Shish kebabs have long been a favorite of many Americans. Some people fix them on the grill outside; others make the foods indoors. There is no particular recipe for shish kebabs – even though you can find many suggestions at recipe sites; you simply slide the foods you want onto a skewer and serve. When grilling, the foods are placed on the stick raw and then cooked. When making them inside you can do the same thing, only use the oven to cook them, or you can skewer the foods after cooking. Although many adults love shish kebabs most kids would rather have a hamburger, hot dog or pizza. When offered the large chunks of meats and vegetables on a stick many kids will not appreciate them quite as much as some other food choices. You can, however, make shish kebabs that, although they are somewhat unusual, will thrill any kid, any time.
Since a skewer can hold an awful lot of food it’s a good idea to cut them in half for children’s shish kebabs. There are lots of different ways to make them to suit any picky eater. Choose only a couple of foods to add to the stick or create a shish kebab “sandwich”. Take the makings of a sandwich and place them on a stick to make a fun snack or meal for a child. There are several different sandwiches you can make – all on a stick – that are scrumptious.
Cut the crust off the bread (this is optional) then cut the bread into small squares. The bread can be rye, wheat, white or most any other type. Sliced bread can be flat squares, but uncut bread like French, can be cut into cubes. Cut cheese slices into squares as well or cut cubes from block cheese. Cut thick blocks of meat or add thin slices in a different manner. Fold sliced lunch meat into fourths then slide the pieces onto the stick. Other foods you can add to the stick include grape tomatoes, pearl onions, pickles, lettuce, green onion pieces or even olives. Slide a piece of bread onto the stick first, then lunch meat, lettuce, cheese, tomato, or any combination you want. If you’re using flat bread you can take one square, place a little ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise on it, then sandwich it with a second square of bread. Do this before sliding the bread pieces onto the stick. Place one bread piece at each end of the skewer, and if you want, add additional squares of bread between the other shish kebab foods. Arrange the foods according to color to make them even more appealing.
Although you can add condiments to the bread before sliding it onto the skewers it can be even more fun to make dips for the unusual sandwiches. Dips can be ordinary mayo, mustard and ketchup, or can be barbecue sauce, salad dressings or even cheese dips. Purchase dips from a store or make your own. You’ll find lots of sandwich dip recipes online that kids will love.
Every sandwich you make doesn’t have to have lunch meats and cheeses. Make a peanut butter and jelly shish kebabs by first making an ordinary peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Go easy on the jelly – as well as the peanut butter – so the sandwich isn’t oozing. Cut the crust away, if you want, then cut the sandwich into small squares. Add several squares to the stick to make the shish kebab. To add color and interest to this type of sandwich slide on cereal rings, mini marshmallows or similar foods. Or, make a peanut butter and banana shish kebab by first spreading peanut butter on a piece of bread then sandwiching it with another piece of bread. Cut away the crust, if desired, and cut the sandwich into squares. Now add one square of the peanut butter bread, then a chunk of a banana, then another tiny sandwich, and another banana chunk. End the shish kebab, at both ends, with a sandwich piece. Combine the peanut butter and bananas with other “spacers” such as the cereal rings, marshmallows or even cherries.
Even though there are many sandwich shish kebabs you can make without heating or cooking there are others you can make by cooking a little. For example, make a grilled cheese sandwich then cut it into squares. Slide a piece onto the skewer then add grape tomatoes, ham or other meats, cucumber slices or other choices. The shish kebab sandwiches are perfect for parties, snacks, meals, adults and kids. They’re really fun to make and even more fun to eat. Since there are so many different combinations you can do there’s a shish kebab sandwich for anyone and everyone! Keep lots of wooden skewers around from now on, though, because the kids will be begging for shish kebabs in the near future!
Reference:
- Get dip recipes here: www.allrecipes.com
