One Of My Favorite Summer Dinners

I'm an Aries, which is a fire sign. I know this may sound silly to some, but there's something special about an open fire that sparks something deep inside of me. I always feel more connected to myself, the earth and those I’m sharing it with. Campfires are a time for gathering, so it’s always a memorable shared experience with those who are closest to me.

Tin Foil Dinners

My second favorite thing about a campfire is cooking on one. Two weeks my family made tin foil dinners in our fire pit and it reminded me why they're one of the best summer meals! They're so fun, easy and delicious! You also don't have to heat up your house by turning the oven on, and you get to spend time outdoors with your family. But the best part about tin foil dinners is that everyone can customize their own meal! Say, you don’t love potatoes, or you want to omit the onions, it’s all good! My kids love getting to choose what goes into theirs heaping on their favorite ingredients.

Vegetables

Use any and all of your favorite vegetables. Anything goes! Some of my favorites are:

• onion
• garlic
• celery
• zucchini
• summer squash
• carrots
• peppers
• potatoes
• mushrooms

Pick Your Protein

• chicken
• steak
• ground beef
• sausage

The Sauce

The sauce is key to a great tin foil dinner. It'll keep everything moist and flavorful.

• 2 cans cream of chicken
• 1 can cream of celery
• 1 cup broth
• 1 cup cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme

Toppings

• cheese
• sour cream
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Chop all vegetables.
2. Chop raw meat.
3. Mix the sauce ingredients together. It should be thick.
4. Lay out a sheet of foil. Place 2 tablespoons of butter in the center. Add meat, then vegetables, and top with sauce. Wrap the foil around the ingredients, making sure there are no openings for the sauce to leak out as it cooks.
5. Once your fire has subsided, place the foil dinners into the hot embers. Cook until the potatoes and carrots have softened (about 40-45 minutes).
6. Allow people to top theirs with cheese, sour cream and salt & pepper.

Tips

I have two tips for cooking the perfect tin foil dinner: First, don’t overcook your dinner. I swear, someone is always eating charcoal because they left it in the pit too long. Set a timer and start checking them at around 40 minutes. Make sure the meat is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Second, don’t put the dinners directly into the flames. That's a sure-fire (pun intended) way to burn your dinner! Wait until the flames have died out, leaving hot glowing embers. Lay your dinners onto the embers and turn over halfway through cooking.

I can't wait to share more tin foil dinners with my kids this summer, and I hope you'll enjoy a few too!

Xoxo, Abi