Easy Foil Dinner Recipe - Main Dish (2024)

When I met Ben, there were two meals he considered himself an expert at making.
Spaghetti and Foil Dinners.
The first time he cooked for me, he made his Spaghetti.
In all honesty, there was MUCH to be desired. And I remember choking it down with a smile on my face.

The second time Ben cooked for me he made his foil dinner.
From the looks of this meal, I was going to have trouble even faking a tolerance.
Imagine my surprise, when his super simple recipe turned out to be one of my favorite meals–even 6 years into our marriage.

Please note, this meal tastes waaaay better than it looks–I promise!
It’s quick, simple, cheap and even perfect as a camping meal.

Ingredients (serves 4 people):
1 lb lean ground beef
3 carrots
4 medium Russet potatoes
1 medium yellow onion
Worcestershire sauce to taste (approx 2-3 tablespoons)
Your favorite BBQ sauce to taste (approx 1/4 cup)
Ground black pepper to taste
Lawry’s seasoned salt to taste
Cooking spray (such as Pam)

*Optional additions that are also super yummy: zucchini, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, squash, etc.

Step One: Peel and slice your carrots into small bite sizes (see photo for reference). Dice the onion. There is no need to peel the potatoes–simply finely slice them as if you were making potato chips. It is important to cut all the veges thin so that they cook all the way through on the grill. Set aside.

Step Two: In a separate bowl, combine the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, pepper, and seasoned salt. We use our hands to smash all the ingredients together.

Step Three: Break off 4 sheets of foil, at about 18 inches each. The four foil pieces will contain each individuals meal, so you can customize the ingredients you include (in case someone doesn’t like onions, etc).

Spray one side of the foil with the cooking spray. Then place about 1/4 pound of the beef on the bottom. Add the additional ingredients on top.

Step Four: Wrap each of the foil dinners as shown below. If you created different variations, I suggest labeling the outside of the foil with a Sharpie.

Step Five: Place each of the foil dinners on your already hot grill. Close the lid and grill on medium heat for approximately 8-10 minutes. Flip all the dinners over and grill for another 5-8 minutes.

You can open one of the dinners to check for “doneness”. You should be able to put a fork through the veges easily.

Again, let me assure you it tastes way better than it looks.
I like to add sour cream and A-1 sauce to mine. Ben adds BBQ sauce to his.
These also work wonderful over a camp fire, for those fun Summer-time cook outs.
Ben doesn’t like zucchini, but it is my FAVORITE addition to this meal!

If you end up creating a variation of this meal, I would love to hear about it in the comments section. And if you blogged about it, leave a link.

Click here for other yummy recipes.

Happy eating!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Easy Foil Dinner Recipe

Easy Foil Dinner Recipe - Main Dish (11)

Print

Author: Ashley Stock

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 3 carrots
  • 4 medium Russet potatoes
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • Worcestershire sauce to taste (approx 2-3 tablespoons)
  • Your favorite BBQ sauce to taste (approx ¼ cup)
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • Lawry’s seasoned salt to taste
  • Cooking spray (such as Pam)

Instructions

  1. Peel and slice your carrots into small bite sizes (see photo for reference). Dice the onion. There is no need to peel the potatoes–simply finely slice them as if you were making potato chips. It is important to cut all the veges thin so that they cook all the way through on the grill. Set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, pepper, and seasoned salt. We use our hands to smash all the ingredients together.
  3. Break off 4 sheets of foil, at about 18 inches each. The four foil pieces will contain each individuals meal, so you can customize the ingredients you include (in case someone doesn’t like onions, etc).
  4. Spray one side of the foil with the cooking spray. Then place about ¼ pound of the beef on the bottom. Add the additional ingredients on top.
  5. Wrap each of the foil dinners as shown below. If you created different variations, I suggest labeling the outside of the foil with a Sharpie.
  6. Place each of the foil dinners on your already hot grill. Close the lid and grill on medium heat for approximately 8-10 minutes. Flip all the dinners over and grill for another 5-8 minutes.
  7. You can open one of the dinners to check for “doneness”. You should be able to put a fork through the veges easily.

Notes

Optional additions that are also super yummy: zucchini, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, squash, etc.

Easy Foil Dinner Recipe - Main Dish (2024)

FAQs

Why is it called a hobo dinner? ›

Mulligan stew, also known as hobo stew, is a type of stew said to have been prepared by American hobos in camps in the early 1900s. Another variation of mulligan stew is "community stew", a stew put together by several homeless people by combining whatever food they have or can collect.

Can you make tinfoil dinners ahead of time? ›

Precook the foil packets for less hassle when camping: The easiest way to make foil packets for your camping meals is to fully cook your food in the oven a day before you leave, cool them properly, then store them in the fridge or freezer for your trip.

Can you make foil packs in the oven? ›

They can be cooked on the grill, in the oven, or even on a campfire recipe with minimal cleanup and even less prep. Plus, you can serve them as a side or as dinner themselves.

Is hobo a cuss word? ›

Be careful when you call a vagrant or homeless person a hobo — although this is exactly what the word means, it is a somewhat offensive term. The end of the nineteenth century brought the start of the word hobo in the Western United States.

Why is it called mulligan stew? ›

This Great Depression staple was also known as “Hobo Stew.” Mulligan, being a common Irish surname, completes the recipe stew title because it's an adaptation to a classic Irish Beef Stew. During the depression, this catch-all meal was assembled by whatever anyone could scrounge up.

Why should leftovers not be wrapped in aluminum foil? ›

Don't use aluminum foil to store leftovers.

Foil is not airtight, meaning no matter how tightly you wrap it, some air will get in. This allows bacteria to grow faster. Instead, store leftovers in airtight storage containers or food storage bags.

When did TV dinners stop using aluminum foil? ›

Swanson removed the name "TV Dinner," from the packaging in the 1960s. The Campbell Soup Company replaced the aluminum trays of Swanson frozen TV dinners with plastic, microwave-safe trays in 1986.

Should you bake potatoes wrapped in foil? ›

Not only do you get better baked potatoes when you bake them unwrapped, you also save money. Cost calculations show that eliminating foil saves an average of $3.00 per 90-count carton of potatoes, including labor and foil costs.

Can you bake chicken in foil? ›

Preheat the oven: For boneless chicken breasts, we recommend baking them in foil at 400°F for 25–30 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken and packet.

Can you freeze hobo dinners? ›

They're recipes that you make ahead, you can freeze or store until you're ready to bake. The best part is that since they're made in foil, they're easy to throw away. This book also has instructions to make them in the oven, grill them, or make them over a camp fire so it's really a useful cookbook.

What is a foil pouch? ›

Foil pouches are essentially stand up pouches. Like stand up bags, they are made from laminating together several layers of different materials. The materials used in foil pouches make them different from other stand up pouches.

How long do you leave a hobo dinner in the fire? ›

CAMPFIRE: Place on hot coals near the edge of your campfire and allow to cook 25-30 minutes, or until meat is done.

What is another name for a hobo dinner? ›

Foil Pack Dinner (a.k.a Hobo Dinner)

What does the letters in hobo stand for? ›

Americans first noticed the word HOBO in American English circa 1890. Some have said that if drives from the term HOE-BOY from the hoe they used, and “farmhand,” or a greeting such as “ho boy,” or from the railroad greeting, “Ho Beau' or an abbreviation for 'HOmeword BOund.”

What is the proper term for a hobo? ›

A hobo is a migrant worker in the United States. Hoboes, tramps, and bums are generally regarded as related, but distinct: a hobo travels and is willing to work; a tramp travels, but avoids work if possible; a bum neither travels nor works.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. An Powlowski

Last Updated:

Views: 5789

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. An Powlowski

Birthday: 1992-09-29

Address: Apt. 994 8891 Orval Hill, Brittnyburgh, AZ 41023-0398

Phone: +26417467956738

Job: District Marketing Strategist

Hobby: Embroidery, Bodybuilding, Motor sports, Amateur radio, Wood carving, Whittling, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Prof. An Powlowski, I am a charming, helpful, attractive, good, graceful, thoughtful, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.