A Recipe for Grilling – All Year Long

It’s that time of year. Leaves turn golden and cover lawns and porches. Night falls earlier, and coats begin to make their way out of storage and into our closets. For many, it’s also the time of year we say farewell to outdoor dinners cooked on the grill, and cover it until spring has sprung.

Lucky for the South, we do things a little differently. Among the many benefits of living in the Lowcountry is the ability to have a freshly grilled dinner nearly year round. Mild winters mean we can enjoy meals with that grilled-to-perfection flavor far longer than our neighbors to the North. Imagine the possibilities:  Thanksgiving turkey still warm from the grill.  Christmas tenderloin on a rotisserie, and a very impressed mother-in-law. Grilled lobster tails to start the New Year off right (and don’t forget the black-eyed peas for good luck). Grilled BBQ shrimp for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day for a meal that’s easy and delicious.

Of course, year-round grilling isn’t reserved for special occasions. Mac Baughman, our resident griller-in-chief here at Summers Corner, prepares dinner on the grill three to four times a week, year round. Below he shares one of his favorite recipes.

Summers Corner Grilled Stuffed Peppers

1. Wash and clean 4 poblano or bell peppers, cut a football shape piece out of the side of each pepper, running from top to bottom, make sure to leave the stem, remove the seeds and inner membranes, save the football shape piece removed from the pepper for the stuffing.

2. Place the peppers on the grill at 400° for 10 minutes (flip the peppers at five minutes), or until the skin is slightly charred on both sides, after grilling place the peppers on a cookie sheet to cool before stuffing.

3. Brown ½ lbs of Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage in a skillet. Save the grease for sautéing the peppers and onions.

4. Chop the poblano pepper piece removed before grilling. Clean and chop 2 jalapeno peppers, and clean and chop 1 sweet onion.

5. Place the chop peppers and onions in the skillet with the sausage grease for sautéing; sauté until the onions are translucent.

6. Mix the brown sausage with the sautéed onions and peppers, add 1 cup of Panko bread crumbs and mix, form the mixture into four balls.

7. Remove the peppers from the cookie sheet and add one of the stuffing balls to each pepper, making sure to work the stuffing into the pepper. Be careful not to rip the skin!

8. Place the stuffed peppers back on the grill at 400° for 18 minutes, while the peppers are on the grill heat up some Gordo’s hot cheese dip, remove the peppers from the grill placing them in a Pyrex dish, apply 2 tablespoons of the hot cheese dip to each pepper and top with fresh cilantro. Allow the peppers to rest for five minutes before serving.

Bon appetit and happy grilling – all year long!