Grilled Italian Sausage Sandwiches with Pepper-Onion Foil Packs

Grilled Italian Sausage Sandwiches with Pepper-Onion Foil Packs are one of our favorite tailgate party meals. That is when I am not smoking ribs, pulled pork or brisket.

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Memorial Day is just a couple of weeks away.

This year's celebration will likely be strange, since social distancing will likely still be in place (to protect against the spread of COVID-19).

We are planning a cookout at a local state park (if it's open by that time—if not, we may have to resort to a parking lot).

It's perfect: everyone comes in separate cars, brings their little Smokey Joe and food to grill, and sets up 6 feet away from everyone else.

We'll be bringing one of our favorite pack-and-go destination grilling meals: Grilled Italian Sausages with Pepper-Onion Foil Packs.

Meal-prep: the pepper-onion foil packs

Prepping foil packs with peppers and onions is super easy.

Simply make 2 pockets with heavy duty foil. Use approximately 12" x 20" foil rectangles, fold them in half, and roll the 2 sides adjacent to the fold.

Next, add sliced sweet onion and red bell pepper, salt and pepper, and olive oil to each pocket.

Finally, close the pockets and roll the remaining side. Refrigerate until you're ready to pack up.

Prepping the grill

We are devout fans of charcoal. With that being said, you can, of course, use a gas grill (set it up for medium heat and indirect cooking).

We've cooked this meal on a full-size Weber grill, a tiny Smokey Joe, and the in-ground grills you find at parks.

A tip for that last option: bring a grill brush with you so you can clean the grates!!

The hubster always uses a chimney to start the charcoal rather than lighter fluid.

This, along with letting your coals ash over before adding the meat, ensures that your food won't taste like fuel.

Arrange your hot coals on one side of the grill for indirect heating.

Cooking the sausages and pepper-onion foil packs

We like to use hot Italian sausages, but you can choose mild.

Set the sausages directly over the coals and place the foil packs on the indirect heat side of the grill.

Grill the sausages for 3–5 minutes on 2 sides to brown them up.

Once browned, move to the indirect heat side of the grill for an additional 12-15 minutes until cooked through. Flip every 5 minutes or so.

Rotate and flip the foil packs about every 5 minutes to make sure that the vegetables cook through.

Serving your Grilled Italian Sausage Sandwiches

We always toast up our rolls for a minute or two before serving (use good bratwurst buns or hoagie rolls).

We like our sandwiches with a layer of melty provolone cheese, but this is optional.

Want to take the flavor to another level? Top with some of my Zesty Pizza Sauce. Easy to make and done in 5 minutes!

To one toasted roll, add a couple of slices of provolone cheese (if using), one sausage, and about half a cup of the pepper-onion mixture.

Side dishes and odds and ends

These sandwiches are great with cream pasta salad or potato salad.

For example, check out my Easy Greek Pasta Salad, Traditional* Potato Salad, or Loaded Baked Potato Salad.

My zippy, Tangy 3-Bean Salad would also be a great option. Or, you could serve a straight-up salad, like Meal-Prep DIY House Salad.

That's it! I hope you and your crowd love this easy cookout recipe.

Stay safe. Stay well.

—xoxo Michelle

P.S. If you're more of a hotdog fan, be sure to check out these Ultimate Chili Cheese Dogs. They're also easily adaptable to cookouts.

Or, go the "meat on sticks" route and make my Grilled Beef Kebabs with Vegetables!

Plus, check out our 20 favorite potluck recipes at Memorial Day Recipes (or, for ideas on hosting a safe potluck if you're still social distancing, check out my Virtual Memorial Day Potluck Recipe Roundup)!

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Recipe

 

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