Buffet party menu No. 5: Pulled pork

Pulled pork or beef is just about the easiest thing to make for casual entertaining. Serve this savoury main dish straight from your slow cooker, or make the recipe ahead of time and warm just before serving.

Make-ahead tips: Much of this party prep can be pulled off the day before. Make your pulled pork or beef recipe and reheat just before serving. Cut and prep veggies (use a pre-shredded slaw mix), but don’t add dressings until serving time. The Iced Tea in a Jar recipe needs some time, so go ahead and make that the day before, too.

Here’s what you’ll need:

PULLED PORK BAR

• Pulled Pork or Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork or Slow Cooker Southwestern Pulled Beef (this is great with Cornbread)

For Sandwiches:

• Crusty buns, tortillas or Sweet Potato Biscuits
• Caramelized onions
• Pickled jalapeño peppers
• Bread and butter pickles
• Shredded cheese (jalapeño jack or medium cheddar)
• Green onions, slivered

HEARTY SIDE DISHES

Your buffet can be served sandwich-style, or skip the buns in favour of a hearty side like Mac ’n’ Cheese, Sweet Potato Biscuits or oven fries (store-bought or homemade).

• Classic Mac ’n’ Cheese
• Maple Sweet Potato Wedges
• Oven-Baked French Fries

VEGGIE SIDES

Cut the richness of the main dish with crunchy fresh vegetable sides. A tangy (rather than creamy) coleslaw makes a tasty sandwich topper or side salad. A simple crudité platter or green salad are great add-ons, and corn on the cob is perfect when it’s in season.

• Sicilian Chopped Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
• Crunchy Cole Slaw
• Corn on the cob
• Green salad
• Raw veggies and dip

DRINKS

Mix up pitchers of drinks—iced tea for the kids, and something spiked for the grown-ups, along with an ice bucket of Pale Ale or another light tasting beer. Iced tea is the perfect sipper to go with this quintessential Southern main dish.

• Iced Tea in a Jar
• Lemon Tea Spritzer

DESSERT

Keep it simple and easy to serve. Brownies and fruit crumbles are traditional crowd-pleasers.

• Vanilla ice cream
• Bombproof Brownies
• Peach Crumble

For more easy entertaining ideas, check out our collection of 5 buffet party menus.