July 4th is just around the corner, and we want to give you plenty of time to prep your menu and review what you'll need before the big day.
To take some of the guesswork out, we’ve laid out a menu for eight people, plus a list of all the gear you’ll need for a grill-heavy cookout.
The Menu
The key to any good cookout is, of course, the menu. The Made In Studio put together an arrangement of dishes, including old favorites guaranteed to please a crowd and some new recipes that may just make their way onto your permanent roster. Follow our meal prep plan to turn all of these out with minimal fuss in just 36 hours.
Cocktail: Grilled Watermelon Margarita
Watermelon might not be the first fruit you think of grilling, but the end result is well worth it: caramelized with concentrated watermelon flavor. While you can drink the grilled watermelon juice on its own, it shines even more with the addition of tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and a hit of grapefruit. This is one cocktail you may want to make several batches of, party or no.
Starter: Grilled Chicken Wings with Texas BBQ Rub
Wings are about as classic as it gets for a backyard BBQ—but instead of enlisting someone to pick up delivery, we challenge you to make your own this year. Creative Culinary Director Rhoda Boone uses a rub that utilizes the dry brine method to fully remove moisture from the wings, yielding shatteringly crispy, golden brown wings. Best served grilled, but are just as delicious fresh from the oven.
Main: The Made In Smash Burger
The crown jewel of any cookout is the main dish, and there's none better than the Made In Smash Burger. Delicious and easy to batch out for a crowd, this features all the classic fixings, plus a Secret Sauce recipe that puts your local burger joint to shame. Fire up your Carbon Steel Griddle, oil your Grill Press, and get ready for the influx of compliments coming your way.
Side: Grilled Cabbage Slaw
Every cookout needs a veg-heavy, cooling side, and this take on coleslaw is more than happy to fit the bill. The cabbage is quartered and charred on the grill, imparting a smoky, flame-kissed flavor that's noticeably absent from any store bought iteration. Finished with a generous squeeze of lime, it provides a welcome, refreshing flavor profile to an otherwise meat- and carb-heavy menu.
Plus, the scallion-ranch dressing is the same one used for the wings, meaning easier prep (and the possibility of leftovers).
Dessert: Peach Cobbler
From Houston-based Chef Chris Shepherd, this is peach cobbler in its truest, most delicious form. The centerpiece is in-season peaches—or any local stone fruit—topped with a biscuit-y topping that yields summer in a bite. Best served warm with whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Tools You'll Need
Now that you know what you'll be cooking, it's time to gather your tools. Here's a recommendation of everything that would be helpful to have in hand before, during, and after your July 4th bbq.
Outdoor Dining Pieces
Say goodbye to paper plates or easily-breakable dishware and bid hello to your savior for outdoor dining events. The Melamine Outdoor Collection is scratchproof, shatterproof, and heat resistant so it won't get uncomfortably warm while sitting out.
Carbon Steel Cookware
Our summers aren't the same without carbon steel cookware. Whether used on the grill, in the pizza oven, or on the stovetop, this high heat-optimized, durable, and naturally nonstick material makes easy work of steaks, pancakes, burgers, and more.
Grilling Tools
No grilling setup is complete without grilling tools—and our collection of chef-approved, USA-made tools proves it. Complete with a bench scraper, griddle spatula, fish spatula, and pitmaster-approved pigtail turner, this set has everything you need for successful grilling all summer long.
Bakeware
While desserts get their due come the holidays, there's nothing like a summer-forward treat to end a successful dinner party. Our Bakeware is made from a more than 200 year-old recipe for French porcelain, ensuring it stays bone-white no matter how many family recipes have been prepared in it. Plus—it makes for a pretty beautiful serving vessel, too.
Service Pieces
A beautifully set up tablescape is one of our favorite parts of any dinner party, whether it's a serve-yourself affair or a more formal sit-down dinner. Either way, having beautiful, durable service pieces that are just as stunning as the food they're showcasing can elevate any backyard soirée from good to great.
Ready to Cook?
Whether you're having a backyard blowout or a keeping things quiet, you should be eating well this Independence Day. And with a menu like this and tools that can see you through any culinary undertaking that comes your way, you're all but guaranteed to.
