The warm season is finally here, so dust off your grill because you have plenty of wonderful skewered foods to make!
Why focus so much attention on recipes that involve skewers? In a nutshell, skewers make it simpler to prepare grilled items. Plus, they help you grill your favorite easy sausage recipes faster because your pieces of meat and produce are smaller, so they cook faster.
Tips for Using Skewers
Before diving into our favorite grilled sausage recipes, consider the following tips to using skewers to grill your favorite foods:
- Soak wooden skewers for around half an hour in warm water before using them. That way, they will be less likely to burn on the grill.
- Always use proper safety mitts and gloves to handle wooden or metal skewers. They can get very hot.
- Consider removing skewered food instead of giving the skewers to your picnic guests. Some people have difficulty cutting or biting items off skewers.
- Reuse your bamboo skewers if they didn’t get too charred. However, you may want to scrub them first to remove residue.
- Invest in heavy-duty skewers to ensure they can stand up to the best Italian sausage recipes you love to make.
Now that you know some best practices for skewers, it is time to try some fun new dishes.
Go for the Spice
It’s easy to get in a grilling rut where you always make the same items. Rev up your grilling game by adopting a mindset of trying interesting seasonings and flavor combinations.
For example, Grilled Ginger Spiced Kebabs playfully mix Asian seasonings that complement the sausage meat, shrimp and vegetables. Really love the way ginger can switch up a plate? You may want to add some freshly grated ginger root into the ginger-based marinade for a boost of intensity.
Give Carb Lovers and Low-Carb Eaters a Choice
Some of your guests may love a good carb. Others might be careful about how many carbohydrates they eat in a day. A good grilling recipe can accommodate both their needs without a problem.
The Sausage Sandwich on a Stick features a skewer chock-full of two kinds of sausage, onions and bell peppers. It also calls for large chunks of Italian bread you can grill on the skewer alongside the meat and veggies. However, you can easily prepare specialty skewers without any bread at all. Presto! You are the keto grilling king or queen!
GO FOR THEMES
You have theme nights for parties, so why not have theme nights for skewers, too? The key is to pick a theme you appreciate and start building your skewer ingredients around it. For instance, consider our Coconut Pineapple Shrimp and Sausage Skewers. They burst with flavors reminiscent of your favorite Hawaiian vacation hotspot. Yet you never need to leave the house to experience the tropics. Just bite into the ingredients, and you’re whisked away to palm trees and a shady cabana.
Want another theme possibility? Check out the Grilled General Tso’s Cauliflower and Sausage Kebabs. Why order out for a bit of Asian-inspired cuisine when you can create it yourself in no time flat? If General Tso’s flavorings activate your taste buds, you’ll find this recipe the perfect answer. Serve the finished dish over rice, if desired, and eat with chopsticks.
INTRODUCE FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO KEBAB STYLE PIZZA
Everybody loves a good pizza, but sometimes you want the taste but not the pie. Here’s your answer: Pizza Tornadoes.
Pizza Tornadoes are just another name for skewered ingredients that, when combined, remind you of the most delicious homemade pizza you’ve ever eaten. Made with chunks of mozzarella cheese, lots of veggies and hot Italian sausage, these treasures will become a go-to treat when you’re not in the mood to make a traditional pie.
Best of all, Pizza Tornadoes contain very few carbs because the crust has been removed. Though you could certainly serve the final product with bread, you can easily make this a low-carb or carb-free meal.
SAUCE IT UP
A fun way to rev up your kebabs and skewers is by having a boatload of ingredients such as fruits, meats, sausage, seafood, produce and cheese, and then giving everyone different sauces for dipping. What types of sauce should you offer? Try a mixture of cream-based sauces, vinegar-type dressings, cheesy spreads, and herb-laden melted creamery butter.
Depending on the sauce you choose, you can get a whole different experience from the exact same type of food. Not sure how it works? Imagine the difference between dipping your succulent, grilled sausage medallion in an alfredo sauce compared to a basil pesto spread.
Have fun exploring a variety of sauce pairings. You might also want to ask party or picnic guests to bring along different dressings and sauces to try. Kids appreciate being exposed to out-of-the-ordinary flavors in this laid-back way, too.
TEST EXOTIC FOODS
In addition to skewer standards like sausage pieces, green bell peppers, onions and cherry tomatoes, give some exotic produce a chance to star in your next skewer show. From parsnips and jackfruit to kiwi and jicama, most grocery stores stock foods that may be new to you.
Every once in a while, switch up your skewers by either adding an unusual ingredient or replacing it with something similar. For instance, you can try pieces of plantain in lieu of baby potatoes since both are starches. Who knows? You might discover your next favorite food — all because you channeled your inner food scientist and gave exotic produce a whirl.
Remember to Add Fruity Flavors
Grilling is never limited to only savory ingredients. Plenty of fruits such as pineapples are perfectly suited for skewering and grilling.
The Sweet and Sassy Strawberry Kebabs recipe shows just how versatile grilled fruits can be. In this treat, strawberries are grilled alongside mouthwatering sausage and potatoes. The result? A total package with the meal and dessert wrapped into one.
Another skewer possibility that leans in the direction of slightly sweet is Sassy Premio Grilled Sausage and Shrimp Skewers. Although fruit is not directly grilled, the dipping sauce falls in a sweeter direction that pairs beautifully with more robust, bold flavorings.
Bring on the Skewering!
Skewers provide you with the opportunity to grill like never before. Pick up some today to master the art of using skewers to create crowd-pleasing favorites.