15 Clever Cookout Ideas Your Guests Will Remember You For
From elevated hot dogs and tomato-infused martinis to time-saving ice cream hacks, these 15 clever tips, tricks, and recipes will make this summer one to remember. Image: iStock
Ultimately, gathering with friends and family is all about making memories, and these 15 creative cookout ideas from Instagram creators are nothing if not memorable. From recipe upgrades and food presentation ideas to tips for grilling the perfect steak every time, you’ll want to add these hacks to your arsenal.
Grilled Bloomin’ Onions
Courtesy of Pamela Salzman, this grilled spin on the “bloomin’ onion” makes for a beautiful presentation and a much lower-calorie take on the original. Serve these as a side along with grilled zucchini and peppers, or with your favorite dipping sauces as an appetizer.
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“Sea-cuterie” Board
Grazing boards are always a hit, but a seafood spread is a decidedly summery choice. We love Jenny Shea Rawn‘s idea for a “Summer Sea-cuterie Board” loaded up with shrimp cocktail, lobster, and smoked seafood dip, plus an assortment of cheeses, crackers, olives, and fresh veggies. You can obviously use whatever ingredients best suit your tastes and occasion. (We’re especially loving the beautifully packaged tinned seafood trend!)
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Soft Serve Dessert Hack
Whether your gatherings tend to lean traditional or more on the creative side, nostalgia is an undeniable element of summer cookouts — and nothing does the trick quite like soft-serve cones. Demonstrated by The Daily Nelly, here’s how to translate the goodness of fast-food soft-serve into a crowd-friendly dessert.
Bonus: Many fast-food locations are open on July 4th and other holidays, so this is a great hack if you’re short on time!
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Tomato Centerpiece
Pay homage to the season’s harvest with a farmers’ market-inspired centerpiece. This idea is easily customizable based on what you have on hand, but we love Karissa Widder‘s centerpiece featuring a variety of tomatoes topped with candles for just a hint of drama.
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Checkerboard Appetizer
In past years, this presentation was popular, featuring uniformly cubed ingredients like watermelon, cantaloupe, and cucumber, but this year, olives are the star of the show. Here, Addi Brielle Meck tops cubed feta and olives with orange zest, red chili flakes, herbed salt, balsamic vinegar, and high-quality olive oil. It’s perfect paired with crusty bread and a round of Aperol spritzes!
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Hawaiian Roll Mini Hot Dogs
Everything’s cuter in miniature, right? These adorable mini hot dogs by Tara Ippolito (aka “Al Dente Diva”) are easy to make and serve in big batches, and they’re a guaranteed hit for kids and grown-ups alike.
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Bacon Pinwheel Burgers
Love bacon burgers? Prep your burgers with this pinwheel method from Jeff and Lauren to infuse every bite with bacon-y goodness. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could even layer in other ingredients like caramelized onions and cheese.
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Savory S’mores
We’re not saying you should skip traditional s’mores. We are saying you should rotate in a few new savory-sweet ingredients like cheese, charcuterie, jam, honey, and your favorite savory crackers. Here, Suzie the Foodie layers melty mini brie wheels, prosciutto, hot honey, and strawberry preserves onto Wheat Thins. Drooling yet?
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Tomato Martini
If your crew loves martinis, this recipe from The Feed Feed is the perfect unexpected twist for summer. Click into the post to find the full recipe in the caption.
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Easier Ice Cream Serving
Make quick work of serving dessert by pre-scooping your ice cream into paper-lined muffin tins and popping them into the freezer until the time comes. Here, Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste serves her scoops with a plated slice of cookie cake, but if you’re trying to minimize cleanup, just pass yours out with mini disposable spoons or ice cream cones.
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Focacia Hot Dogs
Bakers, this one’s for you! This method from Dan at The Food in My Beard is another fun way to elevate your hot dog setup that will definitely make an impression. If you don’t have your own go-to focaccia recipe on deck, try this easy variation from Bon Appétit. (Don’t forget to budget a few extra hours for the dough to rise!)
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Burger Labeling Hack
Trouble remembering who wants cheese, who wants their burger well done, and who prefers a turkey burger? Use a thin-tipped squeeze bottle to make notes on your buns, a la Shannon Doherty. Guests will be amazed by your great memory.
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Elevated Ice Cream Floats
Any ice cream float combination can be instantly elevated by serving it up in a fancy glass and a cute garnish. Exhibit A — this boozy root beer float from Moody Cocktails. If it’s an all-ages party, make sure you go with shatterproof serveware (like this set of 20 acrylic coupes for only $39.99).
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Watermelon Keg
The team at Food Network has broken down the process of tapping a watermelon into a few easy steps. The video mentions using rosé and orange vodka, but you could easily use your favorite tequila or rum instead. You will need a tapping kit (also fun for pumpkins in the fall!) and an immersion blender.
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Ina Garten’s Foolproof Grilled Steak Method
If you’re intimidated by manning the grill when steaks are on the menu, Ina has you covered with this foolproof method for perfectly cooked steaks, every time. (If you don’t already own one, snag a meat thermometer to ensure your ideal doneness.)
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Alissa Harb
Alissa Harb is StyleBlueprint's Managing Editor, based in Nashville. A lifelong Tennessee native, Alissa has over 13 years of experience in digital media and loves writing about food, travel, and entertaining. She is a lover of dogs, true crime, and ordering for the table.