Campfire Package Supper

RECIPE #16, DAY #12

ORIGINAL RECIPE: Our own, based on summers of trial and error

TIMING: Once you build your fire and reduce it to hot coals, maybe 1/2 hour? Time is not of the essence, here

DIFFICULTY: Easy, but experience with campfire cooking is best

TOOLS: A campfire, aluminum foil, and some metal tongs

COOK TYPE: Campfire

HEALTH: A great campfire meal that includes lots of veggies and some protein. Simple and nourishing, and you’ll be surprised how willing your kids are to eat veggies outdoors as opposed to inside at the dinner table.

EXPERIENCE: I don’t know where it was decided and when, but as far as we are concerned, “Hobo Dinners” are the quintessential campfire meal. We camp a lot, so this is something we make a few times every year. We don’t love to call them “Hobo Dinners,” or maybe feel like we shouldn’t, but whatever they are, they are really camp-friendly and super tasty.

This is our favorite combination of ingredients, but you could do sweet potatoes, squash, bell peppers, other ground meats, seasonings (like Cajun or grill seasoning) and even omit the corn. (Don’t do it!)

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Get your campfire built up and reducing to hot coals. Place a grate over top.
Meanwhile, chop up 1 onion, 2-3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, and 4 peeled carrots.
Give everyone a large piece of aluminum foil and plop 3-4 ounces mixed ground beef and pork onto each. Each person can then add their choice of veggies, canned and drained corn, salt, pepper, and all purpose seasoning and mix moderately. Every one will want onions. Believe me.
Fold foil over so that it forms a moisture-tight package with the seam on the top.
Place on the grate. Check it after 10 minutes, stabbing a large potato piece with a fork. Usually, they take 20 minutes or even 30. A little caramelization would be nice.