July Fourth with George Foreman
4th of July Party Planning with George Foreman
Planning how to cook for a big party can be difficult, particularly for an event like the 4th of July where a lot of the food is getting cooked using the same appliances. Since most of your July 4th party food will probably be cooked on a grill, it can be extremely tricky to get all the food you want to serve cooked and plated at the same time.
Last week we did a post on how to use your George Foreman Grill as a substitute or supplement to your outdoor grill as you cook for the 4th. This week, we’re giving you a few additional tips on how to minimize your stress and your time spent at the grill in cooking for your party.
Tip #1: Cook what you know.
It’s tempting to try and wow your guests with phenomenal dishes they’ve never seen anywhere else. However, cooking something you’ve never made on the day of a party is just asking for extra stress and potential disaster if it doesn’t come out right. This makes it a really good rule of thumb to simply cook what you know, because you can be sure it’s going to turn out right. If you want to do something special, try cooking it sometime during the days leading up to the 4th, so you’re at least familiar with the recipe and any issues you may have as you cook for the party.
Tip #2: Remember to buy all your ingredients ahead of the 4th.
It always happens – you try to plan what you need only to find yourself short an ingredient or two the day of the party. Then you have to run off to the store, cutting the already limited prep and cook time you have before the party. Menu plans and ingredient lists can help, then double check everything once you get your groceries home to make sure nothing was forgotten or left out.
Tip #3: Prep as much as possible before the party
True, you want everything to be as fresh and hot as possible for your party guests, but you also don’t want to make them wait around for the food to finally be done. It helps to prep as much as possible before the party, so your working during can be minimized. This can be anything from shaping and seasoning your burger patties to cutting the veggie toppings ahead of time, or maybe even making all of the sides and desserts. Whatever you can do in advance and still have it taste good, go ahead and do it. Waiting for the party just means that much more time spent cooking rather your time with your family and friends.
Tip #4: Get your cooking & serving areas organized in advance.
You don’t want to get all your food organized, only to spend half an hour looking for your favorite BBQ tongs or serving platter. Try to have your cooking and serving areas as organized as possible. Set your cooking utensils by the grill and make sure you have enough room to cook everything you’re making. For the serving are, getting serving dishes or platters, plus the utensils organized as well, along with any table settings or decorations you want to use.
