If you need something new to spice up your summer and add some sizzle to your dinner menu or your next family cookout, check out three of my favorite summer grilling recipes.
BBQ Burgers
Burgers are a summer grilling staple, but to spice them up a little, add a new twist – your own BBQ sauce, made as spicy or mild as you like it with a little hot sauce.
Ingredients
• 1 clove minced garlic
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp steak sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp vinegar
• Dash of hot sauce
• 1 pound ground beef
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
1. In a small sauce pan, mix together garlic, ketchup, steak sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, and hot sauce. Bring to boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 3 minutes. Set aside.
2. Mix the beef, salt, and pepper together in a big bowl, then make your burger patties.
3. Grill burgers over medium heat for about 14-18 minutes, turning once halfway through. During the last 5 minutes, brush the burgers once or twice with your BBQ sauce.
4. Spoon remaining sauce over burgers when you are ready to serve.
Peppers Stuffed with Goat Cheese
Along with those delicious burgers, we should probably eat something a little healthy, too. I’m not a vegetable lover. There, I’ve said it. My husband would probably tell you that our 8-year-old has a more refined palate than I do. But, these next two recipes make even me get excited about eating all my veggies. I mean, really, when you add cheese or bacon to them, they’re pretty hard not to love, right?
Ingredients
• 2 oz soft goat cheese (chevre)
• ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz)
• 1 Tbsp snipped fresh chives
• 2 Tbsp snipped fresh basil or 2 tsp dried crushed basil
• 2-4 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, quartered lengthwise
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, stir together the goat cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, chives, basil. Set aside.
2. Grill peppers over medium hot grill until peppers are crisp but tender and beginning to brown. Turn the peppers once halfway through grilling. This step should take about 8 minutes.
3. Remove the peppers from the grill. Spoon the cheese mixture into the pepper pieces. Grill for 2-3 more minutes until the cheese is melted.
4. Serve the stuffed peppers immediately.
Grilled Veggies with Bacon & Dill Butter
Ingredients
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 4 tsp snipped fresh dillweed or 1 tsp dried dillweed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 4 medium carrots, sliced (2 cups)
• 2 cups potatoes chopped into cubes
• 1 small yellow summer squash or zucchini, halved and cut into ½ inch slices
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, microwave the butter until melted (or melt it in a small saucepan on the stove). Mix in dillweed, salt, and pepper with your butter, then set it aside.
2. Make an 18 inch square with heavy foil. This works best if you do a double layer of foil. Lightly coat the center of the foil with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
3. Place the veggies in the center of the foil. Drizzle the butter mixture over the vegetables. Top with the crumbled bacon.
4. Fold up the foil to completely seal in your vegetables. Don’t wrap the vegetables tightly – you want to leave a little space for steam to build up inside the foil.
5. Grill over a medium heat for about 30 minutes.
(**Recipe credit: All these recipes are from my favorite grilling cookbook – Better Homes and Gardens’ “The New Grilling Book.” Since it’s not so new anymore and is out of print, I’m sharing so you can enjoy, too!)
Now you’re all set to get your grill on and surprise your family with some delicious new recipes!
Got any favorite summer grill recipes of your own to share? Add them in the comments!
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