This was brought up on "Open Road" forum and just thought it would be interesting. The first camp-out we did the the teens, 2 were Eagle Scouts and one did a hobo meal, which was the first time I had heard of it, so I just wanted to get everyones opinions.
What are your favorite ingredients?
How and for how long do you do it?
I first learned about "Hobo Meals" when our sons got involved with Boy Scouts. They have been called all sorts of different names, but it still comes down to it's a foil meal. Here's a recipe we've just tried and it's yummy. At the Pismo Rally my wife and I are going to be spending time talking about foil meals as well as cast iron cooking. Reynolds web site has lots of foil meals and I have a handout we'll be distributing.
Moose
[font='Times New Roman']Basil Chicken for Two
2 sheets (12x18-inches each) Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/4 lb.)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium yellow squash, sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut in rings
Freshly ground pepper
PREHEAT grill to medium-high.
CENTER one chicken breast half on each sheet of Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil. Combine parsley, lemon peel, basil and salt; sprinkle over chicken. Top with yellow squash and red pepper. Sprinkle chicken and vegetables with pepper.
BRING up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make two packets.
GRILL 10 to 12 minutes in covered grill.
We've added some instant rice and chicken broth to this and like it better this way.[/font]
Hello
I'm now 46 years old. I was first introduced to these foil meals when I too was a kid in the boy scouts, many moons ago.
My favorite was always:
Foil for cooking meal in
cube steak, seasoned with salt and pepper
pealed and coarsely chopped Carrots, Parsnips, onions, & celery
quartered potato
chopped parsley
tablespoon of butter
prepare the ingredients, then place them in the foil. Fold foil over to seal contents and so that it is tough enough to be handled when placing it in the coals.
Place in fire pit, covering with coals. Let it cook until done, usually close to a half hour.
Another little fun thing to do is make a boiled egg in the fire. To do this you need a paper cup filled with water, and a raw, whole egg in it (still in the shell.)
Place the cup with the water and egg on a burning log or in the coals. The flames will only burn the paper cup along the top where there is no water. The water in the cup will boil and the egg will cook. Try it!
Steve
:D
We use hamburg or chicken, potatoes, carrots, onion (all sliced) and a little butter, salt and pepper. Wrap it in 2 layers of foil and cook at least an hour. You can tell by the feel/smell when it is getting done. :)
I know that some of you may have heard of this before, but if you make these foil packets out of a couple of layers of heavy duty foil, you can find a hot and secure place on your engine to cook them while you are driving! Works best with lighter fare like fish or chicken, and for steaming/poaching. Lest you think I am making this up...
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This is a "must" meal on each trip for my DW, DD and myself.
Build a fire at least 1-1/2 hrs. before cooking time.
In the foil goes:
hamburger
diced potatoes, onions, carrots
chopped broccoli
salt, pepper to taste
sprinkle liberally with Italian dressing
Seal pouch.
Level out bed of hot coals. Cook 15 minutes on each side, with each pouch directly on the coals.
We love it.
Back when our kids were in Indian Guides and Princesses, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts, they were:
Ground Beef
Sliced Carrot
Siiced Ptoato
Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Bob
Quote from: mgwerksI know that some of you may have heard of this before, but if you make these foil packets out of a couple of layers of heavy duty foil, you can find a hot and secure place on your engine to cook them while you are driving! Works best with lighter fare like fish or chicken, and for steaming/poaching. Lest you think I am making this up...
What a great concept.
I am a chef and am always looking for new and fun ways to whip up some chow!
I went out oand checked under the hood of my Toyota to get some ideas. Ithink I'll try a pork or venison roast!
I had a Caprice wagon a couple of years ago. It would have been perfect. Lots of room. Thanks for the ideas.
Like everyone else here, I first learned of this in the Boy Scouts.
We used hamburger, meat pealed and diced potatoes, sliced onions, and diced carrots. We put all ingredients in a foil pouch and placed the pouches in the coals of our fire. Took some time to cook. Checked by telling if potatoes and carrots were soft. It was a fun meal.
Okay I am new to this idea as my girls aren't old enough for scouts or guides yet. Can you buy foil pouches or do you just make them out of alum. foil?
Shelly
Quote from: ShellyOkay I am new to this idea as my girls aren't old enough for scouts or guides yet. Can you buy foil pouches or do you just make them out of alum. foil?
Shelly
Hmmmm...Now there's a marketing idea!
To my knowledge, you cannot buy the pouches.
It has been alluded to, but not stressed in posts above, that you should use Heavy Duty aluminum foil (i.e., Reynold's Wrap Heavy Duty). We have also found that two layers of foil helps keep from burning food, since aluminum tends to get hot spots and conducts heat very well.
Larry
Quote from: brainpauseHmmmm...Now there's a marketing idea!
To my knowledge, you cannot buy the pouches.
Larry, Larry, Larry ... you gotta get in the kitchen more often! :D
You can buy the pouches ~ they work really well, too. ;)
Quote from: KellyLarry, Larry, Larry ... you gotta get in the kitchen more often! :D
You can buy the pouches ~ they work really well, too. ;)
Well, then....I stand corrected! :) And I must say that I cook fairly often, and cook fairly well, even if I say so myself.
I think my excuse is that we just got electrissical and indoor toilets last year here in Tennessee. Guess the aluminum foil pouches haven't made it out this far yet. :D
Larry
Can you purchase the pouches from your local store? I have looked at a couple of grocery stores up here in Canada but haven't found them.
Shelly
Quote from: ShellyCan you purchase the pouches from your local store? I have looked at a couple of grocery stores up here in Canada but haven't found them.
Shelly
We have bought them at Walmart or our local grocery store. They are heavy duty foiled bags called "HOT BAGS". We use them all the time when we are camping. They are great to use on the grill.
ME: Tina
DH: Mitch
DD: Kayla
2DS: Kyle, Kolten
1 dog Maxie, 2 cats Felicity & Toby
TV: 03' Chevy Venture
98' Palomino Colt pup
I just got back from a campout with the Girl Scouts this past weekend. We made the pouches to save money but Reynolds does make the "Hot Bags" if you want to save yourself some time. Here's the recipe we used:
I/4 lb Hamburger (per person) rolled into a ball.
Quartered cloves of garlic.
Thin sliced potatoes
Thin sliced carrots.
Diced Celery.
Thin sliced Onions.
Season Salt.
Cream of Mushroom Soup (canned)
Insert one quartered garlic clove into the meatball.
Place into foil bag then add potatoes, carrots, celery,
and onion. Sprinkle with season salt and add one to two
spoonfuls of the mushroom soup. Seal bag and place upright
directly onto hot coals. These cooked in 25 minutes. By placing
them upright, we didn't have to turn them. We cooked them
in a fire ring, but the Boy Scouts often did a trench to cook theirs.
Quote from: CampaholicsBack when our kids were in Indian Guides and Princesses, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts, they were:
Ground Beef
Sliced Carrot
Siiced Ptoato
Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Bob
I know this is cheating a little but leading cub scouts we usually take chicken and cook it up ahead with a little butter and put it in ziplocks to put out so everyone can get their own foil meals made and you don't have to worry about the chicken not being cooked all the way through. Also we usually precook the potatoes some ( not all the way ). It then only takes about 1/2 the time to cook everything and your veggies stay crispy if that is what you like.
One cool note when your camping with a huge group....and making these...bring YELLOW MUSTARD....
Yes, I said mustard...why? the kids can write their name or intials on it and when it bakes in the coals the mustard turns hard and dark, so no matter how much goal or burn on it you can still see their names....A LOT better than SHARPIES!!!
Obviously don't put the foil on the coals mustard side down at first....the mustard needs to bake on, so by the time you flip or move the foil the mustard should be hard and won't smear...
Plus the kids think you are the coolest person in the world when you tell them to write their name in mustard on the foil :)