Hobo Dinner Packet
on Mar 08, 2021, Updated Jan 29, 2024
Hobo Dinner Packet is a fun and easy way to cook up some ground beef and vegetables. Make these foil pack meals in the oven or on the grill!
Whether you’re making these on the grill, in your kitchen, or at your next tailgate party, these Hobo Packets are a delicious, must-try dish! This easy ground beef recipe is perfect for grilling out- beef and veggies come together to make a complete, make-ahead meal. Plus no plates to wash as you can serve them right in their foil.
Hobo Dinner Packet
You might be confused as to how a “Hobo Dinner” ended up on this blog. The homeless have rough lives, living on the road and off the land- why would I want their dinner?! Bear with me. If you enjoy a good grill-out, tailgating, or hiking through the woods, you might be interested in today’s recipe for Hobo Dinner Packets!
Foil Pack Meals seem almost tailor-made for outdoor cooking. You’ve got a healthy serving of veggies tossed in with a nice, juicy patty of beef topped with a bit of delicious mushroom soup. Each of those, individually, would take time to prep and cook up. These Hobo Packets cut down on the hands-on and prep time while also bringing all of those elements together into a single, tender dish.
This Hobo Dinner is a delicious ground beef recipe that can be cooked up in all sorts of ways. Make it at home in your oven, out in the backyard on the grill, or over a fire while on a hike or camping trip. You can even prep these as make-ahead dishes- chop your veggies, make your patties, assemble, seal, and toss in the fridge. When the grill’s all warmed up, grab one, cook it up, and enjoy! This is a fun and easy recipe we know you folks are going to love.
Enjoyed our Hobo Dinner? Try these ground beef recipes next!
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Whenever we have some ground beef, we’re always eager to make some Simple Salisbury Steak! This is one of our standby, go-to dinner dishes that are perfect for a busy weeknight meal. Delicious, tender, and just perfect when you add that gravy- mashed potatoes are a must for this tasty dish!
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For something delicious, simple, and oh-so creamy, make up some Hamburger Gravy. Ground beef and onions in a creamy brown gravy- what’s not to love?! Serve up over some potatoes, some biscuits, or on a “shingle” of bread or toast- goes great with a side of veggies.
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In the mood for a bit of pasta? Try making some of our Homemade Hamburger Helper Beef Noodle. Our recipe is as simple to make as the stuff from the box but tastes way better! No need to go with the store-bought when you have this simple homemade recipe nearby.
What you’ll need for our Hobo Dinners
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Carrots
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Potatoes
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Onions
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Ground Beef – Aim for something around 80% lean, 20% fat. You want a bit of fat to keep things juicy!
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Burger Seasonings – Try using your favorite burger herbs and spices here! We usually use some garlic & onion powders, salt & pepper, and some Worcestershire sauce and our Hobo Dinners were great.
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Butter
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Cream of Mushroom Soup
How to make a Hobo Dinner
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Thinly slice your vegetables and mix up your meat with the seasonings before forming it into patties.
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Assemble your veggies, butter, patties, and soup on foil sheets before folding up and crimping into packets.
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Bake or grill your Hobo Packets until the veggies inside are tender and the beef is cooked through.
After getting your vegetables thinly sliced, move onto your beef. Add your meat and seasonings to a bowl and mix together thoroughly with your hands.
After getting your vegetables thinly sliced, move onto your beef. Add your meat and seasonings to a bowl and mix together thoroughly with your hands.
Really, all that’s left is assembly! First, prep 4 squares of foil that are about 12″x24″ and add some of your veggies. Top with some butter.
On top of the veggies, place your burger patty…
…And, on top of the burger patty, put a couple of tablespoons of your soup. At this point, bring the sides of the foil up to the middle and fold them together. Crimp, seal, and then roll up the open sides to form the whole thing into a sealed Hobo Packet.
All that’s left is to cook your Hobo Dinner. This can be done in the oven, on the grill, or over a roaring campfire if that’s what you’re working with. If making in the oven, place on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes. Grills and campfires can be imprecise, so just keep an eye on your packets. You’ll know your Hobo Dinner is done when the veggies are tender and the burgers are cooked through. Open up your packets and dig in!
How long are Foil Packet Meals good for?
Hobo Packet variations
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Other Ground Meats – Try subbing out the ground beef for any number of ground meats. Consider using some ground turkey, some sausage, or maybe some ground pork?
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Use your favorite veggies – You can try making these packets with all sorts of veggies! Any vegetable you’d enjoy roasting or cooking up might find its way into your own Hobo Dinner.
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Bigger Packets – If you’re trying to pack for hungrier folks or you want to keep two meals in one packet, considering using a bit more foil and adding more fillings.
Hobo Dinner
Ingredients
- 4 Carrots
- 2 Potatoes
- 1 Onion
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 8 tbsp Cream of Mushroom Soup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Thin slice carrots, potatoes, and onions. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire. Mix until well blended.
- Divide into 4 patties and flatten slightly.
- Cut 4 sheets of aluminum foil, each about 12x24".
- Place 1/4 of potatoes, carrots, and onions in the center of each sheet in a thin layer.
- On each sheet, place patty on top of vegetables along with 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Top each patty with 2 tablespoons of soup.
- Bring sides of the foil up to the middle to fold, crimp and seal longways. Roll ends up forming a sealed packet.
- Place packets on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until vegetables are tender.
This really brings back some great memories. My mom would fix packets like this one and we would go to the beach. Dad would start a fire and mom cooked the foil pouches on the coals…yummy.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.