The kitchen is done. I’ve been cooking in it for about two weeks now, and friends, it’s glorious. I thought that the minute I had my kitchen back, I’d never want to cook a meal outside again, but I can’t help myself. I have grown to love cooking outdoors, the ritual of starting the grill, the aroma of the wood pellets, and the inherent mouth-watering flavor of the grill that saturates the food.

Earlier this summer, I shared my initial quest to grill and how easy it was to use a Traeger grill. Well, folks, it’s been a long kitchen-less summer, and I can say with complete confidence that I’ve mastered the art of grilling.

I’ve grilled everything from pizza to shrimp to roasted peaches to smoked beets. Our grill is also a smoker, and roasted veggies just don’t taste the same inside without that additional smokey flavor. 

This meal is very simple to prep and even simpler to cook with my Traeger and its features. I can set my ideal temperature on the Traeger, and it stays there. There’s no guessing how much charcoal to add or when it’s the right temperature—I can set it and forget it … but I won’t forget it, because the Traeger has the perfect temperature built in. My Traeger Ironwood 885 has an internal temperature monitor, which alerts you when your food reaches your desired temperature—no more guessing when the coals are ready and no more guesswork over where to place your food so it doesn’t overcook. No timer is necessary because my Traeger alerts my phone to let me know when the food is ready. 

With all of the features of the grill, I can grill all year long. No standing in the snow waiting for the grill. No checking coals or checking temperature. This is a GAME CHANGER.

Through delicious trial and error, I’ve come up with the perfect grill everything meal. This meal is simple, delicious, and incredibly satisfying. There is a little prep work, but once all the ingredients are chopped and marinated, they are ready to sit on the grill.

Baked Camembert and Dates Serve with grilled toast.

Grilled Sliced Eggplant Top with chili oil and parsley.

Radicchio Salad With Caramelized Shallots and Shallot Oil

Baked Salmon With Citrus and Dill 

Grilled Flank Steak

I highly recommend adding the Traeger Signature pellets to give the meal a smokey flavor that goes with everything you’ll be putting on the plate. 

I set my grill to 450 degrees and cooked on it like it was a combined cooktop/oven.

First, I heated the oil for the caramelized shallots. I placed the baked Camembert in an oven-safe dish on the top rack. Once the shallots started to sweat, I put the salmon on the top rack and baked them for 12 minutes or so. Once the salmon was cooked, the shallots had finished caramelizing and the Camembert was bubbling. Everything came off the grill and then all I needed to do was put the flank steak on for 5 minutes per side, which was a similar time to what the bread and eggplant needed.

Cooking this meal on the Traeger enhanced both the flavor and texture of everything on my plate. The added smokiness retained by the Camembert was an extra special surprise and I found myself eating it standing up in the kitchen for lunch! I highly recommend this type of cooking method for entertaining as well. You can get all your dishes done in a relatively short amount of time, and it’s an excuse to enjoy the last days of warm weather.

What are you cooking on your grill? 

Editor’s Note: This post was sponsored by Traeger. The compensation we receive in exchange for placement on Wit & Delight is used to purchase props, hire a photographer, write/edit the blog post, and support the larger team behind Wit & Delight.

While compensation was received in exchange for coverage, all thoughts and opinions are always my own. Sponsored posts like these allow us to continue to develop dynamic unsponsored content. Thank you for supporting our partners!

Kate Arends

Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.