Easy Weeknight Grill Ideas

[Anonymous]

Now that the weather is warming up, I'm looking for some easy (ie, few ingredients/prep/time to make) weeknight grill ideas. We don't eat red meat, so steak is out. I'd love some suggestions other than burgers, hot dogs, and grilled chicken. Or, some ideas to jazz up these items. TIA!

[Anonymous]

We do a lot of skewers- marinate veggie chunks in balsamic, a little olive oil, and herbs, thread on skewers, and they cook so quickly. I toss them back in the marinade after cooking and eat leftovers on salads for lunch. We also do shrimp skewers (we tend to separate the meat from veg) and also pineapple for easy desserts.

[Anonymous]

Marinate salmon with a mix of red curry paste, coconut milk, ginger and garlic.

[Anonymous]

Do you eat pork, the other white meat? How about a marinated tenderloin? A favorite of mine is to soak corn on the cob in its husk in water for a while and then put it on the grill in the husk for about 15 mins. I also do fish, a little white wine, citrus, a few julienned vegetables in a foil packet.

[Anonymous]

I was just going to post something similar!

Tonight ee grilled asparagus (just brushed with olive oil, and seasoned with chopped garlic, coarse salt and cracked black pepper). I marinated boneless pork chops in a Carribean jerk dressing (from a bottle). We also served brown rice and sliced mango. My kids (7 and 5), of course ate the rice and mango with no complaints. DD ate a bite of asparagus. DS refused to try it. Both ate a few bites of pork.

I'd love to hear more quick and easy spring/summer meals!

[Anonymous]

You can do pizza on the grill too.

[Anonymous]

Put a fish fillet on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, lightly salt and pepper, and then add your favorite fresh herb, just one (flat parsley, dill, or cilantro are good options) and some sliced up aromatics--like peppers and onions, garlic sliced thin, or thin lemon slices. Wrap up the foil into a packet and grill. (If you're using wood chips for smoke flavor, use a sharp knife to punch some holes in the packet so the smoke can get in there.)

Also, +1 for grilled asparagus. Or portabellos. Or eggplant slices. Olive oil them, salt them a bit, throw them on.

[Anonymous]

Sausages, with peppers & onions in a packet. I like traditional Italian sausages, but you can do chicken or turkey sausages.

[Anonymous]

We grill frequently. We use a lot of bottled marinades - Soy Vey and Annie's are favorites - over all cuts of chicken, meat, shrimp and fish. If we do chicken legs, we usually bake in the oven for half hour and then finish on the grill. We grill chicken breasts and thighs (thighs are always a hit bc they stay moist). We grill shrimp on skewers (great with a tropical marinade), and fish on a grate or in a foil packet. We love to add mix ins to turkey burgers - like chopped spinach and feta cheese, or diced red peppers and cheddar cheese. We grill and slice chicken and beef and use for fajita (we saute the peppers and onions on the stovetop and heat tortillas). Often we grill on a grate on the side veggies (asparagus, cut up peppers, onions, broccoli, corn on the cob) tossed in olive oil with some salt/pepper.

[Anonymous]

Although cooking time is longer, prep is minimal for beer can chicken. That's a fav. I also use Trader Joe's Soyaki and throw chicken breasts in a bag to marinate overnight. A lot of veggies do great on the grill with simply olive oil and kosher salt (similar to roasting). Cedar plank salmon is great but again, have to plan in advance to make sure you soak the plank long enough and you cook for enough time.

[Anonymous]

Pizza on the grill is fabulous and we love to do it with tortillas, naan, or other flatbread-type bases.
Instead of hot dogs, try a different variety of sausage. We had some old bay chicken sausage last weekend that was fabulous. FYI just figured this out myself: WTH do you do with all the leftover hot dog rolls? I rolled each sausage in a pita! Delish and less overwhelming bready-ness.

chicken skewers/yakitori - better with thigh meat. Marinate in soy, garlic, ginger, garlic, and lime, serve with rice and (grilled) pineapple.

grilled potato salad - great side.
Slice potatoes (I like red) about 1/2 inch thick, plus a red onion or two. Give everything a light coating of EVOO and grill over medium heat til the potatoes are cooked through. Make a quick dressing from EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, lemon juice - pour over and toss. The hot potatoes will soak it up. Top with some chopped parsley. Seriously easy and yummy.

Agree with PP re: skewers, they are so versatile. You could also use sausage bits instead of meat chunks (i'm thinking kiebasa but have also done this with fresh - just squoosh it out of the casing in meatball-sized chunks. Pre-seasoned meat!

I love grill season.

[Anonymous]

chicken or turkey sausages, either smoked or fresh.

seared tuna steak is a splurge.

salmon fillet or steak.

shrimp skewers.

vidalia onions.

I know you said you were tired of grilled chicken, but have you tried different marinades? Boneless/skinless thighs are also much tastier than breasts, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Also bone-in thigh (you can get skinless) is much juicier