This Memorial Day, I am so excited to host my friends and grill all the delicious things for them. Instead of opting for burgers and dogs, I’m going into full-on celebration mode with an abundant mixed grill. With sausage, halloumi, pita bread, veggies, and more, this spread isn’t just a combination of my favorite grilled foods — it’s a strategic assortment of flavors and textures that guarantees every bite is delicious. Here’s how I make it happen.

How to host a mixed grill party

A mixed grill is a fun way to kick off grilling season, and its customizable nature makes it perfect for guests. The veggies featured here — fennel, tomatoes, summer squash, endive, and scallions — are very complementary to the spicy, lamby merguez sausage. But if you prefer another sausage or want to switch up the veggies, feel free to build your own platter and use this recipe as a guideline. (Romaine wedges are a great sub-in for the endive!)

One thing you shouldn’t skip? The halloumi. The firm cheese, which hails from Cyprus, is tangy and salty and has a high melting point, making it perfect for the grill. Slice it into planks and toss it on the grates, where it will take on the most gorgeous grill marks. Just be mindful to only grill one side: grilling both sides will dry out the cheese, making it less pleasant to eat.

If you’re serving vegans or vegetarians, grill the vegetables first to prevent cross-contamination, then cook the bread, cheese, and finish with any meat. I like to get everything prepped and onto a sheet tray before I start, which makes it easy to get it all from the kitchen to the grill. Then, I place each ingredient back onto the tray as it comes off the grill. If you start building the platter while you’re cooking, you could lose track of what’s happening on the grill. Plus, you may want to separate any meat from the platter for serving.

Cooking with cast iron on the grill

The chickpeas on this platter feature one of my favorite summer party tricks: cooking with cast iron on the grill. This technique infuses a smoky flavor into ingredients that aren’t grill-friendly. Here, canned chickpeas get the charred and blistered treatment.

The process is as easy as it sounds: Heat a cast iron skillet directly on the grill grates until hot. Add a splash of oil, pour in the chickpeas, and cook until they’re beginning to char and crisp, about two minutes. The crispy chickpeas add great plant-based protein to the platter, and they’re so tasty stuffed into a pita with all the grilled veggies.

Assembling and serving (have fun with it!)

Once everything is grilled, you’ll arrange it all on the serving platter. I like to finish with a healthy sprinkling of mixed herbs to bring balance and freshness to all the smoky veggies, and eat everything with a little garlic-infused mayonnaise. You can stuff all the ingredients into a pita, or, if you’re like me and cooking with fire brings out your primal side, eat it all with your hands. I like to tear the pita and mix and match vegetables for every bite.

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