Even though summer is starting to wind down, August is still peak grilling time. With a little planning, you can create a complete dinner, from appetizers to dessert, on the grill. No heating up the house, washing tons of pots and pans, or elaborate preparations. Just a simple meal full of delicious, nutritious summertime foods to please every palate.
We’ve put together a menu with some recipes that are especially adaptable to cooking on the grill, and we’ve turned it into a logical series of steps that you can use to feed a family of four or even scale up for inviting friends for a late summer dinner on the patio.
The Menu
Chile Bacon Straws
These add some panache to your pre-dinner Bloody Marys or micheladas. While the recipe calls for baking these in the oven, you can also do them on the grill for a little extra dose of smokiness.
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Crostini
This is another dish that lends itself to cooking on the grill. The combination of sweet and spicy in the marinade is nicely complemented by the extra smoky flavor, and by serving it as an appetizer, it will tease everyone’s tastebuds and get them ready for the main course.
Rosemary Balsamic Grilled Pork Chops
These chops are a simple and delicious main course made fragrant and juicy by marinating in a bath of rosemary, garlic and balsamic vinegar before a quick sear on the grill.
Grilled Fingerling Potato Salad with Asparagus and Kielbasa
This side accompanies the pork chops. It’s a unique twist on potato salad with an herb-spiked honey mustard vinaigrette.
Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream
This is so simple it doesn’t even need a recipe. Just cut the peaches in half and remove the pits, brush with a neutral oil, and then cook on the grill for a few minutes after everything else is finished. Serve with ice cream and sprinkle with crushed ginger snaps (or even bacon).
The Steps:
- Review all the recipes to make sure you have the ingredients and understand the processes.
- Marinate the pork chops for at least one hour or up to eight. You can do this in the morning, or wait until you’re ready to start cooking, since other dishes will go on the grill first.
- Heat the grill to medium high heat (about 375-400 degrees).
- While the grill is heating, make the bacon straws. Follow the recipe and when the grill is hot, place the sheet pan on the grill over indirect heat with the lid closed until the bacon is crispy, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- While the bacon straws are cooking, begin the appetizer. Follow the instructions in the recipe, but instead of baking them in the oven, place them directly on the grill, turning occasionally. Close the lid to prevent flare-ups. Toast the bread after the shrimp is cooked.
- While the shrimp is on the grill, mix the Bloody Marys and begin prepping the potato salad through Step 2 in the recipe.
- Remove the shrimp from the grill, then toast the bread and assemble the appetizers. Remove the skewers from the cooled bacon straws and add the straws to each Bloody Mary. Serve immediately with the crostini.
- Grill the potatoes, asparagus and kielbasa according to the recipe directions. Remove from the grill and assemble the salad. Set aside.
- Grill the pork chops according to the recipe. While they’re on the grill, get the peaches ready.
- Once the chops come off the grill and are resting, grill the fruit until soft, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, sprinkle lightly with cinnamon, and set aside. Shut down the grill.
- Serve the pork chops and potato salad.
- For dessert, place two fruit halves in each bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle with crushed ginger snaps, or even cooked crushed bacon.
How long does it take?
The active grilling time is about an hour and a half, and because you’re prepping while the grill is going, the actual kitchen time isn’t much longer, not counting the marinating time for the pork chops. Enlist the family’s help to make it go even faster. One person can be the grill master, and another can be doing the prep and serving the drinks and appetizers. And then, of course, there’s the clean-up help at the end, but the task is much easier since there aren’t any baking dishes to wash.
The Coleman Way
The Coleman Way, since 1875, is our commitment to quality, taking pride in humanely raising animals on family farms in the U.S.A. with no antibiotics ever, no growth hormones, and 100% vegetarian fed. The result is premium, great-tasting, all-natural meats in a variety of cuts and flavors that can be easily prepared and that you can feel good about serving to family and friends.
