Once you decide on the grill foods, select easy sides that won’t require much preparation or attention. Grilling is pretty labor intensive, and it’s almost impossible to juggle both a grill and other foods needing attention.
If serving bun foods, consider finger sides. This will eliminate the need for tableware. Chips, cut raw vegetables and/or fruits are all good bets and can be ready to simply set out for consumption.
Cold sides are popular and are made ahead and served flexibly. Potato salads, pasta salads, and tossed salads all balance nicely with hot foods off the grill. Other good matches include cold bean mixes, raw tomato based dishes, slaws and various gooey 70s inspired concoctions.
Desserts
Most guests enjoy something sweet after the meal (or while waiting for the food to cook). Cookies, cakes and pies can be served, but do remember that many sweets do not fare well outside. Either select sweets that can handle the heat (crisper cookies, pound cake) or plan to do some last minute work to ensure that the treats are out and available following the meal and not melting on the table.
If you have some extra help, consider ice cream as the after-the-cook-out treat. Although it takes a little coordination to work in ice cream, something really cold and rich really tops off a night around the grill. Serve the ice cream in cones or plastic dishes, or set up a mini banana split bar and make the dessert portion of the meal one of the highlights of the evening.
Beverages
The easiest way to deal with the liquid needs is to buy cans or bottles and ice them down. This eliminates the need for cups and for clean serving ice. Plan to put the drinks on ice several hours prior to the party or even the night before. Coolers or even clean trash cans can be used to store the beverages. Be sure to have a plan for restocking the ice. It melts fast on hot days.
In selecting beverages, remember to include water on the list. Alcohol and sodas are dehydrating, and outdoor guests will need water to offset the heat. Again, individual servings work well though smaller sizes tend to go over better than the bigger bottles.
If you go with larger beverage sizes and use cups and ice, be sure to set up a station for the liquid refreshments. Stock more cups than expected, because most guests will not keep up with individual cups and will be thirsty more than once or twice during the evening.