Impromptu BBQ?

We had plans to go out to dinner with a couple of friends on Saturday night, but after some consideration decided to host these friends, plus a couple of others, for an impromptu bbq.  It was a nice evening and we felt like we could hang out a little easier at our house than if we went to a restaurant.  Plus, I love hosting people in our home!

Since I had not planned to make anything, I had to turn to my kitchen cabinets for a little inspiration.  I knew two things: we had the meat covered (our freezer is always stocked with meat) and I didn't want to actually "cook" anything because the oven heats up the house.  After a little bit of digging, I realized I had most of the ingredients for a cold spaghetti salad and corn dip, a famous bbq staple.  I also knew I wanted to make this sangria that I found on Pinterest, so I did have to go to the store for a couple of items.  And in full disclosure, I ended up leaving one of my grocery bags at the store...oops!  Thankfully, Brandon was sweet enough to go fetch it for me after I realized it didn't make it in the car.

One thing I try to keep in mind when hosting is to not fret about what to make.  In this situation I just fell back on tried and true recipes that didn't take a lot of time to prepare.  I think sometimes it is easy to stay away from hosting because of all the work that it can require, but it is important to keep in mind that you don't have to make a big fuss to host a fun and enjoyable party!  Oh yeah, I used paper plates and plastic utensils, as well.

Here are the two recipes that I whipped up:

Cold Spaghetti Salad

1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
1 carton cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cucumber, diced
1 small can sliced black olives
1/2 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
Italian dressing (I used the dry dressing mix and made my own)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Break spaghetti into thirds and cook according to package directions.  While spaghetti is cooking, chop your vegetables and mix up your dressing.  Drain the cooked spaghetti and rinse with cold water.  Combine all ingredients, except cheese, in a large bowl and toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until serving.  Just before serving, top with grated Parmesan cheese. 

Spicy Corn Dip

1/2 c. sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1/2 c. mayo (I used fat free)
1 11oz. can Mexicorn, drained
1 11 oz. can yellow corn, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Serve with Fritos or corn tortilla chips.