Quamut: the go to how to.
 
 
 
Published_by_bn Sign In Help_but My_quamut_but
 
 
 
   Throw a Last-Minute Labor Day Cookout found in Hobbies & Leisure  :  Outdoors A   A   A
text size
 
 
Know more about this
(or any other) subject?
 
 
Show off your know-how at Quamut Wiki.
 
 
Throw a Last-Minute Labor Day Cookout
Send Quamut to a friend
No plan? No problem.
 
Labor Day is here, you’ve invited your nearest and dearest, picked up the hamburgers and hot dogs…and that’s as far as you’ve gotten. But don’t worry. With this cookout cheat sheet and a roll of aluminum foil, you’ll be the neighborhood Rachael Ray in no time.
 
 
 
Add to my favorites Send this Quamut to a friend del.icio.us
 

Have a D-I-Y Cookout

One way to maximize time is to have your guests pitch in. Hey, it’s not as bad as it sounds! In fact, people love the freedom to choose what they eat. Your guests will have so much fun creating their own meals that they won’t realize they’re doing all the work.

Grilled Vegetable Packets

These require some slicing and dicing on your part. But after that, you’re home free.
  1. Buy some eggplant, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, squash, onions, and any other vegetables you and your guests will like. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized chunks.
  2. After you’ve fired up the grill, have your guests choose their favorite veggies, brush them with olive oil, and season them with salt, pepper, and any other herbs or spices you have on hand.
  3. Have your guests place their oiled, seasoned vegetables on individual sheets of precut aluminum foil that you’ve coated with cooking spray.
  4. Fold up the packets, seal the edges, and place them on the grill. (Have guests initial their veggie packets beforehand with a permanent marker so that the packets don’t get mixed up.)
  5. Grill the packets for 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

Grilled Stuffed Potatoes

Grilled stuffed potatoes are a hearty side dish and can double as a main course for vegetarian guests. These crowd-pleasers work with both regular and sweet potatoes.
  1. Depending on your preference, use one potato per guest or split a potato between two guests.
  2. Thoroughly wash the potatoes.
  3. Combine olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
  4. Roll the potatoes in the seasoned oil mixture to coat, slit each potato down the middle, wrap individually in aluminum foil, and place on the grill.
  5. Grill potato packets for 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
  6. Offer your guest a selection of toppings for stuffing their own potatoes. Favorite toppings include cheddar cheese, beans, sour cream, salsa, bacon, and scallions.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Make a quick trip to the grocery store to give your guests a tasty way to end the meal.
  1. Buy an assorted mix of round, flat, soft cookies—such as chocolate chip—from the bakery department of your local grocery store.
  2. Pick up a few tubs of your favorite ice cream flavors. (When you’ve got more time to prepare, try whipping up homemade ice cream from scratch.)
  3. Let the ice cream soften for about 5 minutes, then set the ice cream and cookies out on a table with plates and plastic spoons and knives.
  4. Have the guests custom make their own ice cream sandwiches. For added fun, set out sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, and M&Ms so that your guests can decorate the sides of their ice cream sandwiches.

Grilled Reverse Banana Splits

Make hungry heads turn by grilling up loaded bananas and topping them with ice cream.
  1. Have each guest slice a banana down the middle, keeping it in the peel and making sure not to cut all the way through to the other side.
  2. Then ask guests to stuff their bananas with sprinkles, chocolate chips, marshmallows, brown sugar, or any other toppings they prefer.
  3. Wrap each banana in aluminum foil and place on the grill.
  4. Grill banana packets for 5 minutes, or until the chocolate chips or marshmallows are melted.
  5. Spoon some ice cream on top and serve.
 
 
  Acknowledgments & Disclaimer