Summer is in full swing and the sweltering heat being felt in most of the country can make hot, heavy meals seem less than appetizing. Instead of weighing yourself down with a hot casserole, why not take the summer months as a great opportunity to explore the wonderful world of fresh grilled sandwich wraps?

Several things make grilled wraps a great idea for a summer meal. First, they’re generally a lot lighter on the stomach than other hot meals, so you’re not faced with needing a nap after every meal. Aside from that, they’re also extremely easy to do – even if you want to make several different wraps to satisfy all the picky eaters in your house. This way, you can fix the meal, finish eating and get back your day without a lot of hassle.

Making a grilled wrap on your George Foreman contact grill is as easy as making a toasted sandwich. Simply get large tortillas or sandwich wraps (all varieties work on your grill), fill them with your favorite fillings, wrap, grill and eat. If it’s your first time trying wraps, you can follow these instructions for a quick meal in less than 10 minutes, including prep time:

1. Lay tortilla or wrap on a cutting board.

2. Spread the center stripe of the wrap with condiments, sauces or dips (you can also spread across one half of the wrap, if you prefer a lot of sauce)

3. Layer with your ingredients – leaving about an inch of space at the front and back of the wrap so you can fold the tortilla. You can either layer ingredients down the center or cover half of the wrap, depending on whether you like your wraps slim or stuffed, respectively.

4. Fold the front and the back first, then roll up from the side.

5. Place on your preheated George Foreman grill, fold-side down.

6. Close the grill cover and cook for about 2-5 minutes, depending on your grill. If your grill has variable temperature control, set it for medium-low and cook for 3-5 minutes; if you don’t have variable temperature control, simply monitor cooking progress closely and start checking at around 2 minutes.

7. Once the wrap is cooked (wrap will be golden), remove from the grill, slice in half and serve.

As far as the fillings go, you pretty much have the freedom to get creative and have fun with any number of your favorite flavors. You can use cold cuts or pre-cooked chicken and steak, shredded or sliced cheese, all varieties of veggies and fruits, salsa, dips and any of your favorite condiments or sauces. If you want to get really fancy, you can even grill some chicken, steak, fish or veggies on your contact grill, then cut up the meat, fill the wrap and place it on the grill again.

For easy lunches, the wrap can be served by itself or with a small salad or cup of soup – a great idea for an at-home café lunch with friends in the backyard! If you want to try the wraps for dinner, you can serve with a side of fresh pasta salad or angel hair, or a medley of your favorite grilled veggies.

Please note that the recipe below was cooked using our indoor-outdoor grill series; if you wish to cook on an indoor contact grill, simply use the highest temperature setting and remember to reduced the cook time, since the food cooks from both sides and does not need to be turned.

Ingredients

• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig oregano
• 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs mint, roughly chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
• Olive oil
• Coarsely ground pepper
• 1½ lb. boneless lamb loin
• 1 medium eggplant, thickly sliced
• 4 thick slices fennel
• Salt
• ¾ cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup fresh arugula
• ¼ cup chick peas
• 4 fresh figs, halved lengthwise
• 6 flatbread
• ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt

Remove the leaves from the thyme and oregano sprigs. Combine with garlic, mint, rosemary, ¼ cup of olive oil and ¼ tsp. of pepper in sealable plastic bag. Add the lamb. Seal the bag and toss to coat lamb. Refrigerate and let marinate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat your grill to setting 5. Lightly brush the eggplant, fennel and figs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper (set figs aside). Grill until vegetables are tender (about 6 minutes for fennel and 10 minutes for eggplant), turning once. Remove from grill and cut into strips. Combine in bowl with cherry tomatoes, arugula and chick peas; add 2 tbsp. of olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Remove lamb from marinade and place on grill with figs. Cook figs about 3 minutes until heated through. Remove and set aside. Cook the lamb to desired doneness, turning once (about 16 minutes to medium rare –145ºF).

Here’s another great recipe from the George Foreman vault. It’s quick and easy, can be made on any George Foreman grill and makes a great lunch or afternoon snack as we head into the hot months of summer. It’s also fairly healthy, particularly if you use low-fat Monterey jack cheese and you can adjust the level of spicy heat by choosing whatever particular salsa suits your taste.

TURKEY SALSA ROLL RECIPE

• ¼ cup packaged salsa
• 1 tbsp. minced purple onion
• 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 2 large tomato wraps
• 4 oz. sliced turkey
• 4 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers 

In a small bowl, combine salsa, onion and cilantro; set aside.

Place the wraps on a cutting board and spread salsa mixture down the center of each wrap. Top with turkey and cheese. Fold in the ends and roll-up. Place fold side down on your preheated George Foreman grill and close the lid. Grill about 3 minutes or until sandwich is golden and cheese is melted.

 Makes 2 wraps

6 oz. red skin potatoes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 leek (white and light green part) thinly sliced
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. half & half
½ tsp. herbs de Provence
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. garlic pepper
½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
Chopped parsley

Attach the top grill plate to the grill.

Place the deep-dish bake plate on the bottom of the grill. Set baking time to 10 minutes and temperature to 400º F.

Add potatoes, oil and leeks. Close the cover and cook, turning the potatoes occasionally.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, half & half, herbs de Provence, salt and garlic pepper; whisk until well blended. Stir in the cheese.

Add egg mixture to deep-dish bake plate. Set baking time for 15 minutes and temperature to 350º F. Bake until eggs are fully baked and puffed.

Using pot holders, remove the deep-dish bake plate from the grill and place on heat-resistant surface. Garnish with parsley. Use a nylon spatula to serve.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

It’s time for another great Panini recipe for your George Foreman grill! This recipe offers veggie lovers and non-meat eaters alike a phenomenal main dish for brunch, lunch or a quick and easy dinner. For those that aren’t inclined to get their full servings of vegetables in a day with plain or raw produce, it also provides a tasty way to get some extra veggies in your diet.

GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI

• 4 slices seeded Italian bread
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 fresh or jarred roasted red peppers
• 4 slices fresh or jarred roasted eggplant
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 2 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp. bottled Italian dressing        

Brush outside of bread with olive oil. Place bread, cut side up on a cutting board. Top each slice of bread with peppers, eggplant and cheeses. Drizzle dressing over cheese and vegetables. Cover with remaining slices of bread.

Place on your preheated grill (set on HIGH for variable temperature) and close lid. Grill about 4 minutes or until sandwich is golden and cheese is melted.

Makes 2 sandwiches.