BBQ

4th of July BBQ Food Ideas That Will Save You Money

June 28, 2019 By Christina Majaski Leave a Comment

Are you hosting a big summer bash for the 4th of July this year? While holiday gatherings can be a ton of fun, they can also be major budget-busters, especially when they happen early in the month. The good news? There are plenty of 4th of July BBQ food ideas to keep your friends and family well-fed without putting yourself in debt.

4th of July BBQ Food Ideas That Don’t Cost A Lot

Here are some easy and cheap 4th of July BBQ food ideas to make sure your Independence Day is perfect.

Get a $10 Costco Shop Card

Bulk Shopping

Head to a bulk store, like Costco or Sam’s Club, to pick up your grilling meats in bulk. These stores tend to offer great grilling packages, especially when it comes to things like steak, chicken, and burgers. Remember, chicken thighs and legs tend to cost less than breast meat, and buying boneless always means you’ll pay more.

Make sure you compare prices on fresh ground beef versus packages of premade burger patties, too. You may just find making your own isn’t cost-effective. While you’re at it, look for things like plates, cups, cutlery, and napkins in the warehouse store. Condiments like ketchup, mustard, relish, and pickles may also be more cost-effective.

Make It a Potluck Event

While the majority of people won’t come to your home empty-handed, they may not exactly help you to create a well-rounded selection of foods without a little guidance. Ask each of your guests to bring a dish, but assign them a category — salad, deviled eggs, rolls, beverages, fruits, chips, and desserts are all options. Those with special food needs and allergies should be asked to bring a diet-friendly entree for themselves or to share.

Asking for specific dishes or categories will ensure you don’t end up with a table full of store-bought cookies or brownies while at the same time lessening your burden when it comes to feeding your friends.

Baked Beans

Baked beans are a BBQ favorite, and no two people make them alike. Spruce up your favorite canned variety by adding some bacon, brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup before allowing them to simmer in the crockpot. The Spruce Eats has a simple recipe to check out!

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a classic BBQ food and are incredibly inexpensive to make. For just a few dollars, you can throw together some egg yolks with your favorite mayo, vinegar, and seasonings for a delicious treat. You can spruce the eggs up for the 4th of July by using food coloring to dye some of them red and blue. The color will add some flair to the table, reducing the number of colorful decorations you feel you need to buy. Check out this easy colored egg recipe from Food Lion!

Macaroni Salad

A box of elbow noodles, a jar of mayo, and your favorite seasonings are enough to feed a decent crowd. You can even double a basic macaroni salad recipe for just an extra dollar or two. The most basic salads are just noodles, mayo, seasonings, and maybe a little onion or green pepper. You can add any veggie you’d like, for contrast. Consider throwing in some halved cherry tomatoes or even some finely chopped broccoli. Whatever’s in season will keep your salad budget-friendly. You can dye some of your noodles red and blue for this recipe, too, if you’d like to keep things patriotic.

Fresh Fruits and Veggies

You don’t have to go crazy with a ton of processed foods for your 4th of July feast, either. Depending on where you live, you’ll find tons of BBQ-friendly foods to be in season. Hit up your local farmer’s market or produce stand to look for fresh ears of corn, strawberries, blueberries, and watermelon. The corn can be boiled or grilled, and the fruits can be cut up into a nice salad. Slice up that watermelon, with the rinds, for the kids to snack on while they’re running around the yard; or find some star-shaped cookie cutters and put watermelon stars on skewers for a cute, fun treat.

Fun Desserts

Themed desserts don’t have to be expensive. Grab a box of brownie mix and a container of red, white, and blue sprinkles or jimmies to sprinkle over the top. Make your favorite cookies more patriotic with some holiday-colored M&Ms. For a refreshing treat, grab some old-school popsicle molds from your local dollar store and fill them with lemonade, pink lemonade, or other juices. You can even spruce them up with some blueberries or finely diced/crushed strawberries.

Celebrate and Save Money

You don’t need to set out an expensive spread to have a fun 4th of July. Visit your local dollar store for just a few decorations or balloons, set the lawn chairs up in the shade, and get ready to enjoy the company of your family and friends.

What are your tips for saving money on get-togethers? Share with us in the comments below.

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10 Must-Have Items for the Perfect 4th of July BBQ

June 25, 2018 By Tamila McDonald Leave a Comment

The 4th of July is a classic part of the grilling season. Rising temperatures, sunny days, and getting together with friends and family all help make this holiday great.

If your aim is throwing the perfect 4^th of July BBQ, having the right tools on-hand is a must. Otherwise, you may struggle to make great food or get bogged down in clean up responsibilities.

To help you make sure your BBQ is a winner, here are ten of the best tools on the market today.

1.Wireless Digital Cooking Thermometer

Safety is paramount when cooking meat.

With the ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Remote Digital Cooking Food Meat Thermometer, you can make sure everything reaches the right temperature.

You can actively monitor the device remotely, allowing you to socialize without risking overcooking.

Another option is to set a heating target and wait for the alarm to let you know it’s ready.

The LCD screen is easy to read and the stainless steel probes a breeze to clean, making it a great tool to keep on hand.

2. Stingray 7 in 1 BBQ Tool

When you want to grill high-quality items, you need the right tools for the job.

Fish fillets are best managed with a spatula while tongs are the tool of choice for steaks.

If you need to handle chicken breasts, a fork is often easier.

Luckily, with the Stingray 7 in 1 BBQ Tool, you have all of them in the palm of your hand.

For added convenience, the multi-tool also has a bottle opener in the handle.

This means you’ll be able to cover all of your needs without having to track down a separate tool.

Although you might not be able to resist the other items on our list of BBQ must-haves. Keep reading for more goodies.

3. Automatic Grill Cleaner

Cooking on a grill is enjoyable.

The cleanup process, however, usually leaves something to be desired.

Luckily, with the Grillbot Automatic Grill Cleaner, you can save yourself a lot of work.

Simply set the little robot to clean, close the lid, and walk away.

When you return, your grill will be free of food and debris, ready for storage.

Then, just put the Grillbot away, and your work is done… until the next time you use the grill, of course.

4. Grill Basket

Grilling certain vegetables can be a challenge.

These foods often stick to the grill or fall through the grates during cooking.

Then they burn and cause flames to shoot up over the rest of the food you’re grilling.

Shrimp and scallops can cause similar trouble.

Fortunately, the Grillux Grill Basket solves the problem.

The stainless steel basket sits on your grill and holds loose or small foods.

It has holes for drainage, but the smaller openings ensure items don’t fall through.

Then your grilling will be a lot neater.

5. Grill Light

If you want to be able to grill after the sun goes down, then a grill light is a must.

The Zeust Capella Barbecue Grill Light has an adjustable gooseneck design, ensuring you to target the light precisely where you need it.

The magnetized base can stick to any ferrous metal, including the bodies of most grills.

This makes it much easier to remove and shift the light where you need it most.

Plus, it has an attractive stainless steel appearance and is also easy to wipe down after a hard night of grilling.

6. Propane Tank Indicator

If you have a gas grill, running out of propane can be a nightmare scenario.

End that nightmare with the AP Products 024-1001 Propane Tank Gas Level Indicator.

Attach the indicator to your gas grill setup and you’ll always know what’s left in the propane tank.

While the indicator won’t stop you from running out of propane, it does let you monitor how much you have.

Then, you can make sure that you have another tank available or get a refill before your big 4^th of July BBQ.

Keep reading the rest of the list for more about propane.

7. BBQ Dragon

One of the biggest hassles of using a charcoal grill is getting it to light.

You can speed up the process with something tantamount to dragon fire.

The BBQ Dragon has a fan that helps direct airflow to allow the fire to grow.

Plus, it’s fully rechargeable via a USB port, making it convenient to power up and reuse.

As an added bonus, you can also use the device for other fires, like fireplaces and campfires.

As long as you have a place to clamp the device, the BBQ Dragon could be a fire-starting lifesaver.

8. Charcoal Starter

Another tool that is designed to help you light a charcoal grill with ease is the Looftlighter Charcoal Starter.

It produces a jet of hot air that the company claims can get a fire going in about 60 seconds.

Plus, it’s a lot safer than coating the briquettes with endless amounts of lighter fluid.

And it saves you from trying to light paper — which is wasteful.

The Charcoal Starter does require an outlet to work, but even if you don’t have outdoor outlets, you can always run an extension cord into the house.

If incorporating electricity into your grilling isn’t for you, well, there are still other choices on the list of must-have BBQ items that might be just the thing for you.

9. Gas Grill

If you prefer propane over coal and need to cook for a small party, here’s the grill for you.

The Char-Broil Classic 405 4-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill is made by one of the industry’s leading companies.

And it provides an ample amount of space for all of your grilling needs.

Along with the grilling area, you also get two small side surfaces.

These are perfect for holding plates, condiments, spices, and more.

Each gas burner also operates independently.

This allows you to shift the heat or only use the number you need when cooking for a small group.

10. Charcoal Grill

If you want a charcoal grill with a significant amount of grilling space, the Weber 14501001 Master-Touch Charcoal Grill features a classic design that is perfect for nearly any occasion.

Additionally, it’s made by a company you can trust as they have a longstanding reputation for great grilling products.

This grill has a temperature gauge on the exterior that can help you make sure everything is cooked safely.

Plus, it’s designed to be easy to clean, which is always useful on busy days.

Ultimately, all of the products above can make your 4th of July BBQ an experience to remember while eliminating hassles.

That way, you can have as much fun as possible while creating a great meal, which is the ideal way to spend any holiday.

Readers, what must-have items do you have on-hand for your BBQs? Tell us all about your favorite outdoor grilling experiences by posting in the comments section below.

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Simple Safety Tips for Barbecuing Memorial Day Weekend

May 24, 2015 By Lori Kelley 3 Comments

Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer, and with it comes with some seasonal dangers. Barbecuing is one of the activities which comes with some risks. It’s important to take action to help reduce the likelihood of accidents happening when you decide to begin grilling. As with many things, preventing injuries from occurring not only will save you a lot of pain and suffering, it will also be good for your pocketbook.

Memorial Day weekend is the start of the barbecuing season for many people. For those who barbecue, they’ll also be spending more time in the sun. It’s essential to make sure you put plenty of sunscreen and proper clothing on to protect your skin. The vast majority of people simply don’t know how to correctly put on sunscreen, so it’s worth learning how. It’s also important to make sure that you reapply it often during the day. Doing so can save you thousands of dollars by keeping your skin wrinkle-free longer as you grow older by not having the need to purchase expensive wrinkle creams. It can also help prevent costly medical expenses that would come with the development of skin cancer.

Another major risk that comes with barbecuing is food poisoning. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that some 48 million Americans will contract food poisoning this year. To help prevent food poisoning, it’s important to not to leave food sitting out for extended periods of time in the sun before cooking it. For meat that you put on the grill, make sure that it gets thoroughly cooked. It’s advisable to use a meat thermometer to ensure that heat is getting caught throughout, not just burning the outside, which can be a common occurrence with barbecues. It’s also important to wash all vegetables before you put them on the grill. By taking some simple precautions, you can reduce the risk of getting food poisoning when barbecuing.

The space around barbecue grill can be a dangerous place for kids. It’s important to keep children away from hot grills where they could have an accident that could result in the child getting burned. Experts recommend a 3-foot kid-free zone around barbecues to lessen the danger.

It’s also important to make sure that the barbecue grill is clean to begin the summer season. Many people put away their grills for winter without properly cleaning them. Fat and grease that accumulates over the grilling season can catch fire and send up flames unexpectedly which can injure a person. Cobwebs can have the same effect. Clean the barbecue grill to prevent these issues.

(Photo courtesy of slgckgc)

Beef Prices Spike to 27 Year High: Expensive Grilling Season

April 12, 2014 By Jeffrey Strain Leave a Comment

It’s going to be an expensive grilling season. Beef prices have risen to their highest level in more than 27 years, and it doesn’t appear that there is going to be much relief in the near future.

The rising prices can be attributed to smaller herds, which are the smallest in the US since 1951, and growing export demand from countries like China and Japan. The average price for a pound of fresh beef reached $5.28 per pound in February. That price is almost a quarter more than it was the previous month, and the highest price for beef since 1987.

There is no immediate sign that prices will decline in the near future. Many ranchers have decreased the number of head in their herds due to drought and high feed prices. It will take several years for these ranchers to increase their herds, and beef prices will remain high until they are able to do so.

For those hoping to save money when barbecuing by switching to other meats, they may not find the savings that they hope to. Pork prices have also increased due to a virus I break that has killed millions of piglets. Chicken prices are also on the rise. Chicken came in at $1.95 per pound in February, the highest price since October 2013.

What does this all mean for those who are getting ready for the barbecue season? They’re going to have to use a bit of creativity, and look for savings wherever they can, in order to grill without breaking their budget. Here are a few ways that you can save money as the grilling season starts.

Grill More Vegetables

With the prices as high as they are, make sure to grab large quantities of vegetables to place beside the meat that you will be grilling. Vegetable prices aren’t expected to be as high as meat prices, and these can help supplement the food that you are grilling during the summer months. Some great vegetables to grill are asparagus, corn, onions, zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes and eggplant.

Meat Coupons

Many people don’t realize this, but there are grocery store coupons for meat. You just need to know where to find them. Most meat coupons are found on other barbecue items. For example, if you are buying charcoal for your grill, there might be a coupon for a couple dollars off of meat if you buy several bags. Another popular place to find meat coupons is in conjunction with beer or other alcohol. By looking for coupons for meat on other things that you will need during the grilling season, you may be able to reduce the cost of the meat that you do buy.

Avoid Prepared Meats

Avoid meats that have already been partially prepared. Pre-made hamburger patties are drastically more expensive than ground beef. Meats that have already been marinated will be more expensive than the same cuts that haven’t. Purchasing your meats without any extras will keep the price of them down.

Avoid BBQ Kits

Another way to save money is to avoid buying BBQ kits. There are plenty of kits out there for your grill or your food, but many of these kits are a waste of money. They provide expensive rubs or spices you could make at home, or they contain tools and gadgets that you don’t really need.

Make Your Own Rubs and Sauces

Grocery stores love trying to market their premium rubs and sauces when barbecue season rolls around. Many of these rubs and sauces are made from items that most people can find in their own kitchens. Instead of wasting $5 on a bottle of sauce, try making your own sauces or rubs for your meats. If you’re having trouble figuring out what to make, search for recipes online. There are more than enough of them, so you’ll probably be able to find something you like.

(Photo courtesy of generalising)