Weather: 67 degrees, puffy white clouds against blue sky
What I’m listening to: a weed whacker, a wind chime, a motorcycle rumbling by

Foil packet meals are awesome for summer, whether you’re around the campfire, using your outdoor grill, or roasting them in the oven on a rainy day. Family and friends can all get involved in assembling their own packets, loading up on their favorite vegetables and getting their meat to veggie ratio just the way they like.

Quick-cooking proteins like sausages or shrimp work perfectly because they’re ready in about the same time as it takes the vegetables to become tender. For best success, try cutting all of your meat and vegetables in uniform-sized pieces, so they cook at the same rate. Also, season your packet contents generously. In this sausage and vegetable foil packet, I’ve added summery corn cobs and zucchini along with flavorful peppers and onions to juicy smoked sausage. I mixed up a zesty Italian herb and garlic seasoning and stirred it into extra virgin olive oil so that the flavors coat every bite.

For your convenience, I’ve included cooking instructions for both the grill and the oven. If using a campfire, the size and heat level of every fire is different, so just keep a close eye on it and turn it often using fire proof tongs.

Smoked Sausage & Vegetable Foil Packet

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• 13 ounces hardwood smoked sausage (I used turkey), sliced into rounds
• 2 ears corn, sliced into 8 rounds
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 onion, large chop
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Lay out four 12x12 squares of heavy duty aluminum foil (or if using regular foil, use two layers).

Add the sausage, corn, pepper, onion, and zucchini to a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, stir together the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Drizzle the mixture over the bowl of meat and veggies and toss well until everything is coated. Divide everything evenly between the four sheets of foil, placing the meat and veggies in the center of each piece of foil. Bring the sides of the foil up and fold them over tightly, ensuring that each sheet forms an enclosed packet over the food.

If using a grill: preheat grill to medium. Place the packets onto the grill, close the lid, and cook 15-20 minutes (or until the vegetables are tender crisp), turning over once halfway through cooking.

If using an oven: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the packets into the oven and bake 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender crisp.

The foil packets will be very hot; take caution when opening and releasing the steam.