This is How to Select and Recipes to Make with Watermelon

Use these tips to choose a perfectly ripe watermelon at the store, plus 17 watermelon recipes the whole family will love

By NYMetroParents Staff July 1, 2020

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Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2-4 drops Tabasco
• Cooking spray
• 2 celery stalks, diced (approximately ½ cup)
• ½ medium yellow onion, diced (approximately ½ cup)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 2 Tablespoons bread crumbs
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 8 whole-wheat slider buns
• 8 leaves bibb lettuce
• 8 slices watermelon (cut into 4-inch squares, each ½-inch thick)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, blend blue cheese, mayo, and Tabasco. Cover and refrigerate to let flavors blend.
2. Spray a medium, nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high. Add celery and onion and cook until onion is almost transparent, approximately 10 minutes. Add thyme and parsley. Toss and continue to cook for 4 minutes, or until parsley begins to wilt. Cool slightly.
3. In a medium bowl, blend turkey, bread crumbs, and celery mixture, as well as salt and pepper to taste, until thoroughly mixed. Divide into 8 small, flat patties.
4. Spray a nonstick skillet or griddle and heat on medium-high. Add patties and cook, turning once, until the burger is cooked through, approximately 5 minutes per side (internal temperature should be at least 165° F).
5. While patties are cooking, toast the buns on a griddle or pan.
6. Assemble sliders: Place ½ Tablespoon blue cheese mayo on the bottom of each bun. (Note: Pictured is a slice of blue cheese instead of blue cheese mayo). Top with burger, a slice of watermelon, bibb lettuce leaf, and other half of the bun.

Grilled Watermelon & Pork Kabobs

Savor some grilled goodness with these colorful fruit and veggie kabobs. Healthy, hydrating watermelon is the star ingredient of these colorful skewers, along with marinated chunks of pork, zucchini, and peppers.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 6 Tablespoons diced red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
• Pepper to taste
• 1 pound boned, lean pork chop, cut into 1-inch cubes (approximately 38-40 pieces)
• 32 cubes watermelon (1 inch each), plus extra for garnish if desired
• 16-24 zucchini rounds (½ inch thick)
• 16 pineapple chunks, fresh or canned (1 inch each)
• 24 yellow or orange peppers chunks (1 inch each, approximately 3-4 peppers total)

You’ll also need:

• 8 skewers
• Cooking spray
• Sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, soy sauce, onion, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Pour into a resealable bag and add pork pieces. Seal bag, shake to coat the pork pieces thoroughly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, turning bag periodically.
2. Remove pork from the bag and reserve marinade. Thread 5 pork pieces, 4 watermelon cubes, 2-3 zucchini rounds, 2 pineapple chunks, and 3 peppers on each of the 8 skewers, alternating the order.
3. Spray the cooking surface on a heated grill and place kabobs on the grill. Grill for 12-15 minutes or until pork is cooked (internal temperature should be between 145° and 160° F), turning and basting frequently with reserved marinade. Garnish with sesame seeds and chunks of watermelon.

Note: If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak in warm water for 10-30 minutes before grilling, to prevent from burning.

Shrimp Watermelon Sate

Perfect for a hot summer night, this recipe combines shrimp and Asian flavors with seedless watermelon for a refreshing twist on dinner.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
• ½ cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp. soy sauce or to taste
• 1 couple of dashes of hot pepper sauce or to taste
• 16 jumbo shrimp, cleaned, poached and chilled
• 16 (2-inch) cubes seedless watermelon
• Fresh basil leaves or baby romaine leaves for garnish

Directions: 

1. Slowly blend the seasoned rice vinegar into the peanut butter until completely blended.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger and soy sauce until mixed well. Season with hot pepper sauce to taste.
3. Pour all but 2 tbsp. of the dressing over the shrimp and toss to coat them well. Chill for 1 hour.
4. To serve, alternate shrimp and watermelon cubes on 4 skewers and baste with the remaining dressing. Serve over fresh basil leaves or romaine leaves.

Watermelon Sandwich Wraps

Add watermelon to your sandwich! These 10 recipes will have you wrapping up the juicy fruit with ingredients like chicken, feta cheese, guacamole, and a host of other tasty combinations.

Ingredients:

• Tortillas: wheat, flour, corn, spinach, or sun-dried tomato
• Spreads: chive cream cheese, hummus, guacamole, or Greek yogurt
• Meats: turkey, ham, chicken breast, roast beef, or pepperoni
• Sauces (marinades and salad dressings): barbecue, ranch, pesto, Thai peanut sauce, teriyaki, or ginger
• Cheeses: feta, pepper jack, mozzarella
• Veggies and other toppings: watercress, olives, scallions, cilantro, romaine, jalapenos, fresh mint, basil, shredded carrots, spinach, sprouts, and cucumber slices
• Star ingredient: 1 watermelon spear, about a half-inch thick, 1-inch wide, and as long as your tortilla

Directions:

Create your own combination, or try one of the suggestions below. Start with a spread to help the other fillings stick together. Place toppings in the center of the tortilla with the watermelon spear on top. Roll tortilla over watermelon spear, tucking in all ingredients. Fasten with a toothpick if needed.

• English Tea Sandwich Wrap: flour tortilla, chive cream cheese, ham, watermelon, watercress
• Greek Wrap: spinach tortilla, plain Greek yogurt, feta cheese, watermelon, black olives
• Latin Watermelon Wrap: flour tortilla, ham, watermelon, cilantro, guacamole, scallions, pepper jack cheese, jalapeno
• Southwest Chicken Wrap: corn or flour tortilla, guacamole, pepper Jack cheese, spicy chicken, romaine lettuce, watermelon, bacon ranch dressing, salsa
• Watermelon Caprese Wrap: flour tortilla, pepperoni, watermelon, mozzarella, basil, pesto sauce
• Thai Peanut Chicken Wrap: wheat tortilla, roasted chicken, Bibb lettuce, Thai peanut sauce, carrots, watermelon, cilantro
• Southwest Veggie Wrap: spinach tortilla, cucumber, watermelon, cilantro, Swiss cheese, BBQ ranch dressing, guacamole
• Mideastern Veggie Wrap: wheat tortilla, hummus with pine nuts, mint, thin cucumber slices, watermelon
• Ginger Chicken Wrap: wheat tortilla, teriyaki ginger sauce, chicken, sprouts, watermelon, sweet chili and ginger, Bibb lettuce
• Hawaiian Wrap: spinach tortilla, pineapple cream cheese, sweet chile with ginger, ham, watermelon

Watermelon Dessert Recipes

• Watermelon ‘Cake’
• Watermelon ‘Doughnuts’
• Watermelon Syrup
• Watermelon ‘Cupcakes’

Watermelon 'Cake'c

This gorgeous "cake" is actually made from heart-healthy watermelon decorated with yogurt and berries. It's a refreshing, gluten-free twist on dessert that's perfect for Fourth of July festivities or a summer birthday.

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 seedless watermelon
• 1 cup vanilla-flavored yogurt
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup sliced strawberries

Directions:

1. Place watermelon on a cutting board. Cut 3-5 inches off each end to create a large center slice between 3-5 inches thick. Trim off the outer rind.
2. Cut watermelon slices into 6-8 pie-shaped wedges. Blot edges with paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
3. Dip the back (curved) side of each slice in yogurt and then almonds, re-assembling pieces on a serving platter as each piece is completed.
4. Frost top of reassembled watermelon with remaining yogurt and then decorate with berries. Serve cold. 

Watermelon 'Doughnuts'

This "recipe" is more of a step-by-step guide to cutting your perfectly ripe watermelon into fun donut shapes and finishing them off with sweet toppings. It's an easy, reduced-guilt dessert idea that might just become your summer party go-to.

Ingredients:

• Watermelon slices shaped like doughnuts
• Sour cream
• Sugar to taste
• Vanilla to taste
• Slivered almonds

Directions: 

1. Cut out donut shapes from 1½-inch thick slices of seedless watermelon.
2. Sweeten sour cream with sugar and a touch of vanilla to taste.
3. Frost half of the watermelon doughnut slices and sprinkle with almonds. Add another layer of watermelon slices and top with sweetened sour cream.
4. Sprinkle toasted slivered almonds and serve.

Watermelon Syrup

Whip up this sweet topping to serve over vanilla ice cream, mix into sparkling water to make watermelon "soda," or use it in a creative cocktail for the adults in your brood.

Makes: 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 4 cups puréed seedless watermelon
• 1 cup sugar

Directions: 

1. Place the puréed watermelon and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir while bringing to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer.
2. Stirring occasionally, simmer until the mixture has reduced by one half in volume and becomes syrupy.
3. Remove from heat to cool and then place in a glass bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Keeps up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Watermelon 'Cupcakes'

Whether for a birthday or a fun summer soiree, these mini watermelon cupcakes make a healthful, hydrating, and delicious snack.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 8 pieces cupcake liners
• 8 pieces cupcake shaped pieces of seedless watermelon
• 2 cups pineapple cream cheese frosting
• 1 piece sprinkles for garnish

Directions:

1. Place the liners in an 8-cup cupcake tin.
2. Cut 3-inch thick slices of seedless watermelon. Cut round cupcake sized pieces from the slices.
3. Put a watermelon ‘cupcake' in each liner. Place a dollop of frosting on each cupcake. Decorate as desired with sprinkles.