The BBQ Blog

Tony Roma’s knows that families today are busier than ever. Between work, school and extracurricular activities, sometimes it may seem like everyone in your family is constantly on the move! Fortunately, Tony Roma’s has some great tips to make life easier for busy moms.

• Meal planning saves time. Each weekend, decide what’s for dinner for every night of the coming week, and you’ll find it takes much less time than digging around each night trying to figure out what to eat. If you’re really ambitious, you can make and freeze meals on the weekends, so that each day is really just a thaw and warm endeavor. Short on ideas for meals? Try an app like Big Oven to get inspired.
• Doing your prep work in advance can be a lifesaver. Even if you’re not up to making full meals in advance, you can chop and dice to make it easier when it’s time to throw the meal together.
• Savvy moms use meal planning to save money. When you’re ready to make a plan for the week, you’ll need two things: your favorite recipes and your favorite store’s weekly ad. Get your family’s input on what they’d like,  but try to steer your dinner options in-line with what’s on sale. Make a list and shop for everything over the weekend, and if you really want to save money, incorporate coupons into this extremely organized shopping trip.
• Don’t think you’re up to all that planning? Enlist the help of a meal planning service to make the plan for you. A quick search online will offer you many different weekly meal plans, like this one from SparkPeople.com. You may be surprised to find that once you get the hang of it, you’ll no longer need the extra help.
• You’ll be impressed how much energy you save! Of course, you can save energy for your home by using a crock pot or microwave for some of your meals, but that’s not what we mean. We’re talking about the personal energy saved when a tired mom doesn’t have to spend time and brainpower making dinner. By planning the easiest meals for the nights when you know you’ll be busiest, you can make life much easier and make mealtime less stressful.

Of course, one of the best tips for making mealtime a snap is to incorporate Tony Roma’s succulent, pre-cooked barbecue into your weekly meal plan. With Tony Roma’s, you can have your pick of ribs, pulled pork or chicken, all simple to put on the table in just about 20 minutes. To find Tony Roma’s at a grocery store near you, visit the store locator on our website. To connect with the online community, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check out our mouthwatering Pinterest boards.

Have you tried Tony Roma’s precooked ribs? If you’re living in an apartment or dorm, these juicy and delicious precooked ribs can be a lifesaver on those nights you’re craving barbecue and can’t manage the hefty price tag of a dinner out. They can also save the day if your barbecue plans get rained out.

What makes a barbecue so special, anyway? Is it the games with friends, the savory taste of barbecued meats or the comfort food element of familiar side dishes? You can bring all those wonderful things inside, with board games, precooked ribs or pulled pork, and side dishes galore. In fact, if you’re throwing an indoor barbecue, it might be fun to have a potluck, asking your friends to bring side dishes to share, so that you can have variety and learn what everyone likes. If you’re convinced that the outdoor nature of the barbecue is the biggest selling point, but you live in an apartment or dorm, make the common green space or your own balcony or courtyard a relaxed spot for fun.

Who says you need a grill to have great barbecue? Tony Roma’s precooked ribs are easy to prepare in your own kitchen. In fact, you can even make them in the microwave! If you’re not a fan of the microwave, an oven works just as well, and you can use the broiler to bring out that authentic Tony Roma’s flavor. An indoor grill is also a great option for those times you decide to barbecue inside.

Tony Roma’s makes barbecue easy, with precooked ribs, pulled pork and chicken, all simple to put on the table in about 20 minutes. To find Tony Roma’s at a grocery store near you, visit the store locator on our website. To connect with the online community, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check out our mouthwatering Pinterest boards.

How do you feel about grilling sandwiches? What comes to mind when you think about grilled cheese? Slices of cheese melted between slices of bread? It’s time to open your mind to all the possibilities, because grilling sandwiches is a great way to get a warm, succulent meal without heating up your kitchen.

• You can keep a grilled cheese fairly traditional and still make it interesting. Try making a classic grilled cheese with cheddar, Monterey jack or Swiss cheeses, and then add sliced tomato and a few strips of bacon. Savory, juicy and delicious! Avocado is another tasty add-on that doesn’t disrupt the traditional grilled cheese too much.
• It doesn’t take much to spice up a grilled cheese sandwich. Add jalapeno slices and crunched up corn chips, and you have a spicy nacho sandwich! You can also opt for a more exotic spicy grilled cheese, using a combination of cream cheese, goat cheese and chopped Peppadew peppers.
• The cheese is the biggest variable in a good grilled cheese. If you’re still pulling American cheese off little plastic wrappers, we beg you to stop. There are so many cheeses in the world, and it’s easy to find your own melty, creamy favorite. Want some delicious suggestions? Try Muenster, Gouda, goat cheese, Havarti, Fontina or Gruyere, and you’ll make your taste buds happy.
• Fruit adds sweetness to a savory grilled cheese. Try joining ham with apple butter and Swiss on white bread or with pineapple preserves on Hawaiian bread. You can also skip the meat and grill up some pear slices with Camembert, between two slices of wheat bread, for a more sophisticated taste.
• Grilled cheese for dessert? Yes, please! Try spreading one slice of challah bread with ricotta, another slice with Nutella, and grilling them with bananas in between. You can also make a sweet grilled cheese using cinnamon raisin bread, brie and orange marmalade.
• How does Tony Roma’s fit into this sandwich grilling theme? We’re so glad you asked, because we’re about to introduce you to the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Grilled Onion Barbecue Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese. You’re welcome.

Whether you’re grilling sandwiches, or just want to get some barbecue on the table in a hurry, Tony Roma’s can help, with precooked barbecue that’s easy to prepare quickly: no grilling required. To find Tony Roma’s at a grocery store near you, visit the store locator on our website. To connect with the online community, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and check out our mouthwatering Pinterest boards.

Where can you find the best BBQ? At a sit-down restaurant? At a dive bar with a smoker outside? How do you feel about state fairs? All around the country, state fairs offer not only some of the best BBQ, but also some really unusual dishes you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. Here are some interesting things we found while scouring state fairs for the best BBQ.

• Deep-friend everything is a staple at the fair. From Twinkies to barbecued meat on a stick, it seems like every food vendor at the fair is trying to find something new to stick into the deep fryer. We think maybe the best thing we’ve heard of when it comes to deep-fried fair foods is the Minnesota State Fair’s blue cheese and corn fritz.
• If you’re into meat, and plenty of it, the state fair is a great place to indulge. From beef brisket sandwiches, to fried ribs, to bacon-wrapped turkey legs, the food at the fair is sure to satisfy your carnivorous cravings. If your state fair features food trucks from local restaurants, you have a great opportunity to sample and see who has the best BBQ.
• The Minnesota State Fair features more than one lobster option. You can get deep-fried lobster on a stick or a delicious Caribbean lobster roll. We’re not sure whether this is going to become the norm at other state’s fairs, though.
• Sometimes, dessert at the fair seems almost like a dare. You can get deep fried Rice Krispy treats or cupcakes, beer gelato or deep-fried buckeyes. Want to try something truly outrageous? Brave the Twinx- a Twix bar inside a Twinkie, wrapped in bacon, then deep fried. Just don’t tell your arteries that we were the ones who pointed you in that direction. Barbecue pickle ice cream? We think we’ll pass.

Here’s a secret: you can also find some of the best BBQ around, right in your local grocery store! Tony Roma’s brings the best BBQ right to your table in just about 20 minutes of prep time. To find Tony Roma’s at a grocery store near you, visit the store locator on our website. To connect with the online community, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and check out our mouthwatering Pinterest boards.