Treat Dad to a BBQ This Father’s Day

We often think of treating Mom with brunch on Mother’s Day, but what about Dad? Give him a meal to die for this Father’s Day. Treat him to some home cooked barbecue that he doesn’t have to cook, just sit back and enjoy. Here are a some no-fail barbecue recipes that even a barbecue beginner can succeed with.

 
Grilled Veggies

While meat is the main event, providing some vegetable side dishes helps to fill out your plate and provide balance to the meal. Grilling veggies is easy. Prepare them by washing, trimming, coating with olive oil, and sprinkling with salt and pepper. Some great vegetables to throw directly on the grill are asparagus, zucchini, and peppers. You can also prepare foil packets of veggies to be cooked on the grill – these are great for cooking potatoes and other slower cooking veggies. Just wash, chop, add some olive oil, fold it all into a foil packet, and pop it on the grill.

Grilled Pizza

Grilled pizza is gaining in popularity, and with good reason. What do you love the most about pizza from your local joint? The crust, right? The key to a great crust is a really hot oven, and most home ovens simply will not get hot enough to make a good crust. But… your barbecue can. So, try preparing a homemade pizza on the grill. According to this method, the secret to success is in grilling the crust first, then topping it and popping it back in the oven for a little while.
 
Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Barbecue is all about smoky, salty and sweet, usually achieved by marinating your meats with your favorite barbecue sauce. For your special Father’s Day barbecue, try a different taste with teriyaki sauce. It is sweet, tangy, and salty, the perfect complement to chicken. Just trim your wings and pop them into a zip top bag. Add enough teriyaki sauce to cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. When you’re ready to grill, oil your grill and lay out the wings. Cook them to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and you’re ready to eat.
 
Grilled Salmon

For something special, treat Dad to some grilled salmon. Juicy, flaky, and delicious, salmon hot off the grill can’t be beaten. The two rules of thumb with grilling salmon are 1) buy salmon with the skin on if you want to put it directly on the grill and 2) salmon goes well with citrus. Go for something simple by seasoning your salmon with some salt and lemon slices, or get fancy with a citrus glaze. You can also prepare foil packets of salmon without skin, dressed with salt and lemon juice. Eat it right off the grill for maximum flavor.

Grilled Fruit

When you’re ready for something sweet, try grilling some fruit. Fruit with lots of sugar benefits the most from grilling because the sugars in the fruit caramelize. To prepare, cut fruit into slices big enough that they won’t fall through your grill grates, or cut into chunks in order to prepare fruit kebabs, and toss the fruit with a little olive oil to prevent sticking, then pop on the grill. Keep an eye on your fruit, as it doesn’t take long to cook – around 5-7 minutes. Try stone fruit like peaches and nectarines, tropical fruit like pineapple and mango, and melon like watermelon and cantaloupe.

Cookies

For another dessert option, bake Dad’s favorite cookies on the grill. Make your own favorite recipe or try Just Cookie Dough (to learn more about Hampton Creek, the maker of Just Cookie Dough, follow the link.) The most reliable grilled cookie recipe comes from Mrs. Fields. Light one burner on the side of your gas grill. Turn a pie plate upside down on the opposite end of the grill, and adjust the heat to maintain 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Drop your cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, place on top of the pie tin, and “bake” for about 20 minutes.

So, treat Dad to some delicious barbecue this Father’s Day. From vegetable sides to meat main dishes and all the way into dessert, you can cook the perfect meal right on your grill. Hand Dad his beverage of choice, and be ready to handle all the grilling and cleanup yourself so all he has to do is eat and relax. It truly is the perfect gift.

This was a sponsored post by Hampton Creek. All views are my own.