How to keep your grilling game strong and unique!

Labor Day might have come and gone already (seriously, where does time go!?), but thankfully there’s still plenty of time to fire up the grill. Now, don't get me wrong, I like a good grilled steak and veggies, but with endless grilling possibilities, be sure to mix things up (don’t be a victim to the dreaded “cooking rut” - more on that topic next week)!

Here are 7 of my favorite not-your-ordinary-BBQ recipes:

Korean Barbeque Short Ribs: These are nothing “short” of amazing; they were a hit at my son’s birthday. The flavor is a balance between sweet and savory, somewhat similar to teriyaki, but I’d venture to say waaay better. Get my easy recipe here. 

Sliders: If you love burgers and anything mini (like me), you are destined to love sliders. I evolved my mom’s meatloaf recipe, giving the meat an extra punch of flavor. Go ahead, be extra cheesey and use my tips and tricks to making this family recipe extra special. 

Mexican Corn: Some call it “elote,” I call it delicious! Spread a thin layer of mayo or butter around your grilled corn on the cob. Next, roll the corn in cojita or parmesan cheese, then sprinkle with cayenne or chile powder. Lastly, don’t forget to squeeze lime all over. Good to the last kernal! 

Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken: Here’s a way to upgrade your chicken, from one of my favorite blogs. It’s a total “winner, winner, chicken dinner!” The yogurt makes it creamy and tender, but the spices and lime make it nice and zesty. Difficulty ranking: Easy! Get the recipe here. 

Jamaican Jerk Chicken: Global Grub's authentic Jamaican marinade is sweet, savory and spicy all at once. I love using the marinade on both chicken and shrimp. Don’t take it from me, this Jerk recipe has been recognized by Food and Wine and awarded by the Specialty Food Association!

Leftover tacos: When all is said and done, I like to take leftover food and repurpose them into just about any kind of street taco. In my latest rendition pictured, I used some Jerk chicken over coconut rice, Jerk fish over avocado/mango salsa and fried chicken over cole slaw.

Don't forget dessert: Isn't it a shame when your charcoal grill is still hot and steamy but there's no more food to grill? Here's a sweet solution: break out some marshmallows and sticks for some good ol' fashion smores. 

A little tangent: We love to get our grill on… so much, that we have two grills. We have a Charcoal grill that we like to use for an added smokey flavor, when time permits. But we probably use our Gas grill a little more often cuz it’s faster and a bit easier to use (and while my hubs thinks we need a new one, I actually find the "wear and tear" to be quirky and charming, in a wow-we’ve-grilled-thousands-of-things-on-this kind of way).

So, how about you, charcoal or gas?