A Collection of Foil Dinner Recipes (part 1)
KIM KOWALEWSKI (kim.mad@CBO.GOV)
Wed, 24 Jan 1996 11:05:26 -0500
Compiled by
Kim J. Kowalewski
Cubmaster, Pack 1009
Bowie, MD
These recipes were sent to me in response to my plea for
help with an upcoming Fall Camporee. Enjoy!
VARIATIONS ON THE HAMBURGER FOIL DINNER
From: Jim Sleezer
Just a touch of garlic salt makes a lot of difference. If you
look at the labels in the stores, you will see that onion and
garlic are part of almost everything! It doesn't take much to
make it great.
I like to use cabbage leaves to wrap it all in before I wrap in
foil. A little catsup helps for some boys. I also add a few
slices of onion. Around here, we never seem to have enough.
The kids all go for seconds!
From: Don E. Robinson, M.D.
We add Cream of Mushroom soup to our "hobos." It adds
taste as well as additional moisture. A couple of
tablespoons will do just fine. Yum-yum.
From: George N. Leiter II
Just skip the butter and add some soup. Cream of
mushroom or something like that. When cooked slow it is
wonderful.
From: Cheryl Singhal
How about BBQ sauce, Worchester sauce, or even Italian
dressing?
Spices ... a measuring teaspoon of Italian seasoning or of
curry powder or of chili powder wouldn't hurt it either.
You might be able to combine BBQ and chili powder; or
Italian dressing and Italian seasoning; I don't recommend
mixing Worchestershire and curry powder though.
From: Ben Alford
We have spiced up our "hunters pack" aluminum foil dinners
by adding Heinz 57 sauce. It is the boys's secret ingredient.
It really makes a big difference. We've had boys finish one
dinner and return to make seconds and thirds until all the
ingredients are gone. I remember some were just cooking
the left-over onions or potatoes as long as they had the
Heinz 57 left to spice them up.
From: Jeff L. Glaze
Instead of hamburger, try Pork Loin, or Boneless Chicken
Breast!
Also vary the vegetable ingredients to include slices of
tomato, and/or bell peppers. BBQ sauces may be included
also.
If you use chicken, try pineapple slices with mild BBQ
sauce.
Ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef, and is
"more healthy".
From: Alan Wolfson
I have had good luck asking the kids what they would like in
their foil dinners. You'd be amazed at the great ideas they
come up with. If, however, your den is gastronomically
challenged :-), there are some things you can do to liven up
those meals:
I've substituted Mrs. Dash, garlic pepper, Montreal
seasoning, or any other favorite general- purpose seasoning
for the pretty dull salt and pepper usually found in a foil
dinner. We've added celery, green beans, and onions into
our dinners for some additional variety. I've also had some
good experiences substituting chicken for the beef, and
making a pseudo stir-fry dinner using stir-fry oil instead of
butter and spices.
From: Mark Wilson
Also, consider replacing the hambuger with stew meat,
cubed steak, or chicken or turkey breasts cut into stew meat
sized cubes.
As to spices, consider adding a part of a clove of fresh garlic.
Smash it first.
You might also consider adding soy sauce, teriyaki, or plain
old steak sauce.
Try adding small dough balls of biscuit mix for dumplings.
From: James H. McCullars
In addition to the ingredients you mentioned, I always use
onion, bell pepper, radishes, Lowry's Seasoned Salt (and/or
Lowry's Seasoned Pepper), and Worcestershire sauce. In
addition, I sometimes will use barbecue sauce and if
someone thinks to bring some along, sweet potatoes (try it!).
I have also seen other people use soy sauce, Tabasco, etc.
From: Juel A. Fitzgerald
Instead of salt and pepper, use seasonING salt and pepper.
This makes it a whole lot less bland. Of course you could
add worchester sauce AFTER you are done cooking for
those who like that.
From: Jeff Agle
One of my favorite additional ingredients in a foil dinner is a
dash (maybe a big dash) of Wyler's boullion granules. These
add significantly to the flavor. I typically use Seasoned Salt
instead of just plain salt. You also left out one of the main
flavor ingredients, Onions. Anything in the onion family can
add lots of flavor, try scallions or green onions if the boys are
a little squemish about yellow onions. Garlic (salt, powder,
crushed) can add a nice flavor.
CORNISH HEN
From: Michael C. Horowitz
At home, parboil (3 mins) a cornish hen. oil it up, salt and
pepper and wrap in foil. Cook as you would a foil pack (15
min/side). Do another pack of just thin sliced potatoes and
onion, salt/pepper with a bit of olive oil. Makes an
OUTSTANDING meal.
BTW, differentiate your foil pack by wrapping a length of foil
in with the folded seam; never an argument over who's pack it
is - Mike
PIZZA POCKET
From: Don Izard
I have seen a pizza pocket dinner, made with those
packages of 'flat' dough (those tubes from The Dough Boy).
You take the flat dough, and fill the center with pizza sauce,
peperoni, cheese, with optional mushroom, olives etc. Fold
it over to enclose the 'goodies' and wrap in 2 layers of foil.
'BAKE' 10 minutes on each side, and you might have a pizza
pocket.
SEAFOOD DINNERS
From: Jim Sleezer
For variety, try peeled shrimp or scallops, snow peas, strips
of red pepper, sliced mushrooms, thin slice of ginger root.
This cooks rather quickly, usually in less than 10 minutes
depending on size of shrimp or scallops. Kids seldom like it .
. . it's too different.
Shark chunks cook up well with a thin slice of lemmon.
HAM DINNERS
From: Jim Sleezer
I have done chunks of ham, sweet potatoes (par boiled),
pineapple. As soon as it comes out of fire, I add a few mini
marshmallows on top.
From: Mark Michalski
Upside Down Ham:
Ham pieces or steak, Pinapple slices (or tidbits) dash of
teriyaki sauce (or marinade) and mixed vegetables to taste.
Ham & Potatoes Au Gratin:
Cubed Ham, chopped Potato, Onions, Grated cheese of your
choice.
CHICKEN DINNERS
From: Scott Miller
Try using boned chicken instead of hamburger. Cooking
time is the same, add a small amount of water or soy sauce
to replace the water found in hamburger.
From: Peter Van Houten
One of the best foil meals I had included a combination of
chicken breasts, shrimp, snow peas, celery, and bean
sprouts. Similar to a stir-fry. The meat was place on the
bottom (btw the chicken had been slightly cooked prior to
going), with the vegi's on top. I had a couple of dashes of
Teryaki sauce, some spices (tarragon and others from a
pre-mix spice jar).
Only exception was that I didn't turn it over, I let the vegi's
cook in the heat from the meat. They were still slightly
crunchy, almost steamed.
From: golden cliff
Lemon Chicken
Take a whole chicken.
Brush with melted butter.
Take a whole lemon, slice, squeeze juice over chicken.
Sprinkle generously with Lemon & Herb spice.
Put leftover lemon peel & pulp inside chicken with slices of
onion.
Wrap in foil. Cook until done. 40-60 minutes.
We also cook potatoes & onions in other foil packs.
For dessert. Take a banana, slice in lenghtwise in the peel.
Insert butter and brown sugar into the slit. Wrap & bake.
From: R. Edward Fickel
Try boneless chicken breasts, green peppers, onion, carrots,
potatoes (I think), mushrooms, in a cream of mushroom
sauce. They are cooked the same way as your foil packs,
but are gourmet quality!!
From: Wayne Hill
One that we tried is the chicken with instant rice and cream
of celery soup (undiluted). I thought it was good and it cooks
up quick. You can also try baked Apples with sugar, butter,
and cinnamon. Bisquick mix is good for individual biscuits
just coat the foil with butter or oil before you plop the biscuit
dough on the foil keeps it from sticking. Baked potatoes are
good and you can put cheese,butter,etc on after they are
cooked.
One other point in case you are not aware, use hard wood for
making your charcoal resinous wood like pine or cedar
doesn't make long lasting charcoal.
FOIL FAJITAS
From: Mark Michalski
Marinated Fajita Meat (Beef or Chicken), Onions, Green
Peppers. Serve on tortillas with cheese, salsa, etc....
STUFFED POTATOES
From: Mark Michalski
Core small to medium potato, insert a small pre-cooked
sausage or weiner. Wrap in foil, set in hot ashes to bake.
Takes 45-90 minutes to cook. Remove and slice top and add
cheese, chili or fixins of your choice.
HOBO POPCORN
From: Mark Michalski
In center of 18" x 18" square of heavy or doubled foil, place
one tspoon of oil and one tbspoon of popcorn. Bring foil
corners together to make a pouch. Seal the edges by
folding, but allow room for the popcorn to pop. Tie each
pouch to a long stick with a string and hold the pouch over
the hot coals. Shake constantly until all the corn has
popped. Season with salt and margerine. Or soy sauce, or
melted chocolate, or melted peanut butter, or melted
caramels or use as a base for chili.
PORTABLE CHILI
From: Carol Eichinger
Cook up a pot of chili (homemade or canned). Buy individual
size bags of Doritos or something similar. Cut an X on front
of bag and open. Put chili on top of the chips, and shredded
cheese. And you have portable lunchtime nachos/tacos.
This was in my Crafting Traditions Magazine.
End of part 1
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