August in Florida is HOT. Let’s face the facts. The last thing you’ll find me doing is turning on my oven to make my house even hotter. The days are long and as we approach mid-month, the children will be back in school. For those of us in that stage of life, we are faced with starting another year of “new” routines. I moved to Florida the summer going into eighth grade. Even as an adult, I still find it odd to start school in August since I grew up always starting school after Labor Day. I still like to keep my summer menu alive during those first few weeks of school. After all, school might have started, but it is still technically summer.

During the summer months, you’ll find me making no-fuss (but still delicious) dinners. I’ve created a few varieties of aluminum foil packet dinners, and these kielbasa and potato foil packets are the perfect summer meal done in 30 minutes. Chocked full of fresh kielbasa (a family favorite in my home), freshly sliced potatoes, bell peppers, onions, and green beans, it’s a full dinner in one packet! Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or even entertaining. If you’re making this meal for a large group, just double the recipe! You could even prep the veggies (peppers, onions and green beans) ahead of time to cut down even more of the prep time. 

The key to the meal cooking quickly is evenly cut vegetables and sausage. Keep that in mind when prepping this dinner. I only use a 12×12 piece of aluminum foil per packet. As I chop, I place the ingredients on top of each of the sheets of foil. Once all of the ingredients are piled in the middle, I sprinkle on the Cajun seasoning, salt and olive oil, and a pat of butter for good measure. Then I gather the two ends of the aluminum foil up to the sky to form what I call a taco. I fold the two ends in like a burrito and then start to roll down and crimp the top tight. The goal is to keep all the steam and heat in the foil packets so that they cook quickly. 

I transfer the packets from the kitchen to the grill using a sheet pan. I also keep the sheet pan at the grill, so when the time comes to remove them, you can just place it on the sheet pan. Of course, you can’t pick these hot packets up with your hands. You’ll need a long pair of tongs to carefully remove them off the grill! If you’re like me and looking to hold on to summer for a few more weeks, I hope you’ll give my easy summertime recipe for grilled kielbasa and potato foil packets a try.

Grilled Kielbasa and Potato Foil Packets

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 6 kielbasa links, sliced and divided
• 16 small red potatoes, quartered and divided
• 1 white onion, chopped and divided
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped and divided
• 12 oz. green beans, divided
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped and divided
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided (optional)
• 1/4 olive oil, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat the grill to 500 degrees.
2. Place four 12×12 pieces of aluminum foil on the counter. Begin to layer and divide the kielbasa, potatoes, onion, bell pepper, green beans, and garlic in the center of the aluminum foil. Then, place one tablespoon of salted butter in each foil pack. Season each foil packet with Cajun seasoning and salt (optional). Drizzle on the olive oil one by one and begin to close the packets. Fold in half and then gather each side up toward the sky, crinkle and close until sealed tight. You do not want any air (steam once cooking) or juice to escape.
3. Place the foil packets on the grill and grill for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Carefully remove foil packets from the grill. Place each packet on a plate. Carefully open the foil packets and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley on top. Enjoy immediately.