Easy Recipes For Outdoor Entertaining

!±8± Easy Recipes For Outdoor Entertaining

One of the best things about summer is being able to throw a party in the backyard. Whether it be a family BBQ, a graduation of Father's day party of even a 4th of July festival, summer parties are awesome. I love stringing up tiki lights, dreaming up a theme and whipping up the food. Since I can fit more people in my outdoor space than inside my house, I can invite more people. Something about the sultry summer air just invites people to linger and chat.

For Father's day, grill some steaks or ribs with a side or corn to show dad you love him. For a graduation party a stack of burgers will keep the young adult crown happy. For dessert, consider homemade ice cream on top of warm brownies. Top them with chocolate sauce and salty peanuts tin roof sundae style.

For 4th of July, how about slow roasting a brisket, or pork should for BBQ beef sandwiches or pulled pork sandwiches? I love a North Carolina style pork sandwich with vinegary BBQ sauce and a coll and crispy topping of coleslaw. For 4th of July, berries are on season so you can serve red white and blue ice cream sundaes with strawberry and blueberry sauces.

A luau is a great theme for a summer party. Serve mai tais with fruit spears and tiny umbrellas. Grill shrimp on skewers alternated with pineapple chunks. String up the tiki lights, put out some grass skirts and coconut tops ans see if anyone is brave enough to model. If you have plenty of time and space roast a pig, either in a pit in the ground kalua style or rent a rotisserie and cook it over hot coals. Be sure to allow enough time for this, because a party can get out of hand if the pig doesn't get done in time to eat and too many mai tais were consumed while waiting.

A wine tasitng event is a really great outdoor mixer, because you can serve the wine in several locations throughout your entertaining space. Pair each wine with some cheese and fruit. Your local wine merchant or gourmet grocery store would be glad to help you with the pairing if you need help. Be sure to serve heartier fare to to balance the food and drink intput.

Poor parties are great family fun. Almost every child on the planet loves to swim in the summer time and even adults are drawn into the childhood remembrances of frolicking in the water. Crank up the grill and plan really big portions. There's nothing like swimming to spark the appetite.

One of my favorite easy recipes for outdoor entertaining is grilled pizzas. They go with almost any theme (Hawaiian, Meat lover, gourmet, kid friendly, and even upscale with goat cheese and arugula). Most of the work is done in advance making the crust or you can simply use frozen bread dough and each guest can tailor make their own pizza (especially the kids). Grilled pizza works as an appetizer, a main course or a dessert topped with grilles fruit and drizzled with white and dark chocolate. And people of all ages enjoy it.

Easy Dinner Recipe - Grilled Pizza

Grilled Pizzas

This is a family favorite that kids love. Individual pizzas cooked on the grill or campfire cook up fast and can be tailored to individual tastes. You can choose to make basic pizza or choose more sophisticated toppings like brie and portabella.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 ea Refrigerated pizza dough
2 Tb Olive oil
1 Can Pizza or spaghetti sauce
3 C Mozzarella cheese - grated
Assorted pizza toppings - sliced tomato - pepperoni

Instructions

Preheat the grill or campfire until hot. If it is raining, you can always use the broiler. Roll out the dough, stretch and form into individual size pizza crusts. Brush with olive oil to prevent sticking. Grill the crusts 2 minutes per side until firm. Remove and top with sauce, cheese and toppings. Grill until cheese is melted and toppings are heated through.

Note: You can also pre-grill vegetable toppings like peppers and portabellas.

Easy Recipes For Outdoor Entertaining

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Mexican Crockpot Recipes

!±8± Mexican Crockpot Recipes

I love Mexican food and love using my crockpot, so combining the two makes perfect sense.  Here's a list of some Mexican Crockpot Recipes.

Crockpot Enchiladas

A fabulous dish my whole family loved!
 
Ingredients:

2 cans shredded chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1 can enchilada sauce
24 oz can diced green chiles
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
14 oz can sliced black olives
2 thinly sliced green onions
10 corn and flour tortillas

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Mix chicken, salsa, enchilada sauce, green chilis, and soup in a bowl. Cut corn and flour tortillas into 1 inch pieces, mix pieces together. Place a layer of sauce mixture on the bottom of the crockpot. Place a layer of tortillas, then a layer of cheese. Repeat until all the sauce mixture has been used. Top with cheese, olives, and green onions. Cover and cook on low 6 hours. If desired, serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and tortilla chips.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Easily one of my favorite recipes - a fabulous "throw it in and let it cook" soup. See the notes below for and extra flavorful twist.
 
Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds shredded cooked chicken
1 drained 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 - 10 oz can enchilada sauce
2 medium chopped onions
14 oz can chopped green chiles
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cups water
1 - 14 ½ oz can chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp black pepper
1 large bay leaf
1 tbsp cilantro
1 ½ tsp southwest seasoning mix
1 - 10 oz pkg frozen corn

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. If desired, serve with sour cream and baked tortilla strips. For baked tortilla strips, preheat oven to 400*. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with vegetable oil, cut into strips. Spread on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
 
Notes: For extra flavor, I make this in two steps. First, I put 1-1 ½ pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts in a crockpot with 1 ½ cups water (or 1 can chicken broth) and Mexican seasonings. (A package of taco or fajita seasoning or southwest seasoning mix works well.) Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours. Remove chicken and shred for soup. Often, I will make 2-3 pounds of chicken to make soup along with shredded chicken tacos or fajitas.
 
Crockpot Taco Appetizer
Although I serve with chips, this could be a main meal by using hard or soft shelled tacos instead!
 
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
½ cup water
1 envelope taco seasoning
18 ounce can tomato sauce
1 undrained 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
3 chopped green onions
1 cup sliced black olives
1 bag tortilla chips
 
Spray crock pot with cooking spray. In a skillet, brown meat over a medium flame. Drain and add to crockpot. Add water, taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Cover and cook on low 6 hours. Serve with toppings such as cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions, black olives, and other desired toppings.
 
Notes: As mentioned, this could easily be a main meal by serving with hard or soft shelled tacos rather than tortilla chips.

Mexican Crockpot Recipes

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Trusty Old Crockpot Recipes for a New Generation!

!±8± Trusty Old Crockpot Recipes for a New Generation!

Fast foods may have been the meal of choice for many busy families through the last couple of decades. But now the slow cooked, home-prepared meals are gaining in popularity! Crock pots, with their wafting aromas and 'ready to eat' meals, entice health-conscious, busy people.

And it doesn't take super human talent, skill, or effort to make a delicious meal in a crockpot - in fact there are quite a few crockpot recipes that require 5 or less ingredients! And crockpot cooking can be as simple as tossing a few ingredients into the pot before everyone leaves for the day. In the evening, the smell of slow cooked food fills the house and whets the appetite. There's no more last minute trip to the grocery store, or the endless 'what's for dinner' questions.

Rising food costs and shrinking household budgets have helped bring many nostalgic foods back to the forefront. Time stressed families, tired of eating prepackaged foods, have begun to crave the aroma of savory nutritious meals.

Pot roast, beef stew, chicken and noodles can utilize less expensive cuts of meat, which taste tender and moist after slow cooking.

Our grandmothers knew how to manage a frugal, yet efficient and productive home -- and they didn't need expensive gadgets either! Many slow cookers sell in the range of to , and the cost is soon made up by the thriftiness of eating at home.

On the market now are the programmable crockpot slow cooker. No stirring or supervision is necessary, and once cook time has expired the smart-pot automatically shifts to a warm setting. Want a side dish with your stew? Try the dual cooker. It allows cooking of two different dishes at the same time. Worried about little hands reaching up to the counter? Try the 'cool touch' slow cooker. These can be up to 25% cooler than other slow cookers.

Although crockpots are a relatively new invention, making hearty foods that simmer all day has been around for quite a while. Whether you're cooking for just two people or a large family, make your own convenience food! Dig out some old recipes or find a new one, and enjoy flavorful foods without the hardship.

Opening the front door on a cold evening evening and being greeted by the inviting smells of a beef stew or chicken noodle soup wafting from a slow cooker - ahhh - it is truly a diner's dream come true!

Trusty Old Crockpot Recipes for a New Generation!

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Three Beef Recipes For the Crockpot

!±8± Three Beef Recipes For the Crockpot

I am a meat lover. I love steaks, roasts, burgers and even hot dogs. I also really enjoy cooking with my crockpot. You can put in the meat, in the morning and by dinner time it's ready. I'd like to share three recipes for cooking roast in the crockpot.

Roast in Beef Broth

3-5 pound brisket
2 cans beef broth
1 cup red wine
Cut up onions and celery

Cook on low about 8 hours.

This is one of the simplest recipes, yet is very tasty. We have substituted a tri tip roast for the brisket and it also came out quite well.

Roast with Mushroom Gravy

2-3 pound roast
1 packet Lipton's Onion Soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Cook for 8 hours on low.

Both of these recipes are so simple to make with only the few ingredients, yet full on flavor.

Roast in Beer Sauce

2-3 pound roast
1 package of Good Seasons Garlic Dressing
1 package of Italian (or Zesty Italian) Dressing
1 can of beer (do not use dark beer)
Cut up vegetables
Water

Pour one envelope of the salad dressing in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the roast on top. Pour the other package of salad dressing over the meat. Add your cut up vegetables. Then pour the beer over the top. Add enough water so that your crockpot has enough liquid in it, (I fill my crockpot about 3/4 full) Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

When you cook a roast all day in the crockpot it becomes very soft, so the cut of meat you buy is not important. If there is fat on the roast, I trim it off before putting the roast into the crockpot. Watch for sales at the store on roasts.

When we cook roasts in the crockpot, we add onions, celery, carrots and sometimes baby potatoes or red potatoes. The potatoes can be pierced before cooking. They then absorb in the liquid. If you like bell peppers, consider adding red or green bell peppers to your recipe.

Enjoy these very simple yet delicious recipes.

Three Beef Recipes For the Crockpot

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