The 5 Most Mess-Free Gourmet Meals To Make With Foil Packets While Camping

When you're camping in the great outdoors, there's no fast food or ready-made meals that you can order on a whim. However, the right recipes and ingredients can help you make delicious, mess-free gourmet meals on the campfire that are even better than anything restaurant or store-bought. The secret ingredient for this DIY camping hack that makes cooking in nature that much better? Tinfoil.

This basic kitchen staple goes a long way when making a delicious camping meal. For one, foil serves as a pan, plate, lid, bowl, and serving dish all in one. This simplifies cleanup because you don't have any dishes to wash, and you can simply ball up the foil and throw it away, leaving only your utensils to wash. 

Foil meals also require fewer cooking supplies, which is another reason why every outdoor traveler should know this cooking method. Whether you're craving vegetables — such as peppers and potatoes — or salmon and other fish, any meal can be prepped in advance and cooked mess-free at your campsite with tinfoil. Below, you'll find five tasty tinfoil meals that can be adapted for every diet to impress and satisfy your entire group.

Nothing gets campers ready for the day like a hot, fresh breakfast. This morning hash recipe is a smart choice when catering to picky eaters and different diets, as everyone can find custom toppings that suit their preferences. Start by chopping some onions and peppers, and then sorting your potato situation. You may opt to grate the potatoes in advance to make your packets hash-brown-style, or buy frozen hash and let it thaw before cooking. If you opt for fresh, chopped potatoes, know that the larger the pieces are, the longer they will take to cook. Smaller pieces work best for this recipe. To a large plastic bag, add enough potatoes, onions, peppers, salt and pepper, extra seasoning, eggs, and neutral oil for everyone. Then, butter individual foil packets or bowls for everyone. 

You'll add the mixture to each foil packet, and everyone can cook their own breakfast. You can also offer different toppings and additions so everyone can customize their own meals — popular additions include sausage, cooked bacon, chopped ham, vegetables, or shredded cheese for extra flavor and texture. A perk to cooking with foil while camping is that, when molded into a packet, it creates a simple steaming system that locks in steam to help food cook faster and allows toppings like cheese to melt. Cover the top with the remaining foil or another piece of foil. You can also grill some bread or a bagel in foil on the side to accompany your hash.

Make a delicious hot dog by grilling peppers and your choice of brats, sausage, or hot dogs in a foil packet over the fire. Any sliced peppers or onions will work as a base, but bell peppers and banana peppers work well — or jalapeños if your group prefers things spicy. You can prep these veggies at home by slicing them to make cooking easier outdoors and save time later. Marinating the sausages beforehand can also help you get even more flavor out of this quick campfire meal.

Then choose a sausage for your sandwich: kielbasa, bratwurst, Italian ... the sky's the limit. Add this combination of meat and peppers to a foil packet for about 15 to 20 minutes, or long enough to cook both the sausage and the veggies. Stir the mixture occasionally and check to make sure everything is cooking, but not burning. Then, bring some fresh Kaiser rolls to put the sausage and vegetables in to make a delicious sandwich. Add cheese on top for an extra gourmet touch, and consider bringing a plant-based sausage option for any vegetarians on your camping trip.

French toast casserole is always a crowd pleaser that can feed many people — kids and adults alike. However, without a large pan and an oven, it can be difficult to plan this kind of meal when you're enjoying the outdoors. That's where the foil packet swoops in to save the day. 

Add eggs, milk, sugar, and butter directly to the foil packet shaped like a bowl. Then, add ripped-up pieces of crusty French bread — no need to dirty a cutting board with this recipe. You could also use cinnamon swirl bread, which reduces the need for cinnamon and sugar.

Use a large spoon to mix the crusty bread with the egg mixture in the packet, being careful not to let any of the mixture spill out. Top with cinnamon, add a foil lid, and place the packet over the fire. The dish is ready when the eggs are fully cooked through. Feel free to top with raisins, bananas, blueberries, or other fruit at the end for a touch of healthy sweetness. The result is something akin to bread pudding, adding a wonderful, warm, and sweet treat to your fireside adventure.

Whether you catch it fresh or bring it along in a cooler, fish is a go-to camping protein that everyone can get behind. To make this delicious meal in a mess-free way, simply add prepared salmon, butter, herbs, asparagus, and spices to a sheet of tinfoil. Fold it into a packet and crimp the edges so it can roast over the fire. 

Cook times vary depending on your fire's heat and the thickness of the fish fillet. It will probably take 15-20 minutes on the grill or about the same time as it would in the oven, but it could cook considerably faster if the fire is hot or the fish is thin. The best policy is to keep checking on the packets until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. An instant-read thermometer is also worth packing (salmon is usually cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit for well done).

When making this kind of tinfoil meal, use heavy-duty aluminum foil. This stuff is stronger and more durable than the basic kind, and can better hold onto the weight and juices of salmon. Squeeze a lemon on top, add a side of potatoes, and voila! A delicious gourmet lunch or dinner that everyone in your group can get behind. If you're in an area with a fire ban or looking for a kid-friendly option, consider these campfire alternatives for a safe fire season.

Apple pie is a classic, sweet dessert dish that can be enjoyed any time of year. When camping, the cinnamon taste warms the soul — and making it in a foil packet keeps things simple.

This version of apple pie contains one apple, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1.5 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of cranberries, and some optional chopped nuts. To prepare for this recipe at home, simply measure out your ingredients and chop up your apple. Then, in the woods, put all of these ingredients onto a large sheet of foil. Next, fold the packet over itself to create a contained pocket for cooking. Set it over the grill.

How do you know when it's done? Cooking time will vary depending on your elevation and the heat of your fire. One good rule of thumb is to look for the apples to be softened, which should take about 15 minutes. Eat it with a spoon, or serve it with something that soaks up the juice and adds a little crunch, like a sweet cinnamon bread or even graham crackers.