National BBQ Month - Quick Marinades

Happy National BBQ Month! Use that grill or BBQ to make amazing food. 

As I have been looking up how to grill different meats, I keep seeing Marinades come up.  I always assumed a marinade took hours, but I have found several marinades that can take as little as 30 minutes. That is great news! I always want to try out Marinades, but never seem to remember to look them up until I already should have been marinating the meat for several hours. So even if you forget, like I do, or decide last minute to grill up some yummy meat, you can add loads of flavor with a marinade while you are preparing the rest of the meal.

Quick Marinades

Quick Chicken Marinade

Chicken – Chicken takes on flavor well and quickly. Add the smokiness of the grill and you have a delicious meal.

You can also use any of the seasoning salt, balsamic vinegar and olive oil on our website to create delicious marinades.

Quick Steak Marinade

Steak – This is one meat I usually only salt, pepper and grill. Then I use steak sauce after it is cooked. While that is tasty, I am excited to try marinating it to get some different flavors going. This recipe is exactly what I was looking for in terms of marinating meat and preparing the other food at the same time. Plus it is a completely different flavor than the one I usually eat with steak. 

Salmon Marinade

Fish – A marinade can really help you eat more fish if you don’t like that “fishy” flavor. It is quick to add flavor to fish, typically not taking more then 15-20 minutes. Some firmer fish like Salmon can take up to an hour. Pro-Tip: Don’t marinate your fish in an Aluminum pan as the acid in most marinades will react with the Aluminum. 

Vegetable Marinade

Vegetables – This recipe makes a great side or main dish. This one will take longer to marinate then other recipes on here, but it looks so good I couldn't help but share it here. 

If you need a grill pan for vegetables or fish, you can get one here.

What are some of your favorite marinade recipes?

Tramontina Grilled Cheese Recipe Contest

National Grilled Cheese Day is April 12th. To celebrate we are holding a Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe Contest! Details are in the post below.

I am really excited about National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day because Grilled cheese is one of my favorite sandwiches. I love how many ways you can make it. I have sampled many fine versions of this lunchtime favorite. My first grilled cheese memory is my mom making me a grilled cheese sandwich with plain white Wonder Bread and Kraft American Cheese with a side of Campbell's Tomato Soup. I have since updated my go-to recipe to a more grown-up version. 

My Go-To-Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

Take 2 slices of good sourdough bread, butter both sides, and place 1 slice of PepperJack cheese and 1 slice of Cheddar cheese in-between the bread. Place in a med-low heated skillet or grill pan and grill golden brown on both sides until cheese is melted. Sometimes I will add an extra kick with red pepper flakes. 

Pro-Tip: Make sure your butter is room temperature to make spreading easier, and also make sure your cheese is at room temperature. You don’t want your bread to burn before the cheese has melted. 

Serve with a side of tomato soup, recipe for that is here.

Tools you'll need to make this melting delight: A Tramontina Cast Iron Grill Pan and a Cuisipro Fiberglass Large Slotted Turner.

So what is your go-to Grilled Cheese Recipe?

To enter the contest, post in the comments by April 9^th your Grilled Cheese Recipe. I want to know what your most creative and best Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe is. This is a contest, so be creative.

The most creative recipe will win our grand prize graciously sponsored by Tramontina!   

Tramontina Series 1000 Cast Iron Grill Pan w/ Press, 11" SKU: 07-2225

We’ll pick 4 other winners at random that will get a Bialetti Cup and Saucer set (includes 2 cups and 2 saucers) – cute and great to serve a cup of tomato soup in to accompany your grilled cheese sandwiches.

I look forward to reading all of your delicious Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipes! The winners will be announced in next week's blog post, so be sure to check back to see if you have won. Good luck and happy cooking!

No purchase necessary to enter; must be 18 or older; entering comment must include a Grilled Cheese Recipe; comment must be longer than 2 sentences; you may post as many recipes as you like, but they must be in different posts to count as another entry; contest ends April 9th, 2013.