Green Beans and Veggies on the Grill

This summer we are loving dinners hot off the grill.  Hamburgers, hotdogs, and BBQ chicken are the usual fare, it's true, but fresh veggies and fruits cooked 'til tender, with a slightly smokey taste... well, that's divine!  We have loved roasted Mexican corn (Elote), grilled pineapple, and tender french beans this season.  Ahh, makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  The grilled french green beans are probably my current favorite.  I've been playing around with a recipe, and each time I make it, I tweak it a bit more, but it is fabulous as-is, so I am going to share it with you!  Grilling veggies on a traditional barbeque/grill is made so much easier if you have one of these babies, but even if you don't you can grill your veggies in foil.

I found my grill skillet at Bed Bath & Beyond for about $7, but I'm sure other stores like Walmart etc. would carry something similar.

First, you want to preheat your grill to med-high heat.  Then you can prepare your veggies for grilling.
You will need:

~1 lb french green beans- leave them whole, or snap off ends, whatever you prefer
1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 white or yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 green onions, also coarsely chopped
1-2 c. white mushrooms, chopped (these will shrink down quite a bit, so if you like mushrooms, add more than you think you will want, because it will end up being less than you thought)

Now you will want to pull out your spice rack and the olive oil and really give these veggies some flavor!  Here's what I added:

~2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2-3 heaping teaspoons minced garlic (I'm sold on anything with garlic or onions, bonus points if it has both!)
~2 tsp. rosemary (or to taste)
2-3 twists of fresh ground pepper from the pepper mill
Celery salt or sea salt to taste

Combine all veggies and toss with the oil and spices.  Pour everything into the grill skillet.  It helps to have a dish under the skillet while you transport it to the grill  so you don't spill oil on the floor on your way out. 

Set the skillet on the heated grill, and let it cook for about 30 minutes- depending on the grill, stirring occasionally.  Our particular skillet has a removable handle which is nice, but regardless, you want to have a couple of hot pads ready when it is time to stir or remove the skillet from the grill.  No burned hands please!  In my opinion, the veggies are done when they are tender but still a bit crisp- no soggy beans for me!

We had these grilled veggies last month for my birthday (and also 2 other times that week, haha), and my husband was nice enough to grill outside even with a storm brewing.  Does that happen to anyone else?  It seems like at least 60% of the days we decide to grill, end up having terrific lightning and pouring rain for the hour we are grilling, then things calm down.

That day was no exception.  This is the view we enjoyed while eating our grilled veggies, pineapple, and chicken.  Lovely!

Recipe:

Green Beans and Veggies on the Grill

Preheat grill to med-high heat.

Prepare veggies:
~1 lb french green beans- leave them whole, or snap off ends, whatever you prefer
1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 white or yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 green onions, also coarsely chopped
1-2 c. white mushrooms, chopped

Add seasoning:
~2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2-3 heaping teaspoons minced garlic
~2 tsp. rosemary (or to taste)
2-3 twists of fresh ground pepper from the pepper mill
Celery salt or sea salt to taste
Once combined, pour everything into the grill skillet.  Set the skillet on the heated grill, and let it cook for about 30 minutes- depending on the grill, stirring occasionally.  Remove when veggies are tender but still have a slight crunch.
Enjoy!

What are your favorite grilling recipes this summer?!