Cookouts are a great way to entertain family and friends

My favorite time of year is coming up: summer! My husband and I cook almost every night during the summer. We like to barbecue and invite family and friends and we are always looking for tasty and easy barbecue recipes.

I like dishes that I can prepare in advance. That way I can enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I’ve also found that homemade salads like potato salad, broccoli salad, and pasta salad taste better after a day in the fridge and all the flavors have changed to blend together.

When my husband and I cook and invite family and friends, he is the Grill Master. He has perfected the art of cooking burgers and steaks to perfection. A few years ago we found a grilling time chart that we use to cook all kinds of ribeye from T-bone to Porterhouse and they come out perfectly done.

Another thing we’ve learned over the years is how to make the perfect burger. Start with the meat. You can’t use lean meat for burgers unless you want hockey pucks. You should use an 80%-20% burger for the best burgers. I like to add Lipton onion soup mix to mine. Sometimes I use Montreal Steak Spice instead. You can add any kind of seasonings you like, but don’t over mix the burger meat as it can make it tough.

We also like to grill corn on the cob. When my husband and I are alone, we will roast corn on the cob in the husks. If we are entertaining, we will shell the corn and grill the corn on the cob in foil to reduce the mess for our guests.

My husband and I have a pretty big garden and we love to use as many fresh ingredients as we can when we make our easy BBQ and cookout recipes. One of my favorite fresh salads is New Potatoes with Peas and Mint. It’s light and refreshing and is actually best made the day before. Another one of my favorite BBQ recipes is Strawberry Spinach Salad. It’s healthy and tasty with a sweet and sour dressing.

From time to time we will cook lamb on the grill or cook fish on the grill. I grill the fish in a grill basket to help keep it from breaking. We usually cook a leg of lamb on the grill just for the two of us. We have a fabulous recipe for Grilled Lamb Shoulder with Honey that we really like.

My husband and I love to entertain our family and friends, especially when we get to cook or have a barbecue. I always have a few tried and true favorites for everyone, and always add a new dish or two to the mix.