7 Family-Friendly Recipes for the Backyard

April 10, 2020

Filed Under: recipes

While we are all more confined then usual, finding fun and creative ways to pass the time with the family can be a struggle. As a solution, we're seeing tons of families in the BioLite Community head to their backyards to fire up grills for some fresh air and wood-fired distraction.

Cooking outside can be a great way to pass time with kids - it gets everyone together to share in some collaborative work setting up the grill, gathering supplies, starting a fire, and ultimately cooking up a delicious meal. At the same time, cooking meals together can provide everyone in the home with a sense of comfort and satisfaction. We caught up with a few families in the BioLite community to see what they’re cooking while staying at home and to provide you with some recipe inspiration.

Skip directly to a recipe:

Grilled Halloumi & Egg Sandwiches

This recipe & the Chickpea Hash below both come from our Calgary-based ambassador Devin. He assured us that both meals are kid approved and this sandwich tastes like ‘heaven.’

“Kai (Devin's son) crushes both of these recipes and it’s actually great to incorporate him into cooking with me. Easy and safe especially with the BioLite FirePit. We used it 3 times in one day just to be outside and have marshmallows as a treat!”

Ingredients

Your choice of bread/bun
Halloumi Cheese
Avocado
1 Egg per Sandwich
Mayo
Green Onion

Directions

Fire up your FirePit. With the fuel rack at the highest, dump in some charcoal and light using a BBQ lighter.
Once the coals are hot, get to cooking. You should be able to cook this all in one pan. Lightly butter the pan and work with your sous-chef to carefully place the Halloumi cheese directly onto the pan.
Crack an egg in an empty spot on the pan and cook to your liking.
Flip the Halloumi (and egg as well).
Lightly toast your bread directly on the FirePit's grill.
Add a light layer of mayo to the bread.
Once the egg is cooked place it on top of the cheese and then onto the bread. Garnish with green onions and enjoy.

Chickpea Hash

Ingredients:

1 Can of Chickpeas
1 Squash or Zucchini
Small bunch of Kale
1 Bell Pepper
Salt & Pepper
Eggs
Butter

Directions

Dice up your veggies and rinse off the chickpeas.
Using a pan over the FirePit, saute the veggies together with the chickpeas. You can lightly add in some salt & pepper, if desired. Have your kids help out with stirring the veggies around to make sure everything is cooked evenly.
Once everything is mixed, moved the chickpea hash to the outside edge of the pan leaving a hole in the middle.
Add a tiny bit of butter and crack an egg or two in the space you created. Cook the egg however you'd like and once it's ready serve the hash right away.

Wood-Fired Shrimp Skewers & Grilled Veggies

Alexandra is a BioLite ambassador and mother of three. She and the family have been spending this spring grilling out in their backyard/farmyard while stuck a bit closer to home. This healthy recipe is one of their go-to's.

Ingredients

1lb Jumbo Shrimp
A Handful of Bamboo Skewers
1 Lemon
1 Bunch of Asparagus
2 Bell Peppers
Sesame Oil or Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Tablespoons Mayo
1 Tablespoon Spicy Pepper Sauce (Sriracha, Gochjang or Sambal Oolek)

Directions

Start by skewering the shrimp onto the skewers. This is a great way to get the kids involved, just make sure to leave some room on the end of each skewer so they are easy to flip. We usually end up with 3-5 shrimp per skewer.
Slice up the bell peppers.
Cut the bottoms off of the bottom of the asparagus.
Combine asparagus & bell peppers in a large container with oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic.
Grab the kids as this will be their favorite part - have them shake up the mixture to cover all veggies with spices.
Fire up your CampStove 2 and grill. Once warm, place the skewers directly onto the grill.
Squirt lemon on the shrimp as they cook and move the skewers to one half of the grill after they've cooked for a couple minutes.
Add veggies to the empty space on the grill & again, squirt with lemon.
Let it all cook until the peppers are blistered, asparagus is soft, and shrimp is pink and cooked through.
For the dipping sauce: mix the mayo and spicy sauce together until desired spice level is reached. Add a dash of sesame for flavor and enjoy the meal together.

Grilled Peaches With Sliced Almonds

Who doesn't love a sweet treat after dinner? Alexandra says this is her family's absolute "FAVORITE dessert." Our favorite part about the recipe? It's not only delicious but requires just 4 ingredients and can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

Peaches (each person will eat a half)
Sugar
Sliced Almonds
Olive Oil

Directions:

Slice peaches in half, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle sugar on top.
Toss peaches on the grill skin side up. Flip the peaches over after approximately two minutes and cook until you can see grill marks.
Remove from the grill and serve topped with sliced almonds.

S'mores Three Ways

Our ambassador Amanda and her family have been taking their BioLite CampStove Bundle out for weekly dinners in the fresh air. “We have cooked couscous, roasted hot dogs, grilled shish kabobs, streaks, chicken, shrimp and all the veggies to go with it!”

"We have taught both our children (ages 12 & 6) to use the BioLite stove and grill (with supervision of course). Our favorite thing to make is S’mores and it’s one of the easiest. The best part of S’mores is there is no wrong way! You can sub out pretty much any of the ingredients. Here are the top 3 variations in our household:"

Rolo S'mores

Ingredients:

Marshmallows
Graham Crackers
Rolo Chocolates

Directions: Prep the graham crackers by squishing the Rolo onto one side. Roast the 'mallow and assemble.

Cookie S'mores

Ingredients:

Marshmallow
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Nutella

Directions: Baking the cookies is another fun activity that is super kid friendly especially if you pick up the easy bake pre-made cookie dough. You can use day old cookies or already made cookies for this recipe. Spread a layer of Nutella on the bottom of each cookie, roast your marshmallow, and combine into a delicious gooey treat.

Banana Peanut Buttercup S'mores

Ingredients:

Marshmallow
Sliced Banana
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
Graham Crackers

Directions: Prep graham cracker with Reese's Peanut Butter Cup & banana slices, roast your marshmallow and assemble.

These are just a handful of recipes that are easy to make with the family. If you're looking for even more inspiration, head to the Recipe section of our blog. Don't miss these wood-fired pizza recipes - backyard pizza parties are a great way to spend an afternoon or evening.

Do you have a favorite recipe to make outside with the family? Share with us on Instagram to be featured in an upcoming round up.

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