3 eggs (beaten)
    2-3 tbsp. vanilla
    3 cups sugar
    1/2 gal. whole milk

Mix ingredients, milk last (won’t be a whole 1/2 gal)
Make with homemade ice cream maker, rock salt, and 2 bags of ice.


Strawberry and Angel Food Cake Trifle

Melanie Evans

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
  • ½ – 2/3 of a whole angel food cake, cubed in 1-inch cubes (may be ready made for a quick dessert!)
  • 1 small box of sugar-free strawberry Jell-O®
  • 1 large tub of Cool Whip®
  • 1 can prepared cream cheesecake frosting

Toss the fresh strawberries in the dry Jell-O powder mix.  Set aside.
Combine the cream cheese frosting with the Cool Whip – less a reserve of 1 ½ to 2 cups to top trifle (if you’d prefer to combine all Cool Whip, then the last layer can be combo mixture.)
Layer 1/3 of the angel food cake in the bottom of a trifle bowl or serving bowl (2-3 quart size), then layer with 1/3 of the strawberries, then layer 1/2 (the last layer will be the reserved Cool Whip) of the cream cheese Frosting/Cool Whip mixture.  Repeat layering with angel food cake, strawberries, and the last layer will be of the reserved Cool Whip.  Optional—serve with whole fresh strawberries on top of trifle.
Note:  The strawberry Jell-O mixture will stain your hands, so you might want to use gloves or a spoon to layer in trifle.  The strawberries will look like you’ve used red sugar to sweeten.
Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.


Mike’s Honey Grilled Chicken

Shelia Baker

Ingredients:
  • 4 boneless breasts, filet in half, or 6 thighs if preferred
  • ½ fresh lemon, juiced
  • ½ fresh lime, juiced
  • ½ fresh orange, juiced
  • ½ stick of butter, melted
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ teaspoon of garlic pepper

Fresh herbs of your choice, chopped (I use basil, oregano, parsley, and sometimes cilantro. You can use dry—it will taste a bit differently.)

Blend your ingredients in a plastic sealed bag, pierce chicken with a fork, and add it to your bag.
Marinate for several hours or overnight.
Cook on a hot grill until done.
With the chicken cut in half, it takes less time to cook. Don’t overcook.


Homemade Ice Cream

Joy Romine-Holloway

Ingredients:
  • 1  2-liter bottle grape soda
  • 2  (16 oz.) cans sweeten condensed milk
  • ice cream machine
  • ice and ice cream salt

Put ice cream container in freezer for 30 minutes prior to mixing.
Pour soda down the side of container, so it will not fizz.
Mix in slowly the 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
Start the ice cream machine.
Takes about 45 minutes to turn into ice cream.
Enjoy.

 

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