UPDATE: This post is written by Kelsey Butler from Calhoun County Insight.  Learn more at: https://calhouncountyinsight.com/

I look at the beginning of grilling season as the Thanksgiving of spring. When the weather warms up, the grill comes out, and family and friends seem to automatically gather together.  Throw in some delicious eats and you’ve got an old fashioned hang out any day of the week.  We scoured the many, many pages of Pinterest and compiled our favorite grilling recipes to share with you.  We hope these recipes add a little extra flavor and an extra dash of fun to your summer get togethers.

ELOTES – (Grilled Mexican Street Corn) – a favorite of the staff at Peerless Saloon & Grille in Downtown Anniston

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup (60ml) mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream or Mexican crema
• 1/2 cup (110g) finely crumbled Cotija or feta cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho or guajillo chili powder, plus more for serving
• 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 4 ears shucked corn
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS

1. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over half of coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.
2. While coals heat, combine mayonnaise, sour cream or cream, cheese, chili powder, garlic, and cilantro in a large bowl. Stir until homogeneous and set aside.
3. When grill is hot, place corn directly over hot side of grill and cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and charred in spots on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
4. Transfer corn to bowl with cheese mixture and use a large spoon to evenly coat corn on all sides with mixture. Sprinkle with extra cheese and chili powder and serve immediately with lime wedges.

Caramelized Brown Sugar Cinnamon Grilled Pineapple – Source: therecipecritic.com

INGREDIENTS

• One pineapple cut into spears
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• ½ cup Butter, melted
• 1 t Cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lay the pineapple spears on a pan. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Whisk together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. (If it seems thick, I always put it in the microwave for a few seconds so that it can easily pour on top of the pineapple.) Spread on top of the pineapple.
2. Grill for about 7-10 minutes or until it is starting to turn golden brown. I always like to brush the excess sauce from the pan back on top of the pineapple before serving.

Cowboy Butter – Adapted from The Pioneer Woman – Great for grilled chicken and steak!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup salted butter 2 sticks
• 1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley
• A pinch of red pepper flakes
• A pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• juice and zest of ½ lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Allow the butter to come to room temperature before starting. Beat the butter until creamy, then add in the parsley, red pepper flakes, black pepper, minced garlic, lemon juice and zest. Mix until well combined.
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixture out onto a piece of parchment paper. Using the back of a spatula, spread out the mixture into a log shape. Roll the parchment paper up and twist the ends.
3. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to come together.

Bangin’ Grilled Shrimp Skewers – Source: skinnytaste.com

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp scallions, chopped fine
• 1 1/2 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha (or to taste)

For the Shrimp:

• 40 large (12.8 oz) raw shrimp, shelled and deveined (weight after peeled)
• fresh cracked pepper
• oil spray

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the mayo, scallions, sweet chili sauce and sriracha sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Soak wooden skewers in water at least 20 minutes (or use metal ones to avoid this step).
3. Season shrimp lightly pepper.
4. Place 5 shrimp on 8 skewers.
5. Heat a clean, lightly oiled grill to medium heat, when the grill is hot add the shrimp, careful not to burn the skewers.
6. Grill on both sides for about 6 – 8 minutes total cooking time or until the shrimp is opaque and cooked through.
7. Set shrimp aside on a platter and quickly brush sauce onto the shrimp; serve immediately.

Bacon And Brussels Sprout Skewers – Source: popsugar.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound bacon
• 2 pounds brussels sprouts
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Small wooden skewers

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut each strip of bacon in half lengthwise.
2. In a frying pan on medium heat, cook the bacon until it’s partially cooked but still soft and pliable. (If you overcook the bacon, it will be difficult to weave it onto the skewer.) Remove the bacon from the pan, and set it aside. Remove most of the bacon grease from the pan, leaving just enough to coat it.
3. Cut the brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. Add the sprouts, ghee, garlic powder, and sea salt to the frying pan. Sauté on medium heat until the sprouts are tender and browned.
4. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
5. Assemble the skewers by threading 1 end of the bacon onto the end of a skewer. Add a brussels sprout slice, and weave the bacon around the sprout and back through the skewer, creating a wave pattern between the sprouts. Move the bacon and the sprout down the skewer, and repeat this process 2-3 more times for each skewer.
6. Bake the skewers in a baking pan for 5-10 minutes, or until the bacon is fully cooked.

Grilled Pizza – Source: tastesbetterfromscratch.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 batch Perfect Homemade Pizza dough
• Olive oil
• Pizza toppings

DIRECTIONS

1. Make sure grill is well cleaned and oiled, to prevent the crust from sticking. Preheat it to medium heat. After pizza dough has risen, punch down dough and divide into about 6-8 small pieces (depending on how big you want your pizza). Stretch or roll dough into desired size.
2. Brush tops of each pizza with olive oil, then use an extra large spatula to place pizzas on the grill, oiled side down. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.

Remove pizzas to a plate. Flip so the cooked side is facing up. Layer on sauce on pizza toppings and transfer back on the grill, for the bottom side to cook. Lower heat a little and cook for a few minutes more, until cheese is melted and the bottom of the pizza is golden brown. Remove to a plate and serve warm.

Potatoes Au Gratin Packets – Source: macheesmo.com

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pounds new potatoes, sliced thin or cubed
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 oz. Fontina or Gruyere

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine cream, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a small pot and heat over low heat until it’s steaming. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Then pulse mixture in a food processor or just mash it together to mash up shallot and garlic.
2. Wash potatoes well and either A) slice potatoes thin with a mandolin or just cube into 1/2-inch cubes. Divide potatoes between four foil packets. Double wrap the foil on the bottom to make sure it doesn’t tear.
3. Once potatoes are in foil packets, pour cream mixture over the potatoes. Divide it evenly. Cover packets with more foil and seal tightly.
4. Cover grill and grill the packets over low indirect heat (if you’re using a gas grill turn off all the burners except one and cook the foil packets off the burner). Grill for 20 minutes, rotate packets (but never flip), and grill for another 20-25 minutes. Test the potatoes to make sure they are tender.
5. Open the packets by removing the top piece of foil from the packets. Add grated cheese to the potatoes. Cover grill and grill for another 10 minutes until cheese is very melted. Serve potatoes while hot!

Honey Mustard Grilled Pork Chops – Source: closetcooking.com

INGREDIENTS

• 4 (6 ounce) pork chops
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari or omit for gluten-free)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Marinate the pork chops in the mixture of the remaining ingredients for 30 minutes to overnight.
2. Grill over medium-high heat until lightly golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas – Source: jocooks.com

Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas with fresh mozzarella cheese and pesto – using fresh ingredients found at your local market, these quesadillas are perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large ancient grain tortillas
• 2 large zucchini sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 2 large squash I used a cousa squash, but yellow zucchini is fine too, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 4 large portobello mushrooms sliced
• 4 red bell peppers or sweet pointed red peppers
• 1 large red onion sliced
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
• 8 tbsp pesto store bought
• 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Turn your grill on and let it heat up to about 300 to 350 F degrees.
2. Season the zucchini, squash and mushrooms with salt and pepper.
3. Grill the vegetables, including the peppers on both sides until grill marks form. Remove from grill and set aside. Make sure you grill the peppers until they’re charred.
4. Let the peppers cool then careful remove the skin and seeds from the peppers then wash them out.
5. Take a large tortilla and spread 2 tbsp of pesto over the top of the tortilla. Arrange grilled vegetables on half of the tortillas, some zucchini, squash, red onion, mushrooms and peppers. Top with about 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, use less if preferred. Flip over the other half of the tortilla to form half a circle and press down. You can use a panini press to grill the quesadilla or use a skillet. If you’re using a skillet, spray the bottom of the skillet with cooking spray. Place the quesadilla and grill it on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
6. Repeat with remaining tortillas and grilled vegetables.
7. Cut each quesadilla in 4 and serve.

BBQ Bacon Meatballs – Source: beef.littlethings.com

INGREDIENTS

• 2 yellow onions
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/4 cup onions, diced
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. spicy ketchup
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 pack of bacon
• 1 bottle of BBQ sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 425 °F
2. Cut off the tops and bottoms of the onions and remove the exterior skin. Cut the onion in half and peel the layers apart, keeping the biggest layers to stuff with meat.
3. Setting the onion layers aside, mix the ground beef, diced onion, parsley, mushroom, brown sugar, condiments, and bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl by hand.
4. Place a handful of the meatloaf mixture inside two of the onion layer pieces.
5. Wrap the onion meatballs in bacon, using three slices per ball. Secure the bacon with toothpicks to keep it from unraveling during cooking.
6. Bake in a dish at 425 °F for 40 minutes.
7. Cover the balls in BBQ sauce and bake for an additional 5 minutes. ✽

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