Center Stage: Searing Grill Pineapple Upside Down Donut Skewers with The Domestic Rebel

Hayley Parker is the 23-year old writer, photographer, recipe developer, taste-tester and creator of The Domestic Rebel. She lives in Sacramento, California, where she loves to play with her three-legged dog, laugh a lot, and bake easy, no-fuss recipes to share with her readers. She can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Summer’s here! Let us all rejoice with frosty drinks, chilly pools, and tons of grilled food! While I’m not the biggest summer fan (one word: bikini…a few more words: heat, heat, heat), I do love grilled food. There’s something so quintessentially summer when food comes back piping hot with lovely grill marks all over it, a nice smoky flavor and that light char for added texture.

But not all of us have huge gas or electric grills sitting on our patios. And not all of us even have patios. And some of us have terrible summer storms which prevent us from even stepping outside. And the other half of us have to step outside into the furnace of the underworld in order to grill outdoors. So grilling outside isn’t an option for everyone, and Hamilton Beach is here to change that.

Hamilton Beach came out with this brand spankin’ new Searing Grill, designed to provide that grilled flavor and appearance without stepping one foot outside! Grilling your food locks in juices and imparts amazing flavor. Hamilton Beach’s Searing Grill does exactly that.

Portable, lightweight and simple to use, the Searing Grill has a dishwasher-safe grill pan and drip-tray, which catches all the juice and debris from grilling – simply pull the dirty tray out, throw it in the dishwasher and voila! The Searing Grill has adjustable heat settings and even a preheat light, so you know exactly when the grill is ready to use. I put this on my counter, threw on the kebabs and they were ready in minutes – the grill is so streamlined and awesome that it gets the job done really quickly. Plus, the grill comes with a convenient removable lid, so you can toss it on, close the lid and let it cook, just like a typical outdoor grill.

Since I’m a rebel in the kitchen (hellloooo Domestic Rebel!), I decided to make a delectable grilled dessert. I think grilled desserts are grossly underrated, so I took to a classic American summertime dish to the grill: pineapple upside down cake. Except instead of using cake, I used glazed donut holes. And instead of baking an actual cake (read: too much time!) I made individual kebabs which is perfect for entertaining or smaller portions, depending on your situation.

Each kebab is threaded with a gloriously cakey glazed donut hole, a thick slice of juicy pineapple and a bright, fresh maraschino cherry. All the kebabs are dusted with brown sugar and grilled to perfection, creating a sear on the donut and pineapple and melting the brown sugar over the kebabs. It gives it a nice caramelized color and flavor. The result? A buttery, brown sugary, JUICY kabob that tastes identical to the classic cake without any of the hard work! And when it’s all said and done (meaning: after you’ve devoured every last kabob), just toss your grill pan and the drip tray in the wash and you’re done. EASY. PEASY.

I love how easy these kebabs are to toss together. They are great for smaller gatherings or even large crowds as all the components are very easily doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. Consider using chocolate donut holes or peaches in place of the pineapple for a different, fruity take on these fun dessert kebabs. So what are you waiting for?  Preheat that Searing Grill and let’s get to grilling!

Have a delicious day!

xo, Hayley

The high temperature of the Searing Grill makes it possible to get outdoor flavor indoors. Plus, the hood, grill plate and tray are removable and dishwasher-safe, making cleanup a breeze.