How to Make Easy Camping Meals With Tin Foil

You spent five weeks planning, five days packing (and re-packing, "just in case"), hit the road at 5 A.M. and drove 500 miles with three bored kids saying "are we there yet?" every five minutes. And don't forget your dog, which apparently doesn't travel well.

But, you finally made it. The campground is perfect, your gear is unloaded, the camp is set up, and everyone is starving. Now, it would be a simple matter to fire up the grill and burn some burgers and hot dogs?but you had those when you stopped for gas at the Beef n' Weiner Barn three hours ago. Plus, your chef is just as tired as you. So what do you do?

Tin foil meals to the rescue!

More: 3 Tin Foil Meal Ideas

Sometimes called "pocket cooking" or "hobo meals," tin foil is the best tool when it comes to easy camping meals. All it takes is some quick prep and then it goes onto the grill. Or, if you're adept, onto your campfire coals. No more boring meals. No more being tied to the stove while everyone else is out having fun. And clean up is a snap. There's little, if any, pot washing, and if you eat right out of the packs, no dishes to do!

There are many great benefits to quick and easy foil pack camp cooking:

Make Ahead and Refrigerate

Aluminum foil is one of the most versatile cooking utensils ever devised; it can withstand both heat and cold. So go ahead and prep your foil packets in advance and refrigerate. Then take them straight from the cooler to the flame. At that point, your only job is to grab a camp chair and a refreshing beverage, then sit back and enjoy the scenery while keeping an eye on your meal.

A Variety of Cooking Options

Most foil pack recipes are simple, so they can be cooked equally well on a gas grill, a charcoal BBQ, or even in the campfire coals.

Cooking tip: Campfire coals can be extremely hot until they've burned way down, so you'll want to stay especially vigilant to make sure your food doesn't burn.

More: 5 Food Safety Tips

Customizable for Picky Eaters

Children are notorious for having highly selective taste buds. And some adults are the same way. One of the beauties of these easy camping meals is that you can make individual packs for everyone. The trick is timing, as not all foods cook in the same amount of time. Packs with hard vegetables like carrots or potatoes, for example, will take more time than squash.

Delicious

Camp cooking in foil packs offers you the opportunity to be creative, despite the method's simplicity.

In addition to the typical hamburger-potato cube-carrot meal, other surprisingly fancy yet easy to make recipes you'll want to try include:

• Sausage and Eggs
• Chicken Casserole
• Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops
• Jalapeno Poppers
• Jerk Chicken Wings
• Quesadillas
• Lemon-Herb Chicken
• Asian-Style Ribs
• Zucchini and Tomatoes
• Potatoes with Bacon

More: 5 Easy Camping Dinner Ideas

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How to Make a Foil Pack

It's really quite simple. But before you get started?

Tip #1
Always use heavy-duty aluminum foil or a double layer of regular foil. You're going to be turning the packs frequently and you don't want your tongs ripping the packs open.

Tip #2
Use tongs that are made from steel rod, not the type stamped from a sheet of metal. Stamped metal tongs have sharp edges that will tear open packs easily.

Tip #3
Spray the inside of your foil pack with nonstick cooking spray before adding your food. This will help keep your ingredients from sticking to the foil and allow them to "stir about" when you flip the packs over.

More: How to Organize Your Camping Kitchen

Enough advice. Here's how to make an easy camping meal using a foil pack:

1. Start by laying a large sheet of heavy-duty foil or a double layer of regular foil on a flat surface. The sheet should be about twice as long as the food you'll be wrapping. Spray the surface with non-stick spray.

2. Place your ingredients in the center of the foil, adding your seasonings.

3. Bring the short ends of the foil together and fold twice to seal; then fold the sides together the same way. Be sure to leave some air space in the pack for steam (if you don't, the pack will expand and undo the seams, letting food and juices leak out).

4. Using a flat portable surface like a cutting board or large plate, carry the packs out to your grill and carefully slide them onto the cooking surface.

5. Low to moderate heat is best for cooking foil packs, as this gives the ingredients plenty of time to get tender and flavorful. Turn every few minutes to prevent scorching, being gentle with the tongs so as not to tear open a pack.

6. Follow the cooking times suggested in the recipes. Your grilling time ma y differ, depending upon the temperature of your grill or fire pit.  

Since a foil pack can't be opened to check its contents and then successfully re-sealed, foil pack cooking may be trial-and-error until you get a feel for it. (Some fireside chefs make an extra "sacrificial pack" just for this purpose, cutting it open to check doneness before removing the other packs from the flames.)

7. Once the packs are done cooking, carefully move them from the grill to a plate and deliver to the picnic table. Hot pads are suggested to protect the tabletop or your tablecloth if you're using one.

8. Using caution—as the escaping steam can scald—slit open the packs and enjoy.

More: Foil Veggies and Potatoes on the Grill

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