Quick And Easy Dishes To Feed A Crowd At Your Summer Cookouts

There's no better way to spend a summer weekend than by hosting your friends and family at the tastiest cookout in your own backyard. Basking in the sunshine, sipping on refreshing drinks, everyone's favorite tunes playing on the speakers, and wafts of smoky, meaty smells coming from the grill all come together to make the most relaxed, happy afternoon. However, hosting a summer cookout is often a whole lot more stressful than you imagined it would be when you set about inviting everyone you know. When you've got a hungry crowd descending on your home, it can be hard to know what to cook that won't require you to spend the whole week leading up to the cookout prepping in the kitchen. We have gathered our favorite simple, fuss-free, flavor-packed summer grilling recipes that will save you from any pre-party stress and panic.

You do need to plan ahead to make these ice pops, but they require almost no hands-on time at all. They're sweet and fruity, and will be so popular with kids and adults.

For the Blueberry and Yogurt Ice Pops recipe, click here.

A big-batch cocktail served in a large pitcher is essential at every summer cookout. It's easy to prepare and doesn't require you to play bartender throughout the day.

For the Fruity Ginger Summer Sangria recipe, click here.

This recipe is as simple as mixing everything together and refrigerating. Serve with bread, crackers, and crudités for a refreshing appetizer.

For the Greek Spinach Dip recipe, click here.

Orzo is a great cookout side: Orzo is a small, rice-shaped type of pasta that cooks quickly and lends itself well to creating huge, hearty salads.

For the Greek-Style Orzo Salad recipe, click here.

Chicken drumsticks are such an easy meat to cook on the grill. Coated with a citrusy and spicy marinade, this chicken will be popular with every guest.

For the Grilled Chicken Drumsticks With Chili Lime recipe, click here.

Vegetable-filled quesadillas cook incredibly quickly on the grill, making a wonderful vegetarian entrée or a decadent side.

For the Grilled Cumin-Lime Zucchini Quesadillas recipe, click here.

Tacos don't have to be time consuming or labor intensive. Quickly cook fish over the hot coals, use your food processor to make a simple slaw, and combine everything in a corn tortilla.

For the Grilled Fish Tacos With Lime Cabbage Slaw recipe, click here.

Garlic bread is one of the easiest appetizers to make, and it's even tastier than normal when prepared over the grill.

For the Grilled Herb Garlic Bread recipe, click here.

Load up skewers with your favorite vegetables and meats, improvising as much as you like. The great thing about kabobs is that they'll make your meat go further if you mix it up with plenty of summery vegetables.

For the Grilled Veggie Kabobs With Green Goddess Dressing recipe, click here

Make the most of summer's ripe tomatoes by simply blending them with a few other ingredients to create a refreshing batch of gazpacho.

For the Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho recipe, click here.

Summer desserts don't get any easier than slices of pineapple cooked over the grill, drizzled with a tablespoon of honey.

For the Honey Grilled Pineapple recipe, click here.

Cornbread is the ultimate delicious, substantial side, which goes with every grilled dish and can easily be made in large batches.

For the Fluffy Maple Syrup Cornbread recipe, click here.

Jazz up your classic, simple grilled corn by coating the cobs in a spicy, creamy dressing as soon as they come off the heat.

For the Mexican-Style Grilled Corn recipe, click here.

You don't need anything more than a whisk and a freezer to make this totally delicious, easy to prepare cookie butter ice cream.

For the No-Churn Cookie Butter Ice Cream recipe, click here.

Popcorn is always a popular snack to have at every party, and it is so easy to make your own, much tastier version of the store-bought product.

For the Popcorn With Sriracha Butter and Parmesan recipe, click here.

Layering crumbled cookies, softened ice cream, and chocolate and caramel sauce really can count as making your own dessert.

For the Samoas Ice Cream Cake recipe, click here.

Sesame noodles take five minutes to prepare and can easily be made in bulk. Served with chicken drumsticks and a crunchy slaw, these will complete your summer party menu.

For the Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles recipe, click here.

Chop the tomatoes and watermelon, drizzle vinegar and olive oil over the fruit, and scatter basil, goat cheese, and cashews on everything for a beautiful, tasty, simple salad.

For the Tomato and Watermelon Salad recipe, click here.

Let your food processor do all the hard work of finely chopping the vegetables so that this slaw requires no effort from you at all.

For the Tri-Color Slaw With Lime Dressing recipe, click here.

A hearty Tuscan panzanella salad will fill your guests up so that you can get away with serving fewer dishes and don't run the risk of letting your friends leave your party hungry.

For the Tuscan Panzanella Salad recipe, click here.