We adore our best friends and their two kids. So this Memorial Day we decided to make a dinner that everyone would love. What's an American holiday without a bbq in the backyard? We had guests
aged 10 to 60 and had to keep that in mind while planning a yummy menu. That wasn't hard. With some prep work the night before, I was truly able to prepare dinner in under an hour. Thanks to my wonderful friend M, who provided gorgeous desserts,
and a delectable ice cream cake too! I am going to organize the day before and day of schedule so you can make this wonderful meal any time over the long, hot summer!
Shopping list:
Mary's Chicken (Whole Foods) 5 breasts split with skin
Mary's
Chicken (Whole Foods) 4 whole legs with skin
1 bottle Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar Dressing
1 bottle Guy Fieri
Kansas City BBQ Sauce
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
2
lbs. Weiser Farms Fingerling Potatoes (Farmshop) or any brand
Garlic olive oil
2 shallots
1 package Organic peeled garlic
3 boxes fresh plump ripe strawberries, picked over
2 boxes
fresh plump ripe raspberries, picked over
1 box fresh blueberries
Ceasar salad ingredients (see recipe in previous post)
Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese (Whole Foods)
Kitchen Table Parmesan Crisps (Whole Foods)
1 16oz Knudsen Hampshire Sour Cream
1 loaf La Brea Bakery French
Bread
1 stick salted butter
chopped parsley
1 packet
Lipton Onion Soup & Dip Mix
1 bag Ruffles Original Potato Chips
The Day Before:
Put chicken into a bowl.
Poke holes with a fork into all pieces.
Pour salad dressing over and marinate in refrigerator overnight.
Prepare salad dressing. Refrigerate.
Grate cheese for salad. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
Wash potatoes. Store at room temperature.
Wash tomatoes. Store at room temperature.
Soften butter and add two
cloves of garlic, minced. Add 1 tablespoon parsley. Seal in airtight container.
Set table.
Morning of:
Remove salad dressing from refrigerator.
Put lettuce in a salad
bowl. Cover with "cling" wrap. Refrigerate.
Wash all fruit. Blot dry with paper towels. Discard any bruised fruit. Cut stems and tops off of strawberries. Arrange in shallow dish with
stem side down. Distribute raspberries and blueberries on top. Garnish with fresh mint if you like. Cover with "cling" wrap. Refrigerate.
Remove butter/garlic mixture from refrigerator.
Make onion dip according to directions on packet. Refrigerate.
Run to market because you forgot mint.
Make sure wine is chilling.
Make sure Coke, 7-Up, Perrier, Flat water, etc. is chilling.
Rest!
Mid-Afternoon (3:30)
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Using 4 disposable pans, remove chicken from marinade and place a few inches apart into baking
pans. Brush with a thick coat of BBQ sauce.
Bake chicken for about 60-80 minutes, just until it is white inside and juices run clear. Remove from heat. Cover with foil.
At 4:00, toss fingerlings in another disposable pan with 3/4 cup garlic olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Throw in about 15 peeled garlic cloves and 2 sliced shallots. Bake
with chicken but for about 90 minutes. (Leave in after you take chicken out. If not done yet, turn oven temperature up to 450 degrees. Potatoes will cook quickly as they are almost done.)
Now you can put out cheese, parmesan crisps and onion dip and chips. It should be around 4:40.
Slice bread into 1" pieces. Line a cookies sheet with foil. Spread butter
mixture on bread. You are going to broil when the potatoes come out. Broil for about 2-3 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
At 5:30, Light bbq. You will only bbq for about 1
minute on each side, just to get the smokey flavor of the sauce. The chicken is already done but will NOT burn! Instead it will be moist and juicy.
Toss salad.
Serve everything on festive red, white, and blue dishes. Clean up is easy if you use the great new paper goods that look like China! Our only mess was the ice cream cake that we all were too busy to notice melting all over!