Labor Day Weekend Lunch

Having an all day BBQ party can present some challenges but the most critical hurdle is the timing.  People will sprinkle in for the first hour then you have to determine when you have critical mass to serve the main meal.  You want most of the work done ahead of time and you can easily finish the recipes quickly.

Here is is what we worked on and recommend for such a gathering:

Appetizers

Roasted Red Pepper & Basil Dip with crisps

Muffuletta Sandwich

Have the dip and sandwiches ready to be picked up as guests arrive.  It will hold them over until lunch.

Specialty Drink

Frozen Vodka with Basil

We had  theserefreshing frozen drinks ready to serve when people arrived in the 90 degree heat.  They are a powerful start to and afternoon.

Lunch

Keep it simple by serving burgers and a veggie pasta, one meal with everything done in advance except for simply searing or grilling the burgers.

The Double Cheeseburger

…and for those who don’t eat meat, make a few Shrimp Rolls

Summer Pasta (serve cold or at room temperature) 

Alternative idea:  If you want to go all seafood and do a one dish lunch, try this spicy lobster lunch:

The Angry Lobster & Shrimp Pasta

Dessert 

Fresh Cantaloupe with sea salt and balsamic vinegar

Then what ultimately happens is that people linger, have some more drinks and get hungry again, so we made our:

🌍 Famous Flaky Puff Pastry Pizza

And that’s a wrap for summer cooking, get ready for a busy fall of oyster roasts, bonfire dinners…