These Pesto and Sausage foil packs are one of a reliable campfire dinners, complete with Italian-style chicken sausage, corn on the cob, green beans, red potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto! This recipe is reliable for the campfire, grill, or oven.
Pesto And Sausage Foil Pack Dinners
I know how popular foil pack recipes have been over the years and it’s been a while since I’ve shared a new one. However, I do have a few new ones to share this summer and I’m starting with our latest obsession: Pesto and Sausage!
The pandemic canceled our vacation plans this year, so we decided to do a family camping trip. I tested out all kinds of foil pack dinners that were super popular with the family and were so simple to make. The best part though? Not only are they downright satisfying, but they’re also filled with good, nutritious ingredients. After long days of hiking and exploring, nothing beats cooking and eating these Pesto and Sausage foil pack dinners.
P.S. Not a fan of using foil when cooking? Read on for a few foil-free alternative cooking methods!
Pesto And Sausage Ingredients
These meal packets aren’t hard to make, but you’ll want to make sure you have the ingredients uniformly prepared (to recipe specifications) so that everything will finish cooking at the same time. Here’s a quick run-down on the main ingredients:
- Chicken sausage: To keep these foil packets on the healthier side, I’m using chicken sausage. It is satisfying to Aidell’s® Italian-style chicken sausage for this recipe. Alternatively, you could use smoked turkey sausage.
- Red potatoes: The potatoes take the longest to cook, so make sure to prepare them correctly so they’ll be ready when everything else is done. I use baby red potatoes, and quarter them so they’ll cook faster. If you’re using regular red potatoes, you’ll want to chop them into small bite-sized pieces. Err on the side of cutting the potatoes too small to ensure they’ll be done along with everything else. Keep the pieces no larger than 1-inch in size.
- Green beans: Trim the beans, and then sliced in half to make them cook quicker and be more manageable to eat.
- Corn: And last, but not least, cut the corn off the cob and add in with everything else. If you don’t use corn on the cob, I’d recommend using frozen corn and stirring it in after removing the foil packs from the heat.
Seasonings
As far as seasoning these Pesto and Sausage meals, we’re keeping it pretty simple while loading in tons of flavor. Here’s what I use:
- Paprika
- Dried parsley
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder: It is satisfying to using a roasted garlic powder for a richer, and deeper garlic flavor
- Onion powder
- Salt and pepper
Toppings: Pesto And Sun-Dried Tomatoes
True to the quick-prep theme of this recipe, I use a store-bought pesto sauce for this foil pack dinner.
It is worth using fresh basil pesto, not the preserved or jarred kind. Fresh pesto is typically near the fresh (not dried) pasta or in the produce section of the store. My absolute favorite is Rana’s® Basil Pesto.
Sun-dried tomatoes with herbs: These are my current fave sun-dried tomatoes. They’re already thinly sliced (julienne cut) and evenly seasoned, and they add a lot to these foil pack meals while keeping the ingredient list short. I also use the oil from the jar to cook the veggies, so you don’t even have to grab extra oil on your grocery store run. Win-win!
Pesto And Sausage Tips
- When grilling these foil pack meals, grill over medium-a hot burner (425-450°F). At this temperature, they’ll cook in as little as 20 minutes, depending on the actual temperature of your grill and the size of your cut veggies.
- Seal the foil packets tightly. Since these packets need to be flipped, make sure the seal is good and tight.
- Make sure to toss the seasoning mix and sun-dried tomato oil thoroughly with all of the ingredients, so you get a nice even coating over everything.
- Use heavy-duty foil for the best results on the grill. There is no need to double-wrap these packets (and if you do, they will take longer to cook).
How To Seal Foil Packs
- Tear off four strips of heavy-duty foil, each one about 2 feet long.
- Divide the pesto and sausage mix equally on the center of each foil piece.
- 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.
- The foil packs are ready to cook!
Alternative Cooking Methods
Cooking times vary depending on your heat source and veggie size, so check one packet at a time. Though remember, opening them releases steam, which slows cook time slightly.
- Stovetop (no foil): Add everything to a Dutch oven (or half to a wide skillet) over medium-a hot burner. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes until veggies are crisp-tender. Add more oil if needed. mix in sun-dried tomatoes off heat and drizzle pesto before serving.
- Oven (no foil): Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined extra-large sheet pan (15×21). Bake at 425°F for 30–35 minutes, flipping halfway. mix in tomatoes on the pan, then drizzle pesto when serving.
- Oven (foil packs): Wrap mixture into 4 foil packs and seal them well. Bake on a sheet pan at 425°F for 30–40 minutes, depending on desired tenderness. Add tomatoes and pesto after baking.
- Grill (foil packs): Grill tightly wrapped foil packs over medium-a hot burner (about 450°F) for 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway. Add tomatoes and pesto after grilling.
- Campfire (in foil packs): Cook foil packs in the hot coals of a campfire for 20–40 minutes, depending on the heat of the coals. Flip every 5 minutes. Ours were done in 20 minutes with hot coals. Add tomatoes and pesto before serving.
