Welcome to week two of our August Grilling Challenge. Last week, we covered the basics. Today: everything you need for an excellent outdoor gathering, including so-good sides, colorful (and shatterproof) tableware, and a great deal on a rechargeable, extremely effective mosquito repellent.

Esteban Castillo’s carne asada, adapted by Genevieve Ko. Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li.

The 2024 Paris Games have wrapped up, you’ve run out your OOO allotment, and back-to-school lists are flooding your feed. This week, the challenge is to ignore all of that and have a cookout with your favorite people to keep summer vibes going strong.

Yes, the grilled goods—like Esteban Castillo and Genevieve Ko’s carne asada, pictured above—get star billing. But we all know it’s the sides that steal the show at any gathering (see: Thanksgiving). Ham El-Waylly’s sweet, savory, and spicy corn and miso pasta salad can be made up to three days before serving, though it’ll be hard not to sneak scoops of it from your fridge (spoken from experience). Ali Slagle’s cucumber-avocado salad goes with pretty much everything; try serving it as a refreshing counterpoint to that smoky carne asada or sticky-sweet peach and molasses chicken.

And then, of course, tomatoes. All they need to shine is salt, but if you really want to wow, dress them with a simple vinaigrette, as Cybelle Tondu does for her five-star recipe.

By the way! All of these recipes—and the recipes in last week’s challenge—are free. So forward away to whoever you put in charge of dessert. (More on that below.)

Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Corn and Miso Pasta Salad By Ham El-Waylly 50 minutes Makes 4 to 6 servings (about 8 cups)

Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Cucumber-Avocado Salad By Ali Slagle 15 minutes Makes 4 servings

Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Tomatoes Vinaigrette By Cybelle Tondu 10 minutes Makes 4 servings

No-fuss, thirst-quenching drinks

You want to spend your cookout tending to the grill and chatting with friends, not mixing complicated cocktails. These summery drinks are easy to put together and easy to drink, meaning they’re not too boozy but completely refreshing. (Fun fact: Wirecutter experts bravely taste-tested 24 blanco tequilas to find the 12 best for your ranch water). Prefer a completely self-service set up? Throw these canned cocktails into a trustworthy cooler.

Ranch Water By Naz Deravian 5 minutes Makes 1 serving

Tinto de Verano By Rebekah Peppler 20 minutes, plus 1 1/2 hours for optional syrup Makes 1 drink

Nonalcoholic Dirty Lemon Tonic By Rebekah Peppler 5 minutes Makes 1 drink

Outdoor plates and cups we love

Photo: Marki Williams

Outdoor dinnerware is designed to withstand the raucousness of life’s most boisterous meals (which, if you’re following our advice, should be your next cookout). Altogether, we considered 30 pieces of dinnerware and tested 15 to find the best outdoor sets that will hold your summer dishes with ease, while being heat-tolerant, stain-resistant, and dishwasher-safe. And we landed on 8 gorgeous favorites.

The best outdoor dining sets, whether you prefer bright and whimsical or clean and minimalist→

More for your cookout

Dreamy, chic tumblers we love They’re cute, durable, and endlessly reusable.

The best outdoor lighting String lights, lanterns, and more to make your soirée sparkle.

“This $22 grill press helped me crack the code to ultra-thin burgers” A perfect smash burger is easy with the right equipment.

Our favorite portable speaker For your cookout tunes.

Like we’d forget dessert

And if you’re lucky enough to be invited to a cookout: Nothing says “thanks for having me!” like a generous slab of something sweet. For more transport-friendly treats, browse our collection of the best desserts to make in a 9x13 pan. As for, well, the best 9x13 pans, we’ve got those too.

David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Strawberry Pretzel Bars By Millie Peartree 45 minutes, plus 4 to 6 hours’ chilling Makes 12 bars

Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Butter Mochi By Genevieve Ko 2 hours, plus cooling Makes 1 (9-by-13-inch) cake

Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen. Yellow Sheet Cake With Chocolate Frosting By Erin Jeanne McDowell 45 minutes Makes One 9-by-13-inch cake

Photo: Michael Hession

The quickest way to ruin any outdoor gathering is with flying, bloodsucking visitors. If you want to keep mosquitoes away from your deck or patio without you or your (invited!) guests having to slather your skin in bug repellent, we’ve found this odorless Thermacell E90 rechargeable spatial repellent to be your best bet.

It lasts long enough to keep a bedroom-size area mosquito-free for an entire evening. And from now through August 15, you can get one for over 20 percent off to keep your crazy-good cookouts blissfully bugless.

A great deal on our favorite bug repellent→

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Thanks for reading. We’ll see you next week for our guide to grilling beyond the expected.

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