Coal-Bed Sausage and Potato Packet
Everything for dinner sealed in foil and buried in coals. No pot, no pan, no washing up.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 14 oz
- cal / oz
- 51
- protein
- 26 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total time
- 35 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Smoked sausage | 5 oz | already cooked, so timing only has to suit the potatoes |
|---|---|---|
| Baby potatoes | 6 oz | halved, or quartered if they are large |
| Bell pepper | 1/2 | cut into wide strips |
| Yellow onion | 1/2 | thick wedges, not rings |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | |
| Smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper | 1 tsp total | |
| Heavy-duty foil | 2 sheets | about 18 inches each |
Method
- Build the fire early and let it burn down. You want a bed of grey coals, not flames.
- Cut the potatoes small and even. They are the slowest thing in the packet and everything else waits on them.
- Toss potatoes, pepper, onion, and sausage with the oil and spices right on the foil.
- Stack two sheets, fold the long edges over twice, then crimp the ends shut. Leave a little air inside.
- Set the packet on coals or a grate over them. Fifteen minutes, then flip with tongs and give it ten more.
- Open a corner and stab a potato. If the fork goes in clean, it is done. If not, close it and give it five more minutes off to the side.
Foil packets work because the seal traps steam from the vegetables and cooks the inside while the bottom picks up direct heat from the coals. That is why the potatoes have to be small and the packet has to be closed properly. A loose fold vents the steam and you get scorched bottoms and raw centers.
Use two sheets. One sheet tears on a rock or a stick and then dinner is in the fire. Smoked sausage is the easy protein here since it is already cooked and only needs to warm through, which means you can time the whole packet around the potatoes and stop worrying about it.
Packing
Cut everything at home and pack it seasoned and oiled in a zip bag in the cooler. At camp you are pouring a bag onto foil, not standing over a cutting board in the dark.
Variations
- Swap the sausage for a drained can of chickpeas and add another spoon of oil for a vegan packet.
- A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar after opening cuts through the fat.
- Sweet potato works in place of half the potatoes but cooks faster, so cut it in larger pieces.
https://www.cleverhiker.com/camping/best-foil-packet-camping-meals