Kabobs
Kabobs are a great way to get creative and stretch your food budget so you can feed more people. You can make kabobs using any kind of meat. Some favorites are chicken kabobs, steak kabobs and shrimp kabobs. Try making this shrimp recipe as kabobs. Or you can go meatless and make kabobs using cubed tofu or cubed tempeh. Just remember, kabobs are all about the seasonings!
If you’re more of a veggie lover, you can make all-veggie kabobs using your favorite veggies to throw on the grill. Some great ideas include skewers with mushrooms, onions, peppers, artichoke hearts and even fruit. Grilled pineapple chunks are delicious, and so are grilled apple chunks. The wonderful thing about kabobs is they are extremely versatile. You can make them using almost anything you want as your main ingredients, then fancy them up with seasonings or a yummy marinade. Grill until they’re just the way you like and dig in!
Sliced Fruits
While it may not be the most conventional thing you will grill, there are many fruits that taste amazing when sliced and grilled over an open flame. You can grill fruits like peaches, pineapple, pears, apples, and even watermelon, melon and bananas. You could even make up a batch of this Vanilla Coconut Pound Cake ahead of time, then grill slices of it to gently toast it. Top it with grilled, slightly caramelized peaches or pears and voila! Dessert anyone?
Seasonal Veggies
Sometimes simple is better. Seasonal veggies can be cooked deliciously on the grill. Besides, there’s nothing quite like a bit of char to ramp up the flavor of, well… almost everything. It’s the signature trait of food cooked on the grill. Some veggie ideas you can grill include whole ears of corn, whole carrots, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, even veggies like cabbage and lettuce! Scrape grilled corn off the cob and toss it on some greens with some black beans and avocado, and you’ve got the start of a flavorful salad. If you’re a squash lover, you could try this Grilled Millet and Butternut Squash Cake recipe.
Be daring and experiment with different foods and recipes. Try stuffing jalapeños with cheese, wrapping them in your favorite bacon, and tossing them on the grill. They make excellent appetizers and finger foods, especially if you have a lot of guests. Mushroom caps are also amazing, especially the larger portobellos. You can stuff them with cheese and seasonings, or grill them and eat them as meatless burgers. Or you could try grilling half an avocado stuffed with goodies. They key is don’t be afraid to try different things. Grills can be used to cook just about anything when you get creative.
Pizzas
Bet you didn’t know you could make pizzas on the grill! Hey, if you can make pizza in a skillet, you can definitely make it on a grill. Just use your favorite crust recipe and make sure you get the grill properly heated. As long as it’s hot enough, your crust should get nice and toasty. Top them with just about anything and everything to suit your budget and your tastes. If you’re feeding a crowd, simple is usually better. You can’t really go wrong with cheese, but you can also top your pizza with fruits, veggies, meat and greens.
Grilled Meat Picks
If you’re really craving grilled steak or a juicy pork chop, why not try a grilling basket? You could chop your different meats up into bite-sized chunks, season them with your favorite marinade and throw them in a grill basket. Once the meat is done, stick them with toothpicks and pile them on a plate. You still get the taste of a good, old-fashioned steak from the grill, but you can spread the love around and feed a lot more people.
There are countless ways to use a grill and make some great meals, even if you’ve got a crowd to feed. It just takes a little willingness to try new things. Move over, hamburgers and hot dogs! 