School is almost over and that means fun for kids. When it comes to outdoor entertaining though too often parents still only grill up adult food and the kids only have a choice between adult food or the same kids food selections (mac & cheese, chicken fingers and pizza). Summer is the perfect time to introduce kids to grilling and BBQ and teach them how it’s the best way to cook and entertain, and pump up the flavor of kids food. On Wednesday, we invited Ernie Adler to show us how it’s done! “Make sure your kids are safe around the grill and also make sure you have proper safety tools such as gloves when operating the grill” says Ernie.
Burgers
First up a mac & cheeseburger and mac & cheese BBQ grilled cheese. Make your favorite mac & cheese recipe or use ours. For the mac melt some butter, add in onion powder, salt, pepper, mustard powder, and a dash of cayenne. Whisk for a minute then add in whole milk. When hot start to blend in the cheese (cheddar, jack, Mexican blend, whatever you like) and whisk continuously until fully melted and creamy. Pour over pre-cooked noodles and then bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes until bubbly. Let cool and then scoop into a bun sized container (like deli containers) and refrigerate. When ready to cook take out of the refrigerator and slice into a bun sized piece. Grill up a burger patty, a slice of the mac on a grille, place the mac on a bun, top with the burger, and any toppings you like. For the grilled cheese place a mac slice on the bun, then your favorite BBQ, some BBQ sauce, then another slice of mac, the bun top, and cook on a griddle. “This is not hard for the kids but as always make sure they are supervised” says Adler
Pizza
To kick up their pizza, heat a pizza pan on the grill at 500 degrees. Roll out you’re a pizza dough. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pan, place the dough on, then top with BBQ sauce, BBQ, your favorite shredded cheese, and bake until bubbly.
Corn on the Cob
Finally, every kid loves corn on the cob. Instead of boiling it let’s grill it and finish it like Mexican street corn. Remove the husk and any silk, baste with oil, grill until all sides are lightly charred. While the corn is grilling whisk together sour cream, mayo, lime juice, and garlic powder. When the corn is done brush on the dressing, sprinkle on Cotija cheese, and start eating.
For more great recipes visit erniesbbq.com