Oh the controversial hot dog. It's a choking hazard. It's made of mystery meat. I know at least one kid who eats only hot dogs. They're what I rely on every time we get together with our fishing neighbor because my son hates fish. So maybe, just maybe, some of us parents would like to serve our kids something other than a hot dog when we grill.
Here are five ideas for other foods you could grill for your kids — something fun and tasty for everyone.
Chicken lollipops. It's chicken candy! Haha, no, it's just a chicken wing or leg. I love these hand-held cuts for kids. If you want you can trim them so they actually do look like lollipops. I'll usually skip that trimming, but I'll peel off and eat the skin before I hand the drumstick to my son.
Kebabs. Whatever you're grilling, you can always cut up a few small pieces and put them on skewers. Maybe chunks of beef, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers, or pork with peach or pineapple. Even better is if you let your little ones pick what they put on their skewers. After grilling, pull off the meat and veggies and remove the skewer (hide it, maybe!).
Tofu. Of course you can grill toful! Marinate it first. Here's a recipe for grilled sesame soy tofu. Or you can just marinate in soy sauce. Use extra-firm tofu, baste with marinade while grilling for about six minutes on each side.
Sliders. They're just smaller versions of hamburgers — but they're so cute and perfect for little hands. Any combination of ground meat works: Beef, pork, turkey. Pick up a few dinner rolls from the bakery for the buns.
Quesadillas. My son loves quesadillas. They're a family staple for us — and you can even make them on a grill! Here's a recipe for smoky veggie quesadillas. But you could skip the dressing and grill your vegetables with some olive or vegetable oil. And you don't have to heat the quesadillas in a separate pan. Put the hot, just-grilled veggies with some grated cheese in the tortilla and carefully place on the grill for a few seconds. That should be enough to melt the cheese.
What do you like to grill for your toddler?
Image via andrechinn/Flickr
