Have you ever heard of a Hobo Dinner before? It’s usually an individual complete meal for one in a foil pack cooked in a campfire, oven or barbecue grill.
Since I am all about bringing my slow cooker camping, I thought I would try making a Slow Cooker Hobo Dinner.
We traveled to South Twin Lake Resort for 4 nights this last week. Such a beautiful place to visit, there is a cold water channel right behind our campsite, and just a block away is the resort and lake. We spent our days hiking, swimming, and fishing. For our dinners I made 4 different slow cooker recipes this trip, an easy clam chowder, steak burritos, baked potatoes (to go with grilled steak), and this Hobo Dinner.
For this recipe I made a 1 pound meatloaf (I halved my favorite 2 pound meatloaf recipe.) I put the meatloaf on one side of the slow cooker. Then I made a foil “bowl” by taking a foot or so of foil and shaping it into a rounded shape (just one layer thick). In that foil bowl I tossed together potatoes, sliced onions, seasonings and drizzled melted butter over it. Cooked all of that on LOW for 5 hours, then topped the potatoes with cheese. An easy complete meal! And I do have to say meatloaf and potatoes are one of my most favorite meals to eat. Pure comfort food!
Cooked all of that on LOW for 5 hours, then topped the potatoes with cheese. An easy complete meal! And I do have to say meatloaf and potatoes are one of my most favorite meals to eat. Pure comfort food!
Need more ground beef recipes? Here are the best ones from the magical slow cooker:
- Slow Cooker Shipwreck Stew
- Slow Cooker Land Your Man Baked Beans
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
- Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers
- Slow Cooker Texas Trash Beef and Bean Dip
- Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Hamburger Hash
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Hobo Dinner in the Slow Cooker
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
Meatloaf Ingredients
- 1 lb. 10% fat ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup white onion diced
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/7 tsp. onion powder
- 15 Saltine crackers crushed
For the potatoes
- 4 small russet potatoes sliced
- 1/2 cup white onion sliced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 3 Tbsp. butter melted
- 1 cup sharp cheese shredded; add at the end
For Serving
- ketchup for topping meatloaf
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine the meatloaf ingredients, be careful not to over mix.
- Shape the meatloaf on one side of the slow cooker, trying to keep the meatloaf from touching the sides.
- Make a foil "bowl" out of a foot or so of foil.
- Shape it next to the meatloaf.
- Add the potatoes and onions.
- Season the potatoes and onions with the salt, pepper, and onion powder; toss them by hand.
- Drizzle over the melted butter.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours. DO NOT OPEN THE LID WHILE THIS IS COOKING, or the potatoes will not get tender.
- After the cooking time is up add the cheese on top of the potatoes, and cover for about 5 minutes more or until the cheese is melted.
- Add ketchup to the top of the meatloaf and serve.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Strange, Charlene, because my meatloaf came out VERY tender. Maybe your saltines were old – they sit around in the store a lot before being bought. I used as fresh ones as I could find from the store. It was the meatloaf that made the recipe for me! Nice simple crock pot meal for a busy day.
Wasted all of my ingredients for a very disappointing meal. Meatloaf was horrible made with saltines no moisture like cardboard. Potatoes were good.
Think long and hard before trying this one.
I use cabbage leaves in bottom and on top to add flavor
I just bought a 3 crocks in one today. One of the crock pots is divided. I am going to try this with the new pot. Won’t need the foil!
Thanks
My recipe for HoBo dinner
Layered
Potatoes
Carrots
Hamburg mixes with Dry onion soup mix formed in meat balls
Cover with cream of mushroom soup
High 5 hrs plus. Just check veggies to see if cooked.
Delicious. My own recipe!
LOVE it. I will try. Thanks for sharing.
I am so excited to try this thank you for sharing
Is this layered recipe in foil and cooked it just layered at the bottom of the slow cooker open face style and fo you form a meat loaf on the side like the poster?
Get it ready before you get on the road, keep in sink so it won’t tip and when you arrive at campsite, voila dinner is done. I use a slow cooker bag and clean up is a breeze.