Side Dishes For Dad's BBQ

There's no better way to celebrate Father's Day than with a big backyard barbecue. So this year, let Dad have his fun at the grill while the rest of the family cooks up delicious side dishes and dessert.

The Early Show, along with friends at Williams-Sonoma in New York City, enlisted the help of author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie. She has recipes for delicious sides you and the kids can easily prepare.

It doesn't matter what he decides to cook as a main course. But if he's looking for a suggestion, Ritchie suggests a Kansas-City style BBQ chicken. As for the side dishes, try Ritchie's recipes for baked beans, potato salad, roasted corn salad and chocolate dessert. Of course, you certainly don't have to prepare them all. Just pick and choose!

The following are the recipes:

Kansas City-Style Barbecued Chicken
Serves 4

Kansas City is renowned for its fine barbecue, and this thick, sweet sauce is typical of the region. To prevent the sauce from burning, brush it on the chicken during the final minutes of cooking.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup canola oil
2 yellow onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 chicken, about 3 1/2 lb., cut into 8 serving pieces

Method:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the canola oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized and very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ketchup, brown sugar, corn syrup, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, vinegar, mustard, red pepper flakes and paprika. Stir to mix, bring to a simmer; then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt and black pepper.
2. Meanwhile, prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill.
3. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Arrange the chicken on the grill and cook, turning frequently with tongs to prevent scorching, until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Begin basting the chicken with the sauce and continue cooking, turning often and basting with more sauce, until the chicken is crisp, tender and glazed with sauce, 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve immediately and pass the remaining sauce alongside.

Sweet and tangy in the Carolina style, our mustard and molasses grilling sauce works its savory magic on our rendition of old-fashioned baked beans, lending a zesty kick and depth of flavor. These beans are the perfect partner for barbecued chicken or ribs or crispy fried chicken.

Ingredients:
10 oz. bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, diced
5 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 cup mustard and molasses grilling sauce
3/4 cup water, plus more as needed
2 cans (each 15 oz.) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (each 15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Method:

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until golden but not crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the salt, cayenne, grilling sauce, the 3/4 cup water, and the kidney and pinto beans. Bring to a simmer; then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Uncover, stir the beans and add more water to achieve the desired consistency. Continue to cook, uncovered for 5 minutes more. Serve warm.

Serve this salad with a batch of your favorite barbecued ribs or chicken for an old-fashioned summer picnic. If desired, add 2 chopped hard-cooked eggs or 1/2 cup chopped red onion with the potatoes.

Ingredients:
3 lb. red potatoes, unpeeled
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
8 green onions, white and light green portions, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus parsley sprigs for garnish
3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint, plus mint sprigs for garnish
3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil, plus basil sprigs for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and boil until tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool completely in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Cut the potatoes into 3/4-inch dice.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, green onions, celery, and the chopped parsley, mint and basil. Add the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to mix.
3. To serve, transfer the salad to a large serving bowl and garnish with parsley, mint and basil sprigs.

Fresh corn is best between the months of July and September, making it a popular vegetable for a summer barbecue. Try it grilled and folded into this salad with bright cherry tomatoes and tangy feta cheese.

Ingredients:
Juice of 3 limes
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. mild chili powder
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 ears of corn, husks and silks removed
3 cups cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 lb. feta cheese, diced
2 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

Method:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, ground cumin and chili powder. Pour in the 3/4 cup olive oil in a slow, steady stream while whisking to make a vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill. Brush a little olive oil on each ear of corn. Grill the corn, turning the ears often so they cook evenly, until lightly charred, about 10 minutes.
3. Steady each ear of corn on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut down along the cob to strip off the kernels. Put the kernels in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, feta and the vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the salad to a platter and sprinkle with the cumin seeds. Serve immediately.

To make decorative chocolate curls, wrap a medium-size chunk of semisweet chocolate in plastic wrap. Rub the wrapped chocolate between your hands for 1 or 2 minutes to warm it; the chocolate should not melt. For larger chunks, microwave on low for about 5 seconds. Unwrap the chocolate and, using a vegetable peeler, slowly and evenly scrape the edge of the chunk until curls form. If the chocolate is cold, the peeler will make ragged shavings rather than curls, so repeat warming the chocolate as necessary.

Ingredients
For the filling:
2 1/2 cups milk
5 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped into slivers
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cookie crumb crust (see related recipe below), made with chocolate cookies

For the topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Chocolate curls for decorating

Method:

1. 
   To make the filling, in a heavy (no aluminum) saucepan over low heat, warm together the milk and chocolate, whisking until the chocolate is melted; the mixture will be speckled.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Add the cornstarch and salt, then the vanilla, and whisk until well blended. Slowly pour the warm chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until well blended. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens and begins to bubble slowly, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Pour the filling into the crumb crust and smooth with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface, and refrigerate until completely cold and firm, 2 to 3 hours.
4. To make the topping, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed or a whisk, beat together the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream on top of the pie. Decorate with chocolate curls. Refrigerate until ready to serve, but let the pie stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off.

Cookie Crumb Crust

Quick and easy to assemble, with no rolling required, this crust forms the base for simple pies, such as chocolate pudding pie and Mississippi mud pie.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups cookie crumbs, such as graham crackers, chocolate wafers or gingersnaps
5 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbs. sugar

Method:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter and sugar and stir until the crumbs are well moistened. Pat the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and all the way up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan or dish.
3. Bake until the crust is firm, about 5 minutes. For a firmer, crunchier crust, bake for 5 minutes more. Makes one 9-inch crust.