Get Out the Grill!

We grilled for the first time Saturday. {And by we, I mean Dave. I don't even know how to turn it on}

It was glorious!

We pretty much grill twice a week -- usually more -- all summer so I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. There's nothing quite like a burger or brat, but in case you want to add a little variety to your grill menu this summer, I thought I'd share our top five favorite recipes {in no particular order}

1. Cornell Chicken

This is an America's Test Kitchen twist on an old chicken recipe, and it is SERIOUSLY delicious. Lily, our resident picky eater, absolutely gobbles this up. In fact, it turned her into a chicken eater. It's relatively simple, which is a major bonus in my book!

2. Best Grilled Porkchops

This recipe is so simple and AH-MAZING. Nuff said.

3. Copycat Chili's Fajitas

I don't remember for sure when I first had fajitas ala Chili's, but they are ALWAYS a favorite. I was so happy to find this recipe a few years ago. We've made it multiple times with steak or chicken and it's always fantastic. It's best served with fresh, homemade guacamole. And this year, I want to try my hand at making my own homemade tortillas!

4. Shish Kabobs

These. are. ah. mazing.

The first time we made them was our second summer after we got married. Neither one of us was a huge fan of peppers and onions {at the time...now we can't get enough of them} and I remember being super skeptical that we would like them. We made them on our gas grill on the tiny deck off our tiny apartment. I could not BELIEVE how much I loved them. Something about the spiciness of the onion and the slighty bitter taste of the pepper plus the sweet pineapple and caramelized onion...seriously, wiping the drool of my face right now.

5. Grilled Vegetables

We LOVE vegetables on the grill. This grilled asparagus recipe is super simple and one of our favorites.

We also love grilled zucchini and yellow squash -- no official recipe, but we just like to toss it with a little olive oil, some sea salt and black pepper. Sometimes we throw in red onions and sweet peppers too. I would not be exaggerating if I said we ate this at least once a week.

This summer I want to try this recipe for Marinated Grilled Zucchini and Yellow Squash. Just a little twist on an old favorite.

So there you have it! Five fantastic recipes for the grill. I didn't even include our favorite steak marinade since I've shared that one before but it also finds itself in the regular rotation at our house {at least as often as we can afford to buy steak ;) }. And of course, if you want a slightly less healthy side you can always go with Twice Baked Potato Casserole.

Here's to warmer weather and firing up the grill!