Here is a really simple recipe to make delicious BBQ vegetable leftovers, without using any additional charcoal. For the best overall taste, I suggest using a mix of frozen vegetables. I love this recipe because: it’s extremely hands-off, it hardly takes up any of your time, it doesn’t use up any additional charcoal, and it makes delicious leftovers that can be mixed and matched with other foods. Let’s see how this all works.
Kamados are wildly insulated ceramic charcoal grills. It usually takes three or more hours for a kamado’s internal temperature to drop below 75° F after you close down both air dampeners. Wouldn’t it be great if you could use all that extra heat to your advantage, and essentially cook extra food for free (without using up any additional charcoal)? Here’s how to do just that with a dutch oven or cast iron skillet, frozen mixed vegetables, olive oil and a little seasoning. It tastes great the next day reheated in the microwave, and may last you several meals if you make enough.
Total Cook Time: 3 or More Hours
Ingredients
- 1 to 4 Medium Bags of Frozen Vegetables, or 1 Extra Large Bag (Your Choice of Veggies)
- 1 1/2 to 6 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 to 6 Tablespoons Full of Your Choice of Seasoning
Required Accessories
- Dutch Oven (Cast-Iron, Enamled Cast-Iron, etc.) or Cast Iron Skillet — Caution: If you have a 13″ Small Saffire, like myself, be sure the bottom diameter of the dutch oven or skillet is at least an inch smaller than the inside diameter of the top of your firebox. This will ensure the heat has plenty of room to move around the dutch oven, allowing your ceramic grill to continue operating normally while the oven/skillet is inside.
Simple Directions
In the simplest terms, here are the steps to make yourself some charcoal-saving veggie leftovers.
- Put the frozen vegetables, olive oil, and seasoning in your dutch oven or skillet.
- Place the dutch oven inside your ceramic grill, without the dutch oven’s lid. Close down the grill like you would when you are done cooking.
- Check back in about one to two hours to stir your BBQ veggies. (Be careful to burp the grill before opening!)
- Check back again in about another two to three hours to remove your veggies. (Be careful to burp the grill before opening!)
- Let the vegetables cool, and then place them in the refrigerator for another day.
- Detailed Directions
Detailed Directions
1. Prepare Your BBQ Vegetables for Smoky Goodness
Before you finish cooking the last of your meal (perhaps a burger, or pizza), prepare your frozen vegetables. Simply put your frozen veggies in your dutch oven or cast-iron skillet, and season with olive oil and your favorite seasoning. In my case, I’ve tried taco seasoning. It gives the veggies a nice South-West flavor that goes really well with the smokiness that comes from a great natural lump charcoal. Mixing in the olive oil and seasoning isn’t necessary at this point, just put it in.
2. Place Your Dutch Oven or Skillet in Your Ceramic Grill
After removing the last of your primary meal, very carefully remove any pizza stones or heat deflectors that were in use before from your kamado grill. Set those aside in a safe place, and place the cooker into the center of your grill. If you are using a dutch oven, put it in without the lid on. In a kamado charcoal grill, the lid on a dutch oven isn’t necessary, because the ceramic grill body keeps the heat in extremely well. In addition, removing the lid allows the smoke flavor from your charcoal to enter the dutch oven and flavor your barbecued vegetables.
After this, close the grill, and close both the bottom and top dampeners down all the way. Leave it that way for an hour or two, using a kitchen timer to remind you to come back.
3. Come Back and Stir
Burp the grill, and open it slowly to stir the BBQ vegetables. Although the ceramic grill has been “out” for a long while, the charcoal inside is still quite hot and will likely reignite when it comes into contact with fresh oxygen.
Burping the grill means opening the top dampener for a second or two, and then lifting the grill lid halfway and holding it for a second to let any extra smoke escape that could combust otherwise.
Stir your BBQ veggies and close the lid again. It’s okay if they are still partially frozen at this point. As long as the grill is still above 90-100° F, they will thaw and cook over time. Make sure both dampeners are fully closed before you walk away.
4. Bring in Your BBQ Vegetables
Check back in another hour or more. Your BBQ vegetables should be done, and delicious. Again, burp the grill and open it carefully. You may still notice deep red embers in the middle of your firebox. That tells you your charcoal grill is still hot inside. Your dutch oven or skillet is hot too, so carefully remove it using a thick oven mitt (or mitts).
5. Refrigerate for Later
The last part is super simple. Place a lid over your dutch oven or skillet, and let your veggies cool somewhere. I use the stove top for this. After giving them time to cool, scoop out your BBQ vegetables into a container and place it into the refrigerator. (Okay, maybe just add a little to a bowl and taste test it while it’s fresh. It’s for your family’s safety, after all!)
