How I Use My Grill to Meal Plan for the Week

Grill extra vegetables, meat, and fruit for better meals all week.

When people talk about meal planning, we tend to think of chopping vegetables for salads and stir-fry dishes, keeping cooked rice or farro on hand for grain bowls, or portioning fruit for snacks. But I’ve found that in the summer — or anytime you are cooking on a grill — one of the best ways to prepare for future meals is to throw a lot of extras on the grill, even when you don’t have a plan for how to use them.

Related: The Best Grills for Every Outdoor Setup, According to Our Tests

I came to this realization while visiting my brother Colin and his family. We were grilling burgers for dinner that night, but after lighting his grill, Colin took a look at what was in the refrigerator and on the meal plan for the week (my sister-in-law, Lindsay, is a genius planner). As we sat down to eat our burgers on the patio, he added a few chicken breasts to the still-hot grill, explaining that they would use them for sandwiches and salads later in the week. I realized my brother was meal planning, with very little effort.

Using your grill to meal prep makes a lot of sense with any kind of grill, but especially so if, like my brother and me, you have a Green Egg or any charcoal grill. It feels like a wasted effort to get the charcoal lit and wait for it to mellow until it is gray and ashy and then just use it for 15 minutes to sear a few steaks. And since a Green Egg or other kamado-style grill holds its temperature for a long time, why not take advantage of that heat and make the rest of your week a little easier?

Now, when I get my fire going, I always have a few extra vegetables ready to grill. Sometimes I have a specific plan in place for a meal I want to make, like slowly charring eggplant for Charred Eggplant Salad. But even when I don’t have a plan, I know a few grilled onions, peppers, and zucchini will be appreciated when future me is hungry and has no idea what to make for dinner. I can layer them in sandwiches, chop them up for salads, twirl them around pasta, bake them in frittatas, or fold them into tacos.

Vegetables aren’t the only extra I put on the grill. I might grill a handful of nuts on a cast-iron pan so they are toasted and as a bonus, a bit smoky; ready for a salad or a bowl of ice cream. And I’ve found uses for pre-grilled meat, seafood, and fruit, too. Here are a few ways you can grill tonight, and eat all week.

Related: This $12 Meal Planning Notepad Has a Smart Feature to Help with Grocery Shopping

Char vegetables for salads, dips, sides, and more

Adding an extra sliced onion to the grill is a no-brainer; I stash those slices in the refrigerator and add them to everything from tacos to pasta. Sometimes I lightly grill a sliced red onion and then pickle it to add a layer of smoky flavor to my pickles. And an onion isn’t the only vegetable you can grill ahead of time. Consider grilling some fennel, eggplant, peppers, and zucchini for a summery grilled vegetable antipasto platter, served with a sauce or two. Grill a few ears of corn, and you’re ready to make corn salads, salsas, cornbread muffins, and tacos in minutes.

And don’t forget about grilled vegetable salads for a dinner option, like this charred cabbage salad, this grilled asparagus salad, grilled potato salad, grilled okra salad, or this grilled radicchio salad.

Stephanie Izard grills green tomatoes for her grilled tomato salad with mozzarella and unagi, but even when I’m not that ambitious, it’s easy to thread cherry tomatoes on a skewer, char them briefly, then stash them in a jar of olive oil to spoon over toasted bread as an effortless appetizer.

Related: 10 Next-Level Smoker Recipes to Try

Sliced or halved eggplant is another easy option for a grilled eggplant Parmesan or grilled eggplant salad. A lazy grilling session is also ideal for when you want to char a whole eggplant or two to make baba ganoush. I’ll give poblano and Hatch chile peppers the same treatment, charring them whole and then wrapping them up to keep in the freezer, ready for green chile enchiladas, burritos, and soups all winter long. And a few charred scallions are great to have ready to make charred Green Goddess dressing any time.

Smoke meat and seafood for sandwiches and dips

The low-and-slow process for cooking meat is sometimes best when you are cooking ahead of time and not waiting on dinner. I’ll grill a pork butt, South American-style beef ribs, or leg of lamb to eat all week on sandwiches, in salads, and in tacos. And when it comes to seafood, it’s a good chance to smoke a side of salmon for next-level bagel sandwiches, smoke trout for a dip or chowder, or grill shrimp for grilled shrimp cocktail. 

Related: 12 Ways to Use Cooked Grilled Shrimp

Grilled fruit means there’s dessert ready any time

We already know that you can grill dessert while eating your dinner, and as your grill begins to cool down, it’s the perfect time to add some fruit and gently grill it. Grilled peaches are a no-brainer, for salads like Linton Hopkins’ Grilled Peach, Onion, and Bacon Salad or a dessert like this Grilled Lemon Poundcake with Peaches and Cream. They're also delicious as a dessert on their own or served over ice cream. Figs, pears, and pineapple take well to grilling for dessert or for breakfast served with yogurt or toast. Grilling fruit can help take it into savory territory, as with Joshua McFadden’s Grilled Strawberry-Avocado Toast. And don’t miss out on the benefits of grilling fruit for cocktails. Try grilling a few thick slices of lemon to add to your next drink, or grill pineapple for this Grilled Pineapple Tequila Punch. It's a good way to toast your grill for creating a week's worth of meals.

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