It has finally getting warmer here in the Northeast and after what seemed like the coldest, longest winter it feel great! It has definitely made me dream of cooking on the grill!
To me nothing tastes as great as food that has been cooked on a grill. Everything is so juicy and meats get so tender when marinaded….mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! I plan on grilling outside until the snow forces me back in!
Did you know though, that grilling can actually SAVE you money? That’s right, grilling is energy efficient, so you end up saving money because you don’t have to heat up electric appliances. You also save water and cleanup time by not having to use your dishwasher or hot water to wash pots and pans. plus, By not heating up your oven or stovetop you are not increasing the overall temperature of your house, which in turn means you don’t need your cooking systems for items such as your air conditioning or refrigeration systems to cool your house.
Here are two of my favorite things to put on the grill in the summer:
Grilled Chicken Kabobs
Dice up red peppers, green peppers and sweet onions.
Cut your chicken into pieces.
Alternate chicken, peppers, onions and tomatoes on skewers
(please note if you are using wooden skewers you should soak them for at least 20 minutes before using so they don’t catch on fire)
Cover chicken kabobs with your favorite marinade and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours–the longer the better!
When ready to cook, place on tin foil on grill and cook until chicken is no longer pink.
Grilled Red Potatoes
Cut red potatoes or your favorite type of potato into cubes
Add sliced onions
Drizzle them with sea salt and olive oil
Wrap in tinfoil and grill until tender.
Mmmmnn so easy and oh so good! Serve them with a nice salad and some chicken kabobs or grilled corn and you have a great summertime meal!
Looking for even more recipe inspiration? Check out the Taste the Energy Savings Grilling feature by clicking here.
I am a Project Envolve Ambassador through PPL. All opinions are 100% my own.
Candi says
We don’t make kabobs enough. They are just the right size portions to eat for me.
mgalko says
I agree, the portions are just right. And I love how you can customize them to family members so if someone doesn’t like onions, you just leave them off one. Thanks for stopping by!
krystalskitsch says
Red potatoes are my favorite! I’ve never cooked them on the grill before, this is an awesome idea!
mgalko says
They get so soft and moist and are so very yummy!! Thanks for stopping by!
Heidi says
I love the idea of keeping the house cool by using the grill. We’ve been needing a new grill for ages! Now I have an excuse!
mgalko says
Yes, go get that grill!! It makes such a big difference in the temperature of your house, plus everything tastes better on the grill! Thanks!
Clare says
I never really thought about saving energy by using the grill instead of the oven – although since we don’t have A/C it would be more about saving our sanity by not getting the house stupidly hot for no reason! Maybe we should invest in a grill…
mgalko says
I don’t have A/C either so it makes a big difference in the temperature of our house overall!
Elizabeth says
Great segue from grilling to energy efficiency! Now green grilling doesn’t just mean grilled asparagus. 🙂
Cecelia says
Good to know, thanks for the info! Pinning the yummy recipes now…
Heather says
Never would have thought to grill potatoes!
mgalko says
They are so yummy grilled!! Nice and soft but also crispy on the outside!! MMMmmmm….
Julia says
Those kabobs look so good, I always mean to use our grill more but I’m not very good at it. My husbands the griller in our house.
Meg O. says
I also love the idea of grilling red potatoes! That looks delicious!!
Lauryn says
We love grilling in the summertime! Those kabobs look delicious:)
Kristine Foley says
We are HUGE fans of grilling, and thankfully can do it year round in our part of Utah! Great post and encouraging awareness!
Crystal @ Simply Playful Fare says
These recipes look great! I love grilling, but had no idea it can save money too! Thanks for sharing!
mgalko says
Thanks so much for stopping by!!
caitlin says
I will have to try the grilled potatoes! Thank you
Bridgette says
Here in NOLA, we try to cook outdoors as much as possible so we don’t heat up the house! Will have to try this idea!
mgalko says
Thanks Bridgette for stopping by!!