It’s pool party season, and you’re ready to put on an unforgettable day of fun in the water and great conversations with friends and family! Read on for a selection of tasty recipes for your next pool party, they’ll surely make waves with your guests.
Slow Cooker BBQ Short Ribs

- Fine sea salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Granulated garlic powder, to taste
- Onion powder, to taste
- 5 lbs beef short ribs
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups of barbecue sauce of your choice
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ can or bottle of Beer
- In a small bowl, mix sea salt, pepper, and garlic and onion powders. Adjust seasoning as necessary, then season ribs with the mixture.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the outside of ribs.
- Place a layer of roughly chopped onions at the bottom of a slow cooker.
- In separate bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, honey and mustard.
- Add ribs a little at a time to the bowl and make sure they are well coated in the sauce.
- Place ribs in the slow cooker on top of the bed of onions.
- Pour beer over the top once the sauced ribs are in the slow cooker, so that the sauce mixture cascades to the onions at the bottom.
- Carefully stir the ribs to combine ingredients.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
- When done cooking, switch the slow cooker to warm setting.
- Before serving, skim excess fat from the sauce (you may need to remove the ribs to do this).
- When ready to eat, simply serve ribs directly from the slow cooker or transfer to a platter.
Bourbon Bacon BBQ Chicken Kebabs Recipe

• 8 oz barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s )
• 1/8 cup bourbon
• 2 lbs chicken breast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 6 slices uncooked bacon, cut into small pieces
1. Light the grill and heat to medium-high
2. In a small bowl, combine the BBQ sauce and bourbon. Mix well.
3. In a food processor , combine the kosher salt, white pepper, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, dark brown sugar, smoked paprika, and bacon. Pulse until completely smooth.
4. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl and then rub with the bacon paste. Once well-coated, thread the chicken pieces onto skewers.
5. Place the kebabs on the preheated grill. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until nearly cooked through.
6. Brush the kebabs with the bourbon barbecue sauce and cook for an additional minute on each side.
7. Serve with the remaining BBQ sauce.
Honey BBQ Chicken Strips

- 2 lbs chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- vegetable oil for frying
- 4 cups buttermilk, divided
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
- Season chicken strips with salt and pepper and marinate in 2 cups buttermilk for at least 2 hours.
- Bring oil to 350-360F in a large frying pan, about 1 inch deep.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika in a shallow bowl and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of buttermilk and hot sauce, set aside.
- Combine barbecue sauce, honey, and apple cider vinegar in a shallow bowl, set aside.
- Remove the chicken strips from the buttermilk and shake off the excess.
- Dip the chicken strip in flour mixture, then in the buttermilk and hot sauce mixture, and then back in the flour mixture Shake off excess flour.
- Gently place in the hot oil and fry, turning over when golden brown. Drain on paper towels or on a rack.
- Repeat until all chicken has been fried. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through because we’ll be finishing it off in the oven.
- Gently dip the strips in the barbecue sauce and honey mixture or use brush the mixture onto the strips. Shake off excess.
- Place chicken strips on a parchment line baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Baking time will depend on the size of your chicken strips.
Note: if you want to spice these up a bit, add some hot sauce or sriracha to the honey-bbq glaze.
The Best Potato Salad

- 6 medium white potatoes or Yukon golds, about 2½ to 3 pounds, quartered
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 large celery stalks, diced
- 6 green onions, diced
- 5 hard boiled eggs, peeled
- 1½ cups Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1½ teaspoons celery seed
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- paprika for garnish
- Bring potatoes to a boil in large pot of cold water that’s been liberally salted. Reduce the heat to medium high or a lightly rolling boil and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a pairing knife. Drain and let cool until just able to handle.
- Peel the skins from the potatoes and cut into large diced pieces. Transfer the warm potatoes to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the white vinegar and stir. Allow the potatoes to cool, about 15 minutes. Add the celery and green onions. Chop 4 of the hard boiled eggs and add to the potato mixture.
- In a medium bowl, mix the Miracle Whip or mayonnaise, yellow mustard, celery seed and salt and pepper. Mix well into the potato mixture and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Slice the last egg into thin slices and place the slices on top of the salad. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight before serving.
Grilled Corn with Cilantro-Lime Butter

- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lime peel
- 10 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
- Cotija cheese, grated (optional)
- In a small bowl mix butter, cilantro, lime juice and peel. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator 30 minutes or until ready to use.
- Grill corn over medium heat, turning occasionally, until speckled with char spots and tender (about 15 to 20 minutes.)
- Carefully remove corn from grill and serve with butter and grated cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
Shop our selection of above ground, semi inground and saltwater pools at The Pool Factory.