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 Saturday, FN Dish is giving you a complete menu that is stress-free, and this weekend’s spread is guaranteed to feed a crowd.
If this Labor Day weekend suddenly finds you cooking for a houseful of guests, fear not. We have everything you need to pull off an effortless, enjoyable backyard bash that’s brimming with top-notch dishes. Best of all, our no-fail recipes are a cinch to make, so you can be sure that you, the host, will have as much fun at your party as your guests.
Perhaps the most important part of any summertime soiree is the cocktails, and when it comes to entertaining a crowd, simplicity is key. Now isn’t the time to show off your mixology skills with made-to-order specialty drinks. Instead reach for big-batch cocktails that lend themselves to easy pouring, like Food Network Magazine‘s Red Sangria or Bobby’s White Peach Cocktail. If your guest list includes kids, prepare a pitcher of alcohol-free Mint Limeade, so that they can enjoy frosty glasses, too. Check out Food Network’s roundup of Pitcher-Friendly Drinks for more simple drink ideas.
Get the menu
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 Saturday, FN Dish is giving you a complete menu that is stress-free, and the stars of this weekend’s menu are sun-safe side dishes.
While outdoor eating and entertaining are some of the best parts of summer, they bring with them the chance that food will be outside for extended periods of time, exposed to steamy temperatures as the meal moves from afternoon appetizers to late-night desserts. Leaving food in hot conditions for hours at a time gives pesky bacteria the opportunity to settle into it, and while all perishable foods should be chilled to ensure their safety, none more so than those made with mayonnaise. This weekend, skip the mayo-based salads and opt for those dressed with vinegar, olive oil or lemon juice instead.
For an easy alternative to creamy pasta salads, try Food Network Magazine’s Toasted Almond Pasta Salad. It’s mixed with warm, crunchy toasted almonds and tiny tube-shaped noodles, and finished with a zesty topping of sweet shallots and lemon juice. If you’re looking for a sun-safe potato-salad swap, try this Grilled Potato and Pepper Salad from Food Network Magazine, a highest-rated dish loaded with fresh, in-season vegetables, like fingerling potatoes, bright bell peppers and scallions. Tossed with a simple sherry vinaigrette, this quick-cooking recipe is light and colorful.
Get the menu
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 Saturday, FN Dish is giving you a complete menu that is stress-free, and the stars of this weekend’s menu are entwine white wines.
Last month FN Dish announced that contrary to popular belief, red wines can, and surely should, be drunk in the summertime, since they pair so nicely with the rich, hearty meals of the season, like barbecue and grilled meats. This week, however, we’re celebrating the classics of summer drinking: white wines, specifically entwine Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.
Pinot Grigio:
Light and refreshing, entwine Pinot Grigio is a go-to wine on steamy summer nights when it seems like almost nothing can quench your thirst. It’s an easy-to-drink bottle with a crisp, fruity taste that almost everyone will enjoy.
Read more »
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 Saturday, FN Dish is giving you a complete menu that is stress-free, and this weekend’s menu is topped off with ice-cold pitchers of your favorite summertime drinks.
Whether hosting a large-scale holiday gathering, a backyard bash with friends or a casual cookout for family, the last thing you want to do is get stuck in the kitchen cooking while your guests are mingling and enjoying the party elsewhere. The same holds true for mixing drinks — who wants to play bartender all night when you could join in the celebration and raise a glass with your company? Avoid the need to take individual drink orders by mixing up big-batch recipes of crowd-pleasing pitchers to which your guests can simply help themselves.
Pictured above is Guy’s Raspberry Picante Paloma Pitcher from Food Network Magazine, which features a secret, slightly spicy ingredient: jalapeño pepper. To prepare, he muddles the pepper with sweet raspberries, tops the concoction with tequila and grapefruit juice and finishes it with a squeeze of lime. Guy takes his drink one step further by rimming each glass with grapefruit salt, made with a simple pairing of kosher salt and grapefruit zest. This recipe yields an impressive two quarts of cocktails, enough to serve up to six people and keep your party going well into the night.
Read more »
You’ve heard it before about this most beloved white meat: Grilled chicken can be boring. Sure, on its own, plain grilled chicken can be bland and dry, but it doesn’t have to — and should not be that way. To take everyday chicken to the next delicious level, try switching up cuts of chicken, experimenting with new cooking techniques and adding marinades, rubs and sauces to ensure moist, flavorful results. Follow Food Network’s three simple suggestions below to cook up crave-worthy chicken in a flash.
Buy a Better Bird:
Instead of reaching for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, give chicken thighs a chance instead. Dark meat is a tad fattier, so it’s inherently juicer and more flavorful. If you prefer lean white meat, however, look for bone-in chicken breasts — cooking chicken on the bone helps the meat maintain moisture.
Read more »
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 features easy DIY kebabs.
Quick-cooking and a downright cinch to prepare, kebabs are one of the most versatile meals you can make on the grill. Most recipes consist of little more than meat or seafood, a variety of vegetables and a multipurpose marinade to flavor them. Beyond that, you can get as fancy as you like, customizing your kebabs to reflect your family’s tastes and whatever ingredients you have on hand.
If you’re cooking for kids, you may want to stick with simple Beef Kebabs With Couscous, coated in a mild Dijon mustard-rosemary mixture. Entertaining seafood lovers? Cook up Mackerel a la Plancha, layered with zesty lemon slices. Meat meat eaters will enjoy hearty Bacon-Beef skewers, while heat seekers will want to taste these Chili Molasses Chicken Skewers, marinated in a combination of Worcestershire sauce and chipotle peppers in adobo.
Get the menu
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 will be centered around entwine red wines.
Red wine often gets a bad rap in the summer. The thought has been that it’s too heavy and warming to enjoy with the traditionally light, dainty dishes of the season, like tender seafood and fresh salads. What’s been forgotten, however, are summer’s rich, full-flavored dishes, like burgers, pork chops, steaks, ribs and more, which naturally complement red wine’s tastes and textures. We’ve paired Food Network’s two entwine red wines — Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot — with our favorite hearty grilled recipes. Check out a few pairings below and read on for a weekend cookout menu to enjoy with them.
Read more »
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 the star of this weekend’s spread is a selection of sweet fruit cobblers.
Light, warm and oozing with fresh flavor, cobblers are like pie’s younger sibling — they boast a tender fruit center and buttery pastry topping, but they’re far quicker and easier to prepare, as they don’t depend on the rolling of finicky dough. In fact, most cobbler toppings are made by simply dropping a crumbly flour-butter mixture atop the filling. Though you can make cobblers with whatever fruit is your favorite, we’re particularly excited about summertime varieties that celebrate the best tastes of the season. Check out Food Network’s top five fruit cobblers below, each a winning addition to your weekend cookout menu.
5. Mixed Berry Cobbler – A bit of orange zest helps to brighten the flavors of the berries without adding an overly citrus taste.
4. Blueberry and Nectarine Cobbler – Food Network Kitchens mixes in a dash of instant tapioca to its filling to offset the juice of ripe berries and prevent a soggy dessert.
Get the top three recipes
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 Saturday, FN Dish is giving you a complete menu that is stress-free, and this weekend’s dishes are all about seafood.
One of the easiest pieces of seafood to grill, salmon is a versatile, healthful fish that requires little cooking or prep time. It’s sturdy and firm enough that it won’t fall apart on the grill, yet it’s tender, flaky and mild in flavor. To make Food Network Magazine’s Moroccan Grilled Salmon(pictured above), marinate center-cut salmon fillets in a yogurt-garlic-cumin mixture and cook them for just a few minutes on each side. The plain yogurt will keep the fish moist and add subtle richness to its taste. Serve this dish with an Italian-style starter of crispy fried squid and a side of Crab Boil Potato Salad (pictured right), made with in-season corn, succulent crabmeat and fresh lemon juice, to complete your seafood spread.
Get the entire menu
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 fit for an Independence Day celebration.
The Fourth of July falls right in the middle of the week this year and while you may not be able to party like it’s 1776 on a Wednesday, you can surely do so this weekend. Food Network Magazine’s Philly Dogs (pictured above) are inspired by the City of Brotherly Love’s famous cheese steak, and they take just 10 minutes to put together. Nestle a grilled, snappy hot dog on a chewy hoagie roll and add sweet peppers and onions and a drizzle of cheese sauce to create a backyard version of the Philadelphia classic.
Get the menu
