Want to know how to make foil packets for the grill? We love these pesto butter veggie foil packets for the grill as it can be hard to find good sides for bbqs and grilling.
This post is sponsored by our friends at Fisher Nuts. We’ve been partners for years now and the fun keeps going!
Whenever you have a group over for a BBQ don’t you feel the pressure of, shoot, what will we make for sides?! I mean, salads and pasta salads are awesome, but don’t you ever get to the point during the summer that you want something different? Like, your spouse is naming off ideas because you’re stuck but they aren’t really helping at all (hello Cade! lol). These pesto butter veggie foil packets for the grill totally work in the oven too. You can bake them at 425 for about 30 minutes for perfectly roasted veggies.
What Vegetables are Good for Grilling?
Here are a few suggestions.
Corn
The undisputed champion of summer vegetable grilling.
Portobello Mushrooms
Anybody who tells you that portobellos are the steak of the vegetable world is stupid.
They’re not. They’re the flat mushrooms of the vegetable world and they’re superb on the grill.
Eggplant
We Americans are sorely lacking in the Eggplant Appreciation Department.
The Middle East is way ahead of us with dishes that routinely incorporate smoky eggplant (baba ganoush ftw).
Eggplant is excellent when roasted or fried, but it takes on a whole new level of charm when you throw it on the grill.
Zucchini
Another poster child for summer.
Winter squashes are fine, but everyone knows they become magical in the warmer months with a little grill action.
Onions
The secret to onions is that they taste incredible no matter how you cook them.
Bell Peppers
Another spoke on the kabob wheel, peppers are excellent on the grill.
Asparagus
Asparagus works beautifully on the grill and cooks much faster that other conventional methods.
Broccolini
Broccolini is perfect. If you want a lesson in simplicity, coat the stalks in olive oil and chili flakes and roast until their color intensifies.
Just make sure to put them perpendicular to the grates – you don’t want them to get trapped down there.
In fact, we don’t just eat these veggie foil packets during the summer, we love them all winter long! You can use any vegetables you’d like, sweet potatoes, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, the list goes on forever and meats work awesome too! In fact, in this particular recipe adding in chicken is awesome!
It’s important when making foil packets that you use double the foil as it’s easy for the veggies to fall through or for the outsides to become overcooked while the insides remain raw.
We like to give the veggies a little stir half way through as whatever is on the bottom will get the best caramelization and then open up the packet at the end of cooking so that the veggies get extra roasted and crisp around the edges too. I’m all about those crispy edges.
How Far Ahead Can You Make Foil Packets?
Foil packets are super easy to prep ahead of time as you can just store any of the vegetables in a ziploc baggie in the fridge, however the potatoes need to be stored in a container or bowl of water so they don’t brown.
Pesto Butter Veggie Foil Packets for the Grill
Start out by making your walnut pesto from our 20 Minute Cheesy Pesto Tarts recipe. It’s really easy and flavorful, but sub pecans instead of walnuts. Or keep it the same, it’s tasty either way!
Now, mix in equal portions of pesto and softened UNsalted butter. We don’t want to use salted as the cheese in the pesto along with the salt and pesto are sufficient. Mix the two until smooth and set aside.
Chop up all of your veggies into the same size. This is important for even cooking. Add some extra pecans for variety and crunch. Make sure you use Fisher Nuts as they don’t have any preservatives and are non-GMO. Plus, it seems to be one of the only nut brands that has an awesome resealable bag.
Add a few tablespoons of butter to each packet depending on the amount of vegetables you add and pinch the foil closed.
Turn the grill onto medium high heat and cook away! Just be careful if you open the foil as the steam will get you!
What is Grilling Over Indirect Heat?
Direct and indirect are two different ways to cook your food— direct heat is very hot and cooks food very quickly. Whereas, grilling with indirect heat is more like cooking with oven.
Enjoy!
More Vegetables
- Oven Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans & Carrots
- Orange Glazed Carrots
- Roasted Vegetables
- Grilled Vegetables
- Roasted Root Veggies
- One Pan Roasted Lemon Chicken and Veggies
- Sheet Pan Kielbasa
- Roasted Veggies
- All SIDE DISHES here!
Pesto Butter Veggie Foil Packets for the Grill
Pesto Butter Veggie Foil Packets for the Grill
Description
Ingredients
- 1 Ear Sweet Corn, quartered
- 2 cups Baby Red Potatoes, chopped
- 1 Large Carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 Red Onion, chopped
- 1 Zucchini, chopped
- 1 Yellow Squash, chopped
- 1/2 Cup [Walnut Pesto] , substitute Fisher Nuts Pecans
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1/2 Cup [Fisher Nuts] Pecan Halves
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
- Prepare the pesto according to directions, substituting pecan halves or walnuts are still fine.
- In a bowl, stir together the pesto and butter until smooth.
- Place two pieces of tin foil together and add a few veggies and pecans to the bottom, a few teaspoons of butter all over the tops, another layer of veggies followed by butter and pinch the foil closed. See notes.
- Repeat the foil packets, or just make one large packet.
- Place on the grill for 25-35 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork.
- Add one last dollop of butter and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
20 Minute Cheesy Pesto Tarts
It only takes 20 minutes and a few fresh ingredients to make a killer vegetarian appetizer!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fisher nuts. The opinions and text are all mine.
Whitney G
If helpful to others- I bet her recipe is way better than what I tried- I tweaked out of the gate- and flopped! I do not recommend jar pesto (I tried Rao’s) or recommended oven cooking time. We cooked for around 40m at 425 and potatoes were still raw. Admittedly we opened the oven twice so that could have been part of our issue.
Other note- it makes a LOT. Way more than enough for a family of 4- I’d say more like 8 servings worth.
I’d try again- with fresh, from scratch pesto and on the grill, and for a party, or cut the recipe in half.
Sweet Basil
Hey Whitney! I’m so sorry for the frustration! We definitely recommend making homemade pesto, and it sounds like the potatoes need to be cut a little smaller. You can also reduce the amount of veggies or swap out different veggies. Thank you so much for the feedback!
prithvi
Well described with lovely pictures the perfect combination of a blog written by expert
Sweet Basil
Thank you!
Subhendu Kanp
Very interesting,will surely try to make and eat,good job and thanks for sharing such a good recipe.
Sweet Basil
Enjoy! Let us know what you think!
Shawnna Griffin
hey girl- these packets look so yummy!