Father's Day Cookout Menu

Randy Mayor

Grilled Pepper Poppers

The breaded and deep-fried version of this dish is a nutritional nightmare, but our version, with spicy pepper flavor and generous amounts of cheese, has only 84 calories per popper. Try swapping out the Parmesan for cheddar, jack, or your favorite smooth-melting cheese for a whole new taste.

View Recipe: Grilled Pepper Poppers

Howard L. Puckett

Light and Fresh Potato Salad

This recipe was developed for a dad who doesn't like mayonnaise. Instead, it's dressed with a summery vinaigrette that permeates the potatos with flavor (make sure to add it while they're still hot). Cherry tomatoes, colorful peppers, cool cucumbers and salty olives add a variety of flavors and textures that sets this potato salad apart.

View Recipe: Light and Fresh Potato Salad

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese Dressing

Look for packaged hearts of romaine with the bags of prewashed salad greens in your supermarket's produce section. If available, use multicolored teardrop tomatoes for a beautiful peak-of-summer presentation.

View Recipe: Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese Dressing

Basic Grilled Steak

Turn the steaks only once as you cook them. The more time they’re in direct contact with the grill, the better. And speaking of better, nothing is better with a grilled steak than sweet, grilled corn-on-the cob. Coat fresh ears of corn with butter-flavored cooking spray; place the corn on the grill rack, and grill over direct heat, covered, 15 to 20 minutes or until the corn is tender, turning occasionally.

View Recipe: Basic Grilled Steak

Grilled Mexican Corn with Crema

On the streets of Mexico, people line up at vendor carts to buy giant ears of roasted corn dunked in rich crema Mexicana and sprinkled with chili powder and lime juice. This savory treat provides a festive twist to the basic corn-on-the-cob. Crema Mexicana is a sweet, heavy cream that ranges in flavor from tangy to mildly bland with a slightly stiff to thick consistency. If you have difficulty finding it, use low-fat sour cream as a substitute.

View Recipe: Grilled Mexican Corn with Crema

Grilled Fries

These fries make a wonderful accompaniment to Simply Great Steak. If you have a large enough grill, start grilling the potatoes with the steak so everything will be done at the same time. Otherwise, tent the beef with foil to keep it warm. This perfect combination will guarantee rave reviews from friends and family.

View Recipe: Grilled Fries (with Simply Great Steak)

Randy Mayor

Raspberry-Rhubarb Pie

Though a beloved pie classic, rhubarb has a strong tartness that sometimes needs moderating. Sweet raspberries do that job perfectly here, while a splash of crème de cassis adds even deeper berry flavor. A slice of this pie absolutely screams for a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

View Recipe: Raspberry-Rhubarb Pie

Randy Mayor

Lemon Verbena Gimlet Cocktails

The tartness of lime juice and the herbal freshness of verbena both make this cocktail taste light and refreshing. If the party's outside, pour these over ice to keep them cold, but for a more elegant look indoors, shake with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into chilled martini glasses.

View Recipe: Lemon Verbena Gimlet Cocktails