Wake up. Roll out of bed. Rev the coffee maker. Fire up the grill? [Record scratch.] OK, that last one probably isn’t part of your morning routine. But it’s worth giving a whirl—at least on weekends.
“Breakfast can be so much more than a bowl of oatmeal,” says Leslie Fink, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian and a nutritionist and recipe editor at WeightWatchers®. “Grilling adds smoky deliciousness to pretty much everything. Plus—since it doesn’t require lots of butter and oil, and the fat drips through the grates—it’s a lower-fat way of cooking.”
Take breakfast sausage. If you’re used to cooking it on a griddle, the difference a grill makes is that it provides a grated cooking surface instead of a smooth one—i.e. way less grease. Round out your protein by threading your fave veggies with the sausages on skewers.
And it’s simple to turn your grill into a backup stove for non-skewer-friendly breakfast items too. “Easily scramble eggs using a cast iron skillet,” says Fink. Just make sure to keep a barbecue mitt nearby to avoid burning your hands on the handle.
Not a savory fan? The method is also ideal for flavorful French toast, especially if you’re cooking for a crowd. “On a regular stovetop, you can only cook a few pieces at a time. A decent-sized grill allows you to cook for a larger number of people.”
Make barbecue brunch your new morning ritual and try our latest breakfast recipes specifically made for the grill. Before you rouse the neighbors with whiffs of ooey-gooey bananas and chocolate or crispy bacon, just keep one tip in mind: “Make sure your grill is clean, unless you want your French toast to taste like a steak,” adds Fink.