Kicking Off The Season Of Grilling

If you don't have a grilling basket yet, now is the perfect time to snag one off the store's shelf. Make sure to buy a heavy duty one with slots to let the heat (and smoky flavor) through, and that can be scrubbed thoroughly without damaging it. Trust me, you will use it over and over as the season progresses, tossing all kinds of veggies in it and whispering silent thanks for this suggestion each time (ha!).

Grilling isn't much fun when it's really cold outside, but we almost always jump the gun and pull out the BBQ before the weather has turned warm. It's too tempting to whip up a healthy dinner with relatively few dishes involved, and something that always has delicious flavor (unless it gets too charred, but even then my husband doesn't seem to mind too much). We have been grilling many things recently, and today the sun is finally shining with a warm breeze blowing softly. It's hard to be stuck in the kitchen all afternoon when it's so nice out! Spaghetti is on the menu for tonight, something easy to use up a few of the last jars of canned tomatoes, and to dress it up I thought I'd make sausage meatballs (always a favorite with the kiddos). A few days ago, a Williams-Sonoma catalog arrived, and they have a meatball grilling basket for sale. Surely that would be a nightmare to clean, though, and it sets the consumer back almost $30! I took one look at my trusty veggie basket and knew I could pull off some tasty grilled meatballs quickly and with minimal cleanup.

Grilled Sausage Meatballs

Serve in marinara on meatball sub sandwiches or over pasta, or use ground beef instead of sausage, drench in warm BBQ sauce and serve as an appetizer.

1 lb good quality sausage*

1 slice of multigrain or whole wheat bread

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp dried parsley (or use fresh if it's available)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp dried minced onion flakes (or shred 1/4 cup fresh yellow or white onion with a cheese grater)

pinch Kosher salt, optional (depending on how salty your sausage is)

Preheat grill to high. Lightly coat a grilling basket with oil to prevent sticking and place on a piece of waxed paper or a cookie sheet (so your counter doesn't get germy and gross).

Pulse the slice of bread in a food processor until it's coarse crumbs. Combine with the herbs and onion. Add the egg and mix lightly to begin to coat. Add the meat. Using your hands, gently knead the mixture until thoroughly combined (but don't overdo it). Shape into 14 balls and place them in the prepared basket (you may make them smaller for appetizers if you wish).

Grill on high, turning once, and adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid any flare-ups, about 15 minutes total. Meatballs should be lightly browned with no pink in the center. (Husbands can be great about manning the grill, patiently waiting and turning things, so you can attend to other business, like boiling the noodles.)

*We are big fans of Taylor's Original Pork Sausage. I've mentioned it before, I know, but it's an Oregon product (so it's local!), it's not greasy, and the flavors work well with just about anything. Another option for good quality sausage is to find a local butcher shop that grinds their own and buy some in bulk 1 lb packages. Shop around until you find a tasty one that suits your family.