This Coca-Cola™ BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #IceColdSummerMoments
Back to Summer! Every year, we see a lot of advertisements and excitement around the “Back to School” season. I am not one of those people who gets excited for that season. I don’t look forward to crazy days, the kids in school every day and the hectic after-school activities.
When summer rolls around, I am happy. The days are longer and we are able to take a slower pace for a few months. With that being said, I thought it would be fun to throw a “Back to Summer” party in the back yard this year. Let’s celebrate the season we all look forward too with yummy food and a Coca-Cola™ beverage station! Are you in?
For the Back to Summer party, I thought the “Share an Ice Cold Coke” with Coca-Cola™ was the perfect way to welcome our guests. The kids and I went to Target to search for our guests names on Coca-Cola 20 oz. bottles. We found the fun display near the checkout aisles in our Target.
This year, “Share an Ice Cold Coke” is back with 1,000 new Share A Coke names featuring first and last names! We were amazed how many names we were able to find. The kids had a blast with this part of the party planning. Every time they found a name, they would shout it out. For me, the best part of the Target trip was the 20% off Share A Coke 20 oz. Bottles with the Cartwheel app.
I use the Cartwheel app every time I am at Target (which is way too often). It is the easiest way to save money on items I am buying. This Target trip was successful. I was able to get all the ingredients for my Pulled Pork Sliders and fun supplies for the party.
Since I was running with the Coca-Cola theme for this Back to Summer party, a red and white color palette seemed appropriate. I bought red paper plates and napkins. I had red drink stirrers and red and white straws and white silverware rounded out the “utensil” supplies. We were ready for a party!
I wanted to set up a Coca-Cola beverage station so the guests could concoct their Coca-Cola drink exactly the way they wanted it. I added Maraschino cherries, grenadine and lemon wedges to the station. Drink umbrellas and cute toothpicks were also included. I turned an old, tin picnic basket into an ice bucket and invited guests to mix up their drink.
This part of the party was so fun or everyone. The kids loved it and the older generation reminisced about the way they used to have their Coca-Cola back in their day. It was fun to listen to the stories and having the kids hear the stories was priceless.
The rest of the Back to Summer party could not have been easier. The Coca-Cola™ BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders and Coca-Cola station fit perfect on the curbside picnic table we just completed.
(I can’t wait to show you this project. Stay tuned for that.) I set the table aside in the back yard so everyone had room to move around the yard, play the lawn games we set up and still be able to make their drinks and grab a slider when they wanted.
Pulled pork sliders are a great food option for a back yard party. They are easy to make (hello, slow cooker), and easy to eat.
Let’s get to this yummy Coca-Cola™ BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders recipe, shall we?!
Coca-Cola™ BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
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Whole pork shoulder roast
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1 packet onion soup mix
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20 oz Coca-Cola (any variety)
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1 jar of your favorite BBQ sauce – For us, the adults like a spicier BBQ sauce so I omit it when I cook the pork. I leave the BBQ sauce jar out so everyone can add it to their slider and that way the pork is not spicy at all and the kids will enjoy it.
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Put the roast in the slower cooker.
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Mix the Coca-Cola with the packet of onion soup mix and pour over the roast.
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If you are adding BBQ sauce, mix it in with the Coca-Cola and onion soup mix.
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Serve on sliders buns!
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All slow cookers are different so this time may vary. I cook it on high for 5 hours and then on low for 3-4 hours. It is done when the meat can easily be pulled and shredded.
You may notice that there wasn’t any other food on the table. That is because it wasn’t there yet. I have learned a great lesson that has made parties like this so easy to plan and prepare for. When we host a back yard party like this, we provide the main dish and the drinks. The guests bring their favorite side dishes and snacks.
It works our perfect because everyone always wants to bring something and there is a ton of variety and who doesn’t love to try new recipes to fall in love with? We always set up lawn game stations throughout the yard as well. If you don’t have lawn games, there are so many great ideas to DIY your own on Pinterest.
If you are ready to celebrate the summer months like we are, you can find more great summer inspiration HERE.
This party was a huge success. It is a great time to celebrate. What is your favorite way to enjoy the summer months with family and friends?
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Yes! I’m so with you! The Back to School season makes me sad but we absolutely celebrate Back to Summer so throwing a party for it is the perfect idea! This all looks like so much fun, too!
Thank you!