3. Have Your Trays Do Double Duty
Today’s serving dish is tomorrow’s drip tray. Disposable foil pans are a common accessory for backyard grilling. Whether they are catching grease under the grill grates or soaking wood chips for the next low-and-slow smoke, they are typically one-and-done.
I like to extend their use by first using them to serve food. I’ll use a new 9×13 foil pan for smoked mac and cheese, and once the leftovers (ha, yeah right!) are stored elsewhere, I put the used pan in my future drip tray stack. This way, you eliminate dishes and extend the tray’s usefulness. It’s a literal win-win.
A day before the grill-out (rather than the day of) is a perfect time to empty and replace those drip pans, remove extra ash, and give your grill grates a good scrape so you’re set up and ready to go.
Person pouring hot coals into a grill with gloved hands
Simply Recipes / Photo by Matthew Pevear / Food Styling by Mike Lang
4. Fuel Up
Sure, you’ve got enough “insert fuel of choice” until you don’t. Whether it’s propane, charcoal, or pellets, make sure to have extra on hand. Running out to the store during party prep isn’t an option. Growing up, I distinctly remember several times my Dad either ran out of propane mid-cook or didn’t have any to light the grill. Today, he is still grilling at 86 and learned his lesson years ago—keep an extra one on the shelf!
I am lucky to have a fairly good supply of fuel around, and keep a backup bag of pellets, charcoal briquettes, and a cylinder of liquid propane at the ready. To maintain this, I replace an empty bag or refill a cylinder every time I open a new one, so I never deplete what I have on the shelf.
Outdoor table set with various dishes, drinks, and surrounded by people enjoying a meal
Simply Recipes / Photo by Matthew Pevear / Food Styling by Mike Lang
5. Stick To What You Know
I love to experiment on the grill. However, when it comes to special days when I’m entertaining, I like to grill what I know and, more importantly, what I know I can pull off. Save that live fire exploration for a quiet Sunday afternoon when you can truly become one with the grill.
If you really want to attempt something completely different, I salute your inventiveness and desire to mix things up. However, I recommend you try it out on a smaller scale a week in advance. The extra practice with those grilled racks of lamb will practically ensure your enshrinement in the neighborhood grill master hall of fame.
