How-To Host a Mixed Grill Party

Lamb Chops? Chicken? Sausages? Can’t decide on what to grill? Then host a mixed grill party! A mixed grill party involves grilling a selection of meats along with some paired condiments and grilled veggies. It’s a fun way to skip the predictable BBQ Ribs and Burgers and elevate a BBQ night, into something extra special and delicious! 

It’s a wonderful main course recipe to serve in the summertime when you have a large group of people because it’s easy to up the quantity, and suit a variety of tastes! It’s also fun and interactive to serve too.

What’s in a Mixed Grill Platter?

• In this mixed grill platter, I like to include chicken, lamb, and sausages, and then fill in the rest with grilled vegetables and a variety of dipping sauces.
• For the chicken, I use thighs, which are seasoned with garam masala, giving them a wonderful sweet-and-savory flavor. 
• The chicken thighs stay extra moist and juicy on the grill, unlike chicken breasts, which can dry out while the inside cooks.

The Lamb Chops

• The second meat I like to serve is grilled lamb chops, which are seasoned with a simple rub of salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence.
• Their small size makes them perfect for a mixed grill party since they provide just a bite or two.
• This is the other secret to hosting a mixed grill party: keep the portions small so everyone can try a little bit of everything without getting too full of any single item. 

The Sausages

• You really can add any type of sausage you like.
• For a little heat, try some hot Italian sausage.
• For something a bit milder, you could try some chicken sausage too. Or do a combination of both. 

Step#1: Prepare the Lamb Chops

• For your lamb chops, you’ll want to buy them as “French cut” chops. French cut is when the butcher trims the fat along the bone, exposing a little handle on your chop.
• They make for a prettier presentation this way, and they will be easier to grill because, without all that fat, you won’t have to deal with flare-ups. 

Seasoning the Lamb

• The lamb chops are easy to prepare, just season with salt and pepper on both sides and herb de Provence, which is a French spice blend consisting of dried basil, rosemary, thyme, and sometimes even dried lavender!
• I use it in so many of my recipes that if you invest in a bottle, you’ll also have it to make my Provencal Chicken Stew or my Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil. 
• Allow the lamb to rest in your refrigerator for a few hours before grilling to allow the seasonings to take effect. Typically, I season the meat in the morning and pop it in the fridge until I’m ready to grill in the evening.

Seasoning the Chicken

• For the chicken thighs, I love using Garam Masala. It’s an Indian spice blend with a warming, yet savory, flavor.
• It includes spices such as cumin, cinnamon, and coriander. It’s a really easy rub because all the spices are in one blend, which saves you money by letting you skip buying them individually.
• It has so much flavor to it, you don’t need much. It’s a delicious match against the yogurt sauce you’ll make to serve with the chicken. 

Step#2: Prepare the Condiments

• Each grilled meat has its own condiment. They are easy to prepare and add a great interactive element to a mixed grill party as guests enjoy trying all the sauces and commenting on their favorites.
• We even had a guest who mixed all the sauces together to form his own “special sauce,” so you could try that too! 

Condiment #1: Yogurt Sauce

• The first condiment is a yogurt sauce that pairs so well with the chicken.
• It’s made simply by combining plain yogurt, mango chutney, lime juice, and fresh cilantro.
• It’s such an easy sauce that delivers a lot of flavor. 

Condiment #2: Mint Pesto

• For the lamb chops, I like to serve an easy mint pesto that pairs perfectly with them. If you’ve never tried fresh, homemade pesto, you are in for a treat! The flavors are so fresh and summery, and it is also another option to pair with the chicken as well.
• It’s a twist on serving mint jelly with lamb chops, but it provides a more savory mint flavor. But to save time and effort, you could certainly serve mint jelly with the chops as well. And that would be as easy as opening a jar and transferring it to a serving bowl. 

There’s something so delicious about the fragrance of fresh mint in the summertime! You’ll need a food processor for making the pesto, but it’s worth the extra effort of cleaning it out, because the pesto is a great match for the lamb, and you can make it ahead of time. 

Condiment#3: A Selection of Mustards

• For the sausages, it’s easy. Just serve a selection of mustards with those.
• I like to mix the textures to make it more interesting. I serve Dijon mustard for the kick and whole-grain mustard for the texture.
• The mustards also pair well with the lamb chops and the chicken, too! 

Serving the Mustards

• To make your mustard serving bowl more interesting and reduce your dishes at the end of the night, use one bowl to serve both and share it by dedicating a portion to each.
• It looks prettier this way, assuming guests don’t try to mix them together! 

Step#3: Prep The Veggies

• The center of your mixed grill platter should include some veggies.
• I think the easiest ones to prepare are corn and small bell peppers.
• They take hardly any prep and just get tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Not only do they look beautiful on the platter, but with all this grilled meat, guests will appreciate a few vegetables!

Step#4: The Preparation and Grilling

• OK, once you are ready to serve dinner, here’s your game plan. Enlist a buddy, as you’ll be juggling a few platters while bringing everything out to the grill. 
• Dedicate a large serving board or platter to your mixed grill.
• I like to use a large circular board because it naturally creates small areas for each cut of meat.
• I place the sauces in equal-sized bowls and place them in a triangle platter on my board. 

The Grill Order

• Grill the chicken and vegetables first. The chicken will take the longest, so it’s best to get that going first.
• And the vegetables, once they are done, can be pushed to the corner of the grill, with the flame turned off, to keep warm while you grill the rest of the meat.
• A few minutes later, add the sausages. 

Adding the Lamb Chops Last

• Once you flip the chicken and it has some nice color, you can lower the flame a bit, since at this point you are just looking for it to cook through.
• This is the time to add the lamb.
• It will only take a few minutes on each side for medium-rare, which I think is the perfect doneness for lamb chops. 

The Presentation

Once all your meat is grilled, pile your veggies in the center of your board and set aside a section for each cut of meat. Be sure to include little serving spoons for the condiments, and a serving fork or tongs for the meat. 

A mixed grill party is such a fun way to grill in the summertime! Your guests will enjoy the variety of flavors and have fun commenting on their favorites!

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How-To Host a Mixed Grill Party

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Lamb Chops? Chicken? Sausages? Can't decide on what to grill? Then host a mixed grill party! This is a great way for everyone to have a little bit of a bunch of grilled meats along with some paired condiments and grilled veggies. It's a fun way to elevate a simple BBQ night, into something extra special and delicious! 

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Ingredients

• 6 sausages
• 8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
• 9 Lamb Chops
• 4 ears of corn, cut in half
• 18-20 mini bell peppers
• 2 tbsp (30ml) garam masala
• 1 tsp (5ml) Herbs de Provence
• Salt and pepper to taste

MINT PESTO:

• 2 cups (475ml) fresh mint leaves
• 1/8 tsp (1.25ml) salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ cup (40g) walnuts
• 2 tsp (10ml) red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil

YOGURT CHUTNEY SAUCE:

• 1 cup (240ml) yogurt
• 1-2 tbsp (15-30ml) mango chutney
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp (15ml) fresh cilantro, chopped

MUSTARDS:

• 3 tbsp (45ml) Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp (45ml) whole grain mustard

Instructions

DAY BEFORE:

1. Season lamb chops with salt and pepper, and Herbs de Provence. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Season chicken with garam masala, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
3. Make the yogurt sauce: Mix the yogurt and chutney. Then add salt and pepper, juice of 1 lime, and cilantro. Stir to combine, cover and refrigerate.
   
   DAY BEFORE OR AT LEAST 2 HOURS BEFORE:

1. Make the mint pesto. Combine the mint leaves, salt, garlic walnuts, and red wine vinegar in a bowl of a food processor.
2. Pulse until minced.
3. Then slowly add olive oil until emulsified and a sauce forms. Scrape down the bowl as needed to combine. Cover and refrigerate.

TO GRILL:

1. Grill the sausage and chicken and one side of the grill first since they take the longest.
2. On the other side add the corn and peppers.
3. Once you flip the chicken. Add the lamb.
4. Keep the chicken and sausage warm on the grill, but with the flame turned off or just very low. Or transfer to a 300F oven.
5. Grill lamb until medium-rare.
   

SERVING:

1. To serve place the sauces in 3 small bowls in a triangle pattern on a large cutting board.
2. Place the corn and peppers in the center.
3. Place the meat around in between the bowls and serve!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 992Total Fat: 63gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 37gCholesterol: 339mgSodium: 1144mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 4gSugar: 10gProtein: 77g