Fall is such a beautiful time of year here in Kansas. Watching the green hills and foliage transition into that classic burnished gold of autumn is hard to beat here. What better view do you have of this stunning transformation than from your own backyard? Celebrate the changing of the season by trying out some new recipes on the grill! Use your grill to prep your entire fall-inspired meal, from appetizers to side dishes to entrees – and even your drinks if you wish! Check out these festive Fall grill recipes!
Cocktail Hour
It’s melon season here in Kansas! Celebrate a fresh harvest of melon with a toast on the grill. Traeger Grills shared this social hour drink that they call the Grilled Meloncholy Fix Cocktail. And trust us, this festive cocktail is so scrumptious, you won’t be melon-choly anymore! On top of being delicious, it’s super easy to make – and a wonderful way to heat your grill up for the upcoming meal!
Ingredients
- 1 Whole cantaloupe
- 1/2 Cup of turbinado sugar
- 1/4 Ounce of Traeger Smoked Simple Syrup (or any smoked simple syrup you have on hand)
- 1/4 Ounce of lime juice
- 1 Ounce of cantaloupe juice
- A pinch of Jacobsen Salt Co. Cherrywood Smoked Salt (or any smoked salt)
- 1 1/2 Ounce of reposado tequila
Instructions
1) Preheat your grill to 450 degrees F
2) As your grill preheats, prep your cantaloupe by cutting it in half and scooping out the seeds. Then take one of the halves, slice into wedges, and set aside.
3) For the other cantaloupe half, peel the rind off and cube. 1-inch cubes are best. Put the cubed cantaloupe into a blender and puree. Pour the puree through a mesh strainer into a bowl to collect the juice. Then set the bowl of cantaloupe juice aside.
4) By now, your grill should be finished preheating. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the cantaloupe wedges until well-coated, and place directly onto the grill grate. Grill each side for 3 minutes, or until the cantaloupe slices have grill marks.
5) When the wedges are done, remove from the grill and slice into small triangles pieces. Set aside to cool.
6) In your cocktail shaker, add the smoked simple syrup, your strained cantaloupe juice, lime juice, smoked salt, and tequila. Shake for about 10 seconds and strain the mixed drink into glass. A double rocks glass or one close to that size that you have on hand is best.
7) Add crushed ice into the cocktail until the glass is overflowing with ice. If you do not have a fridge with an ice-crusher, Traeger Grills recommends that you put ice cubes into a small plastic bag and crush with a kitchen mallet or hammer.
8) Slice the grilled melon pieces at the tip of the triangle and slide onto the lip of the glass to garnish.
Although Traeger Grills used cantaloupe for this recipe, we think you could use any melon of your choice. Can you imagine trying this recipe with a honeydew melon or even watermelon? Yum! After all, they are in season. Use them while you can! Maybe you can try all three out and see which one your friends and family think is the best.
Main Course
For the main course, we recommend you try this Double Smoked Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham from Chris Sussman at The BBQ Buddha. His recipe is featured on the Big Green Egg website and boy, does it sound good. Sussman says it’s perfect for the upcoming holiday season just around the corner, but it can’t hurt to practice on your grill a few times this fall before then!
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in half spiral ham
- 3 cups of apple juice
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp of yellow mustard
- BBQ rub of your choice
Glaze Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup of maple syrup
- 1 cup of a bourbon of your choice
- 1/4 tsp of Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 1 cup of brown sugar
Instructions
1) If you are using a Big Green Egg for this recipe, set your Egg to 275 degrees F. Be sure to add chunks of hickory wood!
2) Coat the ham with yellow mustard, then do the same with a BBQ rub of your choice. Pour apple juice into a roasting pan and place the chopped onion in the juice. Put the ham in the roasting rack, then lift the rack into the roasting pan with the apple juice and onion.
3) Place the roasting pan with the rack and ham in your Big Green Egg and cook uncovered for 2 hours. Then cover the ham with foil and cook for 1 hour.
4) After covering the ham, prep your glaze. Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan. Mix well and then bring the glaze to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and reduce the sauce. Cook for 30 minutes or to your preferred thickness.
5) Once the hour is up on the ham, take the foil off. Glaze the ham and cook for another 30 minutes until the internal temperature is 140 degrees F.
6) Take the ham out of the Big Green Egg and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Watch Sussman’s video for a full play-by-play of this delicious recipe. Is your mouth watering yet?
These recipes can be enjoyed on any of our Traeger, Big Green Egg, Smokin’ Brothers, or Napoleon grills. So, be sure to check out their recipes on their respective websites for more fall-inspired dishes. And if you don’t have a grill yet, stop by Energy Center-Manhattan Pool today to view our selection of top-of-the-line grills!
Come Find Your Gathering Place at Energy Center-Manhattan Pool!
