Five Easy Ways to Kick Your Cookout Up a Notch
Cookout Season is Here!
Summer holidays, graduations, and birthday parties are all great reasons to have a cookout. Cookouts are perfect for casual entertaining too.
When the weather starts to heat up, so do the grills! A winning cookout menu includes hot dogs, hamburgers and potato salad. (Psst….if you are looking for an awesome potato salad recipe, try Hazel’s Unique and Flavorful Potato Salad.)
If you want to take your cookout to the next level, then add in a few special touches. Details really do make the difference! And they do not have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of extra time to execute. Here are five easy ideas you can try out this summer.
Details that Make the Difference
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Colorful Waxed Paper Liners
![[250 Sheets] 12x12" Deli Paper Sheets, Red and White Checkered Dry Waxed Paper, Sandwich Wrapping Paper, Grease-Proof Wax Paper for Food Basket, Picnic, Barbecue, Restaurants, Burgers, Fries](https://whatagoodday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/51jbffxUxkL._SL500_.webp)
Add these fun checkered wax paper liners to baskets to add a pop of instant cheer to your cookout. You can dress up the cheapest white paper plates with these liners.
You buy a pack of 250 sheets from Amazon that will last you all summer long. Click here to purchase.
Small Paper Bags
Another easy and inexpensive way to add an extra flair to your cookout is to package up your cutlery in a cute way. Pictured here is an example from a cookout themed rehearsal dinner.
To replicate this, all you need to do is buy small flat paper bags. Using pinking shears, cut off the top to give it a pretty scalloped edge. Attach whatever you like on the front. You can do ribbon, a fun graphic, or even a stamp or stickers. Amazon has a pack of 100 that you can purchase here.
Condiment Squeeze Bottles
Go the extra step by serving your mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise in squeeze bottles. First, they are easier to use, and secondly they add that extra detail that guests will appreciate.
You can find these at a restaurant supply store, most big box retailers, and on Amazon. To purchase from Amazon, click here.
Checked Cloth
A tried and tested detail for cookouts is of course checkered cloth. You can use it for a tablecloth, picnic blanket, or as decoration on a buffet table. Check out your local fabric store or online fabric retailer to find the color you want.
Pictured here is another detail from the cookout themed rehearsal dinner. Buffalo checked cloth lines the picnic basket which holds the plates for the buffet table.
Bonus points: Use a cute menu sign like the one pictured here.
Tin Tub for Drinks
Chill your drinks in a cute tub. Your beverages will look stylish as they stay cold in their metal tub.
There are tons of options. For a farmhouse look, try this one from Amazon. Tin tubs or even plastic or inflatable ones can be found at most any retailer during the summer months.
How You Can Repurpose These Easy Cookout Details
These five easy details are simple to implement and all are budget friendly. Your guests will feel special when you take the time to add a few extra details. And these items can be used year round for other purposes too. For example, you can use the paper bags for individual treats during the holidays. You can use your tub to hold blankets or magazines during the colder months. Or you can use your squeeze bottles to drizzle dessert plates with chocolate sauce.
Enjoy your time spent outside grilling out with family and friends!
Have a good day –
Kristin
P.S.: If you would like some easy picnic recipes that work well for cookouts too, then click here to join our email list and receive your free picnic plan today!
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I love the idea of the paper liners, very cute! The squeeze bottles are also great for snow cone syrup 🙂
Snow cones! That’s another tasty way to use squeeze bottles that I had not thought about. ~ Kristin