An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Foil Dinners

Cook these veggie and meat foil packets in the oven, on the grill, or over a campfire.

Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey, lean, rinsed and drained)
2 large potatoes (scrubbed, eyes removed, sliced)
1 large onion (peeled and sliced)
2 large carrots (scrubbed and sliced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Salt, pepper, or other seasonings (such as garlic salt or barbecue seasoning, to taste)
Steps
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix 1/2 teaspoon salt into ground beef. Shape meat into 4 flat patties about the size of the palm of your hand. 
  2. Lay each patty on a piece of foil about 15 inches long. Wash hands carefully after handling raw meat. 
  3. Top each patty with slices of potato, onion, and carrots.
  4. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings if desired. 
  5. Wrap each pile in foil and seal tightly. Place on cookie sheet if desired.
  6. Bake for 1 hour. 
  7. Carefully remove very hot packages from oven onto serving plate. Puncture foil to release steam. Cool for several minutes before unwrapping. Before serving, be sure beef is thoroughly cooked. The beef should not be pink and juices should be clear.
  8. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.
Notes
  • If you use clean food handling procedures, you can prepare the foil dinner packets up to 2 days ahead (maximum!) and store them in the refrigerator. 
  • Foil dinners are great for grilling or camping. If you are grilling them, you will want to add some slices of butter to each foil packet to prevent the contents from scorching and sticking to the foil.
Meal Type: Dinner
Category: Kid-Friendly
Food group: Vegetables, Protein
Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall