Sorry - I couldn't get this posted yesterday. But I figure a day late isn't too bad.
So, I had caught wind of this cooking method that involved grilling meals in aluminum foil packets. I know. It's not rocket science. But it's the little things that give me joy.
For whatever reason, I thought this was about the coolest idea I'd ever heard of, and I couldn't wait to try it out. I love slow cookers. Any one who has ever stumbled upon this blog know that. And the idea of cooking a little packet over the coals for a period of time just appealed to me. It was like a make-shift crockpot for the grill.
AUGH!
Ok, so kind of not really.
But it was still cool and I wanted to try it. The technique was pretty simple: pick a meat (I chose chicken), spice it/marinate it/sauce it, throw some veggies in, wrap it in tin foil, throw it on the grill and voila! Dinner!
You can see how this just speaks to me?
So I looked on line to see cooking times and what people were throwing into their packets. I had some left over pesto in the fridge, as well as some assorted veggies, and concocted my first packet.
Can I say that I fell in love?
I fell in love. There I said it.
The meat came out falling apart, much like when you cook it in a slowcooker. It was nicely infused with flavor, juicy, and each packet was the perfect serving size for one person. Squee!
Hubby and I were so taken by this method, we've decided to try a new packet recipe every few weeks. We think our next one will be teriyaki style. I can't wait to let you know how it turns out!
In the meantime, I highly suggest you try this one out. I think you'll be pretty happy with the results!
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Simple Supper Monday/Tuesday
(serves 4)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded or sliced thin
- 8 TBS Pesto
- 1 onion, cut into slices
- 1 green pepper, cut into slices
- 1 red pepper, cut into slices
- 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes
- Salt, Pepper for seasoning
- Aluminum Foil
1) Cut 4 14-inch long rectangles of Foil. Grease with cooking spray.
2) Divide veggies into 4 portions.
3) Place 1 portion of onion, red pepper, green pepper onto greased foil rectangle. Spread with 1 TBS of Pesto. Top with chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Top with another TBS of Pesto. Add tomatoes on top/around Chicken and veggies.
4) Bring 2 ends of foil together. Fold together, and bring up sides to seal.
5) Repeat with 3 remaining packets
5) Throw on hot grill for 30- 45 minutes (Check after 30 - if chicken juices do not run clear, fold the packets back on and check after 10 more minutes).
6) Take off the grill when finished - and let sit for 3-5 minutes. BE CAREFUL when opening of steam.
7) Serve with crusty rolls and enjoy!
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1) Most people have boneless, skinless chicken breasts lying around, so I used them when writing recipe. I have tended to use Chicken Cutlets (thin-sliced chicken breasts) or Chicken Tenders (thin-cut chicken breasts) in this recipe. I'm not sure if this is breaking a Grilling Commandment or something (Steve Raichlan, please don't yell at me!), but I find that when I grill, it's easier NOT to under cook or over cook the thinner/smaller cuts of chicken. And when you are grilling packets, these cuts of poultry just seem more reliable. Sorry, grillmasters.
2) I think a handful of green olives with pimentos thrown into these packets would be DIVINE.
So there you have it: your next grill recipe. It was seriously SO GOOD. And we cannot wait to try another packet recipe soon. I will post it for you, granted it turns out as well as this one :)
Do you have a Grill Packet recipe? I'd love to try it! Send it my way...
moderndaydonnareed@gmail.com
Sounds yummy!
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