Who doesn’t love a good, old-fashioned barbecue? But if your family is getting tired of burgers and hot dogs, you can still enjoy outdoor meals and fun together. Check out these creative meal ideas – all of which can be prepared outdoors on your grill!
Grilled pizza. Grilling pizza is a bit of an art form, but it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it. No, your dough won’t fall through the grill, as long as you’ve preheated properly. Place plain dough on a hot grill, cook for a few minutes, and then flip it. Now place your toppings and finish cooking your pizza.
As you might imagine, smaller pizzas are easier to grill. Provide a “toppings bar” and let everyone put together their own mini-pizzas.
Roasted veggies. When it comes to grilling vegetables, you can go so much farther than corn on the cob. Yes, you can place just about any vegetable right on the grill, just as you do meat. Try onions, bell peppers, asparagus, squash, eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes, and anything else that strikes your fancy.
When prepping veggies, remember to keep their surface area large, so that they don’t fall through the grate. Brush each vegetable with olive oil to prevent sticking, and sprinkle with lemon juice, herbs, or spices if desired.
Bake bread. When the lid of your barbecue is closed, it essentially becomes an oven. So yes, you can bake bread outside! As your barbecue approaches 450 to 500 degrees, place a pizza stone or large cast iron pot on the grill, close the lid, and allow the stone or pot to heat for about 15 minutes.
Then, just plop your dough onto the stone or into the pot. It’s that simple! Some people prefer to toss a handful of corn meal onto the cooking surface first.
Bake for about 30 minutes, monitoring the temperature of your barbecue and the bread. If you use a bread thermometer, bake until the bread reaches 210 degrees on the inside, then remove the stone or pot from the grill.
Thanksgiving on the barbie. Many of us will be hosting outdoor Thanksgiving dinners this year. Why not fire up the barbecue? Yes, it’s possible to grill or smoke an entire turkey; just make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees to ensure doneness.
As for side dishes, all you need to do is heat up one section or burner of the grill, place the food away from the direct flame, and close the lid. Your barbecue functions like an oven this way, and you can cook entire casseroles outdoors!
You still have time to design the outdoor kitchen of your dreams. Give us a call, and we can help you decide on the right elements and the perfect look for your culinary recreation space.
