Foil Cooking
Foil dinners are a long time favorite over the fire. They are easy to make, easy to cook, and you can eat them right out of the foil, so there isn't much to clean up. Foil is easy to use to cook over the campfire. It is light-weight, inexpensive, widely available, can be used too a variety of meals, and cleanup is extremely easy. Here are some tips for using foil to cook campfire meals:
- Use heavy-duty foil. While a bit more expensive, the extra thickness will help keep your food from burning and will conduct the heat better. Two layers are best. While a common suggestion is to put the shiny side of the foil to the inside of the packet (possibly to reflect heat better), Reynolds says that it doesn't matter which side of the aluminum foil you use. Both sides do the same job.
- Foil cooking depends on moisture inside the foil packet, so make sure that the folds of you foil packet are tight and that the food you are cooking has sufficient moisture. If not, add some by folding the packet up except for one end, and then add a tablespoon or two of water, broth, salad dressing, or butter before you seal the packet. Sliced onions can also be used to add moisture.
- Cooking time will vary depending on the temperature of the coals. Make sure to cook your meal sufficiently. Check one packet for doneness before pulling them all out of the fire. That way you will only have to rewrap up one packet if they still need more time. Remember that some vegetables (potatoes and carrots, for example), may take more time to cook through.
- You can also put newspaper between the layers of aluminum foil to help keep the food from burning.
- You can write your name with your fingernail in the foil. This helps when 30 Pathfinders are all cooking at the same time.
- Have extra long oven mitts available for turning and removing from coals. Pancake turners have a tendency to tear the foil.
- Charcoal can also be used to cook the foil packets on.
Foil Packs
Potatoes - scrub them well and coarsely dice at least one per person, don't peel (red potatoes are great)
Carrots - get baby carrots, no cutting up
Onions - coarsely dice and put into a large bowl
Celery - separate stalks, wash, and cut off the leaves and ends, cut into large pieces
Bell peppers - cut into large slices
Zucchini - sliced thick
Mushrooms - clean (dehydrated Portabella work great)
Vegameat - Grillers, Fri Chick, Vegetable Stakes, Linkets, Choplets, etc.
Butter or margarine
Provide lots of seasonings - oregano, Cajun seasonings, butter, salt, cayenne pepper, seasoned salt, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, George Washington broth, chicken seasoning, beef seasoning, garlic salt or garlic cloves, let the kids be creative.
When cooking for a crowd prepare everything and put all of the ingredients in bowls and let everyone come by and pick out what they want. Since this is supposed to be fun, if they only want potatoes OK. Make sure the foil is securely folded and put in the fire and bake for 20 minutes turning once after 10 minutes.
Potatoes - scrub them well and coarsely dice at least one per person, don't peel (red potatoes are great)
Carrots - get baby carrots, no cutting up
Onions - coarsely dice and put into a large bowl
Celery - separate stalks, wash, and cut off the leaves and ends, cut into large pieces
Bell peppers - cut into large slices
Zucchini - sliced thick
Mushrooms - clean (dehydrated Portabella work great)
Vegameat - Grillers, Fri Chick, Vegetable Stakes, Linkets, Choplets, etc.
Butter or margarine
Provide lots of seasonings - oregano, Cajun seasonings, butter, salt, cayenne pepper, seasoned salt, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, George Washington broth, chicken seasoning, beef seasoning, garlic salt or garlic cloves, let the kids be creative.
When cooking for a crowd prepare everything and put all of the ingredients in bowls and let everyone come by and pick out what they want. Since this is supposed to be fun, if they only want potatoes OK. Make sure the foil is securely folded and put in the fire and bake for 20 minutes turning once after 10 minutes.
When you've had enough of s'mores, here are some yummy alternatives
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Foil Dinners - Here is an outline to help teach a large group foil dinner cooking.
Reynolds Kitchens - check out the grilling section for recipe ideas to use.
Reynolds Kitchens - check out the grilling section for recipe ideas to use.
