School supplies may already be flooding the aisles of Target, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to throw an epic summer grill out. Don’t worry, I’ve already tested out some sweet tips for an all-American grill out and am going to share my favorites- all tested and approved by friends.
1) Invites
The first step is to plan a date & invite your friends. I found that a Facebook event page was a great way to get a rough number on how many people were planning to attend and to buy the right amount of food.
2) Food & Drinks
Everyone knows that the best part of a party is the food, so focus on this next. Before dinner I had some of these school spirited snacks (Cyclones do it best) for people to munch on that ranged from:
Emily’s Oreo Balls
Photo by Ashley Jones
- 1 package of Oreos
- 8oz package of softened cream cheese
- 1 package of vanilla almond bark
In a food processor or blender, crush up a package of Oreos and then mix in one 8oz package of cream cheese softened. Next, roll the mix into 1 inch balls and freeze them for an hour. After that, melt one package of vanilla almond bark and dip the balls into the melted vanilla bark. Place the dipped Oreo balls on a cookie sheet and sprinkle Oreo crumbs on top.
#SpoonTip: Add food coloring to the almond bark to match your school’s colors. Make sure they’re Cardinal and Gold.
Chips & dip
Photo by Ashley Jones
I found this recipe on Pinterest form Sweet Little Bluebird and it is delicious.
- 16 oz of Sour Cream
- 8 oz container of Philadelphia Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread
- 1 oz packet of Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing and Seasoning Mix
Mix all three ingredients together and chill in the fridge for an hour. Serve with chips.
Lemonade
Photo by Ashley Jones
Buy Country Time Lemonade 19oz mixture or try this homemade lemonade recipe and then put the lemonade in large jar dispensers. Purchase fun straws in your school colors at a party store (again, Cardinal and Gold please) to take your drinks to the next level!
Hot Dog Bar
Photo by Ashley Jones
For the main course I had a Hot Dog Bar because it’s a fun, unique and cheap option for a grill out! Guests can create their own hotdog creations with these toppings.
- ketchup, mustard, relish, lettuce, shredded cheese, peanut butter & bacon bits.
Have friends bring sides such as this Basil-Balsamic Pasta Salad or Mac and Cheese.
And finally the most important part of a meal…DESSERT
Mom’s Mud Pie Cookies
Photo by Ashley Jones
- 2 C Sugar
- 1/4 C Butter
- 1/4 C Cocoa
- 1/2 C Milk
- 3 C Oatmeal
- 1/2 C Peanut Butter
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Boil for one minute: sugar, butter, cocoa and milk. Remove from heat & stir in peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. Drop by teaspoonfuls on waxed paper and cool. Enjoy the delicious peanut butter chocolate goodness.
3) Fun
Why have normal fun when you could have GIANT fun.
Giant Slip & Slide
Photo by Ashley Jones
Go to your local hardware store and buy a 100 foot plastic tarp. Next find a hill to roll it out on. Then spray it with water and don’t forget the dish soap. Finally slip and slide down 100 feet of fun.
Giant Jenga
Photo by Ashley Jones
My dad and brother used this tutorial to build our Giant Jenga game! We play it all of the time and it is SO fun.
Giant Fire
Photo by Ashley Jones
End the grill out extravaganza with a fire and of course don’t forget the s’mores.