grilled very berry pizz
Photo courtesy of Pizza on the Grill

Taming the Flame: 20 Meals from the Grill by Elizabeth Karmel

In this weekly column, grilling expert Elizabeth Karmel shares menus for full meals cooked on the grill. In this column, she shares her recipes for Straight-Up Deviled Eggs, a Build-Your-Own-Burger Bar, and grilled Very Berry Pizza.

About Elizabeth Karmel's Memorial Day Cookout Menu

It's finally here: the official start to grilling season -- although anyone who knows me knows that I grill year 'round! Still, Memorial Day is a great time to celebrate cooking outdoors. This year, I am making two of America's favorite foods -- hamburgers and pizza -- on America's favorite cooking appliance -- the grill, of course. The beauty of this menu is that is chock full of crowd-pleasers, and it can all be made in advance so you can have as much fun as your guests.

A Build-Your-Own-Burger Bar Makes Feeding a Crowd Easy

I love creating a Build-Your-Own-Burger Bar when I cook for a crowd. It's easy on the cook (me!) and lots of fun for my company. I make up a mess of patties in advance and simply fill the grill with them. When they are done, I put them on a platter and they join the buffet of buns, topping and condiments that I have laid out. Because there are so many fun and tasty ways to top the burgers, I always count on each person having two. You can mix it up a little and grill hot dogs, sausages and brats and let people top their dogs as creatively as their burgers.

Make-Ahead Deviled Eggs Cut Down on Day-of-Party Prep

The day before my cookout, I always make my Straight-Up Deviled Eggs while I am getting all the burger toppings together. The eggs actually taste better once all the flavors have had a chance to meld and marry in the refrigerator, and on the day of the party all I have to do is reach into the fridge and pull out the tray.

Skip the Oven: Make Grilled Very Berry Pizza for Dessert

This year, I discovered a new pizza crust yeast from Fleischmann's that lets you make fresh dough from start to finish in about five minutes. There is no waiting for the dough to rise and it doesn't snap back so it easy to roll out and grill. My Very Berry Pizza, from my book Pizza on the Grill: 100 Feisty Fire-Roasted Recipes for Pizza & More, is the perfect pizza for a party because you do everything in advance. You grill both sides of the crust before spreading the top with a sweetened ricotta cheese, crystallized ginger and lemon zest mixture and then topping with fresh berries. You can use any fruit, but I love the red, white and blue look for Memorial Day.

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