Barbecues are part and parcel of Fourth of July celebrations.
Opportunities to entertain will abound this July, and that can take a toll on hosts’ pocketbooks.
• Ask guests to bring a side and/or beverages. Hot dogs and hamburgers may garner the bulk of the culinary attention at a July 4 barbecue, but side dishes are necessary as well. When inviting guests, ask each to bring a side dish or dessert. Potato salad, mixed greens, pasta salad, chickpea salad and other cold fare go well with traditional barbecue favorites, and asking guests to bring these along can save hosts substantial amounts of money. If guests can’t bring food, ask them to bring beverages like soft drinks, iced tea, beer or wine.
• Shop ahead. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken breasts, and other summer grilling favorites can be frozen and thawed out come the day of the barbecue. Shopping ahead for such items, as well as beverages, can help hosts spread out the cost of hosting, which can make it easier to manage the cost of throwing a party, particularly if the guest list figures to be sizable.
• Consider less-expensive cuts of meat. If steak is on the menu at your Independence Day barbecue, consider purchasing less expensive cuts of meat. The Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HBPA) notes that chuck cuts like flat-iron steaks and petite filets are flavorful cuts that won’t cost nearly as much as rib-eyes and New York strip steaks. Hosts also can save on burgers by purchasing ground beef and creating their own patties as opposed to purchasing premade hamburgers from their grocer’s meat department. The HPBA notes that chicken thighs, legs or quarters also tend to be less expensive than chicken breasts.
• Grill up healthy fare. Vegetables are less expensive than meat and poultry, and there’s many ways to prepare veggies over an open flame. Grilled vegetable skewers are flavorful and popular, and guests might appreciate some nutritious fare to counter all the less healthy items they’re accustomed to eating at July 4 barbecues.
