Food Ideas for a Cowboy Birthday Party

Having foods similar to what a traditional cowboy eats at a chuck wagon is a great way to make a cowboy birthday party a success. Most cowboy-inspired foods are inexpensive to make and feed several guests at once. Saving money and food preparation time is a great way to allow more time to focus on the guests and the party.

Hot dogs, a popular cowboy food, feed many people and offer a quick and simple meal to prepare and eat. Adding a condiment tray allows guests to add desired items to their dogs. Bratwurst, Polish sausage, turkey dogs and veggie dogs can be substituted for regular hot dogs. Condiments such as onions, relish, mustard, ketchup and cheese are popular toppings. Chili is also a great food that goes well with hot dogs at a party. The chili can be slow cooked over a campfire or in a slow cooker for easy preparation and serving. Crushed corn chips and corn bread can be served with bowls of chili. Chili can also be used as a topping for hot dogs.

A birthday wouldn't be complete without a cowboy cake. Popular shapes would be horseshoe, horse head, boots, cactus and cowboy hats. Shaped cake pans can be purchased from fine baking stores or online at thepartyworks.com. Popular flavors are cherry chip, chocolate and pineapple upside-down cake. Cupcakes can also be substituted by creating desired shapes and then decorated.

Many people love nachos, an easy and tasty dish to serve at a cowboy birthday party. Prepare the meat ahead of time and then keep warm in a slow cooker. Choose ground beef and shredded chicken for variety. Have chips out for guests to grab. Have a mini slow cooker full of hot melted cheese. Place each of the following items individually in serving bowls---sour cream, refried beans, black olives, green onions, guacamole, shredded lettuce, jalapeño peppers, diced tomatoes and salsa. Tacos can also be served with nachos to make a complete meal.

Nothing is better than a traditional barbecue. Whether it is over an open fire or a charcoal grill, food can be prepared just before the party for a tasty good time. Some good choices are brisket, chicken, pork ribs and steak. If serving steak, try using a meat brander on the steak to sear in the cook's initials while the meat is cooking. Chicken wings and baby back ribs are great choices for smaller hands. Sauces are a must for any cowboy party barbecue. Steak sauce such as A1 or barbecue sauces such as Sweet Baby Ray's or Cattleman's are great choices. Pork and beans as well as potato salad compliment barbecue food nicely. Be sure to include plenty of wet wipes and paper towels!

Every cowboy birthday party should be finished off with a tasty drink to down all the grub. Root beer floats are a great choice for this type of party. Serving root beer in a tall frosty mug with a scoop of vanilla ice cream will make guests happy. Specialty drink recipes such as Cactus Juice includes making a punch bowl full of a fizzy lemon and lime juice or pop and adding two containers of lime or lemon sherbet. A cool drink nicely polishes off any spicy meal.