It's Mothers Day... But You Want to Grill! Try Kabobs: Moms Love Them!

Awesome Kabobs

Hat’s off to all the mom’s in the world who put up with crazy kids like my brothers and I. The best thing about Mother’s Day is being able to fire up the grill! Of course, it helps if mom is a fan of grilled food – which I think most are! Grilling and barbecue gurus are beginning to view Mother’s Day as the official start of summer grilling season. It’s an event that can be tailor-made to each mom. It can be a large or small gathering, include only a few people or a larger group of family and friends. And of course – the menu should include some of mom’s favorite dishes.

In this case, the semi-official go-to menu item around the Whitaker household would be huge burgers or kabobs. For some reason, when I was in high school my mom discovered the art of grilling stuff on a stick! I think it was something she picked up in one of her Southern Living type of magazines. Up to that point burgers and hotdogs were dad’s main staples when it came to grilling. Suddenly, there were these exotic grilled meals on a stick that included a variety of meat and vegetables. Remember, this was the mid-1980’s… my parents were still recovering from the first time the fondue craze swept the country.

Of course, you can break out the burgers, steaks, chicken, hotdogs, or whatever your mother’s favorite grilled dish happens to be. After all, it’s her day! But, to my mom’s credit, I’m still a big fan of kabobs. Something about having everything on a skewer, marinated or properly seasoned, and then grilled to perfection just works for me. And, kabobs don’t have to be limited to chunks of beef, chicken, or such with a variety of cubed veggies? Not me!

Think Outside of the Skewer… or Something Along those Lines

Here’s my thought on kababs that has developed over the many years that I’ve been writing cookbooks. Kabobs can be just about anything! You can use meatballs, seafood, sliced smoked sausage, fruit, or even mini peanut and jelly sandwiches for kids. I’ve made pound cake kabobs in the past. Sprayed with butter, grilled till golden, and served with ice cream and sliced strawberries. You don’t have to stick to the traditional meat and bell pepper combination.

One of my favorite kabobs actually is the meatball version I dropped into the conversation above. Picture this; meatballs, chunks of onions, peppers, grilled to perfection, and then basted in marina sauce and served over an open-face french bread which is toasted with garlic butter. Now, top everything off with shredded mozzarella cheese! Oh, how about this one. Shrimp, Sausage, Taters, Corn slices, peppers, onions, and Cajun seasoning – grill and serve with seasoned Bayou style dirty rice.

A Few Ideas from the Blog!

Those are just a few ideas to get your grilling gears grinding. But, if your mom decides she wants a fire-kissed rib-eye steak or a grilled barbecue chicken breast sandwich then go with what mom wants. It’s her day! But, if you decide to go the “Stuff on a Stick” route then here are some tasty ideas featured on the BBQ Dragon Blog!

Author Bio: Kent Whitaker, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motor sports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at www.thedeckchef.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.