Backyard Texas Grill may have started with a passion for barbecue, but today it’s truly a family effort.
While Zach is the pit master behind the grill, there are several people working behind the scenes to test recipes, photograph food, write content, and help grow the site. Together, we’re building a collection of recipes that celebrates not only Texas barbecue but also the side dishes, desserts, and family favorites that make every meal complete.
Randi Morrow
Randi is Zach’s wife, the mother of their children, and one of the driving forces behind Backyard Texas Grill.
A talented home cook and natural hostess, Randi has a gift for feeding a crowd. Whether she’s preparing food for family gatherings, church events, holidays, or backyard celebrations, she knows how to plan a menu that brings people together. While she happily leaves the grilling and smoking to Zach, she’s the expert when it comes to side dishes, family meals, and entertaining.
Outside the kitchen, Randi serves as a worship leader and vocalist, bringing the same heart for serving others into every area of her life.
Behind the scenes, Randi handles much of the food photography and helps document recipes as they’re developed. From photographing finished dishes to preparing notes and recipe details, she plays a vital role in helping bring Backyard Texas Grill recipes from the backyard to the website.
Janice Thompson
Janice is Randi’s mother and Zach’s mother-in-law, as well as a longtime baker, cookbook author, and professional food blogger with decades of experience creating recipes and content for readers around the world.
As the founder of a successful monetized baking website, Out of the Box Baking, she brings a unique blend of recipe development, writing, marketing, and technical expertise to the Backyard Texas Grill team. Her experience helps guide everything from content strategy and search engine optimization to recipe formatting and site growth.
While baking will always be her first love, Janice has also spent a lifetime cooking the comforting Southern foods that bring families to the table. As Backyard Texas Grill has grown, she’s enjoyed contributing many of the side dishes, desserts, cast iron favorites, and old-fashioned family recipes that help round out a great barbecue meal.
From potato salad and baked beans to cornbread and classic Southern desserts, Janice loves helping readers discover the dishes that have been passed from one generation to the next. Her goal isn’t to replace the grilling focus that makes Backyard Texas Grill special. It’s to complement it. Because in the South, a great meal is about more than what’s coming off the smoker. It’s also about the sides, desserts, and family recipes that turn a backyard cookout into a lasting memory.
Better Together
Backyard Texas Grill is built on a shared love of food, family, and Texas hospitality.
Zach brings the barbecue. Randi brings the entertaining expertise and beautiful food presentation. Janice brings decades of cooking, baking, writing, and blogging experience.
Together, we’re creating a place where readers can find everything they need for memorable meals—from the smoker to the dessert table. Whether you’re planning a holiday gathering, a backyard cookout, a church potluck, or a simple family dinner, we hope you’ll find recipes that help you gather the people you love around the table.