6 BBQ recipes for starters, main courses and side dishes
April 6, 2023
The excellent weather’s settling in, the snow’s making way, and it’s only a matter of time before it gives way to the summer season. For us, that means it’s officially BBQ season! I’ve created 6 BBQ recipes for starters, main courses and side dishes to mark the occasion.
BBQ appetizers to share
Since I love to eat and entertain, it’s not just around the kitchen island that I share appetizers with friends or family! At our house, it also happens outside when we cook on the BBQ 😊. Here’s what I suggest as recipes for appetizers on the BBQ:
Zucchini stuffed with veal and mozzarella
What I love about this recipe is that if I don’t have ground veal, I use ground beef, ground pork, tofu or even textured vegetable protein (TVP)! Speaking of TVP, if you want to know more, Crazy Leeks has devoted an entire article to this protein with tips and recipes for cooking with TVP. Whatever protein I use, it’s perfect, quick and easy to make!
Green BBQ pizza with asparagus, ricotta and leeks (in French)
A pizza for a starter. Amazing! Isn’t it? Not with us 😉! We commonly treat ourselves to a tasty pizza we eat as a gang to kick off our BBQ evening. BBQ or not, it’s often the case that we’ll make ourselves an excellent pizza or something similar (like focaccia or fougasse) for a starter. What I love about this green pizza recipe from Ma cuisine de tous les jours contributor Sara Girard is the Quebec asparagus grown at Les Cultures de chez nous. I can’t wait for the harvest, which should start around mid-May! To find out when Quebec asparagus will arrive in grocery stores, I invite you to follow Crazy Leeks on Facebook or Instagram.
BBQ side dish recipes
To accompany these tremendous main courses on the BBQ, you need side dishes that can also be cooked on the barbecue. Here are my 2 little jewels of recipes:
Doré-Mi vegetable and cheese skewers
I’m an unconditional fan of grilled cheese like Doré-Mi. I love it on a raclette and the BBQ with a skewer of vegetables. As we say around here, the cheese has to have a nice “grittiness” to give it a good “taste” 😄. Without stuffing, it’s a recipe to make again and again!
Potatoes with leek butter
I'm a big fan of potatoes; it’s not unusual to find them on my grill when cooking side dishes on the BBQ. This BBQ baked potato recipe is quick to prepare. With just 10 minutes to prepare, you’ll have plenty of time to chat with your gang while the potatoes cook perfectly on the BBQ.
Sublime main courses cooked on the BBQ
A BBQ evening wouldn’t be complete without the main course on the grill! It’s the moment everyone’s been waiting for. Yes, a good quality steak or grilled chicken breast is fun on the grill, but wait until you see my suggestions. I’ve got 2 of my grill classics for you. Now it’s time for the main courses on the BBQ:
Beef burgers with leeks and whisky sauce
A good burger on the BBQ... Yum 🤤. You know me, cheese curds straight from the patty is right up my alley. Sun-dried tomato pesto, sliced leeks already washed and ready to cook and whisky sauce... Admit it, your mouth is already watering!
Portobellos stuffed with shrimp, mushroom sauce and garlic leeks
The Crazy Leeks team makes some excellent recipes, and they’re also lucky enough to have a few contributors who know a thing or two about good food and create recipes for the website. This recipe for stuffed and barbecued portobellos is as good as it looks. Coming from a BBQ enthusiast and expert like Maître Fumeur (in French), you can’t go wrong.
Crazy Leeks: even more BBQ recipes, grill care tips and more!
On the Crazy Leeks website, in addition to all the other BBQ recipes (appetizers, main courses and side dishes), the team spoils you with its many steaming blog posts on the grill because:
- This is your chance to get advice on choosing the perfect BBQ and accessories (in French) from an expert.
- You can become a pro at BBQ maintenance.
- Is there any reason to invite friends and family for a meal? You’ll always find recipes and tips for a successful BBQ party (in French).
- You can also cook fruit on the BBQ (in French) for delicious grilled desserts.
- Nothing beats one of these 5 BBQ marinade recipes (in French) to cook meat on the grill.
- You’ll discover unusual recipes to make on the BBQ.
With all this, I guarantee you, my friend, that your BBQ evenings and grills will be perfect, and your guests will be delighted!
Enjoy your BBQ!
—Serge
