Hobo Meals For Your Next Camping Trip
There's something truly magical about cooking over an open fire when camping, and hobo meals are the perfect way to enjoy a hearty, delicious meal in the great outdoors. If you're not familiar with hobo meals, they're essentially individual servings of meat and vegetables cooked in foil packets over hot coals. The best part? You can customize them to your liking and everyone can make their own!
Here's how to make hobo meals like a pro:
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 large onion, chopped
4 medium potatoes, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
Salt and pepper to taste
Foil sheets (at least 12 inches long)
Instructions:
Start by preparing your coals. You'll need a good bed of hot coals to cook your hobo meals, so build a fire and let it burn down until you have a nice bed of hot coals.
While your coals are heating up, prep your ingredients. Brown the ground beef or turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Add the chopped onion and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Divide the ground beef or turkey mixture evenly between four sheets of foil, placing it in the center of each sheet.
Next, divide the diced potatoes, sliced carrots, frozen peas, and frozen corn between the four packets, placing them on top of the ground beef or turkey mixture.
Season each packet with salt and pepper to taste.
Fold the foil up and around the ingredients, forming a sealed packet. Be sure to crimp the edges tightly to ensure no juices or steam can escape.
Place the packets directly on the hot coals, using tongs to arrange them so they're not touching each other or the edge of the fire pit.
Cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping the packets over once halfway through the cooking time. You'll know they're done when the vegetables are tender and the meat is fully cooked.
Using tongs, carefully remove the packets from the coals and let them cool for a few minutes before carefully opening them. Be careful, as hot steam will escape from the packets.
Enjoy your delicious hobo meals straight from the foil packets, or pour the contents onto plates or bowls.
A few tips to ensure the perfect hobo meal:
Don't overload your packets. Make sure you're leaving enough room for everything to cook evenly and for the steam to circulate.
Use heavy-duty foil to prevent tears and leaks in your packets.
Experiment with different ingredient combinations! You can use chicken, pork, or even tofu instead of ground beef or turkey. Add in your favorite veggies or spices to make it your own.
For added flavor, try placing a small pat of butter on top of each packet before sealing it up.
So next time you're camping, try making hobo meals for an easy, delicious, and fun meal around the campfire.
