8 Foods You Didn't Know You Could Grill

It's pretty much already summer here where I live in L.A., if the population of insects and my dwindling supply of clean tank tops are any indication, and that means turning on the oven is more or less over for the season. But rather than spend the entire summer eating burritos from the taco truck around the corner, sometimes I like to get my grill on, even for recipes not conventionally cooked on a grill. These awesome recipes you didn't know you could grill will change the way you look at outdoor cooking. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all eligible for cooking over an outdoor flame.

Humans have been cooking outside with fire for almost two million years, so you can imagine that, as a species, we've probably at least attempted to grill just about any arguably edible substance a few times. We've simplified things quite a bit since the early days, what with the invention of quick-light charcoal, gas grills, and electric smokers, but the sentiment remains the same. The grillmaster can turn one knob, and with a little help from gravity, cook a lean meal with all the smokey, primal flavor of fire itself. So, why are we limiting ourselves to burgers and hot dogs?

Let's take a look at some unconventional recipes made on the grill that will revamp your summer meal rotation. The game has changed, y'all.

1. Grilled Guacamole

Pop your avocados on the grill to get a nice char on the outside before smashing them with your favorite guacamole add-ins. According to The Kitchn, the heat helps create a silky smooth guac with that smokey grill flavor.

2. Grilled Cheese On The Grill

Why don't more people do this? This makes so much sense. Grill your grilled cheese on a grill! It's right there in the name. And the grill will give you a crispy, toasty crust rather than a greasy, soggy one. Head over to The Kitchn for more convincing as to why grilled grilled cheese should become a thing immediately.

3. Grilled Cocktails

Get a load of the grill marks on these grilled peach and basil bourbon Arnold Palmers from Half Baked Harvest. The sweet, smokey flavor of the grilled peaches must pair perfectly with the spicy shot of bourbon. Hello, summertime.

4. Grilled Salad

Charred corn, blistered bell peppers, and sliced and grilled zucchini all fill this antioxidant rich salad with warmth and flavor. One bite of this firey salad will have you feeling like the Unburnt Mother of Dragons. Get the recipe at Oh She Glows.

5. Grilled French Toast

Yup. This is pretty much the best thing that ever happened to breakfast. Choose your favorite toppings, or go with the brown sugar and peach combination from Half Baked Harvest. Don't forget to give your grill grates a good brushing before throwing your breakfast on the fire.

6. Grilled Watermelon

Grilling watermelon is basically summertime squared. The sugars in the fruit will caramelize your melon into a warm, delightfully smokey dessert. The Kitchn has more tips for the perfectly grilled slice.

7. Grilled Crab Quesadillas

So, this recipe is sort of a two-for-one. Most people make quesadillas at home on a flat top or in a frying pan on the stove, but I've taken a liking to grilling them outside, which gives your tortillas an extra crunch, prevents a soggy quesadilla, and solves the whole setting off the smoke detector problem. But also, grilled crab in a quesadilla sounds amazing. Find out how to make this a reality this weekend at A Farmgirl's Dabbles.

8. Grilled Thin Crust Pizza

So, a while back, I got pretty obsessed with the idea of grilling pizza, but I was never able to get the crust thick or thin enough to cook all the way through without burning or ripping. This recipe solves both of those problems by throwing a pizza stone into the mix. It seems pretty obvious, but props to Tori Avey for solving this pizza mystery.

Images: The Kitchn (3); Half Baked Harvest (2); Oh She Glows; A Farmgirl's Dabbles; Tori Avey