8 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Grill
Your grill is as versatile as any other cooking surface. That means you can cook just about anything on a grill that you can cook indoors. Tired of the same ol’ burgers and hot dogs? How about meatballs or polenta? Sink your teeth into eight totally grill-able foods that will change the way you think about backyard grilling forever.
Nachos
Meld all the amazing nachos flavors you love with added smoky depth when you make Grilled Loaded Nachos. Imagine how fast your friends will eat up layers of crispy tortilla chips, roasted veggies, and melted cheese at your next outdoor cookout. No need to turn on your oven this summer! Your secret weapon for this recipe is the Rockcrok® Grill Stone.
Watch how easy it is to make nachos on the grill.
Cauliflower
Crowned one of the hottest rediscovered foods in recent years by top chefs, doctors, nutritionists, foodies, and home cooks alike, cauliflower is a blank slate with great texture. You can do pretty much anything with cauliflower. When cut into large slices and given a good char, it becomes tender, smoky, and almost steak-like. Just brush the cauliflower slices with 1 tbsp/15mL of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place them on the grill and cover for 25–35 minutes, turning frequently, and they’re ready to go.
Bananas
Whether you make Grilled Banana Boats with chocolate morsels and mini marshmallows (it’s just indescribably amazing), Grilled Spiced Bananas, or Grilled Banana Sundaes, you’ll discover a super sweet and caramelized treat that everyone at your next cookout will love. What a great way to cap off a dinner al fresco!
Zucchini
Forget what you think you know about bland, watery zucchini. When it’s cooked on the grill, this veggie becomes sweet, crispy, and infused with smoky goodness. Cut zucchini into ½ in./6mm slices or planks and prep your grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (about 400F–450°F/200-230°C). Brush the zucchini planks with vegetable or olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and grill for 6–8 minutes, turning as needed until beautiful dark grill marks appear. Grilled zucchini tastes great with grilled fish or on fresh summer salads.
Watermelon
Grilling watermelon caramelizes the natural sugars inside and makes it extra yummy. Slice your watermelon into wedges, leaving the rind on—it will give you a place to easily grasp with your tongs to turn or move the fruit without damaging the flesh. Because of the high water content, you won’t see deep char marks, but rest assured the grilling process brings out a richer flavor in the watermelon. Pssst…other fruits like mango are great on the grill, too!
Meatballs
Why turn on the oven to make meatballs when you can grill them outside? The Meatball & Slider Grill Basket holds 12 meatballs at a time—which makes grilling a lot easier. Whether you want to make an appetizer or a main course, you can give them an international twist with this Grilled Moroccan Meatballs with Cucumber Yogurt recipe. Make your meatballs with your choice of meat, then add cayenne pepper, chili powder, and ground cinnamon for stand-out flavor. Grill the meatballs covered for 8–10 minutes (turning halfway through the grill time) and serve them with lettuce, pitas, and Cucumber Yogurt sauce.
Polenta
Grilling polenta makes it tender in the center and crisp on the outside. Simply brush slices of polenta with 2 tbsp/30mL of oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Use direct medium-high heat on the grill. Place your polenta slices on the grill and cover 8–10 minutes or until you see grill marks. Stack them with grilled portabella mushrooms and heirloom tomatoes and top with mozzarella and basil. Delicious!
Tofu
Tofu is another notoriously bland food that you can transform on the grill. Marinate tofu with any flavors you like. It’s a blank slate you can customize to your taste. Grill your marinated tofu on direct medium-high heat, covered, for 6–9 minutes until you see char marks.
Here’s a grilling pro tip: Thread the tofu onto skewers to keep it from breaking apart when you turn it on the grill. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 2 hours or overnight to keep them from burning.