Red Gold Summer Grilling Party and Spicy Tomato Burgers

Disclaimer: This review and giveaway was made possible by Red Gold. I was compensated for my participation in this program, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Finding new ways to mix up old favorites is something I have always enjoyed, and this Red Gold Summer Grillin' Party turned into one of those sponsored events I still remember because it was simply so much fun.

Red Gold invited me to participate in its Summer Grillin' Party and sent an apron along with six 14.5-ounce cans of tomato products to use. We didn't just cook a recipe and take a photograph. We invited friends over, set up a buffet, fired up the grill and made an actual summer gathering out of it.

That is the part of this old article worth keeping. The original promotion and giveaway are long over, but gathering people together around food never goes out of date.

We chose the Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies for our burgers. The package also included tomato varieties flavored with lime and cilantro, garlic and olive oil, and basil, garlic and oregano.

Summer Grilling Is a Natural Fit for a Homestead

Outdoor cooking makes sense on a homestead for reasons that go well beyond having a party. During hot weather, cooking outside keeps some of that heat out of the house. A grill also gives you another way to cook the meat, vegetables and herbs you produce or have stored.

Then there is the social side of it. Homesteading involves a lot of work, and it is easy to get so focused on the next chore that you forget to simply enjoy the place you are working so hard to build.

A cookout doesn't have to be elaborate. Invite a few people, cook something good, set out simple sides and enjoy an evening outside.

Use What You Grow and Preserve

One of my favorite things about this particular party was mixing the sponsored ingredients with foods from my own kitchen. We served homemade ketchup and salsa as part of the condiments.

That is an easy way to make any cookout feel more like your own. Put out the pickles you canned, homemade relish, garden tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, fresh herbs, preserved peppers, homemade barbecue sauce or whatever else is ready and makes sense with the meal.

You do not need every ingredient to come from the homestead. Combining what you grow and make with convenient purchased foods is often the most realistic way to feed people without spending the entire event working in the kitchen.

The Original Red Gold Summer Grillin' Party

This article originally accompanied a Red Gold promotion with prizes, hashtags and a giveaway. That campaign has ended, so I am leaving the promotional details in the past rather than sending anyone looking for a contest that no longer exists.

What remains useful is the food, the gathering and the ideas we used to put together a fun summer grilling party without making it complicated.

For our event we chose to make the Spicy Tomato Burger because Jeffrey wanted to try the Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles. After living in New Mexico for 13 years where green chilies was a staple in his diet, he was really excited to see these two cans of tomatoes arrive. The recipe is very simple too - just add one 14.5 ounce can of Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies to one pound of ground beef, mix well and form into patties. Season with salt and pepper, then grill as you normally would. Top the cooked burgers off with a slice of pepper jack cheese. That's all there is to it.

For our event we invited a few friends over and set up our summer grilling' party table buffet style. We made it simple adding just condiments and a variety of chips as the side dish. Some of the condiments were homemade including the ketchup and salsa.

I chose to use the cardboard container Red Gold sent the tomato products in so our guests could look at the products we had not used and ask questions if they wished.

I also chose to use a lace tablecloth and silverware holders to dress the summer grilling party table up just a bit even though I did use foam paper plates, paper napkins and plastic silverware.

Jeffrey did the grilling. He really wanted to wear the Red Gold apron and was so excited about making the Spicy Tomato Burgers. Once they were ready, we placed them on a plastic plate covered with a food tent to keep flies and other bugs out of the burgers.

When we announced it was time to eat, a line very quickly formed. Everyone was anxious to try the new Spicy Tomato Burger created using the Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies. Watch the video below for our guests reactions. We did have one person who chose a plain hamburger over the Spicy Tomato Burger which is why her comments are not in the video.

As you can hear in the video, everyone who tried the Spicy Tomato Burger loved it, even Lora, who did not typically like spicy food.

Keep a Homestead Cookout Simple

Looking back, I like that we didn't turn this into a huge production. We served the burgers buffet-style with condiments and several kinds of chips. Some of the condiments were homemade, but plenty of the other things were simple purchased foods.

That balance is worth remembering when you entertain. You do not have to bake the buns, make every condiment, harvest every vegetable and prepare six homemade side dishes just because you live a homesteading lifestyle.

Choose the homemade things that matter to you and let the easy things be easy.

A Few Practical Outdoor Party Details

I used a lace tablecloth and silverware holders to make the buffet table feel a little prettier, even though we were also using disposable plates, napkins and silverware. There is no rule that says practical and pretty cannot share the same table.

We also covered the cooked burgers with a food tent to keep flies and other insects away. That is one of those little outdoor-entertaining details that becomes much more important when you actually live where bugs are part of summer.

Keep cold foods properly chilled, bring perishable dishes out when people are ready to eat, and don't let a relaxed afternoon turn into forgetting basic food safety.

Grilling Can Be Part of Preparedness Too

A grill is useful for much more than parties. Depending on the type of grill and fuel you keep available, outdoor cooking can give you another meal-preparation option during a power outage.

That is one reason I like practical equipment that earns its keep in ordinary life and can also be useful when something goes wrong. Use the grill for summer cookouts, but understand how to use it safely as part of your backup cooking plan too.

Fuel-burning grills belong outdoors in a properly ventilated location. A power outage is never a reason to bring a charcoal or propane grill into the house, garage or another enclosed space.

The Best Part Was the Party

This was sponsored content, and the original Red Gold campaign has been over for years. But I don't look back at it and primarily remember a giveaway or a hashtag.

I remember Jeffrey being excited about the green chile tomatoes because he had lived in New Mexico for 13 years. I remember him wanting to wear the Red Gold apron and do the grilling. I remember setting up the table, inviting friends over, everyone lining up when we announced the food was ready, and hearing what they thought of the burgers.

It was such a fun event.

That is probably the best takeaway from this old sponsored post. Food can be practical. It can come from the garden, pantry, freezer, grocery store or a combination of all four. But sometimes the point of all that cooking is simply putting food on a table and enjoying it with other people.

If you want to recreate the idea, make the Spicy Tomato Burgers, put out a few favorite homemade condiments, add easy sides, invite some people you enjoy being around and have your own summer grilling party.