Hi all, I'm having a barbeque next weekend, for about 15 people, and I'm concerned as I have yet to draw up a menu! Just wondered if anyone had any ideas?? I'm looking for things that can be cooked indoors too, just in case the weather is terrible!

Many thanks x

Apart from burgers and sausages, loadsa chicken pieces, satay sticks, garlic bread, salad, veggie and haloumi kebabs, stuffed jacket potatoes... general buffet-type food really. I had a sort of indoor one today - the only thing left after everyone's gone is the salad! Oh, and don't forget lots of wine, beer, and cheap fizzy pop for the drivers!:D

Half a banana and half a Mars bar wrapped together in tin foil.
BBq til banana hot and sit back ,eat and enjoy
:banana: :D :banana:

Or, maybe a slice of bread spread with Nutella then rolled up like a swiss roll, foil, barbie, delish.

warning - can cause serious burns.

Originally posted by feargal
Or, maybe a slice of bread spread with Nutella then rolled up like a swiss roll, foil, barbie, delish.

warning - can cause serious burns.

Gonna have to try that one:D
Roll on barbie weather

The late Lady Dowager Snooty, my Grand Mama (or Nan-nan, as we called her) gave me this recipe on her deathbed here at Toffingham Hall, one stormy night many years ago. These were her dying words, her last verbal legacy, so have a little respect.

'Snooty', she gurgled, 'You cut an orange in half, cover it with Bacofoil and stick lumps of pineapple and cheese on cocktail sticks into it, you know, so it looks a bit like a hedgehog'.........and she was gone.

Hot Dogs and hot pork (& apple sauce) sarnies.........yum yum!!

;)

Jayjay - its truly delicious, but it might be best taken with strong drink. But then that rule applies to most barbie food anyway!

Originally posted by LordSnooty
'Snooty', she gurgled, 'You cut an orange in half, cover it with Bacofoil and stick lumps of pineapple and cheese on cocktail sticks into it, you know, so it looks a bit like a hedgehog'.........and she was gone.

This is now commonly known as the Millenium Party Dome. If you include some little sausages, you have most of your food groups covered in that one dish. Delia would be proud.

Oh fab people thank you!! yes i have discovered 'burgers' and the like, the 'sweet' ideas are of particular use!!
I can't wait now I'm going to spend all week planning it.. and then spend all evening rushing around keeping people happy and not getting anything to eat myself!!

Lord, i am sincerely grateful for you passing on your families secret recipe (you wouldn't catch Colonel Sanders doing that!), personnaly i use half a grapefruit and therefore getting a slightly bigger 'hog'.

Good idea - even better, why not just use an actual hedgehog and stick bits of cheese and pineapple on that. I'm sure I've seen stuffed ones on Ebay...

If you want a "posh" barbie desert, then....

very lightly butter two slices of brown bread on both sides, sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar. Make a sandwich with fairly thinly slices of peaches (tinned will do). Wrap in foil, get 'em on the coals.

The sugar goes all caramelly on the peaches. ahhh....

My God you have got it Lord, this also solves the service problem too, if i could only train the hedgehog to walk around from guest to guest!! right im off to the lawn with a bowl of milk to lure one in!!

yes 'posh' is the word! its a 'dressy' get together.. i fancy the sound of that!

Another good one is pieces of pineapple, peaches, pears, etc sprinkled with malibu (classy this one) and brown sugar. Again, foil, barbie, etc. Kinda tropical, and features alcohol.

Or you could just get a big wheel of cheddar and stick a pineapple and a hedgehog into the top.

How about a Big Wheel? As long as people don't throw up at the top.....

Actually, if you want a really classy touch, get some Pimm's in and a proper Pimm's glass jug - do the bit with strawberries, mint etc and have loads of ice available. I have it on my cornflakes......

People vomiting from fairgrounds rides onto hedgehogs?!! What kind of parties do you have at the hall? Sheer debauchery - disgraceful!

Wow feargal! what a centre piece that would make! much classier than an ice sculpture! lol.

Yes a vintage ferris wheel, perfect! my goodness! I can't wait to go to this garden extravaganza..and its at my house!!!

Do you know whether any of your guests is vegetarian....some veggies can be barbequed, but it's always wise at these occasions to have a few pasta and/or rice dishes available, as well as the old faithful jacket potato

:partyhat:

Er, would anyone mind adding a few posts to my sensational 'TV' thread, I've got one less than 'Rotherham Nightclub Incident'!

Yeah, and don't barbie the veggie stuff on the same grill as the meat. Forgot to mention that!

Yes I thought of having a heap of pesto covered pasta left to solidify in a warm corner for the vegetarians! (ugh i shiver at the 'all vegetarians should be shot' conversation my ex had with one at my last party!)

Oh drinks, yes of course i forgot!! Pimm's an excellent choice, a bottle should get me in the party mood before the guests arrive!!

Originally posted by feargal
People vomiting from fairgrounds rides onto hedgehogs?!! What kind of parties do you have at the hall? Sheer debauchery - disgraceful!

The purpose of the Big Wheel is not for people to vomit from, onto hedgehogs or any other indigenous mammal. It would be there to provide a few extra thrills for those finding it hard to come down after the inevitable cheese/pineapple high.....

Originally posted by LordSnooty
Er, would anyone mind adding a few posts to my sensational 'TV' thread, I've got one less than 'Rotherham Nightclub Incident'!

Thanks! We made it! Let's see if we can get it past 'Fuel Protest Planned' - c'mon people!

Thank you all so much for the input! I especially liked the Pimm's soaked banana wrapped in a hedgehog idea! Please keep them coming! x

Originally posted by LordSnooty
Thanks! We made it! Let's see if we can get it past 'Fuel Protest Planned' - c'mon people!

Wow! Brilliant! Fourteen posts! OK - let's really make a big effort and see if we can get it past, oh what shall it be? Yeah - 'Party Food - What shall I Serve' - oh...........er, sorry everyone................I'm really sorry.........

Originally posted by Ann_x
Do you know whether any of your guests is vegetarian....some veggies can be barbequed,

:partyhat:

That's a bit harsh! just because they don't like meat.

I agree, I would hate to be barbequed. Although to end my life in a way which utterly disagrees with my dietry principles would be hilariously ironic if painful at the time.
Leddi I strongly advise against the "strolling hedgehog buffet" plan. I once went to 'unroll' one when going through my child of nature phase and found to my horror it was covered in ticks. Ugh! However, if you insist on persisting in this scheme I suppose you could try and pass them off as olives.

I love it when a totally innocent thread turns into vegetarians being barbequed whilst hedgohogs wander past covered in cheese and pineapple. Haven't giggled so much at a thread for ages!

I was just gonna suggest some vegetable kebabs (eg onion, peppers, courgette etc marinaded and barbequed) but that sounds incredibly dull in comparison, sorry!

Originally posted by Deavon
That's a bit harsh! just because they don't like meat.

I wonder if you ate a vegetarian could you still be classed as a non meat eater :confused:

Serve 'em Whitstable Oysters, you will have to watch the couples after those though. Some Jellied Eels, One of Bill Maze's salt beef sandwiches, pie and mash with green liquour and some of Sonny Isaac's winkles. I'll get a coach up from Eel Pie Island and we'll have a Knees up. Alright or what?

Pitta bread stuffed with humous and salad :clap:
Off to the kitchen. Feel hungry after reading this thread!

Yes yes, i quite fancy seafood! Unfortunately the majority of my friends are 'fussy' eaters. Also i have pregnant friends on the "you can't eat anything because its bad for you and will harm your unborn child" pregnancy diet!!

Personally i think i like the idea of oysters on ice and a nice big steaming pot of chablis drowned moules, very much indeed!

Yes and pitta bread toasted on the barbie is a good idea, with a selection of delectable spreads and dips!!

Nothing says special like seafood! How about some marinaded king prawns on skewers? Marinade them in some lime juice, crushed garlic, cayenne pepper and some fresh coriander. You could also do some freshly shucked oysters with a splash sauce of mirin and soy.

Salads are always good at a party- I'm thinking asparagus, mozarella bocconcini, Roma tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, wild rocket and some cold pressed olive oil.

If you want to go wild, I saw Bill Granger (my fav. tv chef) do rock lobster sandwiches with lime mayo and coriander! Wash it down with a glass of Veuve?

For dessert how about a bread and butter pudding: australian sultanas soaked for 24 hours in Armagnac, double cream with a couple of split vanilla pods and make sure you use a good quality butter like Beppino Occelli (it's made with cream!!).

I'd ring Dominos and maybe get a big bag of those broken biscuits for dessert, all washed down with a nice cuppa or a can of special brew.

Sheffette, what time do you want us round at yours? I can bring half a bottle of White Lightning and a bag of slightly stale pickled onion space raiders that I have left over.

Incredible JonJ! How fabulous would it be if thats what i would be serving sunday eve! However i fear the lobster a little out of my reach .. but i do like the sound of the bread and butter pudding! I'm very excited to read that butter can in fact contain even more fat than i had ever dreamt of!
And a nice palate cleansing salad will go down a treat! mmm and the king prawns!! thanks ever so for the input!

On a completely different level, don't forget the lemonade sheffette!?!

Fab Feargal, what a feast! Hope the space raiders have reached the stage where they've gone all soft and chewy (I'll dig out some toothpicks cos they can get lodged in yer molars at that stage.)

Leddi - how about asking your mates what they'd like to eat...barbecue, chicken, chilli etc, and then stock up on the appropriately flavoured pot noodles? Hey presto, everyone gets their choice and you could even arrange them on a nice tray or something for 'maximum impact.'

Brevilles toasties! :clap: :thumbsup: :P mmmmmmmm

Every time I throw a party/barbeque I make this pasta salad. It's easy, lasts in the fridge for about a week and EVERYONE always loves it! Also has no meat so good for the vegetarians.

Pesto Pasta Salad
Cook loads of pasta bows, rinse in cold water to cool them, & mix in lots of green pesto till the pasta is all coated.
(probably about 100g pesto for 500g pasta but I never measure it so not sure)
then mix in chopped sundried tomatoes, halved cherry tomatoes & cubes of soft mozzarella.

While I'm at it...
Potato Salad
500g new potatos, cut in halves
Extra low fat mayonnaise (just so you don't feel too guilty!)
200g chopped bacon bits
2 onions
enough mustard to taste (whatever type you prefer)

Stir fry bacon & onions while potatoes are cooking.
Cool potatoes down with cold water once cooked,
then mix in mayo, mustard, onions & bacon. Easy!

Also, have you ever been to Sheffield meat market? It's down by Wilkinsons in Castlegate and the meat there is fantastic & very cheap. You'll be able to get loads of pre-prepared things for barbeques like chicken kebabs, drumsticks with various flavoured marinades, special home-made (pork & apple/tomato/spicy) sausages & burgers, all much cheaper than the supermarkets.

Originally posted by JonJParr
For dessert how about a bread and butter pudding: australian sultanas soaked for 24 hours in Armagnac, double cream with a couple of split vanilla pods and make sure you use a good quality butter like Beppino Occelli (it's made with cream!!). [/B]

Gone are the days when Bread and Butter pudding was just a cheap way to use up stale bread!