If you're new to grilling, and want to stick to basics while getting a feel for your gas grill, you should know the basics of cooking those basics!  But first, let's define basics: the sausage to be named later (hot dog, bratwurst, et al.), the versatile boneless chicken breast, and the noble hamburger.

There are a few secrets to cooking juicy sausages that don't split.  First, never pierce a sausage.  Use tongs.  If you pierce the casing, juices will escape, which may cause the grill to flare and burn your food (or your eyebrows!)  Losing the juices before the sausages are  cooked will yield dry sausages.  Second, keep them off of a high flame.  Heat the burners until the grates get very hot,  put the sausages on and reduce the flames so that they do not heat up too quickly and split open.  An intact casing means a plump brat for your bun!  Shutting the lid will heat the sausages more evenly, and more quickly. Turn them only once or twice.  As they brown, move to a part of the grill away from a lit burner to keep warm.

As for chicken breasts, to marinate is best.  Using your favorite salad dressing, marinate them in a plastic zipper bag.  Refrigerate for at least a two hours.  At bare minimum, coat with a little olive oil to help prevent sticking to the grate.  Be patient, giving the hot grill a little time to sear and seal the surface of the meat, as it will then release more cleanly from the grill surface.  Cook on the second side for a time, and nudge the center of the chicken breasts with your tongs.  If they have firmed up, but feel like they still give a little, they are likely done.  Don't wait until they are as firm as a brick of cheese, or they will be over-cooked.  If unsure, use an instant-read thermometer and cook until the center has a reading of 180 degrees.

Plain or "doctored up" with secret ingredients, you can avoid the dreaded hockey puck hamburger.  Have the grill very hot, in order to instantly sear the meat.  Wait to flip, no matter how much flaring, because they will stick, and they may come apart.  A burger, adequately seared on one side, will release from the grate and hold together.  After cooking on the second side for a few minutes, as with the chicken breast, nudge the center with your spatula.  The squishier it is, the rarer it is. (Your thermometer will show 130 for rare, 140 for medium, and 155 for well done.) Don't press down on a burger, as it will not only cause a flare-up, but will also compact the meat, making the burger dense and dry.

Apply these basics to anything you dare to grill.  Soon you will be treading fearlessly into the realm of T-bone steaks, pork tenderloin, even fish, all using your gas grill.