Hobo Dinner Foil Packets are so simple to make and everyone raves about them! Comforting veggies including potatoes, carrots, and onions are topped with a seasoned hamburger patty and grilled or baked to tender perfection.
This recipe reminds me of recipes my mother would bring to the field during fall harvest time. A complete and hearty meal made especially for hungry, hard working harvesting folks was always a welcome sight! This Hobo Dinner recipe delivers exactly that! Not only is this a complete meal in one simple packet, but it is so easy to prepare and even easier to clean up making it the perfect meal to serve to your hungry family!
The type of ground beef you choose can be so important to whatever recipe you are making. In this Hobo Dinner Foil Packets recipe I choose lean ground beef (instead of extra lean). My reasoning is two-fold;
- The little bit of extra fat helps to keep everything moist and tender. The last thing you want is for everything to become dried out!
- It adds great flavor to all the veggies and the gravy in the packet!
The patty in this recipe is topped with a dollop of creamy mushroom soup creating a delicious gravy to partner with the veggies.
I love to make these as individual foil packets but this recipe can easily be adapted to suit your appetite or your crowd!
- Larger Packets – if you have guests who have larger appetites, include 2 hamburger patties (side by side, not stacked) on top of the veggies.
- Use fresh veggies that are available in your garden or the local market at this time of year! While carrots, potatoes, and onions are favorites, I do love fresh green beans, bell peppers, and Brussels sprouts!
- You can substitute ground turkey in place of ground beef! In this case, you may need to add a tablespoon of olive oil to the meat patty mixture to help keep it moist.
- The packets can be cooked in the oven or on the grill. If using the grill you can use the second layer of foil to seal your packs and prevent any leaks.
- Parchment paper can be used in place of foil if baking in the oven.
One final note and my favorite thing about this recipe is that it can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until time to bake! Whether you are preparing a harvest dinner for hungry workers in your family, or you simply have a busy week ahead of you, these Hobo Dinner Foil Packets are super convenient, easy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 (1 ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
- 4 small potatoes peeled and sliced
- 2 cups diced carrot
- 1 large onion or 2 small onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine ground beef and dry soup mix in a bowl. Form into four patties and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine all remaining ingredients except mushroom soup. Toss until well mixed.
- Spray a 12″ x 18″ piece of foil with non-stick spray.
- Place ¼ of the vegetable mixture in the center of the foil. Top with 1 beef patty. Add 2 tablespoons of condensed mushroom soup on top of each patty.
- Seal foil packets well. Place beef side up on a large baking sheet and bake 35-45 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
More Foil Packs You’ll Love
- Parmesan Chicken Foil Packets Fresh summer zucchini, zesty tomato sauce, and tender chicken breasts are grilled until perfectly cooked and topped with melty mozzarella cheese.
- Foil Pack French Dip Sandwiches French Dip Sandwiches are the perfect make-ahead meal for grilling, camping, or even cooking in your oven!
- Cabbage and Sausage Foil Packets Tender potatoes, smoky sausage, onion, and sweet cabbage seasoned with garlic butter and all cooked in a tidy little packet on the grill!
- Low Country Boil Foil Packs Low country boil foil packets have potatoes, corn, sausage, and shrimp all tucked into an easy packet.
- Pineapple Teriyaki Shrimp Foil Packets Tender crisp veggies, succulent shrimp all served on a bed of rice for a complete meal ready in minutes
- Campfire Apple & Pork Packets Lean tender pork, fresh herbs, sweet potatoes, and apples create the most delicious meal all in a little bundle!
Easy, hearty and delicious!
I roasted mine on charcoal grill for 40 mins with potatoes, onions and asparagus and it came out perfect. Also added some crumbled, crispy bacon on top of the patties which added a little texture. Served the packets with garlic bread and fresh green salad and it was a hit! Definitely would be a great dish when camping… super easy to prepare (beforehand if you wish) and the clean-up is a breeze. Thank you for sharing this fabulously fun and delicious recipe… I’ll be making it again soon no doubt!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
I like this I’m going to try it it is something different
What temperature in the oven and for how long
The recipe indicates to bake 35-45 minutes at 375. Enjoy!
Haven’t done this in a long time. yum.
I love this very easy to make
Can’t wait to try this! Could you mix blue cheese crumbles in with the beef and dry onion soup?
Sure you could, that sounds delicious!
What ratio of meat to fat did u actually choose for this recipe? 70/30? Is olive oil for flavor because I think I should have bought 80/20. Seems some where I read little patties are better than one big one but am I missing that somewhere in the instructions?. If u increase veggies would u use more soup oil & garlic powder? I’m a novice cook & I like specific because I have a higher chance of success!
I generally use 80/20 and divide the mixture into 4 patties. You want to make sure each veggie just has a light coating for flavor so it depends how much extra you add.
That was an excellent meal !!! I will be making it at the camp this weekend !!
Made this with both hamburger/potatoes and onions and chicken breast with potatoes and onions. Fast and convenient.
how would you do this in a crockpot??? And how long would you cook for??
I’ve have only made this as written. Let us know how it works out if you try it.
Is there a low carb and low calorie alternative to this foil pack recipe?
You could leave out the potatoes (and add extra veggies like mushrooms or zucchini) and use extra lean beef and reduced calorie products. I can’t say for sure what the exact values would be.
Joni, you can check out Holly’s Easy Low Carb website for more low carb recipes!
Not a new idea been making hobo dinners for at least 25 years
Perhaps it’s NEW to the person who created, and I’ve been doing this thing called LIVING for 40 years, and haven’t ever heard of them, so NEW to me also! Your comment seems rude and un-necessary!
This was a great hit with my family. Definitely will be making this more often. I have a couple picky eaters but the Hobo packets appeased them so there was no complaints. Just a bunch of mmmmm’s
Thank you for this delicious recipe!
So happy to hear your family loved the Hobo packets Ella!
We made this last night and it was delicious! I even skipped tossing the veggies in olive oil and garlic powder (I forgot!) but the flavour from the beef patties and mushroom soup cooking over them still gave them enough kick!
Potatoes do not freeze well.
how long would you cook a double batch in a crock pot?
I haven’t tried it that way. Please let us know how it works for you if you do try it!
Can’t wait to make these! If made ahead and frozen, how long do you bake them? Also, has anyone tried to use a crockpot? How long would you cook them in a crockpot?
Do the potatoes have to be peeled?
We prefer them peeled but they don’t have to be peeled.
My variation to this is a dollop of cheddar cheese soup, the cheesy flavor really makes the meat and veggies pop.
Ohhh that would be really yummy!
Was it instead of the cream of mushroom?
I made these tonight and they were a hit! I added Brussel sprouts just because I had some and it was delicious! Thank you
Great addition, thank you for sharing!