Summer Barbecues are my favorite part of summer. Good food, good friends, and family. Here’s what we prepare for a Louisiana Summer BBQ.
A few weeks ago, we drove to Louisiana for a 4th of July vacation and to celebrate our new engagement! (Wow – can’t believe this was two years ago! We are now married!)
For the 4th of July, we had an awesome barbeque with all the local family members. (If we have a barbecue or “cookout” with my New York family, we like to serve my mom’s Easy Pasta Salad.)
Here’s Our Go-to Menu for the Best Summer Barbecue
Appetizers
Crudites
Carrots, celery, cucumbers, and chips with ranch dip.
A Grilled Bloomin’ Onion with Horseradish Dipping Sauce:
You can also serve it with Creole Remoulade Sauce, Raising Cane’s Sauce, or Tartar Sauce.
Grilled Green Onion Sausage
Grilled Green Onion Sausage
Ingredients
- 5 links green onion sausage
Optional
- water for cooking on the stove
Instructions
- Char your sausages over hot coals for about 5 minutes & then flip to the other side for 5 more minutes to cook evenly.5 links green onion sausage
- Then move your sausages to the cooler side of the grill and let them "bake" until fully cooked by putting the lid on the grill – about 5 – 10 more minutes.
- If you don't have a grill, brown each side in a frying pan for 3 to 5 minutes then turn the heat down and cover, cooking for another five to ten minutes. Adding a small amount of water to the pan will steam the sausages will steam them and help keep them juicy.water
Notes
Special Equipment Needeed
- a grill
- a frying pan, skillet, or griddle
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
Main Courses
Grilled Baby Back Ribs
Grilled Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 racks baby back ribs
- 3-4 tbsp Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Pat dry your racks of ribs with a towel. Fully coat both sides of the ribs with Creole Seasoning or your favorite dry rub.
- Wrap in foil and let sit for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Bake in the oven at 325°F for 1 hour, 1.5 hours if your ribs are very thick.
- About 15 – 20 minutes before you take your ribs out of the oven, start heating your charcoal grill. We use this awesome chimney to fire up the charcoal grill and just got one for Michael's parents – they love it as well!
- Remove your ribs from the oven and pour the drippings that are caught in the foil into a bowl. Baste your ribs with the drippings and save the rest for your sauce.
- Mix a small amount of the remaining drippings with your barbecue sauce of choice. I like to use my Paleo Barbecue Sauce, but any sauce will work.
- Char your ribs on your charcoal grill for 10 minutes total, 5 minutes facing down, then flip and brush with your sauce mixture.
- Remove and let rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Special Equipment Needeed
- Oven
- Grill
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
Hot Dogs
When the ribs are finished, slice your hotdogs down the middle, about three-quarters of the way through. Place your hotdogs on the hot grill open side down for 2 -3 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side. Hotdogs cook quickly because they are already cooked – you are just heating them and getting some nice grill marks on the outside.
Potato and Egg Salad with Bacon
I didn’t make the potato salad this time, but I love making this potato & egg salad when it is my turn to bring a dish!
Baked Beans
We had canned beans for our meal, but I love to make this recipe when time allows.
Coleslaw
Below is how my mother-in-law makes coleslaw. Here’s how I make my Southern coleslaw. It is similar to restaurant coleslaw and is really tangy.
Memphis Style Coleslaw
Ingredients
Coleslaw Base (Vegetables)
- 1 head green cabbage Or 2 – 3 bags of Coleslaw Mix. If you are like me and enjoy a “Cookout" style chopped coleslaw, you can purchase a pre-chopped bag of cabbage or really let your food processor go to town and chop your cabbage into smaller pieces, about the size of lentils.
- 2 carrots
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 – 2 tablespoon finely diced onion
You can use a vidalia or yellow onion, but a red onion will add a little bite.
Coleslaw Dressing
- 2 cups mayonnaise
We are a big fan of the Louisiana favorite, Blue Plate, but you can use any kind.
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- To serve 6 people, shred one whole medium-sized green cabbage. You can do this by grating it with a cheese grater, shredding it in a food processor, or doing some old fashioned hand chopping. Place in a large bowl.
- Shred or grate 2 carrots. Add to your cabbage.
- Finely dice one whole green bell pepper and grate an onion so that you are left with 1 – 2 tablespoons of onion. Add to your cabbage.
- In a separate bowl, mix together 2 cups of mayonnaise with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup dijon mustard, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of celery seeds, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of white pepper.
- Combine your mayonnaise sauce with your coleslaw and mix well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to get the best flavors.
Special Equipment Needeed
- Large bowl
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
Desserts
Pralines and Chocolate Pralines brought from Savannah
Chocolate Frosted Brownies
A box mix baked in a 9 x 13 pan. Once cooled, top with chocolate frosting.
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 cans evaporated milk 3 1/3 cups altogether
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups whole milk
- ~2 tbsp vanilla extract One tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt This is for the ice cream maker, optional.
- 2 bags ice This is also for the ice cream maker, 20 pounds of ice total.
Instructions
- Beat four eggs in a large bowl and then add two tall cans of evaporated milk, 2 cups of sugar, and 3 cups of whole milk that is pretty fresh.
- Add one tablespoon plus two teaspoons of vanilla.
- Whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this into an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Let rest for at least 30 minutes and pour into your ice maker, following the instructions. This makes a gallon of ice cream so it is great for a party and great in a large ice cream maker. This ice cream maker makes a whole gallon at a time. If you use this kind, you will need to surround it with ice and salt. Ice cream salt works really well, as does kosher salt. You should need about 1/4 teaspoon per batch.
- It should take 20 – 30 minutes for your ice cream to be ready. Ideally, make your ice cream indoors in the air conditioning. If the air temperature is really hot, it will take longer for the ice cream to form and your ice will keep melting.
Notes
Special Equipment Needeed
- an ice cream maker
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
Wow this is a perfora of yummy BBQ food! I’ve never had potato egg and bacon salad that looks sooo yummy!! Plus it looks easy enough even I can do it lol. Thank you for all of these amazing Ideas!
How do I choose which one to make first?! This all looks AMAZING.
What a great menu! It all sounds perfect for a summer bash!