September is possibly the most perfect month to grill! Late summer/early fall evenings make us appreciate the days getting shorter, watching sunsets on your back patio or yard are more beautiful and it’s WAY cooler outside to be standing over your grill flames! We thought we share a few tips and ideas for your grill on these late summer/early fall evenings.
Fall Grilling Tips
- Keep the grill lid on to maintain a good steady temperature on cool fall nights.
- Keep your wood supply covered and dry. Cool nights mean the air is damp and days may not be warm enough to dry out your wood supply for that evening’s dinner!
- Get creative! You can cook just about anything on the grill. Cast Iron Skillets are great but you can use foil as well as most oven proof dishes if cooking on indirect heat (not over flame).
- Make extra so you can take leftovers in your lunch.
- Make it a family event!! Gathering on the back deck or yard on a fall evening to cook a relaxed dinner with the family all chatting about their day is priceless!
- Use these recipes below, you’ll love them!
Get Your Skillet On!
Cast Iron was made for the open flame and taking it out of the kitchen and onto the grill will open up a whole new world of delicious fun for your evening. Cast iron works on the grill just like it does on your kitchen’s stovetop: Place it directly on your grill’s grates and let it get ripping hot. Pour a tablespoon or two of a neutral oil into the skillet and wait until it starts smoking. It’s a perfect method for quick searing of your meats, like burgers or even fajita meats and veggies. Fish cooks up beautifully in a cast-iron skillet, especially on a grill. And even casseroles or supreme hashbrown fry ups like this picture from Food & Wine – its just frozen hashbrowns, chopped onion and green pepper and some ham or polish sausage chopped up and cooked in the skillet over the fire, simple and delish!
You literally can cook anything and everything in your cast iron over the grill! Check out the recipe we posted for Smokey Skillet Grilled Meatballs that you will love.
Grilled Dessert – Fall Skillet Fruit
Cooler temps tend to make us crave warm sweet desserts and the grill is an easy way to whip up a fall fruit dessert. You can quick sear some smokey grill marks on your fruits like apples, plums & pears then toss into a hot cast iron skillet on your grill with some butter and brown sugar, a hefty pinch of Apple Pie Spice or Pumpkin Pie Spice and maybe even some pecans, walnuts, raisins or oats. Then keep stirring until all are coated and sugar is dissolved and a nice caramelization is achieved. Top with whip cream or Ice Cream and a sprinkle of our delish Pumpkin Dust.
Delish pic from OverTheFireCooking.com
Pizza Night
Weeknight dinners need to be easy and can all be fun and Pizza Night on the grill is sure family pleaser! You can toast your crusts up slightly before everyone gets out to the table and then when ready just select ingredients, top the crusts, and place on the grill to the side of the heat, close lid and wait just a few minutes. In a hot, hot grill they only take a few minutes and they’re worlds easier to remove from the heat (unlike an oven). You can even roast up your toppings first! Check out our Pizza Stone Tips Page for more ideas!
Grilled Pumpkin !?
Try fall grilling a pumpkin for your next fall dessert!
This idea also works great for fall squash varieties, and onion cooked with it is a delicious easy flavor add.
For Slices: clean the outer shell well and then slice in half to clean out, then cut into 1/2 slices. Toss with a little oil, sprinkle on some seasoning (for savory try a little curry powder, cumin and salt. For sweet try some pumpkin pie seasoning) . Grill over a steady heat flipping on occasion until desired tenderness.
Or Try A Whole Pumpkin: Just clean off the outside of a sugar (pie) pumpkin and poke some holes in the shell to allow for ventilation. And place the pumpkin in a 8×8-inch glass dish and cook on a grill at 350-375 degrees for 45-60 minutes, or until tender. Next, when it’s cool enough to handle, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Finally, use the cooked pumpkin for pie, or toss with some cinnamon and sugar and eat with ice cream.