Great Themes for Your Backyard Barbecue

Summer is the season for fun and food. Few things combine fun and food better than a backyard barbecue, but who wants a boring and bland barbecue? What can you do to make your barbecue a real hit? If you want your guests to remember your summer outing, you will want to stay away from plain hot dogs and buns. Try jazzing up your cookout with a theme.

A barbecue with a theme is fun for both the host and the guests. Put on your creativity cap and drum up some ideas of your own or try one of these fun themes.

A theme idea can begin with accessories like napkins and plates, or with the food itself. Combining themed food with fun accessories makes for a memorable event.

Fiesta with Flavor

Skip the hot dogs and burgers and trade them in for some grilled quesadillas. Toss the grill and grab some nachos. Have a taco buffet with all the fixings. Toss in a few Mexican themed goodies and you will have quite a fiesta on your hands. Pass out some sombreros for your guests and bring out the piñata! All guests will want to take a swing at the dangling donkey.

Say Aloha to Summer

Everyone wants to take a vacation to Hawaii, but we can't all get away. Decorate your backyard island with sand and beautiful flowers. Pass out leis and mock grass skirts at the door. Tacky Hawaiian shirts and coconut bras are optional.

Pizza Pizza

Remember how much you loved having a pizza party as a kid? Well, they still are a lot of fun. Skip the basic burgers. Buy some pita pockets and get ready to grill. Set out an assortment of toppings for your guests. Include everything from pineapple to mushrooms. Instruct each guest to create their own personal pizza using a pita pocket. Toss the pitas on the grill for a bit and each guest will have a fabulous grilled dinner to remember.

The pizza party theme is great for the host and the guests because the individualized pizzas allow others to do the grilling and give the host a break. If you choose to do all the cooking for the guests, you will have a great opportunity to chat with each guest as you grill their pizza.

The American Salute