Celebrate the remaining moments of summer with our lamb burger recipe. Plus, we’re sharing tips on how to create a family dinner night outdoors. This is a sponsored post with SheSpeaks.
Outdoor Family Dinner Night Idea
Just because the weather is turning chilly doesn’t mean it’s time to hibernate. Many families are going outside more than ever before so they can enjoy their backyard spaces. Last spring, we decided to make our backyard space a place for the whole family to hang out. We added a variety of seating options, including a dedicated dining space.
We wanted our backyard space to be a place our kids would want to hang out with their friends and with us. It’s safe to say that we were able to accomplish that, and we’ve been able to enjoy having several meals together as a family in our backyard.
To make this an easy and fun activity for your family, we’re sharing some tips on how to create a family dinner night in the backyard! We’re also sharing one of our favorite go-to summer recipes, lamb burgers paired with Ball Park Buns and Takis!
How to create a family dinner night in the backyard
Plan a menu that works for everyone. One of our boys is a picky eater, so we try to factor in what everyone wants to eat when planning a family dinner. The family meal doesn’t have to be complicated or take forever to prepare. And even if you’re making something simple, such as making lamb burgers (like we did) on Ball Park Buns paired with Takis.
Our youngest fell in love with Takis a few years ago. Initially, I wasn’t aware of how popular they were among kids and teenagers, so when I was told he likes them, I was a little surprised. But Takis has been keeping him satisfied during family dinners in the backyard.
Takis and Ball Park Buns are two paired foods that keep the kids happy and satisfied during a simple family dinner. We already know Takis are a favorite of our youngest, but our other son likes the variety of flavors they offer.
Purchase all ingredients at once, so you don’t have any last-minute trips to the store. It helps to make a list of everything you need for your dinner. One trip to the store not only saves time but money. We were able to stop by Walmart to pick up Ball Park buns and Takis for our family dinner night outdoors.
Create the atmosphere. Start by finding a spot in your backyard to set up a dining table and chairs. You don’t have to own an outdoor dining set to eat outside; you can easily set up a folding table and chairs. And if you want to have the dining room feel, bring your dining table + chairs outdoors. You can easily create a picnic table with milk crates and some wood.
Don’t forget to bring night lights, outdoor string lights, or candles to help set the mood at night, which is always a fun way to enjoy your outdoor dining experience.
When possible, we like to have fresh flowers for our dining table. And the sunflowers picked from our garden works perfectly for outdoor eating.
Choose a date that works for everyone’s schedule. It’s easy when the kids are little to call everyone out to the backyard for dinner. However, when your children start to grow up, have jobs, and do other activities, trying to schedule a time to have dinner together can be quite a chore. Nights are better than others, so we recommend considering what’s going on in everyone’s schedules.
With the twins starting college this month and Zayd’n starting his second year of high school, we’re taking advantage of every moment we can enjoy dinner outdoors and together as a family.
If you’re looking for the right outdoor family dinner night idea, check out our recipe for our delicious lamb burgers. We’ve had them quite often this summer because they are SO good and easy to make! Plus, they pair well with Takis!
Herb Lamb Burger Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of ground lamb
- 2 1/2 tbsps of finely minced onions
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 /2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black peppercorns
Directions:
- Add the ground lamb to a large mixing bowl, and add finely minced onions, olive oil, chopped herbs, smoked paprika, sea salt, ground cumin, garam masala, and freshly cracked black peppercorns. Mix well.
- Measure out four ounces portion of the ground lamb and work them into a ball. Place the ball of lamb into the palm of your hand, and using the other palm, press the meat until it is flat, about a half-inch thickness. Work until you have as many burgers as the mixture will make; this should make about 5-6 burgers.
- Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the burger patties, two or three at a time, depending on how big your skillet is. Cook four minutes per side until your get an internal temperature of 145°F. FYI. Regarding lamb burgers, lamb burgers should never be served rare.
- Serve on a toasted Ball Park Burger bun; I love using blue cheese dressing and topping the lamb burger with both grilled onions and thinly sliced red onions, a fresh tomato slice, and topped with a wedge of melted manchego cheese.
Whether you’re celebrating the end of summer, a new promotion, a kid, leaving for college, or just an excuse to have dinner outdoors, pairing Takis and Ball Park products allows you to keep the menu simple. Hot dogs and brats on the grill or burgers made on the stove; the goal is to celebrate the moment together. Cheers to enjoying the rest of what summer has to offer!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of ground lamb
- 2 1/2 tbsps of finely minced onions
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 /2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black peppercorns
Instructions
- Add the ground lamb to a large mixing bowl, and add finely minced onions, olive oil, chopped herbs, smoked paprika, sea salt, ground cumin, garam masala, and freshly cracked black peppercorns. Mix well.
- Measure out four ounces portion of the ground lamb and work them into a ball. Place the ball of lamb into the palm of your hand, and using the other palm, press the meat until it is flat, about a half-inch thickness. Work until you have as many burgers as the mixture will make; this should make about 5-6 burgers.
- Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the burger patties, two or three at a time, depending on how big your skillet is. Cook four minutes per side until your get an internal temperature of 145°F. FYI. Regarding lamb burgers, lamb burgers should never be served rare.
- Serve on a toasted Ball Park Burger bun; I love using blue cheese dressing and topping the lamb burger with both grilled onions and thinly sliced red onions, a fresh tomato slice, and topped with a wedge of melted manchego cheese.
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