Everyone loves grilled vegetables. Whether you are preparing for a summertime cookout, a fall tailgating party, or a family dinner, grilled vegetables can be a great addition to the menu. If you are someone that likes your fruits and vegetables to match the season, you might be looking to move away from your summertime favorites and switch to a delicious selection of fall vegetables.
Fortunately for you, we have compiled a list of our 6 favorite fall vegetables to cook outdoors or on the grill.
Fall Vegetable #1: Sweet Potatoes
While sweet potatoes are available year round, they are a perfect addition to any fall cookout. This versatile food can be cooked dozens of different ways. Our favorites include roasting the potatoes in the embers, whipping up a potato salad, or mashing them with butter and brown sugar.
Fall Vegetable #2: Cabbage
Cabbage can be sliced up and grilled to create a crispy, chargrilled dish with a naturally nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the grilled, smoky taste. Take a full head of cabbage and cut it into quarters or eighths. Make sure that you leave the core intact so that the cabbage wedges do not fall apart on the grill. Cook it over high heat to char the outside and then finish cooking them over lower heat so that the inside will get soft and tender.
Once your cabbage wedges are cooked, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper on top, creating a rich, crunchy dish that will leave your dinner guests coming back for seconds.
Fall Vegetable #3: Brussel Sprouts
While many people might blanch at the thought of eating brussel sprouts, this is definitely and example of a food that can be great when it is cooked correctly but can be a disaster when it is cooked poorly. Grilled brussel sprouts should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is best to cook them over indirect heat for a while so that the inside will be cooked through and then sear them over direct flames prior to serving.
Fall Vegetable #4: Pumpkin
While pumpkin pie is a fall staple, it can be easy to overlook your other delicious pumpkin options. Grilled pumpkin can be a rich and creamy dish. Purchase smaller pumpkins and cut them in half. Scoop out the seeds and place the pumpkin halves on the grill for 45 minutes to an hour. You will know that they are done when the inside of the pumpkin is completely soft. While you can replicate this in the oven, the grill is the best choice since the pumpkin’s taste will be enhanced by the smoky flavor of the grill. Once the pumpkin is fully cooked, you can scoop it out and eat it just like that or use the cooked pumpkin in dozens of other tasty dishes.
Fall Vegetable #5: Butternut Squash
Nothing says fall like a nice plump butternut squash. This fall staple can be cooked similarly to the pumpkin – cut in half and placed on the grill over indirect heat. Once it is cooked, you will have a rich and creamy vegetable that is sweet, smoky, and delicious. You can then choose to finish it by searing it over the flames or chop it up and puree it into soup. A side of grilled butternut squash can be a perfectly compliment to a dinner of steak or pork chops.
Fall Vegetable #6: Cauliflower
Most people prefer their cauliflower cooked over high heat and the grill is one of the best ways to achieve that taste. Searing your cauliflower will create a dish that is crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Like many other grilled vegetables, this effect is best achieved by starting out with your cauliflower over high heat and later moving it to a cooler area of the grill to finish cooking.
However, you will have to think carefully before placing your cauliflower on the grill. This vegetable is typically chopped up and served as smaller florets, but it can be difficult to keep the smaller pieces from falling through the grill’s grate and into the fire. This problem can be avoided by slicing your cauliflower into large, vertical slices rather than florets. Once cooked, you can either serve the slices whole or chop them up into smaller, bite sized pieces.
Now that you have your fall menu picked out, you will need to find the perfect grill to cook them on. If you are in the market for a new grill, check out the huge selection at Armand’s Discount. Let us help you plan a fall cookout that all your friends will remember.