EVERYTHING I MADE FOR A BEACH DINNER FOR EIGHT

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Summer isn’t over yet, but August is becoming a busy month in our household! We’re heading to Sea Island for a family vacation, which feels especially meaningful because my daughter was married there 10 years ago, and we haven’t been back as a family since. I’m also taking a special trip out West for an exciting opportunity that I can’t wait to share more about. Let’s just say I’ll be stepping a little outside my comfort zone! Then, on September 1st, the book tour for my new book Homemaking with Babs officially begins, and I’m so excited to see so many of you!

There’s nothing quite like a New England summer. It’s beautiful, fleeting, and worth savoring every chance you get. Knowing this would be one of our last weekends at home for a while, a special dinner at the beach with friends was most definitely on the menu.

BEACH DINNER

There is dinner at the beach…and then there is a beach dinner.

Now, don’t get me wrong I absolutely love a casual sandwich night at the beach, too! But this time, I wanted to take everything I love about hosting a beautiful summer dinner at home, a thoughtfully planned menu, a welcoming table, and food hot from the grill and bring it to the beach.

SETTING THE TABLE

We’re fortunate to have a favorite beach spot with charcoal grills and wooden picnic tables overlooking the water. I covered the table with a tablecloth, added flowers clipped from the Basket House garden, and brought a few cordless lamps for when the sun went down.

For the chips and dips, I lined lightweight vintage baskets with parchment paper, filled them with chips, and nestled small dip bowls inside. They look beautiful on the table but weigh almost nothing, making them perfect for transporting to the beach.

I also brought serving platters, real utensils, and melamine dishes instead of paper plates. I’ve had the same melamine for years, and it still looks wonderful. It may be a small investment at first, but if you enjoy entertaining outdoors, it’s absolutely worth it.

THE MENU

We enjoyed roasted jalapeño guacamole, Boursin with chives and Bugles, bubbling grilled corn and crab dip, lobster rolls, skirt steak with fresh chunky chimichurri, mojito watermelon salad, Farmstand Corn and Orzo Salad with Arugula and cold Atlantic Beach pie for dessert.

PREP AT HOME, FINISH AT THE BEACH

The secret to making a dinner like this enjoyable is doing as much as possible before you leave. I prepared the dips, lobster salad, skirt steak, chimichurri, corn salad and dessert at home. I also prepped every component of the watermelon salad but kept everything separate so I could toss it together fresh at the beach. Once we arrived, all that was left was the final grilling and assembly.

With a little preparation, you can bring the warmth of entertaining at home almost anywhere. And if you don’t live near the water, this entire menu works just as beautifully right at home.

Here’s everything I made for our beach dinner. I hope it inspires you to create one of your own this summer!

XO Babs

A FEW BEACH-DINNER ESSENTIALS

You don’t need to bring your entire kitchen! A few thoughtfully packed essentials make cooking, serving, and cleaning up much easier:

For the table: A tablecloth, cordless lamps, flowers from the yard, melamine dishes, real utensils, and serving pieces

For the chips and dips: Lightweight baskets, parchment paper, and small dip bowls to nest inside

For cooking: A cooler with plenty of ice, grilling tools, a cutting board, a sharp knife, and paper towels

For drinks: A separate drink cooler filled with water, seltzer, rosé, and ready-to-drink margarita cans. I always keep the drinks easy for a beach dinner.

For cleanup: A large dish bin for bringing dirty dishes home and garbage bags for collecting every bit of trash

Nothing too fancy just a simple system that works!

ROASTED JALAPEÑO GUACAMOLE

I love a chunky guacamole and a tortilla chip sturdy enough to hold up to it! I pick up thick, sturdy chips from our favorite local takeout spot. They’re delicious, never break under the weight of the guacamole, and save me a step if I were to make my own.

The roasted jalapeños give this guacamole wonderful flavor, but the texture is what really sets it apart. Leaving the avocados in generous chunks makes it look and taste truly homemade never overly mashed or too smooth. Just fold everything together gently and let those beautiful chunks shine!

INGREDIENTS

2 jalapeños

5 avocados, diced into large chunks

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, grated

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Roast the jalapeños directly on the grill or carefully over the flame of a gas stove, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides.

Transfer the jalapeños to a bowl and cover for about 10 minutes. Once they’re cool enough to handle, remove the charred skins, stems, and seeds. Finely chop the peppers.

Add the avocados and lime juice to a medium bowl. Gently fold in the red onion, garlic, tomato, and roasted jalapeños. Season with salt and pepper, then carefully fold everything together so you don’t break up the avocado too much. We’re going for chunky!

Serve immediately.

Babs’ Tip: If you find raw red onion a little too strong, soak the diced onion in cold water for a few minutes, then drain it well before adding it to the guacamole.

GRILLED CORN AND CRAB DIP

Since you’re firing up the grill anyway, why not make the dip right on it! Before we leave home, I simply “dump” all the ingredients into a disposable foil pan, cover it, and off we go. Once the grill is ready, I pop the whole thing on, and minutes later, we have the most decadent summer dip bubbling away.

It couldn’t be easier.

INGREDIENTS

1 (16-ounce) can crabmeat

12 ounces cream cheese

8 ounces sour cream

12 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for topping

1 (12-ounce) jar pimentos, chopped

Kernels from 4 ears fresh corn

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, plus more to taste (optional, but recommended)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the grill to high.

Place all the ingredients in a disposable foil pan. I like to put the cream cheese and sour cream on the bottom, followed by the corn, pimentos, scallions, crab, and seasonings, with the shredded cheddar on top. Don’t worry about mixing everything together you can get a little messy with this one!

Place the uncovered pan directly on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 7 minutes, then stir everything together.

Continue grilling for another 7 minutes. Top with about 1/4 cup additional shredded cheddar and cook for a few more minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove the foil pan from the grill and top with pickled jalapeños.

For the easiest cleanup, serve the dip directly from the foil pan. If you’d like to dress it up for the table, carefully transfer the hot dip into a serving dish.

Serve warm with thick slices of grilled, crusty sourdough bread, tortilla chips, or crackers.

BOURSIN WITH CHIVES AND BUGLES

Kids and adults alike just love this one, everyone smiles when they see the Bugles come out. I picked up the idea from my daughter’s friend Stephanie and put my own little twist on it.

Spread Boursin cheese into a shallow serving dish and top generously with chopped fresh chives.

Serve with Bugles but be careful, this combination is addictive!

Ready for the rest of the menu?

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