10 Outdoor Cookout Essentials

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BUBBA burger. All opinions are 100% mine.

Summer is almost here and that means more backyard cookouts will be happening. This is the time to take advantage of your backyard and enjoy meals outside with family. Whether you are entertaining or just with your immediate family these are essentials you will need for a backyard cookout!

Grilling Tools

A good set of grilling tools is essential when you are cooking out to cook the food and safely handle it. Depending on which type of grill you have you will need either propane or charcoal and a grill brush for cleaning to begin with. As for the grilling tools a spatula, tongs, apron, and aluminum foil.

Grill

The grill is the heart of it all when it comes to grilling out. Grills range from $25 to thousands of dollars but you don’t need to spend a bunch of money on a grill. While the bigger the better it’s not always necessary to go big. Besides setting your budget on a grill, you will also need to decide if you want gas or charcoal grill.

Food

For a cookout you can have a wide variety of food and drinks. I suggest keeping the menu simple and sticking to something that everyone will like. Meat is usually a good choice when having a cookout. I am a hamburgers and hot dogs kinds of person along with most people. BUBBA burger is ideal for an outdoor cookout on the grill because it is made with 100% USDA Choice Chuck beef and you can cook from frozen and having it ready in 10 minutes.

There are many varieties of BUBBA burgers, but our favorite are Original and Angus Beef. We like to keep a box of them in the freezer at all times as they are so easy to make and good, high quality meat. And don’t forget the condiments to put on your BUBBA burgers such as ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc. After you choose your meat, create a few sides and desserts to coordinate with the main dish. 

Drinks

It’s important to stay hydrated during the warmer months so make sure you have plenty of drinks on hand. Find out what your guests like such as soda, water, beer, wine, etc. beforehand. Set a cooler filled with ice by the guests so they can help themselves during the time they are outside. 

Seating Area

First make sure you have plenty of seats for family or guests before you begin. Set up a table and chairs for those that would like to eat at the table along with some patio furniture that others can sit in, eat and mingle.

Tableware

For easy clean up, I suggest using disposable when you can such as plates, cups, silverware and tablecloths. You can eliminate the amount of dishes and time when doing so. For display of food use serving platters and serving spoons so guest can move along the line of food and put on their plates.

Entertainment

Keep the family or guests entertained with some light music playing in the background, outdoor yard games or a fire at night. Not only does this make the cookout more fun but can also be an icebreaker to some.

Garbage Bags

Make clean up a breeze by having garbage bags or even outdoor trash cans set up around the area so guests can throw away disposables when done. Don’t forget to take out the trash when guests leave to avoid any critters from coming in. 

Lighting

As the day turns into night make sure you have the right amount of lighting around the area. Not only is it good to see everyone but also creates a beautiful setting to enjoy. Choose from patio lights, walkway lights, or even tiki torches.

Bug Repellent

Make sure to have some bug repellent on hand for guests to use if the cookout goes into the night. You can also set some bug repelling plants, tiki torches and citronella candles around the area to help repel mosquitos also.

Now that you have all the essentials you need for a successful cookout, are you ready to grill?