We grill a lot in the summer, and there is nothing like grilled steak and potatoes to make the guys in our family happy. Meat and baked potatoes gets pretty boring, so I try to find a variety of side dishes to tantalize the taste buds. The scalloped potato recipe is really good with a variety of meat and only takes a few minutes to get the dish into the oven.

When you grill steaks, place the steaks directly over the fire and turn the steaks when the steaks are halfway through the cooking time. The fire should be medium hot so the meat is not charred on the outside and raw on the inside. The USDA recommends that you cook steaks to at least medium rare.

Keep the lid closed as much as possible when you are grilling. The more you open the lid, the longer it will take to cook the steaks because heat escapes each time you open the lid.

Grilled Steak

Ingredients

Olive oil (spray or liquid)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Garlic Powder (optional) (to taste)

Preparation

Lightly spray, or brush, the steaks with olive oil
Season both sides of the steak with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Place the steaks on the grill directly over the fire and close the lid. For medium, cook the steaks 4-5 minutes. Open the lid and turn the steaks over and close the lid. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes.  Remove the steaks from the grill and set aside for 3-5 minutes to allow the steaks to finish cooking and to rest.

The cooking time for the steaks can vary depending on the thickness of the steaks. The steaks will continue to cook after they are removed from the grill like the Weber 4411001 Spirit E-210 Propane Grill, Black (See all Propane Grills) .

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

6 cups peeled and thinly sliced potatoes
3/4 of an onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/2-2 cups hot milk

Preparation

Turn on the oven to 375 degrees.

Put a layer of potato and onion in 1 1/2 quart casserole.

Sprinkle potato and onion layer with some of the flour, salt and pepper.

Dot the layer with butter or margarine.

Repeat the layers.

End with a layer of potatoes on top and dot with butter or margarine.

Add enough hot milk to almost cover the potatoes. Do not boil the milk. The milk just needs to get hot.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove lid and bake 15 minutes longer.

Tips
Never place cooked food on the same dish, counter, or cutting board that you used for the raw meat.  Place the dish, or cutting board with raw meat in the sink and wash and rinse the dish or cutting board well. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water. This should be done whenever you are cooking meat, fish, or poultry on the grill or cooking in the kitchen.

Keep the children and pets away from the grill because it is very hot.

Be creative and learn to cook veggies and other dishes on the grill. Make quick and easy meals on the grill in the summer when it is so hot nobody wants to be in the house.

Enjoy!