You're Invited for Grilled Italian Kabobs

Did that get your attention?  Who doesn't love Italian?  How about pizza sauce?  And grilling? I know those are all some of my favorites.

Well, I pulled out an oldie but a goody (it's from a cookbook out of print - Smart Cook by Betty Crocker and it was a wedding shower gift 21 years ago - I used it extensively when Worker Bee and I were first married but it has been gathering dust for several years and for some reason I've pulled it out and started using it again - wow - that was a lot of background information) called Grilled Italian Kabobs.

We are trying to eat healthier so I made a few modifications to the recipe - easy ones.  To make this healthier I used chicken Italian sausage (also used less meat than the recipe called for) and I added a lot more veggies than the recipe called for.  Plus - BONUS - most of the veggies were from our kitchen garden.  And BONUS #2 - Baby Bee and Worker Bee ate their veggies with little complaint!

Ingredients:

12 oz. - 16 oz. package of turkey or chicken Italian sausage (mine was from Trader Joe's)

1/2 cup pizza sauce (again, mine was from Trader Joe's)

1 Tbl of olive oil

1 Tbl of dried basil or 3 Tbl of fresh basil shredded

Assorted veggies of your choice - I used mushrooms, yellow squash, zucchini, grape tomatoes, and red onions

Please note the food safety - fruits and veggies on the wood board, meats on the plastic board that goes in the dishwasher.  Yeah, I know you're proud of me.  

1.  Mix the pizza sauce, olive oil, and basil together.  You will use this to baste the kabobs as they cook on the grill.

2.  Cut up your sausage in about 1" chunks.

3.  Cut up your veggies into about 1" chunks.

4.  Assemble them on the skewers in any order you want.  

5.  Grill covered on a medium hot grill for 20-25 minutes.  Baste the kabobs with the pizza sauce mixture 2-3 times during the grilling time.

We used a vegetable grilling tray in case any little grape tomatoes fell off the skewers.  (oh my stars we ADORE those grape tomatoes - even Worker Bee does and he is not a fan of tomatoes)

Love how they're all lined up and ready to report for duty - on the grill!

There were so many veggies on those skewers I just served them and an Italian dinner roll that we dunked in olive oil sprinkled with fresh ground pepper.

And

since I practically invited you for dinner

I set the table for you too...

I used my oilcloth placemats (from Crate & Barrel a few years back), our everyday dishes (from Pottery Barn a few years back), my favorite red flatware (from Target a few years back), and blue plaid napkins (from Kmart a few years back).   Yep, it's all from a few years back!

To dress it up for you just a little bit I took my cheapo candles and wrapped some paper doilies around them and then tied them up with some different colors of baker's twine.  Very simple but it adds just a little special something to show how special your visits are.  (Of course, Worker Bee and Baby Bee said why don't WE get this special treatment.  Ungrateful wretches.)

Gratuitous candle shot.

Another gratuitous shot of candle - can't help it.  I like how they turned out with minimal, er, I mean great effort.

Will you join me for dinner?

I've got a nice glass of iced tea waiting for you.

Oh and we're going to make S'mores over the dying coals of the grill.  

Well, even if you can't stay this time, please know that you can pull up a chair any old time.  You are always welcome to drop in on Sweet Bee Cottage.

With honey,

Oh, and don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Just leave a comment on that post by clicking here for your chance to win.