May Long Weekend Barbecue Ideas

May Long Weekend Barbecue

It’s the May long weekend. The sun is shining, and you’ve invited your friends and family over for some great times on the patio. The question is: what are you going to put on the grill? I mean, hot dogs and hamburgers are tried and true crowd pleasers, but life’s too short not to make something different once and a while. Let’s get creative, and barbecue some mouthwatering creations this year.

Make Some Memorable Marinades

Bring a touch of the Mediterranean to your lamb chops or chicken, with this fabulous marinade from Jamie Oliver. Add olive oil, lemons, garlic, pepper, and rosemary (dried or fresh) to your shopping list. You can also include more herbs, depending on the meat you are grilling. For lamb, mint and oregano add some great flavour. Chicken, on the other hand, always benefits from a bit of sage.

If you prefer to serve your guests some delicious BC salmon, try this honey-soy marinade from Betty Crocker. Ensure that you have the following on hand: brown sugar, butter or margarine, olive or vegetable oil, honey, soy sauce, and garlic. After only an hour in the marinade, your salmon will be ready for the grill.

Go Vegetarian

If some of your guests are vegetarian or concerned about eating healthy, offer some non-meat alternatives at your May long weekend barbecue. Have you heard of Halloumi cheese? It’s now available in local grocery stores, and tastes fabulous when grilled. Here’s a recipe for Halloumi kebabs with thyme & lemon baste from Good Food magazine. After you pick up your cheese, make sure to grab some zucchini, a red onion, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, lemons, thyme, and Dijon mustard. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be prepared up to half a day in advance.

Another way to include more vegetables at your barbecue is to prepare a few salads. For some fabulous ideas, check out “8 Awesome Salads to Bring to a Barbecue”.

Break Out the Cocktail Shaker

This May long weekend barbecue wouldn’t be complete without some tasty bevvies. While wine, coolers, and beer are definitely good to have on hand, why not transport your guests to Hawaii with some retro tiki cocktails? Discover how to make a mai tai, zombie, blue Hawaiian, and more here. Don’t forget to buy some little umbrellas, funky stir sticks, and cool glassware to make the cocktail experience just a little more fun!

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May Long Weekend Barbecue Ideas

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May Long Weekend = out with winter weather and in with Summer fun!

For Canadians, this Victoria Day Holiday represents the beginning of gardening, camping, road trips, patio sipping, outdoor activities, social gatherings, beaches, lakes and of course plenty of sunshine! Hopefully routine goes out the door and entertaining picks up a notch or two. So, to kick off the start to another fabulous Summer we researched 6 easy Potluck dishes you can make (or bring) to your Backyard BBQ that will be sure to WOW your friends and family and have them coming back for more!

Martha Martha Martha…does it again with this beautifully presented 7 Layer Salad!

The visual impact alone will draw your friends to this colorful salad. A well-balanced addition to any backyard BBQ. You can prep this salad in the morning and dress it up just in time for your hungry company! Prep time: 35 minutes. Serves 12.

Click here for the full recipe

Super easy Southwest Taco Lasagna

Mmmm…cheese, beans, ground beef/turkey, tortillas and more cheese…you can never go wrong with anything cheesy! With only 20 minutes to prepare and a short list of ingredients this will be a definite hit with the young and old alike. Be prepared to NOT take home any leftovers ☹

Click here for the full recipe

Oriental Coleslaw

This is not your traditional coleslaw recipe. This Asian inspired version has been around for a while and is a definite crowd pleaser. All you need is Raman noodles, a package of shredded Cabbage/Carrots, Almonds, Sunflower Seeds and Green Onions…the rest of the ingredients are probably in your cupboard already. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and just needs a quick toss before serving. No doubt you will be asked for this recipe.

Step by step here

Crockpot Kielbasa Bites

With a 5-minute prep time and ONLY 3 ingredients this is the perfect choice for those who don’t have much time in their crazy day. Head to your community grocery store and pick up 2 Kielbasa sausage, Sweet Baby Ray BBQ Sauce and a package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, throw it in the crockpot and 2 hours later it will be gobbled up. Don’t forget the toothpicks! Serves 12.

Click here for yum

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Grilled Chicken with Nectarine, Red Onion and sweet Basil Relish

Fire up the Grill! It’s all about the flavor combinations in this recipe. Just add a few more ingredients from your pantry and this delicious chicken dish will have your guest’s taste buds tingling. Prep time 15 minutes and serves only 4 so you may want to double this recipe.

Click here for the full recipe

Let’s not forget the Dessert!

How about a scrumptious Strawberry Cheesecake Salad slash Desert that has only 6 ingredients?!

Okay this is a “must make” at my next BBQ. You can’t go wrong with juicy Strawberries, bananas, cool whip, mini marshmallows, yogurt and a box of cheesecake mix. Get in my tummy! Prep time: 15 minutes. Devour time: 2!

A sure kid and adult pleaser