Image credit: Grill Tongs by Steven Depolo, on Flickr. CC BY 2.0.

I don’t about your dad’s claims, but MY dad is King of the Grill. However, his repertoire is pretty limited as to what he is willing to cook (chicken and beef, with an occasional pork rib), and how he is willing to cook it (well done only thankyouverymuch).

This Father’s Day, I thought it might be nice to expose dad to some new “thrill of the grill” items that might inspire him to expand his horizons. So, I turned to the internet and found some outdoor grilling recipes for salads, main dishes and dessert!

Grilled Salad Recipes

• Grilled Romaine Lettuce Salad – I have never thought to grill lettuce. I’m not sure I’m sold on this one, but there is bacon and blue cheese involved so that might help convince me.
• Grilled Potato Salad – I’ll bet the smoky char on the potatoes would add a nice flavor to this potato salad. This recipe also contains bacon, making dads everywhere very happy.
• Grilled Avocado with Cherry Tomatoes – While I suppose this isn’t technically a salad, it’s is a nice meal starter. And me-oh, my-oh, grilled avocados sound wonderful.

Grilled Main Dish Recipes

• Grilled Pasta Packets – I would have never thought of this, but it looks pretty tasty (goat cheese makes everything tasty) and would be a easy-pack (and low prep) meal to take to a camp out to have an alternative to weenies and beans.
• Crispy Buffalo Style Quinoa Sliders – Looking for a meatless option that has a kick? These sliders look flavorful and easy to throw together.
• Buttermilk Pork Chops with Corn Relish – Applesauce optional.

Grilled Dessert Recipes

• Fire-Roasted Berry Crostini with Honey Creme Fraiche – When berry season and outdoor grilling season collide, wonderful things happen.
• Grilled Fruit Skewers with Spicy Maple Cumin Glaze – I love pairing something sweet with a little bit of spiciness. Of course, I also like to put hot sauce in oatmeal, so I may have a problem.
• Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Vanilla Whipped Cream – These grilled peaches would also be good with vanilla bean ice cream if you aren’t in the mood to make whipped cream from scratch.

Do you like outdoor grilling? What have you tried?