How nice it is to gather around the grill with your friends and family in the summer, sharing the smoky smells of barbecue, amazing flavours and having so much fun! Check out our suggestions to host like a pro with Roma Foods and make your next barbecue night unforgettable!
The Perfect Menu
Before the party, choose the menu and decide on the type of meal you want. A cocktail party? A three-course meal? A buffet? For an easy-to-cook meal that everyone will enjoy, try grilled sausages and host a hot dog party. Even if it’s simple, you can make it spectacular by choosing quality ingredients. With the amazing variety of high-quality sausage products offered in a “homemade” style, Roma Foods makes hot dogs more gourmet than ever! This product is ideal for the barbecue and made with a perfect blend of spices and salt.
You prefer to have a “burger party”? Try our Romaburgers, a reinvented burger made with sausages that have been flattened to make patties without their casing.
Many Options
To make the meal even more enticing to your guests and to make sure that everyone is happy, you can offer different options: chorizo, jalapeño cheddar, Italian, Mediterranean or merguez sausages . . . Many flavours offered by Roma Foods are Aliments du Québec certified and are perfect for hot dogs. Click here to check them out! If one or many of your guests have allergies or dietary restrictions, make sure to have lactose-free and gluten-free options like the Bella Vita Italian sausage or the Bella Vita Mediterranean sausage. To switch things up, you can make mini hot dogs with the mild Italian cocktail sausages or you can use them to make grilled sausage skewers!
In the same epicurean spirit, offer different flavours and textures to your guests and a variety of bread, garnishes, condiments and side dishes. You could even create a hot dog or hamburger bar! Here are some ideas for things to put on the table for your guests to enjoy:
- Bread: classic hot dog bread, Italian paninis, baguettes, ciabatta bread, hamburger bread, brioche bread, pitas, naan, etc.
- Condiments: ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo (spicy, curry, chipotle, etc.), Dijon mustard, honey mustard, salsa, guacamole, onion confit, beer barbecue sauce, sour cream, etc.
- Garnishes: grilled vegetables on the barbecue (peppers, zucchinis, eggplants, etc.), caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, marinated vegetables (turnips, onions, pickles, etc.), tomato confit, hot peppers, coriander, green onions, sauerkraut, kimchi, greenery, microgreens, cheeses (brie, aged cheddar, goat cheese, feta, cheese curds, etc.), bacon, julienne chips, etc.
- Sides: salads (pasta, coleslaw, legumes, etc.), vegetable skewers, crudités, grilled corn, fries, tomato slices, chips, etc.
Perfect Cooking
Don’t let inadequate cooking ruin the party! To make sure that your cooking temperature is safe, and that the meat is delicious and juicy, simply follow these three steps.
- Always preheat the barbecue before cooking the meat.
- Try not to turn the sausages too often or press on them, it will make them lose their juice and make them dry.
- Make sure that your meat is well cooked. Look if it is cooked all the way through the centre. The most efficient method to reduce the chances of food poisoning is to use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of the meat: for safe consumption, it should reach 71 °C.
A Festive Ambiance
Now that everything is in place for the meal and that you are sure to have enough food for everyone, it’s time to get the party ambiance going! Here are some key ingredients for an unforgettable barbecue night:
- Music
- Ambient lighting
- Set up spaces that allow everyone to enjoy the party without stepping on each other’s toes and provide a nice place to sit
- Festive drinks, with or without alcohol
- Glass markers so that no one mixes up their drinks
- A nicely decorated table (tablecloths, decorative tags, coloured dishes, flags or lights garlands, flowers, etc.)
- Games (Mölkky, pockets, pétanque, Spikeball, etc.) to get the party started!
