Hobo Foil Packets

A twist on classic Hobo Foil Packets using sausage instead of ground beef. We’ve got the classic carrots, onions, and thinly sliced potatoes. A truly comforting, filling, and hearty meal that’s great for a no-mess meal or campfire dinner!

What is a hobo pack?

Hobo foil packets have always been second nature to me; we had them all the time growing up! With a dad and two brothers that were very into Boy Scouts and camping, we enjoyed hobo packs often. Essentially a hobo pack is a bundle of cut-up ingredients wrapped up in foil and cooked over the coals of a campfire. We love them so much, we even eat them when we aren’t camping!

Most hobo packs combine ground beef, potatoes, carrots, and a whole lot of ketchup. My twist on those typical packets is to replace the ground beef with sausage since more times than not the ground beef ends up nearly inedible (which explains needing at least half the container of ketchup to get it down!). In a foil pack, the ground beef is pretty much stewed, making it hard, chewy, and near flavorless.

We’ve found that replacing the beef with sausage still gets you all the flavors of traditional foil packs with loads more flavor and a great texture. Plus, the sausage also goes with lots of ketchup — a must-have topping 🙂

Hobo Foil Packet ingredients

Hobo Foil Packs aren’t complicated, but you’ll want to make sure you have the ingredients uniformly prepared (to recipe specifications) so that everything can be cooked in time. Here’s a quick run-down on the main ingredients:

• Sausage: We use smoked sausage in these packets. They’re already cooked, so there’s no question about whether the meat will be cooked through in time, and won’t get the rest of the ingredients overly greasy. It’s a bit trickier with regular sausage; just like using ground beef, it ends up having an odd texture.
• Yukon gold potatoes: I love using Yukon gold (sometimes just called gold or yellow potatoes) in these hobo packs — they’ve got a delicious buttery flavor. You can peel the potatoes, but the peel is so delicate on Yukon golds, I don’t bother peeling. The important thing with these potatoes is to make sure they’re very thinly sliced: 1/8th inch thick. Use a mandoline slicer for quick prep here!
• Carrots: Use whole carrots here (not baby carrots)– again, no need to peel (lots of flavor and nutrients are in the peel), just wash them throughly. Thinly slice these and cut large rounds in half.
• Yellow onion: The onion also needs to be very thinly sliced. Again, a mandoline slicer makes this quick and easy!

Seasoning

As far as the seasonings go, we’re keeping it simple while adding delicious flavor to these Hobo Foil Packets. Here’s what we use:

• Italian seasoning
• Dried basil
• Dried parsley
• Paprika
• Dried thyme
• Salt and pepper: Always add to personal taste preference, but remember, if the meal feels like it’s lacking or dull, it may be as simple a fix as adding a bit more salt and pepper!

Hobo Foil Packets Toppings

If you’re familiar with Hobo Foil Packets, you know they basically require loads and loads of ketchup. 🙂

Ketchup is our favorite topping and it goes exceptionally well with all the ingredients. I highly recommend Heniz® (not sponsored) for the best flavor.

If you aren’t a fan of ketchup, you could try one of these alternatives:

• Freshly grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (I recommend avoiding pre-shredded cheese– it has a tendency to resist melting in these foil packs and makes the potatoes greasy.)
• Fresh herbs such as thyme or Italian parsley
• BBQ sauce is another great sauce to drizzle on; I recommend a plain variety of BBQ sauce.

How to fold a hobo pack

1. Rip out 4 strips of heavy-duty foil, each one about 2 feet long.
2. Separate the seasoned potato, carrot, onion, and sausage mix equally into the center of each square of foil.
3. To seal the foil packet, bring the short sides together in the middle and gently fold down to completely seal. Then, roll up the ends.
4. The foil packs are ready to cook!

Hobo Packet Tips

• Seal the foil packets tightly. Since these packets need to be flipped, make sure the seal is good and tight on these so liquid doesn’t seep out — they’ll burn and have much less flavor without that liquid.
• Use heavy-duty foil for the best results on the grill. There is no need to double-wrap these packets in multiple layers of foil (and if you do, they will take longer to cook).
• Time can vary depending on the actual size of veggies and actual heat of coals/oven/grill, so when checking for doneness, only check one packet at a time. Remember, every time you open a packet to check, it releases steam and will add an extra couple of minutes to the cooking time.
• Campfire cooking is the hardest time to estimate because of so many varying factors (heat of the coals, how many packets are cooking, the outside temperatures, etc.). I recommend checking one packet at 20 minutes but be prepared that they can take up to 40-45 minutes to finish. (If it’s taking longer than that, the coals are not hot enough.)
• Transfer the cooked meal to a plate or another layer of foil before eating; once cooked, the foil gets pretty charred and flimsy — it won’t hold up well to eating.
• Foil: It doesn’t matter if the shiny or dull side is touching the food; it makes no difference. (Source)

More campfire meals:

• Pesto and Sausage with sun-dried tomatoes
• Philly Cheesesteak Dinners with ground beef
• Sausage and Veggies Jambalaya even the rice cooks in the foil pack!
• Italian Sausage and Veggies with an Italian-inspired seasoning blend
• Garlic Herb Sausage, Shrimp, and Veggies reader favorite recipe!