As the warmer weather starts approaching, you can’t help but want to avoid anything that creates heat, especially in the kitchen! The griddle can be one of your best friends this time of year. It’s a great way to cook a lot of food at once, and you don’t even have to turn on the oven! And you don’t have to limit yourself to just pancakes- though pancakes is always a great option!

• Eggs. If you’re going to make pancakes, may as well whip up a bunch of eggs, too! Especially if feeding a large family, it’s nice to be able to make several eggs at once!
• Toast While you’re cooking the eggs, you may as well throw on a few slices of bread and make toast! Just keep it nice and buttered!
• Ok- if you’re going to do pancakes, you can be creative to make them different each time! Chocolate chips, blueberries, chocolate protein powder, raspberries, cinnamon and nutmeg, coconut and butterscotch chips- the sky’s the limit! You could even try your hand at sourdough pancakes.
• French toast. The griddle is perfect for cooking up several slices of heaven at once!
• Bacon and sausage. Let’s just keep the breakfast theme going. Yet another DELICIOUS breakfast food that can be prepared on the amazing griddle!
• Grilled cheese sandwiches. I love that I can get everyone’s sandwich done at the same time! If you think regular old grilled cheese sandwiches are boring, you don’t have to stick with just plain cheddar! Swiss, provolone, turkey and ham make an incredible homemade Monte Cristo. Basil, mozzarella, and tomato; caramelized onions and ham; pesto, mozzarella and shredded chicken- all delicious options that are different from your basic grilled cheese!
• Quesadillas. Another staple that you can make as fancy as you want! A couple tortillas filled with cheese is great- but you can add peppers and chicken for a fajita twist, avocado and black beans; roasted corn, cilantro and lime juice, etc.
• Griddle s’mores! Put your graham cracker on the griddle, then layer the chocolate, the marshmallow, and the remaining graham cracker. You’ll have melty s’mores without the campfire smoke smell!
• Burgers. You don’t need to have an outdoor grill. A griddle is a great way to cook up a bunch of patties indoors!
• Hot Dogs! Again, no grill needed for crispy, delicious hot dogs!
• Any meat! Steak, chicken, pork- if you want to saute it to perfection, just pull out the griddle! You’ll want to use just enough oil to prevent it from sticking, but it generally requires much less than frying in the pan! It’s actually a much healthier alternative.
• Naan. This delicious and unique bread can take forever if you just use one skillet. A griddle can help you make so many more at a time!
• Crepes. This can be a little tricky if you want your crepes super thin, but if you like them a little thicker, then cook them up on the griddle! You can still spread them plenty thin with a measuring cup, spoon, or spatula!

What’s your favorite way to utilize your griddle?