A Classic Summer BBQ

What could be better than a summer backyard barbeque with friends? By serving a scrumptious yet simple meal, you and your guests will all be in unanimous agreement: there's no place you'd rather be. With just a little extra time and effort by paying attention to ingredients, you can turn a classic BBQ menu into something spectacular.

Why have Wonder Bread buns and dry, thin meat patties when you could have these? Spice up your BBQ burgers with big, juicy beef patties on chewy pretzel rolls and a variety of cheese, sauces, and veggies. For my burger buffet, I put together a tray of sweet caramelized onions, red onion, avocado, lettuce, tomato, two types of cheese: blue cheese for the adults, and mild muenster for the kids, and on the side: ketchup, honey mustard, olive oil mayo, and wasabi mayo.

*for any non-meat eaters grill up some portobello mushrooms, salmon or mahi mahi patties (trader joe's has awesome frozen mahi burgers), or veggie burgers. We veggies can enjoy burgers too!!

Grilled seasonal veggies and a simple salad are perfect, easy side dishes. 

For dessert, my favorite part of any meal, I decided to go old school and make strawberry shortcakes. Taking the time to macerate strawberries and whip up your own cream takes this classic to the next level. Crumbly, slightly sweet biscuits, juicy strawberries, and fresh whipped cream make this dessert absolutely irresistible and the perfect end to a summer meal. 

Strawberry shortcake recipe

The only change I made was doubling up on the whipping cream (1 cup) and adding in 1/4 cup of sifted powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla before whipping. 

*tip! Try adding on a drizzle of lemon curd to make your shortcakes perfectly tangy and sweet.