Food and Recipes Appetizers Summer Appetizers and Party Food 8 Delicious Reasons to Use Your Cast Iron Skillet on the Grill By Patricia S York Patricia S York Patricia was the assistant food editor at Southern Living and worked with the Southern Living food team from 2006-2022. She contributed to articles about food, gardening, and pets. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on June 27, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Sanchez There is no need to spend time cooking in the kitchen while everyone else is outside enjoying the nice weather. Two of the South's favorite cooking appliances, cast iron cookware and the grill, team up to help you prepare pleasing and nourishing meals outdoors for your family - just keep an eye on the grill but you can still participate in a game of volleyball. If you think a cast iron skillet is just for cornbread, or your grill is only used for barbecue, you are in for a nice surprise when you look over this lineup of main dishes, sides, sandwiches, and even dessert. If you want more summer meal options, pick a refreshing main dish salad, loaded with fresh produce from the farmers' market. And always finish off your meal with a cool and revitalizing ice-box pie. 01 of 08 Grilled Peach Cobbler Greg Dupree Recipe: Grilled Peach Cobbler What is better than a summer peach cobbler? One made on the outdoor grill. Just add ice cream. 02 of 08 Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak Hector Sanchez Recipe: Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak Get that delicious steak house crust without smoking up the house. Use your grill to heat the cast-iron skillet; the skillet surface area promotes a more assertive flavor and better sear than grill grates. 03 of 08 Cast-Iron Salsa Hector Sanchez Recipe: Cast-Iron Salsa This flavorful salsa is the perfect appetizer for an outdoor fiesta. Just add tortilla chips and margaritas. 04 of 08 Chicken and Fontina Panini Greg Dupree Recipe: Chicken and Fontina Panini No need to buy a Panini press to make grilled sandwiches. While you're cooking a sandwich in one skillet, heat the second on the grill grate. Once hot, place the second skillet on top of the sandwich for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat on the flip side, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes more. 05 of 08 Top-Shelf Chicken Under a Brick Hector Sanchez Recipe: Top-Shelf Chicken Under a Brick The "top-shelf" in this recipe speaks to the crispy skin, superior flavor, and juiciness of the bird. It also refers to a fun technique: cooking potatoes in the heavy cast-iron skillet that's used as a weight on the chicken. 06 of 08 Barbecued Pork Quesadillas Southern Living Recipe: Barbecued Pork Quesadillas This recipe uses barbecued pork from your favorite restaurant, which means you can have these tasty quesadillas ready in under an hour. 07 of 08 The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Hector Sanchez Recipe: The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Go ahead and fire up the grill in order to make a batch of these simple but fabulous grilled cheese sandwiches. Your family will be so glad you did. 08 of 08 Natalie's Cajun-Seasoned Pan-Fried Tilapia Oxmoor House Recipe: Natalie's Cajun-Seasoned Pan-Fried Tilapia This recipe is a great choice for weeknight meals, and works well with catfish, chicken cutlets, or pork chops. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit