Grilled Avocados Pack a Nutritional Punch
Who would think to toss a creamy avocado onto a blazing grill? Yet grilled avocado halves served with our punchy marinade are surprisingly meaty – and wonderfully tender and rich. When you place those green beauties directly onto the grates, something magical happens that transforms their texture completely. The heat caramelizes the natural sugars while maintaining that signature buttery consistency inside.
The best part is you don’t need to overthink the preparation process. All you need to do is cut the avocado in half, take out the pit, and coat it in olive oil. After that quick prep is done, place the avocado flat side down on the grill for 5 to 7 minutes and top it with your favourite seasoning and additions. Some folks prefer crosshatching the flesh first for better flavor penetration, but honestly, keeping it simple works just as well.
Pound Cake Gets a Smoky Makeover
Pound cake on the grill might sound bizarre, but this is Kent Whitaker’s signature dessert. To cut down on prep, he advises cooks to use ready-made pound cake, and to cut down on calories or fat, he says to try using low-fat or sugar-free items as well as cutting out the butter and brown sugar. The grill transforms ordinary store-bought pound cake into something resembling a fancy restaurant dessert with those beautiful char marks and smoky undertones.
When you grill pound cake, the exterior develops a delightful crust while the interior remains soft and warm. George Duran fires it up with his twist on the classic banana split by slipping sliced bananas, pound cake, and pineapple onto skewers and throwing them on the grill. Make sure to soak the wooden skewers for about half an hour before using. The combination creates layers of flavor that regular baking simply can’t achieve.
Romaine Lettuce Becomes a Grilling Superstar
Grilling romaine lettuce might be the most shocking entry on this list, but it’s becoming incredibly popular among health-conscious grill enthusiasts. Romaine lettuce is probably best known for its use in Caesar salad, but is also delicious halved, brushed with olive oil, and grilled. The sturdy leaves hold up beautifully to high heat, developing gorgeous char marks while retaining their nutritional value.
What makes grilled romaine so special is how the heat intensifies its natural flavors without destroying the crisp texture. Cut a romaine head in half, brush with olive oil and steak seasoning and place cut-side down on grill. Cook for approximately 5 minutes until lettuce is wilted and slightly charred. Serve with fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese. The result is surprisingly meaty and satisfying, making it perfect as a vegetarian main dish or an impressive side that’ll have your guests talking.
Watermelon Pizza Defies All Logic
Watermelon pizza sounds like something a confused chef invented during a fever dream, but it’s actually becoming quite the trend. I’ve created two types of watermelon pizzas for you to bring to your next pizza party! The first pizza to kick off this party is a savory grilled watermelon pizza. Its kissed with high heat, then loaded with arugula, feta, prosciutto and Heinen’s balsamic glaze. The grilling process concentrates the watermelon’s sweetness while adding that distinctive smoky flavor.
The technique is surprisingly straightforward once you get the hang of it. Simply slice a watermelon into rounds, grill for a few minutes, and top with your favorite toppings such as feta cheese, basil, and balsamic glaze. It’s a healthy and flavorful appetizer or dessert that’s perfect for summer gatherings. Think of it as nature’s pizza crust – sweet, juicy, and completely unexpected, but absolutely delicious when executed properly.
Bananas Transform Into Caramelized Heaven
Something pretty magical happens when a banana is cooked. Because of their high sugar content, bananas caramelize gorgeously, making for an almost molasses-y flavor. So when you add the deliciously smoky kiss from a grill, bananas become almost other-worldly in their exquisite flavor. The natural sugars create an incredible depth that regular baked bananas simply can’t match.
The grilling technique requires a bit of finesse to get right. Split a banana lengthwise but don’t remove it from the peel. Place it on your grill open side down for 2 minutes. Flip it over and then stuff the pocket with your favorite toppings – chocolate chips, cinnamon, marshmallows, brown sugar, nuts, or just about anything else you like. Grill for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and top with a scoop of ice cream and some sprinkles and a cherry and you will have an amazing finish to your cookout. It’s like a banana boat dessert but with that incredible smoky flavor that only grilling can provide.
Ice Cream Gets the Impossible Treatment
Grilling ice cream sounds like a physics experiment gone wrong, but creative cooks have found ways to make it work. Some food fairs have featured novelty ice cream flavors like cheeseburger ice cream, while the Canadian National Exhibition will have wacky food offerings ranging from deep-fried watermelon to butter ice cream. These aren’t traditional grilling methods, but rather innovative ways to incorporate smoky flavors into frozen treats.
The secret lies in indirect heat and creative presentation techniques. Some chefs grill the mix-ins separately before incorporating them into the ice cream base, while others use grilled fruit sauces as toppings. It’s more about bringing that distinctive grilled flavor profile to dessert rather than actually placing ice cream directly on hot grates. The results are surprisingly sophisticated and offer a completely new way to end a barbecue meal.
Pizza Dough Loves the Grill More Than the Oven
Grilled pizza has been gaining serious momentum among home cooks who want authentic wood-fired flavors without the expensive equipment. You can create great-tasting pizza straight from the BBQ. With this cooking method, you’ll still get a wonderful smokey flavour, similar to that of a wood-fired oven, but with half the cost and hassle! The direct heat creates those coveted charred spots while the smoky environment adds incredible depth to the crust.
The recipe is nice and easy and involves the same process as if you were going to throw it in the oven. The only thing you need to remember is to brush olive oil over the dough to stop it from sticking to the grill. Once you master the technique of managing the heat and timing, you’ll never want to make pizza in a regular oven again. The texture and flavor are just incomparable.
Cabbage Becomes Unexpectedly Delicious
Cabbage wedges on the grill might not sound glamorous, but they’re absolutely phenomenal when done right. Wrap each wedge individually in heavy-duty foil before placing it on medium heat for about 20 minutes. To give the cabbage a nice charred finish and flavour, sear each wedge directly onto the grill for a minute or two before serving. You can then top this with a rich sauce for extra flavour. The combination of steaming and direct grilling creates layers of texture that regular roasted cabbage can’t achieve.
What’s amazing is how the heat transforms cabbage’s naturally bitter edge into something sweet and complex. The outer leaves become slightly crispy while the inner layers remain tender and juicy. It’s like getting multiple vegetables in one dish, and when you add creative sauces like harissa or yogurt-based dressings, it becomes a legitimate showstopper that’ll have meat-eaters questioning their assumptions about vegetables.
Fruit Gets the Savory Treatment
You can grill slices of watermelon and pineapple, peaches and nectarine halves as well as grapes and lemon and lime halves. After you grill these fruits either as slices, halves or on a skewer, squeeze the grilled lemon and lime over the top and be amazed at the flavor! The caramelization process intensifies natural sugars while adding that distinctive smoky character that transforms familiar fruits into something completely new.
The key is understanding which fruits work best and how to prepare them properly. Stone fruits like peaches and nectarines develop incredible depth, while citrus fruits become more complex and less acidic. Even grapes transform into concentrated flavor bombs when kissed by flame. While the combination of sweet and salty isn’t anything new, there’s a wide range of fruits that you can choose from to create exciting flavour combinations. Rich Pearse, chef at Uncle Hon’s BBQ and advisor to Tom Hixson says: “Fruit glazes work great with pork but working at Uncle Hon’s BBQ in Hackney I have a newfound love for a Peach Tea glaze on Pork Belly.
Sandwiches Skip the Panini Press
There’s no need for an expensive panini press to get a deliciously crisp, toasted sandwich. Place your sandwich (making sure to butter the outsides) on a grill set to medium, cover, and cook until the bread is toasted and your ingredients are melty and beautiful. Depending on your sandwich, this should take between 3 and 6 minutes. The grill marks add visual appeal while the smoky flavor elevates even simple combinations.
The beauty of grilled sandwiches lies in their versatility and the depth of flavor you can achieve. The direct heat creates perfect texture contrasts – crispy exteriors with warm, melted interiors. Plus, you can prepare multiple sandwiches simultaneously, making it perfect for feeding a crowd. Whether you’re doing classic grilled cheese or more elaborate creations, the grill adds that special something that regular pan cooking just can’t match.
