Yes, I’m on a roll. These pocket-grilled meals are amazing and so easy to prepare, plus the clean-up is “einfach,” which is easy in German! You’ll see many of these this summer, so I hope you try one of the recipes and enjoy it!
I make a big batch of pesto and use it on everything from grilling to sautéing to dips and rubs. Check out my B&B Pesto. You can change up the nuts from pine nuts to cashews to almonds. This time, I made walnut pesto and smothered my chicken breast in it. Then I packed them in a foil pocket, put them on the grill for 10 minutes, flipped the pocket, and let them cook for another 10 minutes. They were so moist, tender, and delicious. I created a veggie foil pocket of carrots and green beans smothered in smokey bacon alongside these birdies. They took the same amount of cooking time, 10/10.
The coolest thing is you can prepare your pockets the day before or in the morning, and if you have company, it’s a terrific option for pre-prepping (is that a real word? LOL) so you can spend your time with your guest and “bang,” in 20 minutes dinner is ready!
Be creative; pack up some foil pockets of red or sweet potatoes. If using whole potatoes, you’ll need to put them on the grill 10 minutes earlier (they take about 40 minutes). You can also slice them into circles or fries and cook them for 20 minutes alongside your meat. As you can see, I used gluten-free pasta to slouch up the yummy pesto! Woo, I just got a great idea. Next time, try cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles!
GRILLED POCKET PESTO CHICKEN & VEGGIES POCKETS
Ingredients
- 2 medium Chicken Breast or pork chops Yum!
- 1/4 cup B&B Pesto or your favorite
- green beans
- carol sticks
- onion optional
- Himalayan salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 2 pieces foil 24X24 each folded in half
Directions
- Step 1 Make your B&B Pesto or use your favorite. We use a hot grill. Our Weber cooks hot, so that timing might vary depending on the type of grill you’re using.
- Step 2 Tear off a piece of foil about 24 inches long and then fold it in half so it is sturdy.
- Step 3 Place the chicken on the foil and spoon over the pesto. Seal the chicken so it will not leak when you fill it on the grill. If cooking for more than two people, I recommend making more pockets with two servings in each pocket. This way, it makes flipping them easier, and they cook more evenly.
- Step 4 Place your green beans and carrot sticks on another piece of doubled foil
- Step 5 depending on how many you are cooking, you might also need to make 2 separate pockets. Place the bacon on top so it drips down and doesn’t burn before the veggies are done.
- Step 6 Place the chicken on first. Flip after 10-12 minutes. Add the veggie pocket at this time and cook for 6-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 6-8 minutes. The meat and veggies should be done at the time: chicken 10-12 on both sides and 6-8 on both sides. When you flip the veggies, you’ll hear that bacon frying! Plus, the smell is to die for.
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.