Oftentimes, it’s the simple recipes that taste the best. These grilled potatoes with onion and garlic are proof of that. You can throw this together for two people, six people or even twenty people in no time. It’s the perfect side dish for anything grilled, from burgers to hot dogs to chicken, you name it. No need to mess with this recipe, just make it and enjoy.
Simply Fantastic
These grilled potatoes with onion and garlic remind me of the days when I would go camping. I’d be lakeside, somewhere, trying to catch fish, and often without any luck. I didn’t worry, though, because I always had some hot dogs or burgers in the cooler, waiting for a hot grill. Back then it was park grill, today it’d be my portable Weber. I’d pre-make packets of these potatoes and toss them on too. In no time, I was enjoying a great meal in the great outdoors. You can’t beat that. It didn’t matter whether I caught any fish or not.
My wife proclaimed these sous vide then grilled shrimp with spicy lime butter to be the best shrimp I’ve ever made. I was shocked. No, not because these aren’t fantastic shrimp. They are fantastic shrimp. No, I was shocked because I have made literally 100s of shrimp variations. Almost all were great. So it’s saying something when these rocketed to the top of her list. And I have to agree. The perfect combination of citrus and garlic and a touch of heat, these truly are great shrimp! And easy to make to boot!
Grilling Is Preferred, But Not Required
You don’t have to have a grill to finish off these sous vide spicy lime butter shrimp. Just get a skillet (cast iron works best) nice and hot and toss the shrimp in. Cook for 30 seconds per side and remove immediately. No, you won’t get that wonderful grill flavor, but you’ll get that nice little crust on the shrimp, and that’s still great stuff!
I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!
A grill basket makes grilling these shrimp much easier. And clean-up is much easier, too! I use a heavy-duty basket that has lasted me for years. I have a big one for jobs like this, and a smaller version for when it’s just the two of us.
For years and years I’ve seen TV chefs and restaurant cooks making spaghetti sauce from scratch. And yet for some reason, I never did it… until now. This fantastic homemade spaghetti sauce blew me away. Not only is it easy to make (with ingredients I almost always have in my pantry and fridge) it tastes absolutely amazing. I’ll never have any other pasta sauce again. Ever.
Fantastically Easy And Tasty
You can make this fantastic homemade spaghetti sauce without adding either the meatballs or Italian sausage and it’s still out-of-this-world great. I happen to like them, so I added them. This is a great pantry sauce and one I’ll make again and again, and the meat can be optional.
Make sure you get the best canned whole tomatoes your store has to offer. They won’t be cheap, but trust me, the difference in taste and consistency is worth the few extra bucks.
This fantastic homemade spaghetti sauce blew me away. Not only is it easy to make (with ingredients I almost always have in my pantry and fridge) it tastes absolutely amazing.
They’re not anything fancy. Heck, you might even consider them to be ‘kids’ food. But for some reason I really, really enjoyed these easy French onion burgers. I made mine on the grill, but you can just as easily make them on the stovetop. Think of them as French dip burgers in a way. The patties soak up some of that French onion yumminess. And just in case you want more, there’s a little bowl of more French onion on the side for dippin’. And I did a lot of dippin’, I tell ya!
The Key To These Burgers Is…
The key to these easy French onion burgers is to not overcook the patties before they go into the soup to ‘finish’. Get them close to done, then remove them and let them go for a soupy swim to soak up all that great oniony flavor. The patties will come out juicy, dripping good stuff, ready to devour!
Fire up your grill for direct cooking 400 – 450 F.
Pour the soup into a pan and place on the grill near the direct heat so it begins to warm.
Grill burgers as desired but do not cook completely. When they reach around 140 F remove from the direct heat and transfer to the hot French onion soup.
Continue cooking the burgers in the soup until they reach 165 F.
Remove the patties and place on the bun bottoms.
Top with cheese and bun tops.
Serve with soup on the side for dipping, if desired.
On the stovetop
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the burgers and cook on both sides until medium rare, around 140 F.
Spoon out any fat from the skillet and stir in the soup.
Continue to cook the burgers in the hot soup until they reach 165 F, another 5-10 minutes.
Remove the patties and place on the bun bottoms.
Top with cheese and bun tops.
Serve with soup on the side for dipping, if desired.
Notes
Like like to serve these like French dip sandwiches. Just dip in the soup and get to eatin’!
I love my Kettle Pizza grill attachment. But I am by no means an expert at using it. I have, however, come up with a simple technique for using it that produces great pizza each and every time. Some day I aspire to be a pizza aficionado, baking completely scratch-made pizza after pizza without a single mistake. Until then, I prefer my easier method that still produces absolutely fantastic pizza with a crunchy crust and hot, bubbly, melted cheese.
I Was Dough-Challenged
When I first started making pizzas using the KettlePizza I ran into two obstacles. First, my homemade dough had too much moisture in it and it liked to stick to my pan or stone. A lot. Second, my heat was not even or didn’t last long enough for more than a few pizzas.
There are plenty of great dough recipes out there (Matt Frampton’s for instance) if you want to make your own. I prefer to use store-bought frozen (Tiseo’s brand), for now at least. I’ve never had anything but success with it. I can make a big batch of pizzas at once with no fuss at all. Each and every one comes out as good as the last. The dough is also great for making bread sticks.
Pizza Pans
I’ve tried pizza screens and cooking directly on the pizza stone, with some success but I’ve found the most success using pizza pans. I have 5 pans so I can pre-make several pizzas. I oil the pans very lightly by pouring olive oil onto a paper towel then wiping it around the pan. And I also sprinkle the pan with a light coating of cornmeal, as if I was cooking directly on a stone. I’ve never had a pizza stick with this technique. Well, the dough doesn’t stick. Cheese that melts and runs over the sides will stick to the pan. It’s going to happen, but it’s not the end of the world.
Arranging The Coals
My fire arrangement now is simple: make a horseshoe-shaped pile of unlit coals around the grill, but not underneath the tombstone-shaped stone. I then add lit charcoal on top of that, and then wood chunks. If the temperature drops too far I’ll add more fist-sized wood chunks around the edges and in the basket that comes with the Kettle Pizza. I use long tongs to add the wood so that it doesn’t fall beneath the stone. I press it lightly into the piles of charcoal to make sure it doesn’t roll off.
If you’re serious about making pizza on your 22″ charcoal grill, get the “Serious Eats” kit from Kettle Pizza. You can also make calzones on a Kettle Pizza in no time!
Place the dough in the fridge and let defrost overnight.
Two hours before cook time, remove the dough from the fridge and place on the countertop to come to room temperature.
I prefer to assemble my pizzas while the charcoal is getting hot. You can also make them ahead of time and keep at room temperature until ready to cook.
Place 1/2 chimney of unlit charcoal around the back of your grill in the shape of a horseshoe, with the open part towards the front of the grill.
Light another 1/2 chimney of charcoal. This is when I assemble my pizzas as it can take 20-30 minutes for the charcoal to get hot.
To make the pizza, lightly dust a flat surface with flour. Using your hands, shape the dough as desired. Try to not overwork the dough, and do not use a rolling pin.
Add sauce and toppings as desired.
Lightly oil a pizza pan. Yes, you can make the pizza directly on the stone but I've had more luck with a pan. You can read more about that in the recipe text in my post.
Lightly sprinkle the pan with cornmeal.
Slide the pizza onto the pan.
Once the charcoal is ashed over pour it over the unlit coals. Add 3-4 fist-sized wood chunks around the edges (I use tongs to keep them from falling beneath the stone) and a few good chunks in the charcoal basket. Add the KettlePizza grate and stone. Add the grill cover.
Let the stone get good and hot. Usually I let it go to around 600 F.
Transfer the pan to the grill. Bake for 5 minutes then spin the pan 90 degrees. Keep baking/spinning every minute or so until the pizza is done to your liking.
You can cook 3-4 pizzas without adding more wood or charcoal. If you do add fuel let it burn a while before adding more pizzas.
Let the pizza rest a few minutes before slicing.
Notes
These instructions are for the Kettle Pizza Tombstone-shaped baking stone. The same approach should apply when just using a round stone, but I have not tried it.
I absolutely love Carnival Eats. The show airs on the Cooking Channel with host Noah Cappe, who is absolutely hilarious. I can’t think of a better, funnier person to have travel around from fair to fair, sampling the craziest foods you’ve ever heard of. I always end up laughing at Noah’s antics, and I always end up hungry after seeing the food!
I’ve never missed an episode of Carnival Eats. I like it so much that I decided to make a post of the funniest lines from the show. Some funnies are from Noah, some from guests, and all are hilarious! Enjoy!
Guest’s comments are in quotes, everything else is pure Noah! There are some real gems in here so you gotta read them all!
– Holy crepe this thing sounds good. – Now, if I know you, and I don’t, you’ve got one all ready to go. – It’s a party and we’re both invited. – (eating) I’m taking a moment for me… – (covered in powdered sugar) It looks like we both just fooled around with a snowman. – Have you ever eaten an Indian taco with two people staring at you? – I know we just met, but can I throw out just a thought? … Maybe a bit of a bigger bowl? – I don’t know what heaven smells like… but I imagine it’s at the bottom of that deep fryer. – I want to see how we can get this in my mouth as soon as possible. – Oh wowsers, it’s so hot… you gotta let that baby breathe for a minute. (eating crab) Seven minutes ago this thing was making a run for it. – I feel like I could spit fire right now. – (eating deep fried Margarita) One more of these and I’m going to go into Spring Break mode. – Now to the three sweetest words in television… to the fryer! – Let’s light the torch for the meat Olympics. – I hope you got a flu shot, cuz this thing is sick! – There goes your “I’m going to eat this gracefully on the show” plan. – Did we just become best friends? … “We’re best friends!” … I meant the sandwich… – Where do we begin? “We need to rub our butt” It was only a matter of time… – You’re in the carpool lane to my heart. – (to chef who was on Chopped) You spend your time slumming with these bottom-feeder shows, you’re now ready for Carnival Eats. – That’s a little disc of flavor. – I’m so workshopping it but there’s something there. – This is a special, special moment. – Put some south in your mouth. – Did someone say ‘weenies’? – Your life is about to change in a wonderful way. – This burger is so good, they named a fair after it. – “…about 3 years ago we had a musical festival in town.. there was no corn dogs” I hate this festival already. – “First we have to make the batter.” Batter up! – I’ve got a burning desire for what’s in the fryer! – Have you ever seen a leprechaun? “I haven’t seen a leprechaun.” Well, there goes all my other questions. – Now, of course the state of Pennsylvania is famous for its Philly cheesesteak but we’ve got a meat-on-bun combo that’s giving me nasty thoughts.
– Sounds like an R&B song “Girl, let’s sweat you down”. – How did you get into this business? “I guess I just wanted to be my own boss.” If my boss wasn’t watching I’d say the same thing. – I just want to watch you eat… Is that creepy? – This sandwich is so good, it made donuts bad. – (frying frogs legs) You gotta ease them in, like when you’re walking into a cold pool. – You’re a cop, making donuts… that explains this (holds rolling pin). – “Are you having a flavorgasm?” – Add up my points, book a flight, I’m going on vacation. – Where is the waiter with our wine? – I’ve popped a few bottles in my life. – So you’re saying it’s …. time to get saucy? – I love how you waited to say the hot part after I took a sample. – I like how you went in with a grown-up bite. – It’s thick. “No it’s not thick, it’s perfect” Sorry, I meant to say it’s perfect. – “There’s only two types of people in this world, a tartar boy and a cocktail sauce man” – “It’s like my basic food groups: sugar, sugar and sugar” – We got a big day ahead of us, and by we I mean you, so what’re you doing man, we gotta get going! – (taking bite) My goodness, I love my life. – I’m not saying you’re short, I’m saying that this is enormous! – “It’s got everything you want, you just didn’t realize you wanted it until you have it.” – “This is a smile in a bowl.” – “Everything deep fried is like a million times better.” – I’m all about whatever that’s about. – Make some noise for grandma. – Smellavision.. for the love of god, somebody invent it. – Like any good cowboy, you’ve gotta glove up. – “I thought, you know, I’m going to ‘dough’ for it” I was saving that joke for later but.. uh… – “I’m going to get a little dirty now, you ready?” Uh….. yes….? – I’m trying to come up with the excuse that I can give my parents to explain why I’m not coming over for Thanksgiving this year because I’m probably going to be at your house. – You’re the Elliott from the Home Ec award? “Yes I am, in the flesh”. Holy moly. – I need to sit down because I’m feeling light-headed. There’s just so much banana, so much goodness. – I’m not the one that has to clean it up, we can get as messy as we want. – “I’m not sure what I’m enjoying more here, this poutine or the friendship that you and I are creating.” Now you have to share with me, because that’s what friends do. – Want to taste a piece? “Don’t give me a pity bite.” I don’t want to give it to you, just trying to be nice. “Too late!” – This is getting ridiculous and I love it! – No glove, no love, man. – “Maybe we’ll hire you in the funnel cake stand” I’ve got a job, eating funnel cake. That’s why we’re a brilliant team. – When the boats come out, it’s time to shout! – So you grew up in this business, you know this industry. “No I didn’t, I went to school for interior design.” – Does this officially make me a hillbilly? “Yes.” Guess it’s time to update my business cards. – If only your eyes lit up like that when you talked about me. – The perfect bite is every bite. – That’s salt, pepper, garlic and…. love? “Maybe.” – “You really can’t mess it up.” Oh, I’ll find a way, I’ll find a way! – Oh it’s pretty and it’s gonna be pretty gone in a second.
– (discussing scorpion pizza, where the poisonous tails have been removed) So we’re safe? 100 percent? “Well, 99.” – “There is no right, only tasty.” – You just got soft served. – Oh, I’ve never seen one explode like that. I don’t know if that’s you… “Maybe it’s just excited to see me.” – … and half of a beer” What do you do with the other half? (while drinking it) Well, I usually like to conserve it for something else… but I guess we won’t do that this time.” Oops. – How do you go back to eating a normal burger after this. “I’m actually texting the other burgers to let them know their day is done.” – (pineapple slides off table onto floor) One of the things I forgot about pineapple is that it’s super slippy… – Set your destination for my mouth. Aye, aye Captain! – This may be grape growing country, but there’s nothing to whine about here. – You do what you gotta do and apparently what you need to do “is finish my spaghetti ice cream” … and my sentences. – “How do you deep fry something that is 92% water?” Is it multiple choice and is one of the choices ‘I don’t know’? – Don’t you dare tell me that’s a secret spice. “That’s a secret spice.” I just said don’t you dare tell me that. – And there’s stuff I want to stuff into my mouth hole! – Students please be seated. It’s assembly time. – “It’s like a convenience store in a burger. It’s got everything you want.” – Those marshmallows are.. ‘They’re gi-gant-normous!” – Is there anything better than sitting around roasting marshmallows? “I don’t think so” Well, you’d be wrong…. – This is where things really start to get…. “Hot”. What he said. – “Why don’t you take a little bit of egg and put it on your hand like this” I just want to massage somebody right now… – “Go with the flour first, about so much.” So, if you’re trying to make this at home, it’s about… so much…. – “…and I add a secret ingredient.” Are you going to tell me? “No, because it’s meant to be sold, not told.” – There’s a good chance I’m going to be at your next family reunion. – Where’s that going to go? It’s physically bigger than your stomach area. – You know the saying ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do’. So we’re going to do that… but with food. – So good it’ll make you say Holy… “Cannoli” – I don’t wanna say perfectly…. but I will say without a single mistake – Everything goes down easy when it’s cheesy. – Can there be too much cheese? “I don’t think so”. No. That was a trick question. – “Stay cheesy, my friend.” – “I didn’t come to the fair to drink water and eat lettuce wraps.” – Can I tell you something about this gravy? “Please do” He put sour cream into it. “Stop!” – “… you’re going to get that nice rich Italian flavor into it.” Some of the things you say get me so excited. – Do I have to share it? “If you want.” I don’t. – “Make your patties about the size of a golf ball.” Then throw it deep into the woods where the rest of my golf balls go. – Cooking for inmates and cooking for me is very similar. We’re aggressively hungry and really don’t contribute in any way. – Never thought I’d say this sentence…. We’re about to deep-fry this pizza. – Done! “We’re not done.” Not done! – If only your eyes lit up like that when you talked about me. – It was the (funnel cake) trailer or her…. and we’re in the trailer! – “When you don’t have the show you can come do this.” What do you mean ‘when we don’t have the show’? – Big fan of Ranch? “Yeah, I am, put that on everything” Cereal? (gets weird look) Not everything… – “Only the hungry need to apply here.” I’d like to interview. – If this Lone Star corn dog was a human being would you date it? “I wouldn’t date it, I’d marry it!” – Unicorns, let’s just end the debate right now. They’re real. “Absolutely.” – You’ve seen one. “Hmmmm hmmmm, so majestic.” – When in doubt, bacon it out.
– “It’s not your regular cinnamon, just has a little extra kick to it.” sniff Yeah, she didn’t lie. – “This smells like love on a bone.” – This things like on the Russian Olympic team! – You’ve taken the best and made it … bester… – All of the seeds have been scraped out of those jalapenos…. and I want to thank you for that. – That is the difference between prime rib and prime time… (looking into camera then glances to side) Oh, we’re not going to commercial? – “We don’t normally drink it (jalapeno juice) like that.” cough Thanks for stopping me… – All we need now is a fork and a man who’s willing to do some damage. “I just happen to have a fork right here.” And I just happen to know a man… – I like to sprinkle it around even though it doesn’t really probably doesn’t make a difference. I think it makes people think that I know what I’m doing. – … don’t skewer this up… – You know what they say. “When in Rome, fly to Maryland to get a Baltimore Club.” – “And the fresh fruit as well!” Is that what that’s called? Fruit? – As it turns out you don’t need sauce. You just need an 8-foot pit, and 24 hours and a crane. – (standing in smoke from smoker) I feel like I’ve just watched the Notebook… Why doesn’t she just accept that he loves her! – “It’s an award-winning dish.” Congratulations. “Thank you.” Let’s see if you can win the greatest award of all. My heart. – I know you’re on a diet, this (takes food from customer’s bag and eats) is because I’m helping you. “You really care. I see that.” You’re welcome. – I think this is the beginning of a long, beautiful friendship. “Great. I’m glad.” I was talking to the burger. – This might be the best day of your life. “(guy eating burger) It could be.” Do you have kids? “I do.” Oops, this might be uncomfortable for them. – “Add a little bit of H20… So we’re sweating this down…” Sounds like an R&B song ‘Girl let’s sweat you down’…. – It’s like a treasure chest of deliciousness. – Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to the fryer we go! – This rub is your recipe. “The odds of someone else having it are slim to none.” Until today. – “When it’s messy it’s always better.” Then this batch should be delicious. – You know what they say ‘The early bird gets the sandwich.’ – “… a little jalapenos” Your version of a little jalapenos and mine are very different. – They can see that thing from space. – Mom, love you. Whatever happens to me just know, I’m in a good place. (takes big bite of a burger) – …To get somebody to say ‘I really love gizzards’, you’re doing something right man! – If you’re watching TV and you’re a real estate agent, I’d like to buy a small summer home in Gizzard City. – For the first time in my life I feel very small and dainty. – Is this really working? You’d have thought it was im-pop-sicle… – Love it when you talk fryer to me. – “Might need a DE (eating rum-soaked pineapple). A designated eater.” – Do me a favor, watch intently right over my shoulder to make me extra nervous. – Bacon circles. “Check” Sassy attitude. “Check” – (guy cutting sandwich into triangles) Triangles just like my mom (mouths to camera: I love you mom) – “Here come get this, I’m going to get this all over my glasses.” What eating technique are you planning on using???? – “I’m going to teach you how to make our remoulade sauce.” So you’re saying it’s time to get … saucy? – “It’s very fresh and very healthy.” And not deep fried. “Not deep fried.” Clearly, we’re in the wrong place. – When you have this many ingredients, this many flavors, people say ‘There’s a party in my mouth.” This is passed party status. The cops are coming to shut this down. – “You did a great job.” We did a great job…. watching me do a great job. – It’s heaven in my mouth and I’m ready to go… – They can take our eggs, but they’ll never take our freedom! – I don’t want to brag but I kinda nailed it… I mean, would you agree? “I guess.” – Where’s the rest of the suit (putting on face shield to keep from being burned). “It’s called being a man.” You got the wrong guy, buddy! – The patties are very delicate? I’m very delicate as well. “Oh I can tell.” – I’ve actually never had an artichoke before. “You’ll love it.” It’s not that I don’t like vegetables, artichokes look like pine cones. – I’ve got 99 problems and bread is 98 of them. I took a big bite. We might have to go to commercial. – “There was nothing on our menu that had peanuts in it.” That’s a problem at the peanut festival. – Juan, what have you done. “I think you’ve just fallen in love. With the Gordita.” Yeah, with the Gordita. Juan’s a great guy but he’s happily married. – If you have a seatbelt in your sofa, for some weird reason, buckle up it’s about to get crazy!
– Like any good hot dog, we’re starting with the… popcorn. – A lot of people love the sound of the ocean. For me it’s cracklin’ crispy bacon. – “This is our sweet and sassy BBQ sauce.” Named after you? “Yeah, you got it.” – What’s the response been? “Speechless.” Words cease to exist. I wanna be speechless. And I’m sure there’s a lot of people out there that would love to see me speechless as well. – Why are we adding bacon into the actual the batter itself? “Because it’s delicious.” Guys, what were expecting, some kind of scientific answer? – Have you figured out what to do with the second one? (lady eating slider) “Maybe share it with my husband.” So I guess we have to go get married! – “Bun’s perfect. Hot dog’s perfect.” The company? “Perfect.” – Great call sitting down. “I like to sit by a handsome man.” And I will keep the seat warm until he arrives. – “As a kid, do you remember drinking the milk at the bottom of the cereal bowl.” Uh… I did that this morning. – “I’ll divorce my wife and marry it (funnel cake) if I have to.” You don’t have to. “We’re safe, babe!” – “Roll the shrimp in the flour.” It’s like an adult sandbox. – (singing) Crunchy on the outside, potato on the inside. “Is that one of your originals?” Yeah, gonna be on Carnival Beats. – When I came to the Renaissance Festival there was a few things on my list that I wanted to make sure I checked off. The most important was to confirm the king has beefy buns. – Have you gone too far? “Probably.” Excellent, that’s what I want to hear. – Have ever stood over a bowl like this with a spoon like this and thought about just directly tasting it? “No.” I’m not opening up to you any more you just embarrass me. – “Can I get you a bib? I think you need it.” Is it alright if I call you mom? “No.” – Mine (elephant ear) looks better than yours. “That one’s mine.” – It does kinda feel like we’re in a coffee shop… Is there free wi-fi? – If this is what happens when you have thirteen kids… (looks into camera) Honey, I’m coming home! – My stomach just gave my mouth a High Five. – How did you get into this? “I married into it. I worked for a concessionaire and I married his daughter.” Fast track. “Right. (laughing). – “Why are these not served at Thanksgiving dinner?” They are, you’re just going to the wrong one. – “You can’t have a nacho burger without the cheese.” Somebody tried it once, and they exploded. – You have a good old-fashioned case of the blue balsamic.
I’ve been doing the best I can to keep our meals simple these days. These quick fix French bread pizzas have been a regular staple in our house. Especially since we’ve been keeping at home as much as possible. Once you have the bread, pizza sauce and cheese the rest is pretty much a blank canvas for whatever flavors you want to add. Usually for us that means Italian sausage (I like to brown it, then pulse it a few times in a food processor to get a finer texture… but not too fine!). And pepperoni. Oh and olives and mushrooms and maybe red onion. Nothing too crazy, but might good and darned comforting!
Keep It Crunchy
I like my quick fix French bread pizza to have a crunchy crust. To make sure the bread stays crunchy I shy away from wet toppings. If I do have to use something with a lot of moisture, like canned olives or mushrooms, I always dab them dry with a paper towel first.
Less Is More
I also believe that less pizza sauce is actually better on a pizza. I didn’t always think that way, but I do now. First, the crust stays crunchy. And second, the sauce doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the ingredients.
I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.
I’ve been doing the best I can to keep our meals simple these days. These quick fix French bread pizzas have been a regular staple in our house since we’ve been keeping at home as much as possible.
Place the bread cut-side up on a large baking sheet.
Stir together the butter and garlic and brush onto the bread. Bake for 5 minutes.
Brush the top of the bread with marinara sauce. Less is more, so don't over-sauce.
Add your favorite toppings. Drier toppings (such as pepperoni slices and cooked, drained Italian sausage) are best. Pat your vegetables dry before adding.
Add cheese and sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bread starts to get golden brown and crunchy.
Remove from oven and let stand for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
This is also great made with Everything Italian bread. Check your grocer’s bread section.
I’m always on the lookout for a simple, quick and easy grilled side dish. It doesn’t have to be fru-fru, but it does have to be tasty, like these planked lemon pepper Brussels Sprouts. I recently purchased a big lot of Kosmo’s Q wing seasonings. The lemon pepper seasoning is off-the-charts yummy on wings, and it got me thinking… how great would it be on grilled Brussels sprouts? Well the answer, of course, is fantastic! Nothing goes together better than lemon, pepper and sprouts!
Something Different, Something Tasty
You could roast these planked lemon pepper Brussels sprouts in the oven, or grill them directly on your grill or in a vegetable basket. But I love cooking on cedar planks. They add just a hint of cedar, something different, something good.
If you decide to use a grill basket instead of a cedar plank, an investment in a good, quality basket is well worth it. I use mine a lot. It makes dishes like this easier to make. And it’s super easy to clean up. I have a large one and a small one.
Place a cedar plank in water while preparing the sprouts.
Bring a medium pot of water to a slow boil.
Trim the ends off the sprouts and remove any loose leaves. Cut each sprout in half lengthwise.
Add the sprouts to the water. Let simmer for 10 or so minutes, until the largest ones can be poked with a toothpick with just a little resistance.
Remove the sprouts from the water and rinse with cold water. Drain very well.
Fire up your grill for direct cooking, around 400 F.
Gently toss the sprouts with the oil. Just use enough to lightly coat them.
Sprinkle with the Kosmos Q Lemon Pepper wing dust. How much you add is up to you, but my opinion is more is better.
Transfer the sprouts to the plank. If you place them cut-side down you won't have to worry as much about them rolling off as you move the plank.
Transfer to the grill and grill for 20-25 minutes or until the plank is charred and the Brussels sprout leaves have a little char on them too.
Notes
Kosmos Q wing dust contains enough salt so you won’t need to add any to the sprouts. You can add freshly ground black pepper if you like.Nutritional values do not include the wing dust.
This was our second attempt at making calzones using the Kettle Pizza attachment on our 22″ Weber grill. We were so happy with how easy they were to make. We learned a few things our first time out. Our second attempt was fantastic. These calzones are one of the reasons we really, really love our Kettle Pizza. Delicious food, each and every time. And it’s kinda fun too!
The crust on these calzones was perfect. We have not mastered making our own dough (at least not consistently) so we use a pre-made frozen store-bought dough instead. The sausage filling is crazy good. It’d be great on a sub roll served as a sandwich too. Or use it on a pizza.
Fire Setup
My fire arrangement now is simple: make a horseshoe-shaped pile of unlit coals around the grill, but not underneath the tombstone-shaped stone. I then add lit charcoal on top of that, and then wood chunks. If the temperature drops too far I’ll add more fist-sized wood chunks around the edges and in the basket that comes with the Kettle Pizza. I use long tongs to add the wood so that it doesn’t fall beneath the stone. I press it lightly into the piles of charcoal to make sure it doesn’t roll off.
Place the dough in the fridge and let defrost overnight.
Two hours before cook time, remove the dough from the fridge and place on the countertop to come to room temperature.
For the stuffing
Crumble the sausage into a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the peppers and onion and cook until the sausage just starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic. Stir and cook another 2 minutes.
Stir in the Creole seasoning and salt, if using. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
For the calzones
I prefer to assemble my calzones while the charcoal is getting hot. You can also make them ahead of time and keep at room temperature until ready to cook.
Place 1/2 chimney of unlit charcoal around the back of your grill in the shape of a horseshoe, with the open part towards the front of the grill.
Light another 1/2 chimney of charcoal. This is when I assemble my pizzas as it can take 20-30 minutes for the charcoal to get hot.
To make the calzones, divide each dough into 4 equal pieces. Lightly flour a work surface. Using your hands or a rolling pin, stretch each piece of dough into a 6" round.
Divide the ricotta between each round, placing on one half, leaving around 1/2" around the edges.
Divide the sausage mixture between each round and top with the mozzarella.
Fold the dough half over the topped half. Crimp the edges with your fingers, making sure to seal it well.
In a small glass or bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Brush over the top of the calzones. Sprinkle with salt.
Lightly oil a pizza pan. Yes, you can make the calzones directly on the stone but I've had more luck with a pan. You can read more about that in the recipe text in my post.
Lightly sprinkle the pan with cornmeal.
Slide 4 calzones onto the pan. Try to not let them touch or overlap.
Once the charcoal is ashed over pour it over the unlit coals. Add 3-4 fist-sized wood chunks around the edges (I use tongs to keep them from falling beneath the stone) and a few good chunks in the charcoal basket. Add the KettlePizza grate and stone. Add the grill cover.
Let the stone get good and hot. Usually I let it go to around 600 F.
Transfer the pan to the grill. Bake for 5 minutes then spin the pan 90 degrees. Keep baking/spinning every minute or so until the calzones are done to your liking.
Let the calzones rest a few minutes before slicing.
Note: Before attempting this recipe, make sure you have a grill that can accommodate a 10″ cast iron skillet and can maintain 425 F indirect heat. You do not want any flame directly below the skillet, so the heat will come from burners that are away from the skillet. It can be hard to get to 425 F, so you might want to do a trial run (I highly recommend placing an oven thermometer on the grill grate where you would put the skillet) before diving in! Can’t do it? That’s ok, you can make this delicious pizza in the oven too!
I cannot even begin to describe how much we both loved this easy deep-dish pizza we made on our gas grill. It so reminded us of the pan pizzas we could get years ago from Pizza Hut. Thick crust that has a wonderful crunch on the outside, but is soft and airy inside, each and every slice was like a slice of pizza heaven. The cheese on the sides of the pan got a great char and crunch to them, much like a Detroit-style pizza. All on the grill. Easy. Crazy easy.
Easy And Fantastic
I could make (and eat) these easy deep-dish pizzas all day long. There’s nothing complicated about them. I was worried the first time.. would I get the right heat on the grill? Would I burn it? Well, my fears were very much unfounded. This pizza was pretty much a ‘grill it and forget it’ dish.
Make extra, because the leftovers are just as good as the day you make it.
your favorite pizza cheesesyou'll want a good melting cheese. I recommend freshly grated (not sliced) mozzarella or Monterey Jack.
Instructions
Transfer the dough from the freezer to your fridge the night before using.
Set the dough on your countertop 2 hours before you want to start making the pizza.
Coat a 10" cast-iron skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil, or use a 12" skillet and 3" of oil for a thinner pizza.
Add the dough and use your fingers to flatten it out to 1/2" from the edges of the pan. It's ok to get oil on top of the dough as you move it around.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 1/2 hours. Note: I found that my plastic wrap adhered to the slick skillet better if I took a bit of oil on my finger and ran it around the edges of the pan first.
Fire up your grill for 425 F indirect cooking.
Remove plastic wrap from skillet and spread pizza sauce over top of dough. Don't go crazy the sauce. More wet toppings mean a less crispy pizza.
Add the remaining toppings and cheese. Get the cheese right up to and even a bit up the edges of the pan. Using your fingers, press the cheese in around the edges. You want the cheese to extend up the sides of the pan as much as 1/2".
Transfer the skillet to the grill and bake over indirect heat at 425 F for 30 minutes. Check on the pizza every 10 minutes, rotating the skillet 90 degrees each time so it cooks evenly. After 20 minutes check the bottom of the pizza to make sure it's baking. The pizza could take less than the full 30 minutes.
Transfer the skillet to direct heat above the flames and cook another 3 minutes. This will get a nice crust on the bottom.
Remove the skillet from the grill. Use a butter knife or spatula around the edges to loosen the cheese and crust from the pan.
Transfer pizza to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes.
Slide the pizza onto a cutting board and slice as desired. Serve.
Notes
You’ll need a gas or charcoal grill that is large enough to handle a 10″ (or 12″ skillet over indirect heat. You do not want the pan to be directly over the fire while the pizza is baking.
