How Your Grill Can Become The Perfect Meal-Prepping Solution

We here at Tasting Table tend to think of seasonality not so much in terms like winter or summer, but rather grilling or stewing. Grilling season brings many culinary joys such as charred chicken kebabs and seared, juicy steaks, and we're about to give you permission to use the grill as a big part of your weekly menu plan. Everything from chicken breasts to veggies to nuts can be placed on the still-hot grill after Saturday's burgers have come off, providing you with fully-prepped proteins and sides for days. 

Naturally, this trick only works on a charcoal grill, since the heat goes away as soon as you shut the gas off on a propane version. It always felt like a waste to fire up a bunch of charcoal chunks or briquettes for only a few ecstatic minutes of high-heat grilling, especially when that sucker will stay hot for ages after the meal has been consumed. Let's take advantage of that opportunity, shall we, and consider our options.

This whole strategy is predicated on the concept of meal planning, which involves food prep. If this is part of your weekly routine, you already know how much money and time is saved by having days worth of prepped ingredients (or even pre-made meals) ready to eat in your fridge. So how can a still-hot charcoal grill help in this department?

For starters, you can throw on some chicken breasts to cut up later for salads or sandwiches. A Vidalia onion, rubbed with oil, sprinkled with your favorite seasoning mix, and wrapped in aluminum foil, will become a delectable accompaniment. Throw some shelled pistachios into an iron skillet and put that on the grill, because when you chop them up later to sprinkle (along with some fruity olive oil and a pinch of sea salt) on a bowl of creamy pistachio gelato, you'll be sufficiently transported by their crunchy, slightly smoky deliciousness to travel back in time and thank your former self. We all know that roasted eggplant is best done on a charcoal grill, and will result in many sublime concoctions. So take advantage of the grilling season and meal prep to your heart's content, because a hot grill's a useful grill.