Smell That? It’s Summer!

Sunscreen…chlorine…bugspray…ah the smells of summer.  Add to that list my absolute FAVORITE summertime smell…THE GRILL!

As the mama, I do the majority of the cooking. {And by cooking, that usually means crock-potting.}  BUT, once we say a big fat PEACE OUT to winter, this mama pours a nice beverage and watches my grillmaster go to work.

What? Grills give off heat, and you need to stay hydrated.

So, safety first.

My ALL-TIME favorite sangria recipe. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and not-too-sweet, and the best part about sangria is that it’s TWO-TIMES the “healthy.” One: hydration, duh! and, two: depending on how “thirsty” you are, you can get in at least one serving of fruit!

Now that we’re adequately hydrated, it dawned on me that I should probably clarify. While my dear, dear husband mans the grill in the summer, I still do a good percentage of the prep work. That means the most important qualification of any recipe (much like in the winter) is the ease of prep. Well, that and it must include a potato dish of some sort. That’s my personal rule. Because, well, yum.

Without further ado – I present to you, our favorite grilled dinner. It’s quick, it’s flexible and it’s delicious.

Grilled Chicken – Here’s where I’ll fess up that following recipes isn’t quite my favorite thing to do. Which is why I’m thrilled we found the best marinade. DALE’S Steak Seasoning! {I know, we use it with chicken, just go with it.} If you haven’t heard of this miraculous creation, it’s found in the sauce/condiment aisle.

Pay close attention, this is what you do:

Buy some chicken (we love to use thighs and legs for this). Put it in a ziplock. Pour in some Dale’s. Let it sit. Phew…I know!

Once it’s nice and marinated, just pop it in the oven (375 for about 30-45 minutes), then finish it off on the grill to get those uber-fancy grill marks.

Then, we typically add two more grill-friendly finds:

Grilled Cheesy Garlic Potatoes

Foil Pouch Grilled Green Beans

So, there you have it.

Enjoy!

Make sure to check out our Yummy Recipes Pinterest Board for these, and even more, great ideas for summer dinners!

What are some of your favorite summertime grill recipes? We’d love to hear them!