3 Kid-Friendly Grilled Meals For Your Backyard BBQ

A backyard barbecue is one of the easiest ways to ease into hosting with young kids. If the mess and chaos of a bunch of kids running around in your home intimidates you, with a barbecue all that happens outside! Or maybe you don’t have a lot of time to prep a big meal for others. With grilled meals, it is expected that the grilling happens while the guests are there and your kids are running around playing.

If you are new to hosting, I suggest throwing a potluck in your yard or at a park. Potlucks really simplify the meal prep. I grew up on potlucks and still love a good potluck. You get to try everyone’s favorite dishes and share yours! Plus there’s never a shortage of food at potlucks, which is great with a swarm of growing children running around.

But if potlucks aren’t your style or you want to really treat your guests, then here are three grilled meals that are kid-friendly, tasty, and simple! The bulk of the prep can be done well in advance and the grilling is pretty straight forward. We are aiming for easy and doable, not perfection here. You don’t have to be a great cook (trust me, I am not) to pull off one of these grilled meals and have a great time.

1. Steak and Focaccia

Appetizer: Charcuterie board

Kid-friendly charcuterie boards are a genius mom hack that I caught onto a couple years back when I got tired of constantly preparing individual plates for my children that they would then reject. My kid-friendly charcuterie boards basically consist of all the things I would otherwise offer my kids for a meal or snack, with some basic presentation on a beautiful wooden board. The nice presentation somehow tricks them into eating things they might resist if I put them on their plate.

When it comes to hosting other families with young kids, charcuterie boards are a simple way to offer a variety of options. Everyone is bound to find something they like on the charcuterie board.

One way to get a variety of fun cheeses at a low price is to look for an “extras”/”samples”/”clearance” section in your grocery store’s artisan cheese refrigerator. A lot of grocery stores will package and sell their small scraps rather than toss them. These smaller chunks are the perfect size for a charcuterie board and only cost a couple dollars. Sometimes I plan ahead, but sometimes I just put out what I have in my fridge/pantry. The options are endless. Here are foods I often place on my charcuterie boards.

Main: Flank or Flat Iron Steak

Marinated flank and flat iron steaks are very forgiving. These marinated cuts of beef are also usually a hit with kids as well. We have given long strips to toothless babies and they will happily gum the meat to bits. Our older kids who are pretty hit or miss with other meats, always consume large quantities of this marinated flank or flat iron steak. Of all the grilled meals we prepare, this is the guest favorite. It may also be the easiest.

We marinate each flank steak or flat iron steak in the following:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • sub for gluten free soy sauce if needed
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Let the meat soak in the marinade in the fridge for 3-4 hours. After marinating, set it out on the counter until it comes to about room temperature. Then cook the steak on a preheated grill for 4-6 minutes a side for a total of 8-12 minutes (can always cook longer if needed). Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing it in strips against the grain.

Side Dishes

Focaccia

One of my goals when hosting is to make my guests feel like I put in some effort to make them something from scratch without exhausting myself. I found this focaccia recipe a few years ago and it has become a staple in our home. It is so good and can be served with all kinds of meals. The leftovers also make fantastic avocado toast, bruschetta, and paninis. And most kids love bread!

Focaccia only requires a handful of ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen and the steps are so simple. The only catch is you need to think a bit ahead as this focaccia recipe calls for an overnight rise in the refrigerator. We have, however, made it same-day with a shorter fridge rise and it was tasty, with just a slight difference in the sponginess. We like to mix 1-2 tablespoons of dried rosemary into the dough during the first step. But you could throw in some olives, add some Parmesan cheese and scallions on top, or do whatever sounds good to you!

Focaccia is an aesthetically beautiful bread and is one of the simplest ways to welcome your guests with something made from scratch. I highly recommend you give it a try.

Grilled Asparagus or Zucchini

Break off the tough ends of asparagus stalks or slice some zuchini in long, thick strips. Toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper, and throw them on the grill for a few minutes while the meat is resting. If you have any herb-or citrus-infused olive oils (rosemary, basil, lemon etc.), consider drizzling a little bit over the vegetables after you plate them.

Berry Spinach Salad

Vegetable salads are healthy and delicious, but all the chopping takes some time. You could chop everything before guests arrive and keep it in your refrigerator to assemble later. We do that sometimes. But a super simple and tasty summer option is to fill your salad bowl with a bag/box of pre-washed spinach or spring mix and toss in any combination of the following:

1. strawberries, washed and halved, and/or whole blueberries or blackberries
2. walnuts or pecan halves (confirm no nut allergies!)
3. Thinly sliced red onion
4. Goat cheese, crumbled (I love the Vermont Creamery Blueberry Lemon & Thyme Goat Cheese)
5. Dried cranberries or blueberries

To dress it, you can make this delicious strawberry salad dressing ahead of time. Or for a much easier/last minute option, we will often use balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I really like using white balsamic vinegar with this salad because it is light and fresh. Or a fruit infused balsamic, like white pear balsamic, is tasty as well.

Dessert: Berry Pie

I grew up in berry country. So berry everything was a staple of my childhood and I have continued that with my kids. Most children love berries.

I make a lot of pies. Berry pies are extremely simple. Even if your pie filling doesn’t hold it’s shape well, any mixture of berries, crust, and vanilla ice cream is going to taste fantastic. You can find many lovely berry pie or crisp recipes online, complete with homemade crusts. I like to make a big batch of pie crust and freeze it in balls in my freezer to use whenever I want to make a sweet pie. But for a very simple berry pie, buy Costco’s bag of three berry blend (in the freezer section) or something similar, store bought crust, and follow this recipe, skipping the lattice work.

Pies can be assembled in advance and frozen uncooked. I made a bunch of pies for my wedding that I then froze and had family members bake the day of and bring with them.

If pie making still intimidates you, heat a couple scoops of your favorite jam (homemade or store bought) with roughly a teaspoon of water in the microwave for a few seconds, just to get to a pourable consistency. Stir the warm jam/water mixture and drizzle it over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. This treat takes me straight back to making jam with my mom as a kid. Warm jam on ice cream was always our reward for our time in the kitchen. It is so simple and it tastes so good.

2. Carne Asada Fajitas

Appetizer: Nacho Tray

Most kids will devour a nacho tray. Pour a bag of tortilla chips onto a tray, sprinkle grated/shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend) on it, then put the nachos in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Maybe you put a lot of cheese on one part of the tray, some cheese on another part, and no cheese on another section. It only takes one tray to keep a bunch of picky eaters happy.

While the nachos are in the oven, whip up some guacamole to serve on the side. Mash some avocados, add diced tomato, squeeze some lime, and then salt to taste. You can also put out some salsa. If you really want to go wild, you can pile on sour cream, beans, and more. To appeal to kids, I usually leave ingredients like onions, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeños out. Similar to the charcuterie vibe, you just throw together a variety of options or what you have on hand and kids will find something they want to take from the tray.

Main: Carne Asada Fajitas

Carne asada is another marinated meat that is super forgiving and quick to grill. You can find recipes online that all call for different cuts of beef. I do prefer a thinner cut for my carne asada. Skirt steak and flank steak are popular options. But, if you want to make it even easier, try Costco’s carne asada. It tastes pretty good and comes with cooking instructions on the packaging. All you have to do is bring it home and put it on the grill. Once cooked, let the carne asada rest and then chop it or slice it in small strips against the grain. Serve it with warm tortillas and the sides listed below.

Side Dishes

Cilantro Lime Rice

Rice should be started ahead of the meat because it takes a little while to cook. You can find several copycat chipotle rice recipes online if you want to elevate the meal a bit. But you can also wing it. Cook some white or brown rice. Once cooked, use a fork to fluff the rice. Squeeze some lime and add some salt to taste. You can also mix in finely chopped cilantro if you like (consider setting aside some rice without).

Black Beans

These are simple to make and if you have a burner on your grill, you can cook these outside. They take a little while to simmer down, so start them at the same time, if not a little before the meat.

Pour a couple cans of black beans into a pot on the stove. Sprinkle in some salt (if the beans are unsalted), cumin and garlic. Bring the beans to a boil, then drop the temp down to a simmer. Let the beans simmer until the liquid has mostly evaporated. Use a spoon or fork to pull beans up against the side of the pot and mash them a bit. Let them continue to simmer until they start to reach a thicker consistency, but don’t let them get really thick. They will continue to thicken a little as they cool. Salt to taste.

Peppers and Onions

These can be sliced before your guests arrive and then cooked when you cook everything else. You can cook them directly on the grill if you have a blackstone, or in a cast iron pan on the grill.

Guacamole

If you make guac for your nacho appetizer, try to make enough that it can be carried through to dinner. If you run out, it is so simple to make though. Mash some avocados in a bowl with a fork, add diced fresh tomatoes, and squeeze some lime and salt to taste. Whatever diced tomatoes you don’t use, you can put out for people to put on their fajitas.

Sour Cream, Cheese, Green Onion, Salsa

These store bought items are easy to put out as fajita toppings.

Dessert: Mexican Ice Cream Bars

To stick with the Mexican theme, offer creamy paletas (Mexican ice cream bars) for dessert. You can find these at most grocery stores in the ice cream/popsicle section (such as the Helados Mexico brand available at Walmart). if you want something more decadent, a lot of grocery bakeries sell tres leches cakes.

3. Burgers and Brats

Appetizer: Chips, Fruit, and Veggies

Set out some chips, an assortment of fruit on a platter, and a veggie tray. Do you really need anything else?

Main: Burgers and Brats

Grilled meals can’t get much simpler than burgers and brats. Why stray away from this time-tested favorite? Especially when choosing among these grilled meals for kids who are picky eaters.

There are still ways you can up your game. For example, there are a lot of bun options in the stores if you prefer brioche, sesame, pretzel, etc. Or maybe find a specialty mustard and slaw to pile on the brats. Allow guests to assemble their burgers with a variety of fixings. You could put out some avocado and slices of bacon. Or grilled pineapple slices and barbecue sauce. Sometimes, the simplest meals really hit the spot. So don’t shy away from this classic summer meal.

Side Dishes

Black Bean and Pineapple Salad

A tasty meal does not have to be complicated. It really can be as simple as throwing some canned baked beans in a crock pot and pushing start. If you want to spruce it up a bit, you can add in some pieces of cooked bacon or drizzle on some of your favorite barbecue sauce and mustard. There are plenty of recipes for elevated baked beans online, but sometimes I think we feel we need permission to just keep it simple. For what it’s worth, you have my permission!

For a fresh, summery take on beans, this easy black bean and pineapple salad that my mom often made growing up is a tasty side to complement your grilled meals. Mix the following in a large bowl (no rules or measurements here):

• black beans – if canned, use 2-3 and make sure they are drained and rinsed
• red onion, chopped
• red bell pepper, chopped
• pineapple tidbits, 1-2 cans (including some of the juice)
• balsamic vinegar, start with a drizzle and add to taste
• olive oil, drizzle
• salt to taste
• cilantro, chopped

My main recommendation is to start light with the balsamic vinegar and add more as needed. Other than that, you can’t really mess this bean salad up. And it tastes even better the second day, so you can prepare it ahead of time!

Leftover Fruit and Veggie Platters

Most kids love fruit. Prepare enough so your appetizers can work double duty.

Corn on the cob

Boil a big pot and throw them in for a few minutes. I suggest breaking each piece in half to stretch your corn further and avoid waste.

Dessert: Brownies and Ice Cream

Easy and delicious! And you can make the brownies ahead of time, so it’s one less thing to think about day of.

I hope you found these grilled meals helpful. Whatever you decide to make, I do recommend first trying it out on your family for dinner one night. Hosting with little kids involves enough moving pieces already. I try to stick to meals I have made before when hosting. We repeat these three grilled meals often.

Remember, our homes, our yards, and our families don’t all have to be perfect to open our doors to our community. In a society that hides behind staged instagram pictures and highlight reals, it can be intimidating to put your authentic self out there. With my own rowdy children and never-ending messes to contend with, I get it! For some encouraging words on practicing hospitality with young kids and in the chaos of it all, check out my post Practicing Hospitality: Opening Our Doors to the World.