Come on, admit it. No matter your age, food on a stick is more appealing than food served on a plate or in a bowl. (Unless your bowls look like these!)
Case in point: Visit any fair, carnival or amusement park this summer. Pretty much every indulgent option is served on a stick. You’ll even find deep-fried butter on a stick at the Iowa State Fair.
The great thing about food on a stick is that the sky is the limit — and it doesn’t have to be dipped in batter and deep-fried to taste good. The healthiest of combinations are easy and just plain fun to serve up on a skewer. Try these at home this summer.
Sandwich on a stick
Make a sandwich to your liking, cut it into squares and put it on a stick. Or, deconstruct the sandwich, and thread bread cubes, cheese, deli meat, olives and veggies onto a stick. For folks who are gluten-free or just trying to cut down on carbs, try veggies and deli meat.
Fruit on a stick
Serve up a rainbow of color and flavor — it’s a great way to get kids to try something new.
Salad on a stick
Surprisingly, salad can be put on a stick. Start by skewering small wedges of lettuce on a stick, slide on a few cherry tomatoes, alternate with any vegetable you like, and drizzle with the salad dressing of your choice.
You can also enjoy any tried-and-true combination, such as skewered tomatoes, cucumber and feta cheese, or mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil leaves drizzled with a little olive oil.
Dessert on a stick
All you need is some fruit, your favorite pastry (pound cake, cheesecake, biscuits or brownies are great for skewers) and some kind of sauce (melted chocolate, strawberry sauce or frosting). Stack your fruit and pastry however you want and then drizzle or dunk the kebabs. Dessert kebabs are a great way to keep portion sizes in check.
"Meatier" meals you can cook on the grill
When you're preparing for a barbecue, you want a recipe that's fast, fabulous and sure to satisfy. These deliciously simple recipes for pork, chicken and shrimp are fast to prepare and fun to cook on the grill.
Quick tips before you get started
- You can use either metal or wooden skewers for kebabs. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20–30 minutes prior to threading. This will prevent the skewers from charring or burning while they’re on the grill.
- To keep food from sticking to the grill, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil or nonstick cooking spray. Using long handled tongs, lightly and quickly (so the paper towel doesn’t burn) drag the oily end of the paper towel over the grates.
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