From a clever twist on the usual potluck to a summertime spread gone international, with a dash of imagination and a quick change of scenery, our alfresco dining ideas are sure to please the crowd.
- Make-Together Meal
Get collaborative with your guests in the kitchen, and then enjoy the homemade meal together beneath the stars. Decide on a menu and complete the basic prep at home, asking that your friends bring over specific ingredients you still need.Perhaps it's chicken kabobs seared to perfection on the grill-purchase the chicken and skewers yourself and let the meat marinate ahead of time. Suggest that your friends bring over their favorite vegetables, then assemble them together and grill them outdoors.
For even more bonding time in the kitchen, try making the entire meal from scratch with your friends. Ask each of your guests to bring the ingredients for one of your pre-determined dishes, then prepare the meal indoors and enjoy it outside. To avoid a crowded kitchen, try splitting up tasks, even sending some people outdoors to prep the grill or set the table. The food may taste delicious, but even more satisfying is knowing that you've prepared a wholesome, homemade meal together-with a lot of fun and laughter along the way.
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- Summertime Shrimp Boil
It's a savory, beach-inspired meal without the mess. In typical one-dish dinner fashion, our Frogmore Stew Recipe-a traditional Southern blend of seafood and vegetables-fills up stomachs and keeps clean up to a minimum. Simply spread a disposable tablecloth or newspaper on a picnic table and let everyone dig in using their hands. Just be sure to keep plenty of paper towels around! When the party's over, you can easily dispose of the paper and tote your stewpot home.To keep the fun, hands-on spirit alive at your outdoor gathering, set up a few summertime activities, like face painting with skin-friendly paints and tie-dying. To tie-dye your threads, purchase inexpensive white cotton t-shirts at your local retailer and twist into tight shapes with several rubber bands. Fill old buckets with an array of fabric dyes, and then let your guests dip to their desire. Lay the wet shirts in a sunny spot in the grass to let dry.
- Neighborhood Picnic Party
Running short on tables and chairs? Just because you can't provide everyone in your neighborhood with a place to sit shouldn't keep you from hosting a party with the feel of a street-wide picnic. On decorative paper, send out simple invitations asking each of your neighbors to gather on your lawn with blankets and one or two easy, portable dishes. Everyone can come together to enjoy homemade snacks, then lie down for summer stargazing after sunset.
- A Worldly Buffet
Hosting an intercontinental dinner party is always a fun feat, but by moving the bash outdoors, your guests can enjoy the warm weather, too. To get a taste of the world without ever leaving home, try setting up a potluck buffet in your backyard or patio that features exotic cuisine from various locales. Assign each of your guests to a different country-when you send out your invitations, try tailoring each invite's design to the nation's theme.
Take your summertime entertaining to new heights by moving delicious meals outdoors. Whether it's an impromptu picnic with neighbors or an exotic trip across the globe for your taste buds, getting creative with your cuisine and taking advantage of the summer air is always a recipe for success.
