During the summer, cooking out is an easy way to bring family and friends together, get outside, and keep the kitchen clean(er). Depending on your crowd, though, it can be hard to tailor your meal to please all palates. It can also be difficult to prepare enough food for everyone with limited grill space. Sure, you can still use the kitchen, but that takes you away from your guests and defeats the purpose of keeping the stove clean by using the grill! The easiest way to combat these issues is to do a little extra preparation beforehand so that you can relax and enjoy the cookout the day of. Main courses to please even the pickiest of eaters and side dishes that can be refrigerated and easily transported are the best way to keep everyone full and happy at your next cookout.

Of course you can always rely on the old faithful, a grill full of burgers and hot dogs. But for something a little more interesting and just as tasty and simple, consider something like shish kabobs for the entree. This dish is one of the most customizable--cut up chunks of meet and veggies before your guests arrive and then leave people to skewer what they want. This option appeals to vegetarian guests, as well, as they can avoid the meat without having a different entrée altogether. Plus, how easy are shish kabobs to cook? Line the skewers up on the grill and everyone can be seated and eating at around the same time. Just designate a Grill Master to see that everything is cooked to perfection.

If it’s warm out, consider serving cold sides as they will be most refreshing. But remember, also, if you’re cooking out at a park, beach, or other local picnicking spot, you’ll need to be sure to have a way to keep these dishes cold. If you’re going to be out in the heat all day and don’t want to lug coolers from one location to another, you may want to consider simpler sides, like chips or cheese and crackers. Pasta salad is another great, easily customizable dish for a crowd. It can be prepared beforehand so you don’t have to miss out on socializing with guests, and there are so many different ways to make it that this dish never gets boring. Furthermore, guests can pick around ingredients they don’t like. Of the various recipes, options like pasta, pepperoni, cheese, and chicken, make this side dish filling, a nice compliment to the shish kabobs.

Desserts like cake, ice cream, or pie can be messy, cumbersome, or difficult to serve. Handheld things like cookies, brownies, or cupcakes are a better alternative. To this same end, fruit pizza is healthy and refreshing. Set out sugar cookies, icing, and cut up fruit for guests to choose from. Again, that guests can make their own ensures that everyone is eating something he or she loves!

As for the liquid menu, the sky’s the limit. Juice or soda will keep the kids happy and you may want to provide hard lemonade, beer, or other alcoholic drinks to keep the adults happy, too. Just remember to have water available so that no one gets dehydrated.

When preparing for a cookout, remember to consider how the location may affect the menu. Any of these dishes can be tailored to feed any group size and to accommodate most dietary needs, which is one the most challenging factors of getting friends or family together over a meal. A meal is just an excuse to spend time together, so anticipating and addressing problems before the time arrives will prevent their interference in your cookout.