I'll tell you the story how this chicken dinner came about 40 years ago, when we rented a motorhome. Before the trip, I froze all the meats we were going to bring along so they'd last a few days longer in the RV's refrigerator and freezer.
One of the nights we had a nice little campfire going in the fire pit at the campground. The fire burned so well that we had beautiful red glowing coals emitting so much heat. All the meats I'd brought along were still frozen. It was getting close to dinner time, I thought I should try wrapping up the frozen chicken with some veggies in the foil, and I placed all that on top of all of the red hot coals that we'd scraped into a pile in our fire-pit.
A couple of hours later when I opened up that foil wrapped chicken and veggies, the steam and the wonderful aroma of cooked chicken and veggies escaped It was the most wonderful thing to smell on that brisk cold evening. A hot wonderful complete chicken dinner all in one wrapping, and it was easier than any meal I'd ever cooked, at home or camping!
So, to this day, every blue moon I will make this exact same dinner, but in the oven at home, and still have those memories of the first time I got adventurous in cooking using campfire coals to cook with on that trip.
It's so easy to do, no bakeware to wash, no checking on it... nothing. Just throw it in the oven and eat and enjoy, then throw away the foil. It's inexpensive, and it's super convenient.
And, it's a great way to get my hubby to eat carrots, because any veggies cooked this way, seems to make them even more yummy. I've also used turnips with the white potatoes. Sweet potatoes and parsley work well too.
If you want to use zucchini, don't slice it, it's great in there too, keep it whole so they don't get overcooked. Onions cooked this way with the butter, spices, and chicken juices; you'll love them. Just keep those veggies chunky or whole, because "anything goes".
Prep Time: Prep time about 20 min
Cook Time: 2 hrs to 2.5 hrs
Total Time: Prep time is all that's needed.
Yield: This particular dinner is for 2
Ingredients:
Steps:
Note* if you want to make the juices into a gravy (which there's about a cup worth) you can take a baster and suck that up and put into a separate pan and make a gravy. We just like the 'juices' from the food and seasonings, so a plate with a curved brim works for this so it doesn't spill off.
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Ive been making foil packs since Girl Scouts 50 years ago.
That's fantastic!
Gosh I went to G.Scouts too, but we never learned to cook anything, even in the outdoors.
I also use this method when we're cooking baby back ribs in the oven, and not on the grill if it's raining.
It works so well, I don't know which I like best, the grill or the "foil".
The best advantage of this "tip" is that (frozen) meats, even ribs (frozen solid) can be wrapped up too with foil, put in the oven for a few hours, then opened up with the foil bent back- then slather on the BBQ sauce, and then turn on the oven broiler to get the charred yummies all over them. And...there's no mess.
What oven temperature?
So sorry about that, for some reason I thought I'd put the oven temp.
The pre-heated oven temp is 350 degrees.
I added it into the recipe.
I haven't done this with frozen meat, it sounds wonderful, can't wait to try it. Thanks!!!
Yes, it's really different, it's actually "cooking with steam" in the sealed up foil, because as the frozen meat thaws basically, it makes the nice steam that cooks it all. That's why it's so important that the foil has no air 'leaks' or everything will dry out.
It's also like a nice surprise too when you open it up after the couple of hours it's been in the oven - and the aroma and tender meat and veggies, and not having to stir it, or check on it is also what will seem odd, but...a nice odd way to cook.
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