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My mother made foil packet hamburger dinners when money was tight, and we thought it was the best supper of the week, because every one of us got to open his own. Most people remember foil dinners from camp, cooked in the coals. Ours came out of the oven. A seasoned ground beef patty, sliced potatoes, carrots cut in coins, a few rings of onion, a pat of butter, salt and pepper, all folded up tight in a square of foil with our initials scratched on top so nobody got the wrong one. One package of ground beef and a few potatoes fed all of us.
The common complaint with foil dinners is that the beef is done while the potatoes are still hard, or the potatoes are soft and the beef is gray and dry. My mother fixed it with the order and the knife. The vegetables are sliced thin and laid flat on the bottom, where they sit in the juices and steam. The patty goes on top, so its juices run down over them while it bakes. Here is how to get the potatoes tender at the same time as the beef.
Why this foil packet dinner works
- Thin, flat vegetables. Potatoes sliced 1/8 inch thick and carrots in thin coins cook in the same time as a patty.
- Beef on top. The fat and juices from the patty baste the vegetables underneath.
- A tight seal. Each packet becomes its own little oven and steams everything in its own juices.
- Heavy foil, doubled seams. Nothing leaks, nothing dries out.
- A seasoned patty. Onion, garlic, a spoon of ketchup, salt and pepper in the meat make it taste like a hamburger supper, not boiled beef.
Ingredients
Makes 4 packets, one supper each. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets. Double everything for a family of 8.
For the patties
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef, 85% lean (570g)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
For the vegetables
- 4 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 800g), scrubbed and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin coins
- 1 medium onion, sliced into rings
- 4 tablespoons butter (60g), in 4 pats
- 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or paprika
To finish
- Chopped parsley
- Ketchup or brown gravy, to serve
Use heavy-duty aluminum foil. Regular foil tears when the packets are moved and lets the juices run out.
How to make foil packet dinner
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees (200°C). Tear off 4 sheets of heavy-duty foil, each about 14 by 18 inches.
- In a bowl, mix the ground beef, chopped onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder and ketchup with your hands, just until combined. Shape into 4 patties about 3/4 inch thick and slightly wider than you want them, because they shrink.
- Toss the sliced potatoes, carrots and onion rings with the salt, pepper and thyme.
- Divide the vegetables among the foil sheets, spreading them in a flat layer in the middle of each sheet, no more than two slices deep.
- Set a patty on top of each pile of vegetables and put a pat of butter on the patty.
- Bring the long sides of the foil up over the food, fold them together twice and crimp tight. Fold and crimp each end twice so the packet is completely sealed, leaving a little space inside for steam.
- Set the packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Open one packet carefully, away from your face. The potatoes should be tender when pierced with a knife and the beef cooked through (160 degrees inside). If not, reseal and bake 5 to 10 minutes more.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes. Serve each person a packet on a plate, opened at the table, with parsley on top and ketchup or gravy on the side.
Tips that make the difference
- Use a sharp knife or a mandoline for the potatoes. Thickness is what decides the timing.
- Make a shallow dimple in the middle of each patty so it stays flat as it cooks.
- Write names on the foil with a marker before it goes in if your family likes theirs a certain way.
- Open the packets carefully. The steam inside is very hot.
Variations
- Cheeseburger packets. Lay a slice of cheddar on each patty for the last 5 minutes, packets opened.
- Green beans. Add a handful of fresh green beans with the carrots.
- Gravy packets. Spoon 2 tablespoons of brown gravy over each patty before sealing.
- On the grill or campfire. Cook over medium heat or hot coals for 25 to 35 minutes, turning once.
Storage and make-ahead
Assembled packets can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours before baking. Add 5 minutes to the time.
Cooked leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the foil in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Freeze assembled, unbaked packets for up to 1 month and bake from frozen at 400 degrees for about 60 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my potatoes still hard?
They were sliced too thick or piled too high. Slice them 1/8 inch thick and spread them in a flat layer under the beef.
Do I need to cook the beef first?
No. Raw patties cook in the packets in the same time as the thin vegetables, and their juices flavor everything.
What are these also called?
Many families call them hobo dinners, campfire dinners or simply foil dinners. They are all the same idea.
Can I use frozen vegetables?
Yes for carrots and green beans, but use fresh potatoes. Frozen potatoes turn watery.
Scratch the initials on the foil, set a packet in front of everybody, and let them open their own supper.
Hamburger Foil Packet Dinners in the Oven (Potatoes and Beef Done Together)
Old-fashioned foil packet hamburger dinners: a seasoned ground beef patty over thin sliced potatoes, carrots and onion with butter, sealed in foil and baked so the potatoes are tender just as the beef is done.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef, 85% lean
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 4 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 800g), scrubbed and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin coins
- 1 medium onion, sliced into rings
- 4 tablespoons butter (60g), in 4 pats
- 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or paprika
- Chopped parsley
- Ketchup or brown gravy, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees (200°C). Tear off 4 sheets of heavy-duty foil, each about 14 by 18 inches.
- In a bowl, mix the ground beef, chopped onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder and ketchup with your hands, just until combined. Shape into 4 patties about 3/4 inch thick and slightly wider than you want them, because they shrink.
- Toss the sliced potatoes, carrots and onion rings with the salt, pepper and thyme.
- Divide the vegetables among the foil sheets, spreading them in a flat layer in the middle of each sheet, no more than two slices deep.
- Set a patty on top of each pile of vegetables and put a pat of butter on the patty.
- Bring the long sides of the foil up over the food, fold them together twice and crimp tight. Fold and crimp each end twice so the packet is completely sealed, leaving a little space inside for steam.
- Set the packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Open one packet carefully, away from your face. The potatoes should be tender when pierced with a knife and the beef cooked through (160 degrees inside). If not, reseal and bake 5 to 10 minutes more.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes. Serve each person a packet on a plate, opened at the table, with parsley on top and ketchup or gravy on the side.
