Forget Corn. Here's A Different Foil-Wrapped BBQ Vegetable That Leaves You Wanting More

As grilling season kicks off, there are a lot of cookouts to look forward to. Burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and sausages will probably be on the menu, but grilled veggies are also delicious and a great side dish to the main event. Grilled corn is the standard go-to, but the foil-wrapped BBQ vegetable that you need to try is Brussels sprouts.

Brussels sprouts have a savory, earthy, and slightly bitter flavor profile that grilling benefits. It's a dry cooking method that caramelizes their natural sugars in the same way that roasting does, enhancing their overall flavor and instilling deliciously crispy charred edges. However, the grill adds a smokiness that the oven can't imitate. Plus, grilled Brussels sprouts will save you dishes because you can throw away the foil grill packet when they're done cooking. To make grilled Brussels sprouts, prepare them by drizzling with olive oil and any seasonings you'd like and tossing to coat. Then spread them over a sheet of tin foil large enough to hold them, folding up the edges of the foil and sealing them at the top to make a pouch. Place this tin foil bag over a preheated 400 degrees Fahrenheit grill for around 25 minutes, shaking the pouch halfway through to redistribute the sprouts within. While you can grill the brussels at 375 degrees, a hotter grill will give you more charred and  crispy edges. Let the pouch rest for a few minutes to finish off cooking over indirect heat.

Salt and pepper are all the seasoning Brussels sprouts really need to enhance their natural flavors along with the smokiness from the grill. But feel free to get much more creative with seasoning blends, garnishes, and other ingredient pairings to up your game. For example, sprinkle on a sweet barbecue rub to balance the bitterness of the greens. For a meaty complement, add grilled or fried bacon to the pouch to infuse the Brussels with even more savoriness. Finish them off by seasoning when they're hot out of the pouch — hit them with freshly cracked black pepper, shredded parmesan cheese, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Bring an umami-richness to Brussels by grilling cherry tomatoes in a pouch alongside them, tossing the two together with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to serve.

Brussels sprouts aren't the only vegetable you should be throwing on the grill. Other unexpectedly grillable foods include everything from beets to shishito peppers and honeydew melon. If you're making a vegetarian cookout, grill thick slices of halloumi and tofu steaks over the grates alongside the Brussels pouch for a complete meal. Another tasty idea is to accompany grilled Brussels sprouts and other grilled meat or veggies with an herbaceous chimichurri sauce or bright and fresh pesto. You could also toss the grilled Brussels sprouts in a tangy, sweet barbecue sauce. Take them in an Asian direction by tossing them with Bachan's Japanese BBQ sauce or drizzling them with wasabi mayo. These versatile little veggies go with all sorts of flavors.