The official beginning of summer is also the start of barbecue season—but that doesn’t have to mean burgers and ’dogs. We’ve pulled together a smorgasbord of our favorite snack-attack dishes, all of them awesome for feeding a crowd. Most can be made in advance, and (maybe best of all) you won’t even have to light the grill.
Things on buns
Maple mustard BBQ sandwiches (+ slaw!)
Pulled pork lovers will find a lot to love in these tangy-sweet, satisfying sammies. Canned jackfruit—which has a neutral flavor and shreddable texture—is an ingenious stand-in for meat, and we swathe it in an easy homemade BBQ sauce and top it with a crunchy, creamy slaw. These may just become the sandwiches of the summer.
Confident Joannes (a.k.a., TVP sloppy Joes)
Our take on the sloppy Joe is pure fun on a bun. The star of this recipe is TVP (textured vegetable protein), a fantastic soy-based meat swap that soaks up flavor. In this case, that’s a zesty, molasses-and-mustard-spiked tomato sauce.
The best veggie burger ever (+ special sauce!)
This is the homemade version of New York City’s Superiority Burger, which is arguably the veggie burger world champion. Yes, it’s a process, which makes it an excellent long-weekend undertaking. And our smoky special sauce that goes with it comes together in a flash.
Things for snackin’
Our favorite fake wings
Crispy tofu bathed in hot Buffalo sauce has all the tang and crunch of the ever-popular finger-licking party food. The real question is, blue cheese or ranch? The answer: Why not both? (We’ve got the dairy-free recipes.)
‘Beef’ and plantain empanadas
A series of time- and energy-saving hacks make these flaky pockets of savory goodness almost as easy to whip up as they are to scarf down. Just grab your favorite alt ground meat, frozen plantains, and a pack of puff pastry and you’re on your way to empanada ecstasy. Consider making a double batch so you have them on hand for future fiestas—they freeze beautifully.
Chipotle jalapeño poppers
Nondairy cream cheese mixed with smoky chipotle and umami-rich nutritional yeast make these picante poppers as planet friendly as they are mouthwatering. But that’s not all we love about them: The crushed tortilla-chip topping is a low-waste way to add a satisfying crunch.