5 Easy Prep Ahead Recipes for a Summer Backyard BBQ

Make your next cookout a breeze with these 5 Easy Prep Ahead Recipes for a Summer Backyard BBQ!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Glad Food Protection. The opinions and text are all mine.

I love spending the summer outside. My family and I like to go hiking, swimming, and even just spending a relaxing on the porch. One of my favorite things about summer is a backyard barbecue. Having friends and family over to hang out, eat, and spend quality time together is the best. The kids run around and the adults get to catch up. It’s great! When I’m the hostess I don’t want to spend all my time in the kitchen getting ready for our cookout. This year I’m making my favorite 5 Easy Prep Ahead Recipes for a Summer Backyard BBQ so I can spend more time enjoying the party, and less time cooped up inside.

5 EASY PREP AHEAD RECIPES FOR A SUMMER BACKYARD BBQ
Love it? Pin it to your COOKOUT board to SAVE it!
Follow Real Housemoms on Pinterest for more great recipes!

One of the things I run into when hosting a large group is portion control. I try to gauge how much food I need to make, but nine times out of ten I make more than we need. I usually try to send home GladWare® containers or plates wrapped in Glad® ClingWrap with our guests to minimize the leftovers. I hate having food in my fridge at seeing it go bad because we didn’t get to it in enough time. Luckily, GladWare® helps keep food fresh longer so we can still enjoy it days after the cookout is over.

One of my favorite tricks for feeding a large group is prepping as much as I can ahead of time. Veggie trays are a snap to put together when you have all your vegetables prepped ahead of time. I like to cut up angel food cake, strawberries, and make whipped cream for Strawberry Shortcake and store it all in GladWare® so all we have to do is put everything in a bowl when we’re ready for dessert. Hosting a summer backyard barbecue doesn’t have to be hard if you have the right recipes and tools on hand and know these Food Protection Pointers.

You can learn more about Glad® products on the Glad Website, and get recipe inspiration on the Glad Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.

5 Easy Prep Ahead Recipes for a Summer Backyard BBQ

Veggie Tray 

• Broccoli
• Bell Peppers
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Homemade Ranch Dressing

Clean and cut all your veggies and place each type into their own GladWare® container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Prepare the ranch dressing and store in a GladWare® container in the fridge until ready to eat.

Skinny Veggie Dip

• Cream cheese
• Seasoning
• Veggies

Prepare the dip in a mixing bowl. Transfer to a GladWare® container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Broccoli Salad

• Broccoli
• Onion
• Raisins
• Sunflower seeds
• Dressing

Prep the veggies and put them in a GladWare® container along with the raisins and seeds. Mix together the dressing ingredients in a GladWare® container. Cover both containers and refrigerate until ready to serve. Once your ready to eat, pour the dressing over the salad toss everything together until the salad is coated.

Ultimate Burger 

• Burger patties
• Roasted sweet potatoes
• Caramelized onions
• Sliced avocados
• Cheese
• Bacon
• Burger buns

Mix together the burger patty ingredients. Form patties and store in GladWare® container, putting waxed paper between each patty. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill. You can also prep and store the rest of the burger toppings so they’re ready to go when the burgers are.

Strawberry Shortcake

• Angel Food Cake (homemade or store-bought)
• Strawberries
• Homemade whipped cream

Cut the cake into bite-sized pieces and placed in a GladWare® container. Cut the strawberries into small pieces and place in a GladWare® container. Prepare you whipped cream and put it in a GladWare® container. Cover all the containers and refrigerate until ready to serve. If it’s Memorial Day or 4th of July you can add some blueberries too for a red, white, and blue look!