Summer Time is Picnic Time with KC Masterpiece®

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone, but I will have a picnic with you! #BestSummerBBQ #CollectiveBias

I know it’s the South and Mother Nature is making all the decisions, but either way, it’s the perfect time to picnic because Summer is finally here!

…I think…

My severe grass allergy is completely unattached to my overwhelming desire and excitement to be outside, so when I go, I’m gonna make it count! One of my favorite things to do is picnic. I love to be in the park, to be under a tree, stretched out and having a good conversation about life. I just need a good space, a nice breeze and some bug spray. My husband is excited about this time of year because he loves to grill…chicken and burgers are his faves. I looove corn on the cob, so I was giddy to actually make my own version of grilled corn this year. Even though our menu is small, we made sure that it included the tasty things we really enjoy. We simply chose to add salad, watermelon and a classic cold drink for the perfect outing in the park!

Did that food look good to you? Hungry yet? You won’t believe just how quick and easy it was to make all of this! I ran into my local Sam’s Club and was able to grab everything in about 10 minutes! I’m all about getting in and out of stores, especially on a Sunday, and the ingredients were super convenient to find. I’m not a fan of long lines after church…in heels…no siree, Bob!

The first thing that I had to make was the chicken. I had to call this KC’s Masterpiece for 2 reasons… 1. My nickname is KC and 2. My hubby doesn’t care for sweeter sauces, but he gobbled this up! I’ve finally brought him over to the sweet sauce side! The dry rub makes it easy for you to customize your dish to taste just how you like it and it’s really versatile; just by adjusting the ingredients, you can make BBQ sauce, dry rub or marinade. I used the Simply Lemonade® and loved the contrast it gave to the spices in the dry rub. I’m not usually a big fan of lemonade, but this one is really good! And, bonus? It’s all natural!

KC’s Masterpiece Chicken with Marinade

• 1 packet of KC Masterpiece® BBQ Sauce Mix & Dry Rub – Original Flavor
• 2 cups of Simply Lemonade®
• seasoning to taste  (I used lemon pepper)
• 1-2 lbs of chicken (thawed)

Directions:

1. Use seasoning on the chicken, if you prefer. I like my food seasoned well, so I added the lemon pepper seasoning directly to the chicken. Place the chicken into a gallon plastic bag or large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, pour in your packet of KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce Mix & Dry Rub – Original Flavor.
3. Slowly add the Simply Lemonade. I poured in about 1/3 at a time to keep the sloshing down. I’m just messy sometimes.
4. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

My husband makes this amazing baked chicken where he’s perfected the technique to get it crispy, like it’s been fried in the oven. But I really wanted grilled chicken, so once it was good and marinated, we took it outside.

I watched him work his magic and had to ask why he was making a “chicken ring.” Apparently, there are fat and some juices that drip from the chicken and if they drop directly onto the fire, it flares up and torches the meat…and this is why I bake.

We cooked the chicken on the grill, and while it was getting itself ready to get into my belly, I went back inside and made an accompanying sauce to glaze onto the chicken. To make the glaze, I mixed 1 packet of the KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce Mix & Dry Rub – Original Flavor with just 1 cup of the Simply Lemonade and set it aside. Once the chicken was ready for searing, we glazed the chicken and let the yumminess cook in just a bit longer.

The next project was the corn on the cob. I made a semi-dry rub for the corn, so that I could pop that on the grill as well 🙂

Corn on the Barbie

• Corn on the cob
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 packet KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce Mix & Dry Rub – Original Flavor
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Here’s a quick video tutorial on how to make the semi-dry rub for the corn:

After the rub was made, I simply added it to the corn. I placed my corn on a piece of foil, applied the rub with a spatula, rolled it up in the foil and put it on the grill. Easy peasy!

In the South, you can’t have a picnic without a classic drink in a mason jar mug. Darling, it’s just not allowed! To make sure that we had the proper liquid refreshments on hand, I used my Sam’s Club bounty and made our famous Southern Arnold Palmer. Or as some people call it, the VIP…but I have no idea what that’s about…

Before we mixed our drinks, I tasted the tea to “validate” it. Yep, it’s good, Southern and definitely the taste that brings you home™. My Chicago pals would definitely concur. It’s so easy to make the Arnold Palmer…everything you need is found right here in this bucket:

THE Arnold Palmer Sweet Tea

• Gold Peak® Sweet Tea
• Simply Lemonade®
• lemon slices (optional)

Directions:

1. Pour tea into the glass.
2. Add lemonade.
3. Garnish with lemon slices.
4. Enjoy!

It doesn’t take much to plan the perfect picnic. Good company, good food and a good time are waiting for you! Be sure to check out these Coca-Cola & KC Masterpiece products at Sam’s Club! It’s just hubby and I, but if you’re planning a picnic for a family or friends gathering, Sam’s Club is the perfect place to grab bigger quantities for your group.