When the weather is nice and you fancy some family time, a barbecue is one of the best ways to get the whole family in the garden, sharing some delicious meals together. A BBQ dinner makes a perfect family evening… unless your kids don’t like your barbecue recipes or you think hot-dogs and burgers are too unhealthy for the most precious people in your life. If either of those is the case, these recipes might just save the evening!
Which BBQ?
If you don’t already have a BBQ, you might want to look through the different types of grills on offer, click here for a good guide. Some kids might not like the smoky taste and potential for charring that comes with a charcoal barbecue, and fussy eaters might just want to opt for an electric BBQ, which is the least likely type of grill to impact the flavor.
Skewers
Skewers are easy to pack with flavor and can be really healthy, with a great marinade, you can soak lean meats as well as vegetables overnight so they’re tender and easy to eat. You might want to avoid pointy skewers if you want to give the kids the enjoyment of eating straight off the stick, or you could snap off the top and dull it down.
Barbecued potatoes
You can make delicious and tender potatoes by wrapping them in foil and putting them on the barbecue or even on an open fire. If you brush the outside of the potatoes with some oil and salt, you’ll end up with a crispy jacket potato that’s perfectly soft on the inside.
Corn on the cob
Corn on the cob is a BBQ staple and most kids love it because it’s so fun to eat. You can cook it in many different ways; if your kid doesn’t like the smoky flavor of a proper BBQ, you can cook the corn with its outer leaves still on it.
BBQ flatbread
Everybody likes pizza, which is why a flatbread is a great idea for your kids. You can fill it full of vegetables if you want, before putting it on your grill. It can be extra fun if you let your kids construct their own pizza. What’s more, you’ll get that authentic char on the dough like you would get at Italian pizzerias. You can also add some wood chips depending on the barbecue you have – if you have the right BBQ you can put on some smoking chips (soaked or not) to get that wood-fired flavor.
Fajitas
Fajitas are another great food the making of which can also be an activity for the kids. They can select their favorite meats and veggies to be cooked on the barbecue before assembling them in a tortilla wrap with cheese, sour cream, avocado or guacamole and of course, salsa. If you hold a Mexican night, you can also encourage your offspring to make their own limeade (though it might require a bit more of a clean-up).
Grilled peaches
For dessert, you can put peaches on the barbecue. They’ll get buttery and soft and you can serve them with vanilla ice cream for a fantastic treat.
