Party planning

For Saturday's BBQ party I'm really pushing for simple foods that won't require a lot of continuous maintenance. Example: potato salad - worries about it sitting out too long, and it needs a lot of fridge space, and bowls can get gross looking even if they're not empty. It means that I'm constantly having to watch, and to juggle bowls, and to wash things. I don't mind that for a dinner party but for a BBQ it's too much work for too long.

Same with cocktails. We've done mojitos, and sangria, and they all need constant care. This Saturday we've got a keg of Sam Adams. We did that last year and it was great. People get as much as they want and it's always cold and fresh and fizzy. Some people show up with their bottles of vodka and drink that but it's no work for us.

Chips and salsa. Even thought I'm not big on bowls, they will be easy to keep filled and everyone loves corn chips.

We'll be cooking burgers. Or rather medicnj Pete will be for a chunk of the time. Everyone comes to him eventually. In order to keep it simple I'm thinking several types of sliced cheese - cheddar, pepper jack, etc - and plates of sliced summer tomatoes and red and vidalia onions.

In order to make the burgers more festive I'm thinking of mixing up a few special mayos that will go into squeeze bottles - chipotle, green goddess, caesar, and (yuck) roquefort. Let them sit in bowls of icewater and voila, yummy and homemade and little maintenance required.

For dessert? Sheet cakes. I have no problem with mixing and baking ingredients, it's the cutting and layering and frosting that I mess up on. So sheet cakes baked in disposable pans with icing on the top. I'm thinking double chocolate (request of the birthday boy), tropical carrot cake, and possibly a lemon cake or a cherry-flavored cake. Is there an important style of cake that I'm missing?

I think that should keep our guests well-fed, gustatorially stimulated, and leave me in a calm, social mood.

Thoughts?