Dump and Bake
Foil Packet Hamburger Dinners
dumpmeals.com/recipes/foil-packet-hamburger-dinners/
A beef patty on sliced potatoes, carrots and onion, sealed in foil and baked: a whole supper in each packet.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 minutes
- Bake
- 400°F, 45 to 55 minutes
- Pan
- heavy-duty foil, baking sheet
Foil packet hamburger dinners, which many people know as hobo dinners from scout camp, put a whole supper in one packet. Sliced potatoes, carrots and onion go on a sheet of foil, a seasoned beef patty goes on top, and the foil is sealed and baked. The juices from the beef run down into the vegetables as it all steams together.
Slice the potatoes and carrots thin, about 1/4 inch. Thick pieces will still be firm when the beef is done. Make each patty about 3/4 inch thick so it cooks through in the same time. Packets built differently cook differently, so check every one before you call it done, and open each away from your face, because the steam is very hot.
Everyone can build their own packet, with the vegetables they like. Serve them right in the foil, with ketchup and a green salad. The packets can be filled up to 8 hours ahead and kept in the refrigerator; add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
Ingredients
You need
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ pounds russet potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter, in small pieces
- nonstick cooking spray
Directions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Spray the centers of 4 sheets of heavy-duty foil, each about 18 inches long.
- Pile the potatoes, carrots and onion in the middle of each. Sprinkle with half the seasonings and dot with the butter.
- Mix the beef with the Worcestershire and the rest of the seasonings. Shape 4 patties 3/4 inch thick and set one on each pile. Wash your hands with hot, soapy water.
- Fold the foil over the food and crimp it tightly, leaving room for steam. Set the packets on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake 45 to 55 minutes. Open each packet away from your face and check every patty: each must read at least 160°F, with tender potatoes. Reseal any that aren't done and bake 5 to 10 minutes more.
- Serve in the foil.
It's done when every patty reads at least 160°F in the center, and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Check with a food thermometer.
Leftovers go in the refrigerator within two hours, in shallow covered containers. Reheat them until hot all the way through (165°F).
Tips
- Heavy-duty foil doesn't tear when you open and reseal it. With regular foil, use two sheets.
- Sliced bell pepper, green beans or a few spoonfuls of corn can go in with the vegetables.
Food-safety sources
- Safe Cooking Temperatures, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension (UNL Food). Checked November 1, 2026.
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Checked November 1, 2026 (address from a search result; the page itself blocks automated checks).
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