The pools are open, kids are out of school, and summer is officially underway—time to soak up some sun, drink some cold beverages, and dine al fresco.

Folks are packing up and heading to the neighborhood pool, the beach, the picnic table. Barbecue grills all over America will be firing up and turning out burgers, brats, steaks and chops for folks relishing the long warm days of summer.

You’re probably planning a weekend backyard barbecue right about now. Maybe you’ve got friends coming over. Perhaps you’ve got a family reunion in the works. Well, we’ve got some menu ideas that are surefire crowd pleasers.

People love sandwiches. People love steak. Why not combine the two (and stretch your budget a bit) by grilling up some fantastic gourmet Mini Steak Sandwiches? These are far from ordinary steak sandwiches, stacked with ripe tomatoes and zesty horseradish cheese. You gotta taste them.

You can never have too many side dishes at a barbecue, and we’ve got a couple recommendations you’re going to want to add to your repertoire. Our Roasted Tomato, Basil & Feta Pasta is quite wonderful—and wonderfully simple to make.

You should also try our Green Beans with Carmelized Bacon and Onions side dish. It’s an ideal summertime sidekick that may become a new family favorite.

In a final flourish, we’ve kind of rolled our beverage and dessert into one with our luscious and creamy Strawberry Swirl Milkshakes. This is a guaranteed winner.