Showing posts with label foil cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foil cooking. Show all posts
Somewhere back in Grade 8, back in the olden days, as my grandchildren would call them, my Girl Guide Company went on a hike into the woods down by the river here in town. It was late spring, and there was still snow on the ground. I remember being cold and tired, but what I remember most of all was cooking our lunch over an open fire.
Hobo Stew, it was called, and I have to say I was not a fan. I didn't like anything with ground beef in it anyway, but this was on another level. A mix of ground beef, canned soup, and canned beans of some sort. A shame, really, as I had had some very high expectations, being the gourmand that I have always been.
We are coming into the season now where the temperatures are warming up nicely and the children are all out of school for the next two months here in Canada. This is a great opportunity for families to get together hiking, camping, enjoying BBQ suppers, and taking advantage of the sunny days to enjoy eating their meals outdoors and Al Fresco.
Quick and easy is the order of the day! Meals and side dishes that don't require a lot of time or effort, or a multitude of ingredients! This is particularly applicable when camping! Nobody wants, expects or should have to cook a gourmet meal when cooking outdoors at a camp, or even in your own backyard.
These Campfire Cheesy Potatoes fit the bill perfectly and are designed to use simple ingredients! You can cook them either on the grill or in the oven. I don't have a grill myself, so I do them in the oven. They work beautifully both ways! I can also promise you that they are infinitely tastier than anything called Hobo Stew! You also won’t have to hike through melting snow to enjoy them!
An easy side dish, the potatoes cook in an aluminum foil packet for ease of clean up as well. With the flavors of onion and a finishing touch of rich cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, this simple potato side dish always goes down a real treat!
Not only are they very tasty, but they are incredibly easy to put together. Plus, the fact that they are cooked in a foil packet means there is little to no clean-up to take care of afterwards! BONUS!!
Easy to make. No fuss and no muss, and delicious as well???? Sign me up!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CAMPFIRE CHEESY POTATOES
There is nothing really complicated about these. Simple ingredients put together most deliciously. amounts given are for single servings. Simply multiply to serve more as needed.
- 1 medium to large baking potato (Russet, Idaho, Maris Piper, King Edward)
- 1 TBS butter
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 3 TBS chopped onion (about 1/8 of a large onion)
- 2 TBS sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 TBS mozzarella cheese, grated
- salt and black pepper to taste
- a pinch of dill weed (optional)
One of the most important things here will be the foil. You want a piece of foil roughly 12 inches by 10 inches in size, and you want it to be heavy-duty foil to stand up to the cooking without springing any leaks. If your foil is particularly thin, then use a double layer. That non-stick foil is particularly good.
You want to use a potato that is good for mashing or baking. Or a floury potato, as they are generally called. Make sure you cut them into uniform pieces. For each packet, you will need a potato roughly the size of your closed fist.
You can add more onions if you wish. Or leave them out altogether. I know some people don't like chunks of onion in their food. In that case, I would suggest a sprinkle of onion powder so that the potatoes still get the flavor of the onion without the pieces of onion.
If you are not a fan of dill, feel free to use another herb in its place. Thyme and or rosemary are both particularly good. Just don't overdo it with any herb. A little will go a long way whilst still allowing the flavor of the potato to shine through.
HOW TO MAKE CAMPFIRE CHEESY POTATOES
Nothing could be easier. Trust me on this. No fuss. No muss. Not a lot to clean up.
- Peel the potato, wash, and then cut into half-inch dice. Grate your cheeses and dice your onion.
- Open out the sheet of foil. Place the diced potatoes in the center of the foil.
- Place the butter on top and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle with the onions, salt, pepper and dillweed if using.
- Bring the long sides of the foil up over the potatoes and seal tightly. Leave enough room for the potatoes to steam. Seal the ends tightly and place onto a baking sheet.
- If baking in the oven, preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake the potatoes for18 to 20 minutes, or until tender.
- Carefully open the packet, allowing the steam to escape. (Be careful.) Sprinkle with both cheeses and return to the oven to melt the cheese. If you wish you can turn the broiler on so brown the cheese for several minutes.
- If cooking on the grill, preheat the grill for a few minutes to medium heat. Place the foil packet directly on the grill, close, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Carefully open the packet and allow the steam to escape. If the potatoes are tender, sprinkle the cheese on top, then reclose the packets so that the cheese melts. (Should only take a few minutes.)
- Serve.
VARIATIONS ON CAMPFIRE CHEESY POTATOES
These cheesy potatoes are delicious on their own, but feel free to add extra things as desired. You can certainly add more vegetables to the mix. Broccoli or cauliflower, carrots, green beans, sliced zucchini, chopped peppers, etc.
Make sure that you cut all of the vegetables into a similar shape and size to the potatoes so that everything will cook in the roughly the same amount of time.
If you want to turn these tasty potatoes into a delicious main dish, feel free to add cubed cooked ham, cooked ground beef, or chicken, sliced cooked sausage, smoked sausage, or bacon, etc.
You can turn them into a really tasty side dish by passing the sour cream, bacon bits and chopped spring onions at the table!
Vary the types of cheese used for the packets. Monterrey Jack, or Pepper Jack is an excellent choice and adds a bit of zip. Any creamy cheese with good melting properties is a great choice.
CAN CAMPFIRE CHEESY POTATOES BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes! Absolutely! You can either cook them through ahead of time, or have them prepped and ready to ahead of time. If you are cooking ahead of time, simply cook, refrigerate and then pop into the oven on on a grill when you are ready to serve.
If you are simply prepping them ahead of time ready to cook on the day, do everything right up to the point of cooking them and again, pop into the refrigerator, ready to take out and place in the oven or on a grill about half an hour to forty minutes before you plan to serve your meal.
EXTRA IDEAS FOR FOIL PACK OR CAMPFIRE COOKING
Here are a few more ideas for dishes that you can cook very easily in foil packets. I promise you that they are simple and delicious. I don't do complicated if I can help it!
FOIL PACK MEDITERRANEAN RED SNAPPER - This simple fish dish is a mix of delicious Mediterranean flavors and textures, with a mix of olives, both black and green, sliced lemon, halved cherry tomatoes, garlic, herbs, some thinly sliced shallots, and a drizzle of olive oil. Colorful, healthy and delicious. Feel free to use any white fish in these easy-to-make packets!
CHEESY CHICKEN, RANCH & BACON FOIL PACKS - Here you have a delicious mix of sweet and white potatoes, along with broccoli, topped with chicken, cheese, and bacon, with the flavors of ranch dressing running throughout. I also tell you how to make your own dry ranch dressing mix if you do not have it available where you live. A complete meal in one with not much to clean up when it is done. Delicious and simple to make as well.
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Yield: Variable
Campfire Cheesy Potatoes
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
This recipe allows for you to make as many or as few packets of potatoes as you wish. Quantities are given for one packet. Multiply to feed more. These are cheesy and delicious. No fuss. No muss. Nothing to clean up afterwards. You can cook in the oven or on a grill. It's your choice! You will need a 12-inch by 10-inch sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil for each packet.
Ingredients
For each packet:
- 1 medium to large baking potato (Russet, Idaho, Maris Piper, King Edward)
- 1 TBS butter
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 3 TBS chopped onion (about 1/8 of a large onion)
- 2 TBS sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 TBS mozzarella cheese, grated
- salt and black pepper to taste
- a pinch of dill weed (optional)
Instructions
- Peel the potato, wash, and then cut into half-inch dice. Grate your cheeses and dice your onion.
- Open out the sheet of foil. Place the diced potatoes in the center of the foil.
- Place the butter on top and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle with the onions, salt, pepper and dillweed if using.
- Bring the long sides of the foil up over the potatoes and seal tightly. Leave enough room for the potatoes to steam. Seal the ends tightly and place onto a baking sheet.
- If baking in the oven, preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake the potatoes for18 to 20 minutes, or until tender.
- Carefully open the packet, allowing the steam to escape. (Be careful.) Sprinkle with both cheeses and return to the oven to melt the cheese. If you wish you can turn the broiler on so brown the cheese for several minutes.
- If cooking on the grill, preheat the grill for a few minutes to medium heat. Place the foil packet directly on the grill, close, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Carefully open the packet and allow the steam to escape. If the potatoes are tender, sprinkle the cheese on top, then reclose the packets so that the cheese melts. (Should only take a few minutes.)
- Serve.
Notes
Feel free to top the baked potatoes with sour cream, crispy cooked bacon bits and chopped spring onions in order to make loaded potato packets! Delicious!
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I had a medical appointment today about an hours away from where I live. You know how those go. Your appointment is at a certain time. They want you to be there early to register and then you often sit waiting for quite a while after your appointment time before you even get in.
I knew that by the time I got home I would be really tired and I wouldn't feel a lot like cooking. I also knew however that I would be hungry and so I decided to make myself something quick and easy for my supper today.
I spied this recipe for Cheesy Ranch Chicken & Bacon Foil packs on the Kitchn the other day. They looked really simple and tasty to do.
I love foil pack cooking. These little foil pack dinners are really easy to make and cook very quickly. They are also very convenient. You can make them up ahead of time and just throw them in the oven or on the grill when you want to cook them.
I thought that it would make the perfect dinner for today when I knew time was short and my energy would be flagging. I actually put them together this morning before I left and stuck them in the refrigerator, ready to throw into the oven for my supper tonight.
I did take them out about half an hour before I cooked them in order to bring them to room temperature. Here you have a delicious mix of sweet and white potatoes, along with broccoli, topped with chicken, cheese and bacon, with the flavors of ranch dressing running through out.
Here in North America Dry Ranch Salad dressing is quite available. You can buy it in most grocery stores and online. I know that is not the case in some other countries. You can easily make your own however.
You will need 1 cup (140g) buttermilk powder, 4 tablespoons dried parsley, 2 tablespoons garlic salt , 2 tablespoons onion powder, 4 teaspoons dried chives, 2 teaspoons dried dill weed, 3 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper.
Just mix it all together in a food processor or spice grinder, give it a quick blitz, and Bob's your uncle. Dry Ranch Dressing Mix. Keep it stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container ready to use when you need some. It comes in very handy. It will keep for about six months.
I know that buttermilk powder can also be hard to come by and I have a confession, when I lived in the UK I used dry milk powder. It wasn't quite as tangy, but it still worked well.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEESY RANCH CHICKEN & BACON FOIL PACKETS
Quantities are for two basic servings You could multiply to feed more if you wish. It is very easily done.
- 1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into six chunks
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into six chinks
- 1 small broccoli crown, trimmed and broken into florets
- 2 smallish boneless, skinless chicken breast portions
- 1 TBS dry ranch dressing powder, divided
- 1/2 TBS canola oil
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 rashers crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
Each one of my potatoes was about the size of my fist. I have a smallish hand so not overly large. My broccoli crown was also on the small size, I guess I got about 1 cup of florets from it, so 1/2 cup for each packet.
If you don't like broccoli you can use any other vegetable that you do like. Cut green beans, cauliflower, sliced carrots, halved brussels sprouts, etc. Just bear in mind that they need to cook in the specified time.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESY RANCH CHICKEN & BACON FOIL PACKS
Nothing could be easier. The hardest part is folding the foil over the chicken and vegetables, but if you cut your foil large enough, this is a real doddle too.
Preheat your outdoor grill to medium high. Alternately preheat your oven to 425*F/230*C/ gas mark 6.
Tear four strips of aluminum foil measuring 8 inches wide. Stack them one on top of the other, making two piles.
Place both potatoes and the broccoli in a bowl. Toss together with 1/2 of the ranch dressing mix and the oil. Divide the mixture evenly between the foil stacks, leaving a nice border around the edges.
Top each pile of vegetables with 1 of the chicken breasts. Season the chicken with the other 1/2 TBS of ranch dressing mix. Top with half of the cheese and half of the bacon.
Pull the foil up over the chicken and vegetables to meet in the centre. Pleat closed. Crimp the foil at both ends to completely contain the chicken. Place both foil packets onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven or on the grill for 20 to 25 minutes, at which time the vegetables should be cooked and tender, the chicken juices should run clear and the cheese will have melted.
Take great care when opening as the steam from these is very hot.
You could round out the meal with some garlic bread which could be thrown in the oven along side of the foil packets, or a packaged salad or coleslaw. Today I could be bothered with anything as I was just that tired from all the running around.
It was also garbage day and I had to get all my garbage ready to put out by the road for tomorrow. Days like that I wish I did have a man around to do that chore for me. I know, that is sexist. Like garbage is a man job. lol
To my way of thinking, it is, but alas, I have to do what I have to do! There are worse things to suffer through! 😏
I have always been a huge fan of foil cooking. Especially in the summer months when we can just throw the packs on the grill. If you are too, you may enjoy the following:
GRILLED CHICKEN FOIL PACKS - I give you three different versions here for ways to make chicken foil pack dinners. There is a Sweet and Sour Chicken pack, a Hunter's Chicken and Potato pack and a Honey Mustard Chicken pack. All are equally delicious!
You can cook anything in a foil pack like this. Salmon fillets are nice. Pork, lamb, beef. You can really use your imagination and put them together very easily. If you have children you can let them put together their own. Children love to think they are cooking! These really are great for camping or cookouts!
Yield: 2
Cheesy Ranch Chicken & Bacon Foil Packs
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Quick, easy and delicious. No fuss, no muss and very little to clean up. You can cook this easy dinner for two in the oven or on the grill.
Ingredients
- 1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into six chunks
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into six chinks
- 1 small broccoli crown, trimmed and broken into florets
- 2 smallish boneless, skinless chicken breast portions
- 1 TBS dry ranch dressing powder, divided
- 1/2 TBS canola oil
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 rashers crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat your outdoor grill to medium high. Alternately preheat your oven to 425*F/230*C/ gas mark 6.
- Tear four strips of aluminum foil measuring 8 inches wide. Stack them one on top of the other, making two piles.
- Place both potatoes and the broccoli in a bowl. Toss together with 1/2 of the ranch dressing mix and the oil. Divide the mixture evenly between the foil stacks, leaving a nice border around the edges.
- Top each pile of vegetables with 1 of the chicken breasts. Season the chicken with the other 1/2 TBS of ranch dressing mix. Top with half of the cheese and half of the bacon.
- Pull the foil up over the chicken and vegetables to meet in the centre. Pleat closed. Crimp the foil at both ends to completely contain the chicken. Place both foil packets onto a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven or on the grill for 20 to 25 minutes, at which time the vegetables should be cooked and tender, the chicken juices should run clear and the cheese will have melted.
- Be extremely careful when opening the packets due to steam escaping. Serve hot.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I just adore these potatoes. They are one of my favourite ways to have potatoes in the summer. They're so easy to throw together and there is very little mess. You simply wrap and cool in foil, throwing them on the BBQ with everything else.
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