Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs

Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs make a fun campfire meal. These foil packs are loaded with veggies — onion, peppers, potatoes, and mushrooms. On top of the veggies, we add seasoned and crumbled ground beef and finish everything off with gooey melted Provolone cheese.

These foil pack meals are a unique and fun change from the typical hobo foil packets you’ve probably had while camping — it’s time to try a new flavor profile!

Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs

During the summer, we go camping as often as we can — it’s one of our favorite things to do as a family. My husband and I split tasks — he’ll pack clothes for the kiddos and load everything up in the car while I prepare snacks and meals for the trip. I love coming up with fun campfire dinners and preparing a few quick snacks (like these Oatmeal Energy Balls) to take along.

Some of our “go-to” campfire meals are these Foil Pack French Dip Sandwiches and these Tin Foil Sausage and Veggies. While I don’t think we could ever get sick of those campfire meals, I wanted to change things up a bit! And since this Philly Cheesesteak Pasta is a family favorite, I decided to channel those flavors into a foil-pack meal. The result — these amazing Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs!

And they’ve been a complete camping win! These foil pack meals are loaded with flavor and very filling. They cook so well on the campfire, which infuses them with a delicious smoky flavor. And if you don’t have a campfire to cook these foil packs on, I’ve also tested this recipe on the grill (our second-favorite way to enjoy them) and in the oven. While you won’t get the same smoky flavors in the oven that a campfire or grill will provide, you’ll still have a simple-to-prepare tasty meal!

Ingredient Specifications

These Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packets aren’t hard to make, but they are a little particular. You’ll want to make sure you have the ingredients uniformly prepared so that everything can be perfectly cooked in time. Here’s a quick run-down on specifications:

• Ground beef. We use 16 ounces (1 pound) total for this recipe. Of that pound, divide it evenly into 4 foil packs (4 ounces per pack). Use lean ground beef or your packs will be swimming in grease. I recommend using 93/7 ground beef (This means 93% of the beef is lean and 7% is fat).
• Yukon gold potatoes. The potatoes are what take the longest to cook, so it’s important they’re cut small so they will cook through in time. The potatoes need to be chopped into small bite-sized pieces, about 1/2-inch in size. The peel on Yukon golds is so delicate (and tasty), that I leave it on. Plus, you’ll save some preparation time by skipping the peeling.
• Yellow onion. I recommend a fine dice here which will infuse every part of the meal with great flavor!
• Green pepper. Again, bite-sized pieces here, about 1 inch in size. I usually cut the pepper into 9-10 strips and each strip into 3 pieces.
• Mushrooms. To save on prep time, buy pre-sliced mushrooms which are the perfect size for these Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs. If using whole mushrooms, slice them into 1/4th-inch thick pieces.

Philly Cheesesteak Foil Pack Tips

• Fully seal the foil packets, but leave room for steam to circulate. Since these packets need to be flipped, you’ll want to make sure the seal is very tight so the juices don’t leak out. 
• Don’t double wrap the foil packets. Even though it may be tempting to use two sheets of foil, this will affect the cooking time, making it more variable.
• Generously spray the foil to keep the veggies (especially the onion) from sticking.
• Season to taste; after pulling these Philly Cheesesteak meals from the fire, oven, or grill, let them cool for a few minutes and then taste for seasoning — the packets might need a pinch more of salt and/or pepper to make the flavors come alive. 
• Use heavy-duty foil which ensures everything stays nicely in these packets and they don’t easily rip or tear. Heavy-duty foil is much thicker and stands up to heat better. 
• Grill over high heat (525-550 degrees F). With the high heat, these foil packs cook the best (flavor-wise) and are done fairly quickly — as soon as 15 minutes (again, this depends on the actual temperature of your grill and the size of cut veggies/meat).

Campfire cooking tips

• Campfire cooking has a lot of variances, depending on the temperature outside, the heat of the coals, etc. These packets can be done as soon as 10 minutes or as long as 20-30 minutes. To cook over the campfire, place your foil pack very close to (or even directly on) a pile of hot coals (or briquettes). Start by cooking the packets for 5 minutes, flipping them over, and cooking for another 5 minutes before giving them a check.
• Keep in mind that every time the foil packets are opened to check for doneness, the steam is all released, which will add to the cooking time for these meals. Test only one packet at a time for doneness and then check a different packet at the next check (instead of checking the same packet over and over again).

Philly Cheesesteak Foil Pack Variation Ideas

• Swap out Provolone cheese for a sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• Instead of using ground beef, use 1 pound of sliced smoked sausage (turkey, beef, pork, or chicken).
• Slightly reduce or omit the cayenne pepper if you’re not a fan of spiciness.
• For dairy-free foil packs, leave off the cheese and serve with additional ketchup instead (sounds weird, but if you love ketchup, it works here).
• Replace Yukon golds with Russets (peel first) or red potatoes (unpeeled).

More Campfire Favorites

• Tin Foil Jambalaya with instant rice
• Pesto and Sausage with sun-dried tomatoes
• Baked Potato Foil Packs with cheese, bacon, and chives
• Salsa Verde Chicken & Rice with cream cheese
• Garlic Butter Sausage & Veggies with sweet corn

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4.91 from 10 votes

Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs

By Chelsea Lords

Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs make a fun campfire meal. These foil packs are loaded with veggies -- onion, peppers, potatoes, and mushrooms. On top of the veggies, we add seasoned and crumbled ground beef and finish everything off with gooey melted Provolone cheese.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 large foil packs

Equipment

• Heavy Duty Foil & Cooking Spray

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 large (heaping 2 cups; 11 oz.) Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 1 large green pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• ▢ 1 cup thinly sliced brown mushrooms
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 pound (16 oz.) lean (93/7) ground beef
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ketchup
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
• ▢ 6 slices Provolone cheese

Instructions 

• GRILL/OVEN PREP: If using a grill: Preheat to 525-550 degrees F. If using an oven, preheat to 400 degrees F. Set out 4 large sheets (2 feet in length each) of heavy duty foil. Lightly grease with cooking spray.
• VEGGIE PREP: Scrub the potatoes clean and dry them-- no need to peel Yukon golds. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized, 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the green pepper into bite-sized, 1-inch pieces (discard seeds and ribs). Finely dice the yellow onion. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Add all these veggies to a large bowl and add the 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt + pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Toss to completely coat all the veggies and then evenly divide this mixture among the 4 pieces of prepared foil.
  
• MEAT PREP: In that same bowl used for the veggies (less dishes!) add the pound of ground beef. Add the 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, salt and pepper (to taste). I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; add to personal preference. With your hands, knead the ingredients together until incorporated.
  
• ADD MEAT TO FOIL PACKS: Divide the meat mixture evenly into 4 parts (just eyeball it) Coarsely crumble each portion of beef over the veggies in each foil packet. Completely seal the foil packets (if they aren't completely sealed, they'll leak out when they're flipped), making sure to leave some room for air circulation in each packet.
• TO GRILL: Place the packets in the middle of the grill and cook at high temperature for 10 minutes. Flip the foil packets and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until veggies are tender. My grill at 525 degrees takes exactly 15 minutes. We like these best on the grill or campfire, but they can be baked.

  TO BAKE: Place the packets on a large sheet pan lined with foil. Place the packets on and bake for 28-38 minutes. (My oven takes exactly 30 minutes.) Remember, if you check your packets and they aren't quite done, they will need even longer because all the steam has escaped and they've cooled down. Avoid checking the packets frequently and only check one at a time.

  CAMPFIRE: Place the sealed packets very close to (or even directly on) a pile of hot coals. Start by cooking them for 5 minutes, flipping them over, and cooking for another 5 minutes before giving a check.
  
• ADD CHEESE: Remove foil packs from heat and carefully open the packets (watch out for the release of steam.) Immediately place 1 and 1/2 pieces of Provolone cheese on top and then return the foil packet to the heat source for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt on top (30 seconds to 1 minute in the oven, 1-2 minutes in closed hot grill, and let it melt on its own for campfire cooking (don't put it back on the fire). Enjoy immediately!

Video

Recipe Notes

While you can make these packets a few hours in advance, if they're made too far in advance the potatoes will start to change texture and discolor. I don't recommend freezing prepared (unbaked) packets.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 1157mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 266mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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