Premature cookout
I’ve said this before, but my cravings for certain foods really depend on the weather and the time of year. This can be tricky to indulge because sometimes my expectations become fixated on something unrealistic and I have no choice but to follow through.
Which is precisely why I forced a summer cookout in early May, even when it was very cold and rainy. It’s just what I needed at this time, and fortunately, the food was good enough for the weather to not matter as much.
Kebabs: These were a bit improv, but turned out well. My Mom gave me the advice to use chicken tenders and cut them into pieces, which I would highly recommend. Also, if you’re using wooden skewers, soak them for a bit first so they don’t catch on fire! Skewer the chicken pieces, then coat in olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Grill these bad boys until they have a nice char and are cooked through. I kept this part simple knowing there would be wicked sauces on the side.
Chimichurri: A definite classic that’s versatile, but of course great with grilled meat. If you’ve had it, you know what’s up. If you haven’t, let’s get you on board. This is a tangy, vibrant herb-based sauce you can whip together with some serious chopping or a food processor. I think you’ll find most recipes for this are similar, but I opted for BA’s.
White BBQ Sauce: A less known sauce, but a great one that really thrives with grilled chicken. It’s mayo-based and definitely tangy with some kick to it. Oddly, when you try it solo it’s a little much, but on a simple piece of chicken, it’s divine.
Roasted Veggies: Rather than adding the veggies on the kebabs with the meat, I opted to roast them separately. This allowed everything to properly cook, and now I’m wondering why they sell kebabs with veggies on them at the store? Anyway, I did a combo of brussels sprouts, non-green bell peppers and red onion. Everything was seasoned with olive oil, kosher, salt and black pepper, then roasted at 425 for about 40 minutes with occasional tossing. I finished with some lemon juice and seasoned to taste a bit more.
Mac n’ Cheese: I did a baked version of my FAVORITE stovetop mac from Foods of Jane. She did a story on this around Thanksgiving and it holds up. Basically, just pour a double batch of the prepared mac in a 9x13 baking dish and let it cool. Top with cubed Velveeta and 1/2 cup of milk, then bake at 300, covered for 30 minutes. Also, I used elbows for this which worked well in the large format.
Potato Salad: This tastes like a sour cream and onion potato chip, and is topped with them! It has so much flavor because of how heavily the water is salted (seriously, do this part). It feels like a refreshed version of the picnic classic that won’t make people feel weird after. No surprise it’s perfect because it comes from Molly Baz.
Banana Pudding: While I can’t go on the record supporting Paula Deen, her banana pudding recipe is legit, and it’s also the one my Mom always made for us growing up. The pudding portion is a combo of cream cheese, Cool Whip, French Vanilla pudding and sweetened-condensed milk — come on! Sub the cookies for Nilla Wafers. It’s also very easy and can be made ahead.
