Summer Catering Ideas for Your Next Lincolnshire Backyard BBQ

Nothing brings people together like great food and warm summer weather. If you’re planning a backyard barbecue, graduation celebration, or family gathering in Lincolnshire, Wildfire Catering offers delicious solutions for every occasion.

Our catering menu is built for easy entertaining, with buffet packages, party platters, boxed lunches, and seasonal favorites available for delivery.

Lincolnshire Summer Catering Menu

Guests love our fresh salad selections, including the Wildfire Chopped Salad, Greek Salad, Caesar Salad, and Tuscan Kale & Spinach Salad. Many of our dressings are gluten-free, providing flexibility for guests with dietary restrictions.

For the main course, serve up summer favorites like Barbecued Baby Back Ribs and Barbecued Chicken. Add Baked Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw, Barbecue Potato Chips, and Pasta with Roasted Market Vegetables for a complete backyard feast.

Party Platters serving 8 to 10 people are ideal for group gatherings and feature menu favorites like the Grilled Chicken Club and Blackened New York Strip Steak Sandwich.

Complete your menu with one of our homemade seasonal pies and let Wildfire handle the cooking while you enjoy the celebration.

10 Grilling Tips from Executive Chef/Partner Joe Decker

Executive Chef & Partner Joe Decker offers some additional tips to highlight your grilling as well. 

1. Make sure that the grill is cleaned well with a metal brush and the grates are hot before beginning cooking.
2. Maintain a hot part of the grill for searing and a cooler part for slower cooking.
3. Bring proteins out at room temperature before grilling.
4. Brine meats and fish for 30 minutes before grilling to impart juiciness and flavor.
5. Use a simple marinade to further enhance flavor. My favorite marinade is mixed herbs from the garden, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and cracked black pepper.
6. Refrain from moving the proteins on the grill frequently or smashing them down to cook faster, this will press all the juices out.
7. Good grilling starts with high quality proteins. You pay for what you get.
8. If desired, brush the proteins with glazes or sauces in the final stage of cooking on the grill to add flavor.
9. Use a meat thermometer to remove the guesswork of knowing when something is done.
10. Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to help it preserve juices. Optional: Serve with flaked sea salt.

Lemon Parmesan Dressing:

Marinate chicken breast or salmon filet with lemon parmesan dressing. Season with Kosher salt, cracked black pepper and paprika for 1 hour. Grill and serve with grilled lemon halves.  

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

For “Greek style” chicken, cut the chicken into quarters and drizzle red wine vinaigrette over it with garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Let it sit for 1 hour. Grill over medium to low heat until finished.  

Wildfire dressings and marinades can be purchased at the restaurant, plus select local grocery stores around Chicagoland, including Sunset Foods, Mariano’s, and Foodstuffs.

“The two most important steps in cooking a burger I actually learned from Lettuce Entertain You founder, Rich Melman!”:

1. When grilling, do not move the burger often. Only move it to flip it over to cook the other side.
2. Do not smash the burger down with a spatula to speed up the cooking. If you follow these two steps, you’ll produce a very juicy burger.

Easy Ordering for Lincolnshire Summer Parties

Wildfire Catering is designed to fit the way you actually plan events. There is a $200 minimum for delivery, so whether you’re feeding 10 guests or 50, you can order exactly what you need. Delivery is available within a 10-mile radius of Wildfire Lincolnshire, and all we ask is 24 hours notice.

Ready to plan your summer spread? Contact Wildfire Lincolnshire Parties & Special Events to place your order, or order online