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Hobo Dinner Cheeseburgers

Hobo cheeseburgers made in foil packets cook ground beef with thinly sliced potatoes, onions, and bell pepper until tender, then get topped with melted American cheese. After opening the packets, you’ll see the cheese soften over the veggies like a campfire dinner staple.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting 5 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef
Seasoning
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
Cheese
  • 4 American cheese slices
Vegetables
  • 2 potatoes thinly sliced
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 1 bell pepper sliced
Butter
  • 4 tbsp butter
Foil
  • 4 heavy-duty aluminum foil sheets

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Form patties and season
  1. Divide the ground beef into 4 portions and form into thin patties, seasoning both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Keep patties ready while you prep the vegetables for layering in the foil packets.
Assemble foil packets
  1. Lay out 4 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil and layer sliced potatoes, onions, and bell peppers on each sheet.
  2. Place one beef patty on top of the vegetables and add 1 tbsp butter on top of each patty.
  3. Fold the foil tightly into sealed packets so steam stays inside and the layers can cook evenly.
Cook on campfire grate
  1. Place packets on a campfire grate over medium heat for 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway so the patties cook through.
  2. Keep the foil packets sealed during cooking and watch for steady heat rather than flare-ups.
Melt cheese and rest
  1. Open each packet, add 1 cheese slice to the burger, then reseal briefly just until the cheese melts.
  2. Let the packets cool for 5 minutes before serving directly from the foil.

Notes

Pro tip: slice the potatoes thin so they tenderize inside the foil within the 20–25 minute window. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days (freeze up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight and rewarm in a skillet covered until hot). For a lighter option, use 90% lean or leaner ground beef—cooking time should stay about the same.