Serve Your Dishes on a Stick
Skip the hassle of serving ware at your next outdoor event by serving all of your favorite dishes like stuffed mushrooms and strawberry shortcake on a stick. You’ll get all of your favorite flavors with way less cleanup, thanks to single-serving skewers that guests can take and tote as they mingle.
Stuffed mushrooms are an all-time favorite appetizer, and these skewered bites are ready in just 30 minutes. Slide them onto a skewer and pop them on the grill for your next outdoor gathering. For a zesty spinoff, try substituting fresh chorizo and cilantro for the sausage and parsley.
An antipasto plate can be a partygoer’s worst nightmare: It’s a bit messy, and it can look like you’re overdoing it once you’ve got all the olives, meats and veggies piled onto your tiny plate. These colorful skewers are the perfect solution for hand-held bites: They can be assembled ahead of time and grilled right before serving. Don’t skimp on the lemon — it adds something special.
Instead of committing to a whole piece of swordfish per person, cut 4 swordfish steaks, 8 ounces each, into 1-inch dice and serve them appetizer style. Bobby Flay serves them with a creamy coconut dipping sauce that can be made in your blender.
You won’t even miss your traditional cheese plate with Tyler Florence’s skewered pieces of Manchego. They’re paired with quince paste that’s been rolled in crushed almonds so you’ve got the perfect cheese combo all in one bite.
Renee Comet, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Into the grilled-pizza trend but craving something portable? Take all of your essential pizza parts and skewer them. Chunks of sausage, bread and tomatoes are piled onto a skewer, then dipped into tomato sauce.
A traditional strawberry shortcake would require more dishes or wasted paper plates, but not so with these versions that are eaten on a stick. The caramelized sugar from the strawberries in these skewered desserts is like a sixth ingredient, and the warm fruit almost makes its own sauce. Dip the desserts into whipped cream and enjoy!
