Sausage Stuffed Mini Sweet Pepper Skewers

Would you like to have a Big Green Egg like mine?

Here are some kabobs I made up on Sunday.  Alexis did a down and back trip to Florida and was nearly home.  These were meant to be an appetizer after her long trip but they but ended up being our dinner after we added a quick basil-pasta side.

Free Big Green Egg?  Oh, yeah, I did say something about that didn't I?  

Johnsonville's newest contest has TWO Grand Prize packages.  Each Grand Prize is a Large Big Green Egg with accessories and a year's supply of Johnsonville products.  They are also drawing 8 weekly winners for grilling tool packages.  To enter, you just have to enter your Kabob Creation using any Johnsonville Sausage on their official Contest Page.

Sausage Stuffed Mini Sweet Pepper Skewers

source:  www.nibblemethis.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb Johnsonville Italian Sausage 
• 1 lb mini sweet bell peppers
• 2 tsp peanut oil
• 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil*
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup shredded pecorino-Romano cheese
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to boil.  Meanwhile, cut off the top of each pepper and scrape out the seeds and ribs using a paring knife or scraper (see picture).  Boil the peppers (actually chiles) for 3 minutes and then remove them to ice water for 5 minutes to stop the cooking.  [You can do this step the day before.]
2. Preheat a charcoal grill to 400f.  
3. Place an oven safe skillet on the grill.  Remove sausage from the casing and cook in the skillet until just lightly browned, not fully cooked.  Remove to a colander to drain*.
4. If necessary, deglaze* the pan with a 1/4 of liquid (i.e. beer).  Add the oil and onion.  Season with a a pinch of salt and pepper.  Simmer the onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.  
5. Add the tomato and garlic, cook another minute.  
6. Remove from heat and stir in the basil, oregano, and cheese.  Season with more salt and pepper to taste.  Return the meat to the pan.  Let cool for 5 minutes.
7. Stuff the peppers with the mix.  Impale the stuffed peppers on BBQ skewers.
8. Grill the kabobs 3-4 minutes per side, until the stuffing registers an internal temp of 160f.  Remove from grill.
9. At your leisure, slide a stuffed pepper off a skewer and pop in your mouth.  Yeah, pretty darn good.  

Notes

• Basil - Unless your basil plants has been as brutalized by the heat as mine.  I had to use 1 Tbsp of basil paste.  If using dried basil, use a teaspoon.
• Colander - Plan ahead while grilling.  I had a colander on top of a bowl outside by the grill so I didn't have to run inside to do this.
• Deglaze - South Park's "Creme Fraiche" episode has ruined this term for me, I snicker every time.  You gonna deglaze that?

I used a carrot peeler but a paring knife will do.

I used about 3/4 chimney of Kingsford briquettes. 

Just cook to slightly browned, it will finish cooking in the peppers.

The garlic and tomatoes will cook quickly.  

Toss all back together and let cool before stuffing the peppers.

A piece or two might fall out, don't panic.   Not a big deal.

One kabob is an appetizer.  Two plus pasta is a meal.

So quit being green with envy over my Big Green Eggs and go enter Johnsonville's contest to win your own!

[And yes, I appreciate the irony that I did not cook this meal on one of our Eggs.]