Friday, March 8, 2013

Hamburgers, Potatoes & Onions IN Foil! (Hobo packets)



One of the meals I most remember growing up is this one.  We called it, "Hamburgers, Potatoes & Onions in Foil" but I believe some people call these "Hobo Packets." 

No matter what you choose to call it, this is a great, easy, simple supper that pretty much everyone likes at my house.  You can tweek it a little like I did for myself by adding the onions and some carrots I had languishing in the fridge to my packet.  My husband is a flat out meat and potatoes man, so for his packet I just included the hamburger patty, sliced potatoes, salt, pepper & some onion POWDER (because he doesn't like real onions).  The potatoes cook perfectly soft and we like to bake ours a full hour and a half to crisp the bottom of the burger.  You eat this like a hamburger steak - without a bun.

Make sure to use a fairly lean cut of ground beef.  That does make a huge difference in the finished product.  A higher fat content makes the finished burger pretty shrunken. 

Here's how we make Hamburgers, Potatoes, Onions IN Foil - Hobo Packets - AT HOME MY WAY:


Hamburgers, Potatoes & Onions IN Foil
Hobo Packets
 
 
Ingredients:
  •  Ground Beef (lean) - to make fairly large patties
  • Potatoes-I usually peel and slice two per packet
  • Salt, Pepper
  • Sliced Onion or Onion Powder
  • Other vegetables like zucchini, squash, peppers, carrots (optional)
  • Foil
  • Cookie Sheet

Directions:
 
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 
Tear off a large piece of foil (app. 14" long) for each packet.
Form the ground beef into large patties.  Place in the center of the foil.  Flatten a little (we like ours thin).  Salt & pepper the patty.
 
Peel and slice (lengthwise) the potatoes.  Top with other vegetables, or just onion powder, salt & pepper.
  
Fold the sides of the rectangle of foil over and flap to seal.  Fold each end, flapping over well to seal.
 
Place the packets in a cookie sheet and bake 1 1/2 hour.  (If you like your burger juicier and less "well done", bake 1 hour.)
  
Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.  BE CAREFUL when opening the packets.  The steam will burn you!
 
 
Start out with your patty first.
 
 
This is Doug's packet - No onions, just onion POWDER, salt & pepper.
 
 
 
Here's mine.  I love the onions baked and the carrots were great!
 
 

 
Fold over and seal the narrow sides first.
 
 

 
 
Make sure to fold over to seal the ends and fold up to the top
(so nothing leaks out).
 
 
If you aren't going to eat all of yours -
I know someone who wants a bite!
 
 
 
Enjoy!
 
Gina