This summer, Food Network’s Grilling Central is packed with recipes for the entire family’s taste buds, boasting the best in burgers, dogs, chicken and more all season long. But with so many recipes, where do you start? Each Friday, FN Dish is giving you a complete menu that is stress-free, and this weekend’s dishes are sure to please your youngest eaters.

Though picky eaters may not yet be fans of Asian-style ribs or sausage kebabs, they’ll flip for juicy, pint-sized Smashed Sliders made just for them. The key to searing these five-star burgers is to press down on them with a spatula while they’re cooking; this will make the patties thinner than traditional burgers, but because they’re not cooked for as long a time, they’ll still be moist and tender. Nestle these easy-to-eat burgers inside slider-style buns and let your kids dress them up with their favorite toppings — ketchup, mustard and pickle slices are no-fail classics.

Main Course: Smashed Sliders
Side Dish: Mix and Match Pasta Salad
Dessert: Praline Ice Cream Sandwiches
Drink: Berry-Guava Lemonade

Planning on making one of these dishes? Snap a photo and post it on Food Network’s Facebook wall.

• Choose a specific cut. Meat with generic labels like “ground beef” or “hamburger” can come from any part of the cow or from trimmings, so they can be inconsistent in flavor and texture. Ground meat labeled “chuck,” “sirloin” or another cut must contain at least 50 percent meat from that cut; it’s usually higher quality. If possible, go for organic, grass-fed beef; we love the flavor.

• Check the color. Don’t worry if packaged ground beef is bright red in some areas and brown or purplish in others. This is a harmless reaction of the meat’s surface to the air. However, if all of the meat in a package is gray, check the date — it may be past its prime.

Skip the preformed patties and more

We often refer to Pat LaFrieda, Jr. as the “Magician of Meat,” but we seem to forget that Pat LaFrieda, Jr. comes from a meat empire — a family-run meat empire. Pat Jr. runs a third-generation wholesale meat purveyor business in New Jersey with his dad, Pat Sr., and while we see the dynamic duo take viewers on a high-”steaks” ride with a side of humor on Meat Men, we wanted to know just how much the two agreed on meat.

We asked father and son the same questions to see how different (or similar) their answers would be, including who’s the better grill master in the family.

What’s the best cut of pork in your opinion?
Pat Jr.: Pork butt
Pat Sr.: Rib chops

If you had to choose between having beef, pork, veal or chicken as your last meal what would you pick?
Pat Jr.: Boneless loin lamb chops
Pat Sr.: Shake ‘N Bake pork chops with applesauce (laughing out loud) — because they’re good.

Find out who the grill master is

This summer, Food Network’s Grilling Central is packed with recipes for the entire family’s taste buds, boasting the best in burgers, dogs, chicken and more all season long. But with so many recipes, where do you start? Each Friday, FN Dish is giving you a complete menu that is stress-free, and this weekend’s spread is all about barbecue.

The secret to creating down-home barbecue is cooking it in a way that lets the meat become tender and juicy. In this video, Pat and Gina Neely, the self-proclaimed “First Family of Barbecue,” share simple tips and tricks — like using hickory chips to smoke the meat and tongs to turn it — for grilling succulent pork, brisket, ribs and more every time.

The Neelys’ overflowing pork sandwich from Food Network Magazine (pictured above) is representative of Memphis-style barbecue, dry rubbed and with a vinegar-based sauce. Check out these step-by-step photos to see how Pat and Gina prepare this barbecued beauty.

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In the June issue of Food Network Magazine, I put my own spin on fried chicken and eliminated what I think is the worst part of making the much-loved dish at home: the frying part. My kitchen always ends up spattered with oil. Not to mention, disposing of all the oil is a big pain.

To make this recipe, I took a technique I learned for making Italian chicken spiedini (essentially skewered chicken). Instead of deep frying, you coat chicken kebabs in bread crumbs and then grill them for a crispy, crunchy crust.

It took a couple of tries, but the natural fat in the chicken literally fries the bread-crumbs as they grill.  You get the best of both worlds — the crispiness of frying and the smoky taste of grilling. Just make sure to keep the heat of your grill on medium so the chicken doesn’t get overly charred.

Try it: Crispy Grilled Chicken Thighs

Get more cookout ideas from Food Network Magazine

This summer, Food Network’s Grilling Central is packed with recipes for the entire family’s taste buds, boasting the best in burgers, dogs, chicken and more all season long. But with so many recipes, where do you start? Each Friday, FN Dish is giving you a complete menu that is stress-free, and for dinner this weekend, we’re starting with a cup of chilled soup.

Unlike hot soups that can weigh you down and fill you up, chilled soups, like gazpacho and fruit purees, are light, refreshing and ideal for steamy summer days. Most chilled varieties come from no-cook recipes, meaning that the ingredients — fresh, seasonal produce, herbs, olive oil and more — are quickly blended then left to rest as their flavors combine.

Food Network Magazine’s Chilled Cucumber Soup (pictured above) is a bright bowl that is bursting with sweet and savory tastes from cucumbers, sherry vinegar, dill and a touch of garlic. If you’re hosting guests this weekend, ditch traditional serving methods and pour the soup into tall shot glasses, so that guests can simply drink this cool, smooth blend.

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Here in Food Network Kitchens, we love simple, classic recipes. We are also paid to think about food all day. So we’ve taken classic foods and drinks and reimagined them into three, four or five different ways. No standard recipes here, just the occasional technique and pictures. Think of it as a picture recipe.

We love grilled wings. Spicy, sweet, salty: No matter which wing you choose, you’ll make Dad happy this Father’s Day. I can’t help but love the classic Buffalo hot wing, so that one was my favorite.

First, start with the classic

This summer, Food Network’s Grilling Central is packed with recipes for the entire family’s taste buds, boasting the best in burgers, dogs, chicken and more all season long. But with so many recipes, where do you start? Each Friday, FN Dish is giving you a roundup of stress-free summer favorites and this weekend, dinner will feature easy-to-prepare turkey burgers.

As juicy as beef patties, but leaner and milder in flavor, turkey burgers are an ideal canvas to showcase any number of flavors and textures. Before grilling, add to ground turkey a selection of sauces, fresh vegetables, herbs and spices to flavor the burger and ensure its moistness, and top with soft cheeses, crisp greens, mayonnaise, mustard and more to complete it. Check out Food Network’s top five turkey burger recipes, each with a different tasty twist and all go-to main dishes for your weekend cookout spread.

5. Perfect Turkey Burgers – Food Network Magazine’s mushroom-laced burgers are topped with smooth avocado slices and built atop toasted English muffins.

4. Stuffed Turkey Burgers – Inside Ellie’s moist turkey patties is a combination of creamy mozzarella cheese and roasted red peppers.

Get the top three turkey burger recipes

Let’s face it: No matter how many times we take to the barbecue every season, we still find ourselves second-guessing the perfect temperature for hamburgers, wondering how to create those perfect grill marks on steak and looking for ways to reinvent classic macaroni and potato salads. Well, Food Network has the ultimate cheat sheet for you this summer season.

Experts from our very own Food Network Kitchens will come together to address these perennial grilling problems on Food Network’s Facebook page this Saturday from 12 pm to 12:30 pm EST.

From dry chicken to tips for cooking food over direct and indirect heat, our experts from Food Network Kitchen will be offering helpful solutions and delicious recipes to take you beyond Labor Day.

Do you have a question you need answered? Head to Food Network’s Facebook page this Saturday from 12 pm to 12:30 pm EST.

Last year, we polled FN Dish readers: Burgers or hot dogs for Memorial Day weekend? While 44 percent said they would be indulging in both, 35 percent said they were all about the burger. To ensure you cook up tender and juicy burgers this upcoming long weekend, we asked the “Magician of Meat” Pat LaFrieda, Jr. to offer up some tips.

5 Things to Avoid Doing to Your Burger

• Never place your burger on a grill that is not preheated. Always make sure your grill is hot enough and ready to cook on before placing the burger down. Too often people turn on the grill and immediately place the meat down to start cooking — and the end result is never pretty. If the grill is preheated to the right temperature, you’ll notice the difference.

Don’t do these four things to your burger