Mardi Gras Creole Kabobs

Hello and welcome! Today I have another great Mardi Gras recipe: Mardi Gras Creole Kabobs. These kabobs are great for a group, or for two with leftovers. You can most definitely fire up the grill, or you can do what I did and fire up the grill pan. I love kabobs, especially for a party; I plan to keep this recipe handy for summer, they’re a great idea for a cookout. We have shrimp, sausage, onions, tomatoes and sweet red peppers all marinated in Creole spices, then grilled to perfection. Let’s jump in!

To make these kabobs a full meal, I have made some beans and rice. A classic combination to go along side these Creole flavors. Let’s start with marinating the kabob ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the large shrimp, sausage slices, onion slices, cherry tomatoes and the sweet red pepper pieces.

Then I have olive oil, Creole seasoning blend like, Tony Chachere’s; fresh thyme, fresh oregano and fresh parsley. Add the olive oil, herbs and seasoning to the bowl and use your hands to mix and fully coat everything in the olive oil, herbs and seasoning. Set the bowl aside and we can move on to the rice. Ultimately, we will let the kabob mix sit at room temp for about 45 minutes.

(Red) Beans and Rice

This should have been red beans and rice, I only had white kidney beans on hand, so mine is white beans and rice, go with what you have! Rinse and drain your rice. Then, instead of cooking the 1 cup of rice in water, we will use chicken stock or broth for extra flavor. I am using my Zojirushi rice cooker. If you’re cooking the rice on the stove, make the rice according to the directions on the package. On the stovetop, rice takes about 20 minutes or so. In the Zojirushi its about 40 minutes. The kabob mix will be fine to sit, so don’t stress about how long it takes the rice to cook.

While the rice is cooking, prep the rice ingredients. Drain and rinse 2 cans of beans. Dice a medium red onion. Dice 1-2 celery stalks. Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic. Optional: Dice a green bell pepper. I didn’t go for the green pepper. Up to you. Also going into the Beans and Rice, we have onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and hot sauce, like Crystal.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté the onion and the celery until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Then stir in the beans, onion powder, kosher salt, pepper and hot sauce. Reduce the heat to low and let this simmer until the rice is finished cooking. Meanwhile, set up your grill pan on the stovetop and turn the burners to low. We will slowly heat up the pan.

When the rice is cooked, stir 1 tablespoon of butter into the rice. Then add the rice to the bean and veg mixture. Stir well to combine and keep the Beans and Rice on low heat, stirring every now and then.

Creole Kabobs

Turn the heat under the grill pan up to medium-high. The Beans and Rice are pretty much done, so now we will thread the skewers with the kabob ingredients. Get a rimmed sheet pan to hold the kabobs. Thread each skewer with an even mix of shrimp, sausage, tomato, onion and red pepper.

Grill the Creole Kabobs

Using an oil soaked paper towel and kitchen tongs, wipe the grill pan with the paper towel to give the pan a light coating of oil. Then carefully place the kabobs on the hot pan. You may need to turn some of the larger pieces of pepper or onions to let the sausage and shrimp come into better contact with the grill pan. Even if everything isn’t touching at first, as the veggies cook, they will soften and as you turn the kabobs, things will come into contact with the grill pan.

Just watch the kabobs. You will see when they need to be turned over. Use tongs to flip them over. My fingers are pretty OK with grabbing hot stuff, but you should probably use tongs.

As the kabobs are grilling, wash the sheet pan out to catch the cooked kabobs.

Once the veggies and sausage have some char, the shrimps are opaque and are forming a C shape, turn off the heat under the grill pan and use tongs to pull the kabobs off the grill pan.

Turn off the heat under the Beans and Rice and stir in a tablespoon or so of finely chopped fresh cilantro. Serve along side the tray of Creole Kabobs.

Mardi Gras Creole Kabobs with Beans and Rice

As you can see, even though we might be missing the flavor of fire and smoke, these Creole Kabobs have nice charring. With the char, onions get sweet and caramelized, same with the sweet peppers and tomatoes. Because the shrimp weren’t in super tight contact with the heat, they are not overcooked. There is a little charring on a few of the shrimps, but for the most part, they are perfectly cooked – juicy, tender and bouncy.

Put out some lime wedges for garnish and some Crystal Hot Sauce, and that’s it! Such a great dish – slightly sweet, slightly spicy Creole flavors are coming through beautifully to make a wonderfully savory meal. As I mentioned at the top, this is a great recipe for spring and summer cookouts.

I hope you give these Mardi Gras Creole Kabobs a try. If you’re looking for another great way to grill some shrimp (that would go great with Beans and Rice!) try Rosemary Lime Grilled Shrimp. Or, want Creole flavors but don’t want to deal with the grill or grill pan? Try my One Dish Low Country Boil. Take care and be well! xo Kelly

Key Equipment

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Mardi Gras Creole Kabobs with Beans and Rice

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Dinner, Main Course – American

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 30-45 Minutes – Cooking Time: 15-20 Minutes – Total Time: ~1 Hour

Slightly sweet, slightly spicy Creole seasoned veggies, sausage and shrimp skewered and grilled to perfection served with Beans and Rice.

Ingredients

• Creole Marinade
• 8 oz. Large Peeled, Raw Shrimp (about 16)
• 6 oz. Smoked Sausage (such as Conecuh), cut into 1⁄2-inch rounds (about 1 cup)
• 1 Small Sweet Onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1 Small Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3⁄4 cup)
• 16 Cherry Tomatoes (about 1⁄2 pint)
• 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tsp. Creole Seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's)
• 1 tsp. Chopped Fresh Thyme
• 1 tsp. Chopped Fresh Oregano
• 2 tbsp. Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley
• Beans and Rice
• 1 cup Rice, rinsed and drained
• 2.5 cups Chicken Broth or Stock (or amount of liquid directed by rice cooker or rice package directions)
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1 Medium Red Onion, diced
• 1-2 Stalks of Celery, diced
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced (OPTIONAL)
• 2 15.5-oz. Cans Red or White Kidney Beans
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp. Hot Sauce, like Crystal
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped fine
• Garnish
• Lime Wedges and Hot Sauce

Instructions

Creole Marinade

1

In a large bowl, combine the large shrimp, sausage slices, onion slices, cherry tomatoes and the sweet red pepper pieces.

2

Add the olive oil, oregano, thyme, parsley and seasoning to the bowl and use your hands to mix and fully coat everything in the olive oil, herbs and seasoning. Set the bowl aside. We will let the kabob mix sit at room temp for about 45 minutes.

Beans and Rice

3

Rinse and drain your rice. Then, instead of cooking the 1 cup of rice in water, use chicken stock or broth. Cook the rice according to your rice cooker, or package directions.

4

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat.

5

Sauté the onion and the celery until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Then stir in the beans, onion powder, kosher salt, pepper and hot sauce. Reduce the heat to low and let this simmer until the rice is finished cooking. Meanwhile, set up your grill pan on the stovetop and turn the burners to low.

6

When the rice is cooked, stir 1 tablespoon of butter into the rice. Then add the rice to the bean and veg mixture. Stir well to combine and keep the Beans and Rice on low heat, stirring every now and then.

Creole Kabobs

7

Turn the heat under the grill pan up to medium-high. The Beans and Rice are pretty much done, so now we will thread the skewers with the kabob ingredients. Get a rimmed sheet pan to hold the kabobs. Thread each skewer with an even mix of shrimp, sausage, tomato, onion and red pepper.

8

Using an oil soaked paper towel and kitchen tongs, wipe the grill pan with the paper towel to give the pan a light coating of oil. Then carefully place the kabobs on the hot pan. You may need to turn some of the larger pieces of pepper or onions to let the sausage and shrimp come into better contact with the grill pan. Even if everything isn't touching at first, as the veggies cook, they will soften and as you turn the kabobs, things will come into contact with the grill pan.

9

Watch the kabobs. You will see when they need to be turned over. Use tongs to flip them over.

10

Once the veggies and sausage have some char, the shrimps are opaque and are forming a C shape, turn off the heat under the grill pan and use tongs to pull the kabobs off the grill pan.

11

Turn off the heat under the Beans and Rice and stir in a tablespoon or so of finely chopped fresh cilantro. Serve along side the tray of Creole Kabobs.

12

Serve with Crystal Hot Sauce and Lime Wedges.

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