Foil Packet Recipe: Italian Sausage & Veggies

TIPS:

• Fully seal the foil packets, but leave room for steam to circulate.

• Generously spray the foil with a nonstick coating to keep the rice from sticking.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (13 oz; 368g) Smoked Italian Turkey or Chicken Sausage, coined

• 2 cups (325g) baby red potatoes, quartered

• 3/4 cup (108g) yellow onion, diced

• 1/2 cup (38g) crimini mushrooms, diced

• 3 small (or 2 large) bell peppers (whatever variety you'd like! I generally use 1 red, 1 yellow or orange, and 1 green)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 and 1/2 tablespoons (53g) olive oil

Seasonings:

• 1/2 tablespoon EACH: dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley, garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon EACH: onion powder, dried thyme

• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, optional

• Optional: fresh parsley, salt and pepper

Notes:

The potatoes take the longest to cook, so it’s important to cut them small so they’ll cook in time. I use baby red potatoes and cut them into 4-8 small pieces, depending on how large the potatoes are. The potato pieces should be no bigger than 1 inch in size.

• Thinly slice the peppers and cut especially long pepper slices in half lengthwise.

• Before adding the sausage and veggies, generously spray the foil to keep the veggies from sticking and burning on the bottom.

• Take time to fully seal the foil packets while still leaving room for steam to circulate.

• Top hot foil packs with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. We love opening the foil packs and grating a block of Parmesan right on top of these meals. The finely grated cheese melts beautifully on the hot veggies and sausage and infuses everything with a delicious flavor.

Instructions:

• PREP: Prepare the grill by heating to medium-high heat (450 degrees F; 232 degrees C). Prepare 4-6 large sheets of heavy-duty foil; spray with cooking spray.

• PREP INGREDIENTS: Wash and dry the veggies. Coin the sausage into 1/2-inch thick slices. Chop baby red potatoes into 1-inch pieces (no need to peel). Finely dice the onion and mushrooms. Remove the stem and seeds on the bell peppers and thinly slice. Cut long slices in half lengthwise. Mince the garlic.

• COMBINE: Add the sausage, veggies, and garlic to a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil and all of the seasonings (basil, oregano, parsley, onion powder, thyme, red pepper flakes (if you like some heat), and a salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add to personal preference). Gently toss until well combined.

• ASSEMBLE FOIL PACKS: Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared sheets of foil or the prepared baking pan. Seal the foil packs tightly so no air escapes, but there is still room for steam to circulate. Do not double up foil (only one sheet of foil per pack).

• Grill (foil packs): Divide the mixture evenly onto 4-6 sheets of heavy-duty foil and wrap to seal the foil completely. Place over a preheated grill (medium-high heat) and grill for 25-30 minutes. Make sure to check them at least once at around 10-15 minutes — if they are not pretty tender at this point, your grill needs to be hotter. Flip once in between the grilling process!

• ENJOY: Carefully open the foil pack, expecting steam to be released. Garnish if desired with fresh chopped parsley, any additional salt/pepper, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

• How To Seal Foil Packs:

  1. Tear off four pieces of heavy-duty foil, each one about 2 feet long.

  2. Divide the sausage and veggie mixture equally into the center of each foil piece.

  3. To seal the foil packet, bring the short sides together in the middle and gently fold down to completely seal. Then, roll up the ends. Be sure to leave space for steam expansion.

• Recipe Notes:

  When checking foil packs for doneness, only open one packet to check. Once all the steam is released from a packet, it will take a bit longer to fully heat back up and continue cooking