Grilled Sausage and Mushroom Bowls
I get so excited when grilling season arrives because it means easy dinners and easy cleanup! These grilled sausage and veggie grain bowls are quick, healthy, and vibrant. I find them to be a perfect weeknight meal, but they’re also nice enough to serve company! For my bowls, I picked up some spinach and feta chicken sausages, but you can use any sausage you like. To accompany that sausage, I grilled cremini mushrooms, green onions, and romaine lettuce. Yes, I said grilled romaine! This hearty lettuce takes on a gorgeous sweetness when it’s kissed by the grill. If you haven’t tried it before, you’re in for a treat. I served my grilled sausages and veggies on top of cooked millet, which is one of my favorite grains. We don’t eat a ton of millet in the US, but it is a staple food in India, Nepal, Mali, Niger, and other semi-arid hot climates around the world. Cooked millet tastes nutty and earthy with a hint of sweetness. It is naturally gluten-free and cooks up quickly due to its small size. You can find it near the rice and other grains at well-stocked grocery stores like Whole Foods, or you can order it online. You should give millet a try if you’ve never had it before! This said, quinoa, brown rice, or oat groats would also be great here. I recommend serving these grain bowls with a drizzle of chimichurri or pesto. It’s an extra step, but the sauce really helps the whole dish come together. I used a combination of mint, dill, parsley, and chives in my chimichurri.
Stovetop instructions: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Sear the sausage and mushrooms for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked through and showing grill marks. Cook the lettuce and green onions for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until tender and showing grill marks.
1 Cook the grains: Prepare the grains according to package instructions, letting them cook while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
The grains can be cooked several days in advance. Reheat before serving.
2 Preheat your grill: Prepare one side of the grill for direct grilling and one side for indirect heat. The grill is ready when you can hover your hand 3 to 4 inches above the hot side of the grill for only a couple of seconds before feeling discomfort.
3 Prepare the vegetables for grilling: Cut smaller mushrooms into halves and larger mushrooms into thick, 3/4-inch slices. Skewer the mushrooms through the stem, from bottom to top, so they will lay flat on the grill.
Cut the heads of romaine into quarters through the root. The wedges should remain attached at the root; it's ok if a few outer leaves fall off (save those for sandwiches!).
In a small bowl, mix two and a half tablespoons olive oil with a heavy pinch of salt and black pepper. Brush the oil evenly over all of the mushrooms, the green onions, and the romaine, and set aside.
4 Grill the sausages and mushrooms: Brush grates with a bit of extra oil and place the sausages and mushrooms on the cooler side of the grill.
Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes, then flip the sausages and mushrooms. Close the lid and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until sausages are almost entirely cooked through. (If your sausages are pre-cooked, they just need to be warmed through.)
Move the sausages and mushrooms to the hot side of the grill and cook on each side for 1 to 2 minutes until they show grill marks and are caramelized.
Transfer the sausages and mushrooms to a platter to rest while you grill the rest of the vegetables.
5 Grill the green onions and romaine: Place the green onions and romaine halves on the hot side of the grill, and grill for about one minute on each side.
Transfer to a serving platter.
6 To serve: Slice each sausage into three large pieces. Fill each bowl with 1/2 to 1 cup of cooked grains and top with a few pieces of sausage, some green onions, some mushrooms, and a wedge of romaine. Drizzle with chimichurri and top with fresh herbs.