Hobo Packs

1 serving | gluten-free

This is not a glamorous recipe, but it is easy and can be prepared while you're doing something else. It really fits the bill when it's cold and crappy outside.

— Grandma Judith

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. On a square of aluminum foil, place the hamburger patty, potato, carrot, corn, and onion.
  2. Fold the foil over the mixture and seal.
  3. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Notes

Prefer lean (85% or 90%) beef when baking hamburger patties in the oven. Hamburger patties tend to be sold with an 80/20 lean meat/fat mixture in the grocery store, as that level of fat content will typically produce the best burger when prepared on a grill. However, when baking hamburger patties in the oven, excess fat from the beef may pool in the bottom of the baking sheet, leading to a less enjoyable hobo pack. We want enough fat to hold the burgers together, but not so much fat that they end up soaked, and 90% lean beef seems to be the fatty sweet spot. If using fattier beef, you have a couple of options to remedy the fat pooling: (1) use more veggies as they will absorb additional fat, or (2) poke holes in the bottom of the foil with a knife to let the fat drain from the hobo packs into the pan, and then pour this fat out halfway through baking.

Variations

Beef-Potato Patty Hobo Packs

Mix 1 pound of ground beef, 1 large egg, 1 russet potato (grated or diced), 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper together when forming patties. If you do not have bread crumbs on hand then you can throw a few pieces of bread in a blender and then bake them in the preheated oven for a couple of minutes. Measurements don't need to be exact - you can use whatever potato is left after preparing the thinly sliced potato that goes on top of the patties. Substituting the russet potato for 1/2 cup of onion is also acceptable if you want a different take on a flavorful burger, but are not potato-crazy.

Vegetarian Portobello Patty Hobo Packs

Substitute the hamburger patty with a large portobello mushroom coated in warmed butter or olive oil. Sprinkle a bit of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper on top of the portobello mushroom before adding the rest of the vegetables. The portobello mushroom will shrink in size as it bakes, so you may want to compensate by adding additional potato and carrot slices. Top the veggie mixture with some fresh rosemary leaves and more Italian seasoning before sealing in aluminum foil. Bake for 35-40 minutes instead of 1 hour as the portobello patty will cook significantly faster than a beef patty. As the mushroom bakes it will release a lot of moisture, so you may want to poke holes in the bottom of the foil to let the water drain from the hobo pack in a similar fashion to the fatty patties from the notes above.