10 Things To Grill This Summer That Aren’t Meat
Summer is creeping up on us faster than a cell phone salesman at the mall kiosk and we’re going to have to figure out what to cook once we fire up those grills.
While burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and chicken are always a safe bet, sometimes guests will want something a little more than just meat.
We dug around and found 10 different things you can throw on the grill that doesn’t require any meat. Happy grilling, everyone!
Veggies
Photo: Bush’s BBQ Boot Camp
Yeah, you could steam your veggies and they’ll probably be slightly healthier for you. OR you could throw them on a white-hot grill and get a satisfying char to them as smoke and fire come together to create one hell of a vegetable dish.
A little lemon juice and salt also goes a long way here, BTW.
Corn
Grilled corn is a pretty big staple when it comes to barbecue. The ears cook until about half of the kernels are browned and blackened. Then you just allow a pat of butter to melt directly onto the surface.
Growing up in a Vietnamese household, we were also partial to this green onion oil that we would just slather onto grilled corn. It was divine.
Pizza
If you’re a fan of wood-fired pizza, you can actually create a makeshift wood-fire oven with your grill. If you’re worried about your pizza dough melting through the grate, however, YouTuber DaveHax came up with a solution to keep this from happening.
Simply take a cupcake tin and let your pizza sit on top of it as you grill. The dough should hold steady and the prevent any spillage. The result: a nice and smokey pizza deserving of your tastebuds.
Mushrooms
Even though a thick mushroom cap can’t compare to a juicy cut of steak, it’s still a pretty decent alternative to meat. You can grill up a bunch of small white button mushrooms or a few slices of portobello at once.
Once they’re browned, drizzle a little olive oil on top with a tiny pinch of salt and you’re ready to cut into these aromatic fungi.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
They don’t call it grilled cheese for nothing. While the majority of the world makes their grilled cheese straight up on the stove top, culinary guru Alton Brown actually grills his grilled cheese.
While a tedious process for such a simple dish, Brown claims this will drastically improve your cheese sandwich. Check out the video above to see a step-by-step rundown.
Tofu
Need a meatless substitute to get your protein fix? Slice up some tofu bricks and light them up. Just make sure to properly grease your grate, or your tofu will end up a sticky mess. Keep it cooking until it’s nicely charred and brown. The crispy exterior will add a nice texture that complements the soft interior of the tofu.
Avocados
Avocados are one of the most addicting fruits around. We can throw them on pretty much anything and it’ll taste better. Recently, we had the pleasure of tasting oakwood-smoked avocados and it was one of the best variations of the fruit we’ve had the pleasure of putting into our mouths. If you don’t have the equipment and patience to smoke an avocado, however, grilling it may be the next best thing.
Chile Relleno
Photo: Bush’s BBQ Boot Camp
A different take on the classic chile relleno: simply mix together some corn, beans, peppers, and cilantro inside a hollowed out chile. Before adding the stuffing, char your pepper a bit to give it some flavor. Now you can fill it with your medley of ingredients and some cheese on top.
Toss it on the grill just long enough for your cheese to melt, encompassing your beans and peppers. It tastes pretty damn good.
Watermelon Slices
As a quick and easy palette cleaners in between all the heavy BBQ items this summer, you can toss a few slices of watermelon directly onto the grill. You’ll only want them on long enough to get a nice sear and a smokey flavor. Sprinkle a little sea salt on your melon and enjoy a refreshing bite.
Dessert
Looking for something a little sweet to close out your backyard BBQ? A while back, Foodbeast came up with three different desserts that could be made directly on any grill. We’ve got banana boat s’mores, chocolate churro quesadillas, and strawberry shortcake kebabs.
Check out the video to see how we whipped up these desserts.
