get cooking this summer with iceland's barbecue range.

Summer is in full swing and that can only mean one thing... barbecue season! Come rain or shine, us Brits love an excuse to dine al fresco with friends and family. But with such unpredictable weather, a downpour on a Wednesday can turn into sudden sunny skies by the weekend.

This is where the #PowerOfFrozen can really help you out. With a fantastic barbecue range for 2017, Iceland can see you stock up on delicious BBQ essentials to keep in the freezer ready for sunny spells and tropical heatwaves. An impromptu garden party or heatwave on the horizon? Simply defrost your favourite and fire up the BBQ for a delicious outdoor feast. Scroll on to see what I thought of the latest range... (sunshine optional)

So what was on the menu? From spicy king prawn skewers to mouthwatering chilli and lime beef ribs, I opted for a real variety of their products including the Churrasco range. Coming in at under £25 total (yes, really) the menu featured;

Beef Burger Koftas with Barbecue Sauce (£3 for 5)
Chicken & Chorizo Skewers (6 for £3.50)
Garlic & Chilli King Prawn Kebabs (6 for £3)

Chicken & Bacon Twisters (8 for £2)
Churrasco Salt & Chilli Pork Shoulder (£4 for 700g)

Churrasco Sausage Skewers (2 skewers/8 sausages for £2.50)

Churrasco Boneless Chilli & Lime Beef Ribs (£3.50 for 350g)

The bold and bright packaging was super clear in how to cook from frozen, defrost, in the oven or on the BBQ to suit you. I opted for from frozen, with most products needing to cook in the oven before finishing on the barbecue. 

The longest cook time for example was the pork shoulder, needing one hour from defrosted or two hours from frozen, before being finished on the grill. On the other hand, the prawn kebabs just needed 17-19 minutes in the oven from frozen. Lots of the products need a similar amount of cook time making them easy to put on a tray together. Either way, at most you need a two hour warning before any guests arrive to make the most of a sunny afternoon.

As you can see, it wasn't long before the whole range was ready to be finished on the BBQ and served up. Whilst the pork shoulder cooked, I focussed on making some sides of veggie cous cous, potato salad and fresh vegetables. I also bought a few chillies, citrus fruits and herbs to garnish the meat and seafood.

So Instagram-able, right?

As your Iceland products cook in the oven, it's the perfect time to entertain guests and serve up some tasty drinks and mocktails!

I always enjoy a potato salad as part of a Summer spread! Think lemon, fresh mint and spring onion to liven it up! I also love making simple cous cous and adding colourful veg for a simple side.

My favourite dishes were probably the prawns or pork shoulder. You would honestly never guess it was from frozen! I'm such a big advocate of using your freezer to the full advantage and this definitely proved it! The beef was also divine - coming with a sticky, sweet sauce to finish.

Other crowd pleased included the slightly spicy Chorizo style sausages and the chicken and bacon skewers. There was definitely something for everyone and it was especially easy to eat from a stick, adding dip if you fancy. Iceland love a skewer and I can see why!

As part of an offer at the time, Iceland were giving away a tub of Primo Italiano Triple Chocolate Ice Cream with every two Taste of Summer products! HELLO! The promotion is sadly not running at the moment but it's definitely worth popping into your local Iceland and looking our for similar offers. These ice creams only retail at £1.50 a tub so they're still a steal at full price!

Have you been enjoying al fresco dining this Summer? What are your favourite barbecue recipes? Would you be tempted to try out the Iceland range for yourself?

In collaboration with Iceland