Greek Food, Cooking and Recipe Community

Good Meze for Outdoor Barbecue?

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mastichas09

Active member
I’m Greek and love to cook traditional food, especially when the weather’s nice and we can eat outside! I often host outdoor dinner parties with a grill going and a table full of friends and family. I’m looking for ideas for meze that hold up well outdoors while everyone’s mingling and waiting for the main meal to be ready.

I usually do the basics like tzatziki, olives, and pita, but I’d love to add a few more options that can sit out for a bit without wilting or drying out. Ideally, things that don’t need to be piping hot or refrigerated immediately—especially since I like the relaxed, come-and-go vibe during grilling.

What are your go-to Greek starters or finger foods for an outdoor setting?
 
There’s nothing like Greek food shared outdoors with loved ones! For meze that hold up well outside, I love adding dolmadakia (stuffed grape leaves), they’re flavorful, portable, and delicious at room temp. Fava (yellow split pea puree) is another great option served with bread or crackers, and it doesn't need to stay chilled.

Ladotyri or graviera cheese cubes with cherry tomatoes and oregano make easy skewers, and keftedakia (Greek meatballs) are fantastic served warm or room temp with toothpicks. If you want something a little different, roasted red pepper dip (htipiti) or gigantes beans in tomato sauce served in a shallow dish work beautifully and hold their texture outdoors.

I totally get the relaxed vibe you’re going for—meze that can sit out a bit are essential. Would love to hear more ideas from others too, especially anything seasonal or make-ahead!
 
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JOIN THE DISCUSSION AND READ OTHER GREEK INFO:

How does your family season dolmades?

I’ve been thinking about how much dolmades can vary from one family to another, especially when it comes to seasoning. Even when the basic ingredients are similar, the flavor can be completely different depending on which herbs and spices are used.

How does your family season dolmades? Do you use mostly dill and parsley, or do you add mint as well? I’ve also seen recipes that include green onions, oregano, or even a little cinnamon, especially when meat is part of the filling.

I’m curious whether you season the rice mixture pretty heavily before rolling the grape leaves or keep it simple and let the lemon and olive oil provide most of the flavor. Does your family add lemon juice directly to the filling, or only during cooking and serving?

I’d especially love to hear about any regional or family traditions. What gives your dolmades their distinctive flavor?

Favorite Greek dishes from childhood?

What are some of your favorite Greek dishes from childhood? I always find it interesting how certain foods can bring back such specific memories of family, holidays, Sunday dinners, or time spent with grandparents.

For some people, it might be something comforting like avgolemono soup, pastitsio, or moussaka. For others, it could be something much simpler, like bread with feta, horta, fasolakia, or a particular pie that someone in the family always made.

I’d especially love to hear about dishes that were common in your household but maybe aren’t as well known outside your family or region of Greece. Were there foods you didn’t appreciate much as a child but love now? Or dishes you still make exactly the way your mother or grandmother did?

What Greek foods immediately take you back to childhood, and what memories do you associate with them? Are there any family recipes you’ve made sure to keep alive?

What to do with garden zucchini?

Every summer, I seem to end up with more zucchini from the garden than I know what to do with! Of course, in Greek cooking there are plenty of good options, but I’m always looking for new ideas once I’ve made the usual favorites a few times.

I tend to use zucchini for kolokithokeftedes, briam, stuffed zucchini, and simple sautéed dishes with olive oil and herbs. I also like adding it to vegetable pies or roasting it alongside potatoes and other summer vegetables. Still, when the garden is producing zucchini constantly, it’s easy to run out of inspiration.

What does everyone else do with an abundance of garden zucchini? Are there traditional Greek recipes you make every summer, especially ones that use a lot at once?

I’d also love ideas for preserving or freezing zucchini in a way that works well for Greek dishes later in the year.

What is your favorite way to make spanakopita?

I’ve noticed there are so many different ways people make it, even within Greek families. Some make it as one large pie in a baking dish, while others prefer individual triangles or even rolled, rope-like shapes. I’m curious which style everyone prefers and whether you think the shape changes the texture at all.

I’m also interested in the filling. Do you use only feta, or do you mix in other cheeses such as ricotta, mizithra, or something else? What about the greens? Is yours mostly spinach, or do you add leeks, scallions, dill, parsley, or other herbs and greens?

And of course, there’s the phyllo. Do you use store-bought or make your own?

I’d love to hear how your family makes spanakopita and whether there is a particular version you consider the “right” one.

Favorite Greek dishes made with zucchini

Zucchini seems to show up in so many Greek dishes, especially during the summer when it’s plentiful and at its best. I’m curious what everyone’s favorite traditional Greek zucchini dishes are.

Kolokithokeftedes are probably one of the first things that come to mind for me. I love how the zucchini works with herbs, feta, and a little crispiness on the outside. I also enjoy zucchini in vegetable dishes like briam, and I know there are plenty of regional recipes that use it in different ways.

What Greek zucchini dishes do you make most often? Do you prefer zucchini fritters, stuffed zucchini, baked dishes, stews, pies, or something else entirely?

I’d especially love to hear about family recipes or regional dishes that aren’t as well known outside Greece. And if you grow zucchini yourself, what do you usually make when you suddenly have more than you know what to do with?
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