Save Time When Grilling

When we first built our home, the hubby and I had no idea what we were doing. He had lived at home with his parents his whole life and I lived in small apartments while I worked three jobs to make ends meet. Now that we've been homeowners for twelve years, it's sometimes frustrating to realize what we did wrong--especially in the kitchen/cooking arena.

The first quote for our house was significantly higher than the budget we had set. Yes, the banks told us we could afford more, but being conservative with our money, we didn't want to stretch ourselves thin. So, we ended up shrinking the house length and width to bring us closer to our desired number. Didn't seem to be a problem at the time, but try entertaining. Everyone congregates in the kitchen. Even with our open floor plan, it's a tight squeeze between the half wall that separates the work area and the dinette. Our deck, which seemed perfectly placed off the family room, makes grilling a hassle. I have to walk through the kitchen and out the atrium doors of the family room carrying everything I need back and forth. Definitely not the best set up. Once we decide to go through with the renovations, we'll expand the deck so it connects to the back doorway, which is right off the kitchen.

Because of these challenges, I've had to come up with some time savers for grilling.

• Store grilling utensils outside. For a few years, I stored my utensils in the house. That was a pain because they were so long and awkward they didn't fit well in most of my cabinets. Now, I store them on the shelf that is hidden behind double doors where the propane tank sits. I use a plastic zippered bag that used to hold a comforter to keep them clean and dry.
• Heat up the grill while you're gathering supplies. I turn my grill on right before I pack up all I need to take outside. By the time I'm ready to cook, the grill is nice and hot.
• Invest in a sturdy tray. I want to make as few trips back and forth as possible, so I load up a metal tray with all that it will carry--plates, napkins, cups, condiments--and bring them out all together.
• Keep a cooler close by. We don't drink alcohol, and I usually make lemonade for cookouts, so I don't need my cooler for beverages. Instead, I use it to haul all the meats and breads outside. With a layer of ice on the bottom, I'm also able to keep the meats from spoiling before I cook them.
• Make clean up a breeze by storing supplies outside. I usually tuck a container of disinfecting wipes in the deck box where the cushions are stored. If the container is too big, I remove several wipes, put them in a plastic bag that can be sealed and tuck it in between the cushions.
• Clean your grill after you're done. One of the the reasons we ended up buying a new grill a couple of years ago is because while we were on vacation, our son entertained at our house and used the grill. When we came home, globs of greasy gunk were baked onto the grates. There was no way I was ever using that grill again. I would have needed a chisel and hammer to remove all the days worth of caked on goo. It was also an old grill, so it was almost time to replace it anyway. After I'm done grilling and the family has eaten together, I go out and clean off the grates with a wet paper towel and some dishwashing soap. Then I rinse with a clean paper towel, dry the grates, and wipe on a thin layer of vegetable oil. The oil keeps the food from sticking while it cooks. It also helps prevent rust.

How do you save time when you grill?