Hobo 4-Ingredient Dinners In Slow Cooker

Hobo 4-Ingredient Dinners In Slow Cooker. My father demonstrated to me how to prepare these packet meals in times when money was limited. Only 4 ingredients of a delicately tender single meal.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
4 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut in thin slices.
3 large carrots, peeled and cut in a thin slice.
1 (1-ounce) dry onion soup blend.

Hobo 4-Ingredient Dinners: Directions

Cut 4 pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil each of about 12×18 inches. Fold each sheet into a shallow tray shape, with higher sides so that the juices can be kept in place, and this in a singly foil tray. Set the trays aside.
Potatoes Peel and cut into thin round slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Peel the carrots and cut the carrots into thin coins. It is best to keep the slices fairly even so that all the slices cook at the same rate and become tender.
Cut the sliced potatoes in equal amounts and put them in the 4 foil trays and spread them either in a single layer or with a little overlap. Sliced carrots should be evenly spread at the top of the potatoes in each tray. The meat will be placed on top of these vegetables and the juices of the meat will sink in them as they get cooked.
Then put the ground beef in a bowl and pour the dry onion soup mix evenly all over the top. Gently mix using your hands and the seasoning has passed by the meat but do not over mix as this will result to dense patties.
Cut the experienced ground beef into 4 portions. Roll each piece of the shape into a thick, flat patty, and the same size as your palm, and place one patty on top of the vegetables in each foil tray. Flatten a little but ensure that the patty is firm on the potatoes and carrots yet remain in shape.
Slide the sides of the foil trays towards the top in order to ensure that they are free of tears or holes at the bottom or the corners. You desire that it should be a shallow tray-like shape, and not a tightly packed packet, allowing steam to escape, but keeping the juices fairly confined round each portion.
The foil trays should be placed in the bottom of a large slop cooker side by side, in a single layer as much as possible. It does not matter whether the trays collide or even cross with each other as long as they are placed relatively flat so the juices do not run off.
Put the lid on the slow cooker and bake the hobo dinners on LOW, or HIGH 3 1/2 to 4 hrs. These are cooked when the potatoes and carrots are extremely soft and the beef patties are cooked and no longer pink in the middle.
Take the hot foil trays in the slow cooker carefully with tongs or a wide spatula, the bottom being supported so that the juices, which are rich brown and delicious, do not spill out. Set each tray on a plate. And deliver the hobo dinners in their foil trays so we can each of us have our own cash of beef, plush transparent potatoes, sweet carrots, and beef juices.
Allow the trays to cool down one or two minutes and then go in, the steam is hot. Before serving the patties and the vegetables, place some of the cooking juices on top just to add more flavor.