Help me plan a bbq for 10

[floridagal]

Trying to throw my first real dinner party post-divorce.  Going casual with a bbq - however, I don't want to be tied to my grill.  Can I grill chx ahead of time?

What I know so far:

Grilled chicken
Twice baked potatoes (I can make and freeze these anytime)
fruit platter that I get from a local produce place that is awesome

Also, is it okay to ask people to bring wine?  I have a commercial-grade margarita machine I'm going to spin up (so fun!) but I'm not a big wine drinker and the crowd I hang with is.  I do not have any bottles of booze - should I get some - beyond the tequila for the margarita machine?

Any, ANY advice on how to do this and have fun.  I tend to stress out and will be stressing out a little extra not having my husband around to be giill person and drink person! 

Thanks!!

Party is 2 weeks away.

[MiniDriver]

Around here, it's expected that you bring something to a cook-out - wine, beer, salads, desserts.. So I wouldn't hesitate to tell guests what I'm serving and let them bring what they want.

Precooking chicken is always a smart idea, to avid bacteria.  Cook it 90% before the party, then heat and serve.

[Ice Cream]

Ice cream sandwiches as dessert?

I like it when there is a vegan/vegetarian option, too.

[Magic Microbe]

I normally grill or roast veggies also.

[cgraz]

Precooking the chicken would be fine - you could also make a big green salad, and serve slices of grilled chicken over salad, if people want that as an option. The potatoes and fruit will be great too. Easy, simple, and fresh - yum.

Telling people you've planned the menu and asking them to BYOB is perfectly fine too! Maybe you could appoint someone as your margarita-maker, if you have a friend who's good to help out? You'll be doing a lot with putting out the food, etc., even with some advance prep, so it would be great to have a helper lined up. Friends are usually more than willing!

You could also ask people to bring a dessert or munchie if you want to add anything else - chips & salsa or guac for when people first arrive before the meal is served, etc.

[floridagal]

Precooking the chicken would be fine -

Can I grill it in the afternoon and warm it up in the oven?

[cgraz]

If you're serving it over salad, I wouldn't even worry too much about heating it up - it's good at room temp or warm. It could dry out, so if you do plan to reheat it, undercook it a little.

[Run Amok]

Ack! Undercooking/partially cooking meat (especially poultry) is a really excellent way to make people sick. Do not do that. You need to cook poultry to a kill temp (165) and you won't ever get there if you cook it partially and then reheat it- you'll also be creating the perfect environment for those beasties to breed by getting it nice and warm and then allowing them to sit and then reheating.  Either cook it all the way and serve it at room temp (but be careful about this also because you don't want it sitting out for more than a couple of hours) or cook it hot and serve it hot.

I did my first solo bbq last weekend and it was kind of bitter sweet. I made skewers. I did shrimp and pork + veggies. It was a very casual thing so I asked people to bring something to share and their beverage of choice. I also put out chips & salsa and a big bowl of easter candy. Then we did smores in the fire pit (and peeps because it was easter weekend).

The meat took less than 15 minutes to grill in total. So, it was pretty easy to just grill it off all at once and serve and then I could relax. I prepped the skewers the day before so there wasn't much clean up day-of.

[Magic Microbe]

Grilling chicken doesn't take long. I assume when people invite me to a bbq that someone will be bbqing during it.

[diablita]

Another vote for grilling the meat during the bbq here. 

The shishkebabs are a good idea.  I'd do skinless, boneless chicken breasts Cuban-style (pollo a la parilla o plancha): marinate them in a mojo sauce (or buy Goya Mojo and add extra limes and fresh parsley) in the morning.  Saute lots of onions earlier in the day.  Then when you grill the chicken it will go very quickly.  Chicken made this way is still very moist.

The potatoes sound good though we find that par-boiled potatoes that are wrapped in tinfoil and cooked long on the grill are also good.  I always serve corn on the cob (can also be wrapped in foil, then on the grill) because you can't have a Peruvian barbecue without choclo.

and otherwise I put out a plate of nibbles: usually 2 or 3 kinds of cheeses (always manchego), good olives, crackers, veggies

dessert could be grilled pineapple (great deals on pineapple here!) with ice cream and maybe a liqueur drizzled on top

for alcohol the margaritas sound great but you'll want something else.  absolutely tell your friends it's byob/byow.  But I'd want a bottle of one other crowd-friendly liquor, maybe vodka.  (if you buy limes and sugar you can also make caipiroshka)

As far as the technical details: delegate grill time to a few grill-friendly friends so you're not always at the grill. Don't be shy about this.  I'm awful at asking for help, but when I threw a latka party for Chanukah we made over 100 latkes and my friends were more than happy to assist.

[monster2]

Does no one eat salt potatoes at a bbq anymore???

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[diablita]

what are salt potatoes?


my friend makes something she calls "goody potatoes": cut deep (but not all the way through) slices into the potatoes and brush olive oil + salt in the cut areas, then put an onion slice into each one.  Wrap in tinfoil and place on the grill.  so good!

[all-smiles]

I have no clue what salt potatoes are, but I want to go to a BBQ at diablitas house!

[monster2]

You basically boil up a bunch of new potatoes in heavily salted water, drain and throw in a bunch of butter, back in ny you could buy the tater bag with the kosher salt packet...they mean summer has arrived!

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[monster2]

Just FYI, if anyone was interested:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_potatoes

[witchypoo]

what are salt potatoes?

delicious.

[rocketgirl]

You could skip the chicken and do pulled pork in the crock pot.  That way all the work is done before your guests arrive.

OR I actually have a lot of friends who have chafing dishes, so if you do as well, you could borrow a couple and buy some sterno.  And time most of the grilling to be done before people arrive.  (Or get the frames and foil disposable versions of chafing dishes at Party City).

[floridagal]

Thanks for all of your help and support - it went great!  I grilled the chx at 6:15 and was pretty much done just as the first guest arrived. I loved having that completed before people were here ...it took the stress off.  Here was my menu:

grilled chx
pulled pork
coleslaw
rolls
twice baked potatoes
veggie platter
avocado salad
green beans / sliced almonds with butter & shallot seasoning from Penzeys
fruit platter

Friends brought homemade ice cream and brownies.

It was great fun and I'm so glad it's over with! 

[OldBaldHippie]

That sounds great!