Potato, Apple, and Onion Foil Burritos
Chopped potato, apple, and onion rolled in a tortilla with cheddar and buried in coals for an hour.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 14 oz
- cal / oz
- 44
- protein
- 18 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 25 min
- cook
- 60 min
- total time
- 85 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
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Russet potatoes | 7 medium | sweet potatoes work and cook a little faster |
|---|---|---|
| Apples | 4 | Granny Smith or another firm apple; soft varieties turn to sauce |
| Onions | 3 | |
| Shredded cheddar | 1 cup | |
| Large flour tortillas | 8 | |
| Heavy-duty aluminum foil | 8 sheets | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Burn the fire down to a solid bed of coals. This takes longer than the chopping does, so light it first.
- Peel and dice the potatoes, apples, and onions small, about half-inch pieces. Big chunks will still be raw at the end of the hour.
- Toss the three together with salt and pepper.
- Lay out a tortilla, spoon on about an eighth of the filling, and scatter cheese over it.
- Roll it up, tuck the ends, and wrap the whole thing tight in foil. Double-wrap if your foil is thin.
- Bury the packets in the coals and rake more coals over the top. Leave them an hour.
- Pull one out with a stick or gloves, open a corner, and check that the potato gives under a fork. If not, rebury it.
- Peel the foil back and eat out of it.
Potato and apple in the same packet sounds odd until you cook it. The onion sits between them and the apple keeps its shape if you use a firm one, so you get sweet, sharp, and starchy in the same bite. The apple also releases enough moisture to steam the potato, which is why no water goes into the packet.
The hour under coals is not negotiable. Diced potato needs that long in a sealed foil packet, and the tortilla around it acts as a buffer so nothing scorches against the metal. Cut the pieces small and even; one big potato chunk is what ruins a packet. This one stays a car-camping or basecamp meal because it depends on a real fire and raw produce out of a cooler.
Packing
Chop everything at home and carry the mix in a zip bag in the cooler; it keeps a day or two and cuts camp prep to nothing. Cheese and tortillas go in separately. Count out the foil sheets before you leave.
Variations
- Swap the cheddar for a firm smoked cheese if you want the smoke without relying on the fire for it.
- Skip the cheese and add a spoonful of oil per packet to keep it dairy-free.
- A handful of precooked crumbled sausage per packet turns it into a heavier dinner.
https://camprecipes.com/classic-recipes/potatoes-and-apples-under-coals