Are you planning to have family and friends over in the near future? Will there be more people than space in your kitchen to accommodate them all? One option is to cook outside rather than inside your kitchen and to enjoy some time outdoors — weather permitting.
But what are your options if you plan to cook in the great outdoors? Consider these five ways.
1. Outdoor Pizza Oven
One way to impress your guests is by firing up an outdoor pizza oven to prepare a great meal. Everyone has their favorite pizza. Depending on the ingredients you have on hand, you can allow your guests to help create the pizzas that best suit their palates. Once everyone has added the sauce, cheese, and topics, you can all take turns baking them in the outdoor pizza oven.
One study shows that 3 billion pizzas are sold annually in the U.S. So if anyone on your invite list claims they’re not a pizza fan, odds are they simply haven’t found their right combination of toppings. But they’ll be able to do just that if you let them create their own pie.
2. Charcoal Grill
Another way to whip up a meal outdoors for your guests is via a charcoal grill. You can pick one up for a relatively low price at any big box retailer, and it’s cheap to operate since charcoal is inexpensive and doesn’t have an expiration date. Whether your guests like burgers and hotdogs or steaks and lamb chops, you can cook virtually anything outdoors on a charcoal grill.
3. Pellet Grill
Have you ever heard of a pellet stove — a stove that is fueled by wood pellets? It can be an economical way to heat your home in the wintertime. But there are also grills you can fuel with pellets. So, if you have a pellet stove and a pellet grill, you can fuel both with the same pellets. You’ll pay more for a pellet grill than a charcoal grill, but it can be worth it. Another benefit of using a pellet grill is getting flavored pellets that give your food a unique flavor. You can grill up some good food that hits the right spot.
4. Campfire
Yet another way to enjoy some outdoor cooking is courtesy of a campfire. Do you have space in your backyard to safely start a campfire? Once you have prepared a fire pit and started a fire, lay a grate over the fire and cook your food on the grate. Doing this can be a fantastic way to cook meals in the great outdoors. You might want to put a Dutch oven on the grate if you’re cooking stew, soup, or any other meal that can be prepared in a single pot.
5. Rotisserie
Cooking outside with a rotisserie can make for great fun. Starting a fire, suspending the meat over it, and turning it at regular intervals to ensure even cooking can make a delicious meal. You don’t have to go as big as a giant hog if you don’t want to. You can start with something more manageable, like a chicken. Serve it with rice, potatoes, or a potato salad, and you’ll be all set.
The five outdoor cooking options will give you some ideas if you plan to entertain and cook the meal outdoors. There are other ways you can go about it. But these recommendations are enough to get you started. After you’ve prepared a meal in the great outdoors, you’ll wonder why you never did it before. And there’s also the possibility that you’ll want to do it more often.
