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!
- 1 lb. 10% fat ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup diced white onion
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- 15 Saltine crackers, crushed
- 4 small russet potatoes, sliced
- ½ cup sliced white onion
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 3 Tbsp. melted butter
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheese (add at the end)
- Ketchup for topping meatloaf
- In a large bowl, combine the meatloaf ingredients, you will have mix this with clean hands, be careful not to over mix.
- Shape the meatloaf on one side of the slow cooker, I tried 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, and toss them with your clean hands. 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!
bella says
August 27, 2015 at 7:51 amwas there no liquid in dish meat not sticking to cooker pls reply as interested to ma,e this
Sarah Olson says
August 27, 2015 at 8:21 amThe meatloaf had some juices that came off of it, so it didn’t stick. I wouldn’t use any meat under 10% fat or it would probably stick. 🙂
Lisa - Blogghetti says
August 27, 2015 at 8:44 amI love making hobo dinners – camping or on the grill at the house. I’ve made it in the crockpot, as well but in our hobo dinners we add carrots with the potatoes and onions. I’ve never added cheese – might have to do so next time. Now, I am in the mood for this!!
Mary says
August 27, 2015 at 10:53 amLooks delicious!
Michele says
August 28, 2015 at 8:53 amWhat a great idea to cook the potatoes as well as the meatloaf in the slow cooker! Great way to cook an entire meal.
Grandma Kc says
August 29, 2015 at 10:10 amIt looks delicious. I think it is great that you take your slow cooker camping. Makes everything easier (and tastier!)
Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads says
August 30, 2015 at 7:04 amThis is such a perfect slow cooker meal! I know we’d love it! Perfect for camping too 🙂
Catherine says
August 30, 2015 at 10:51 amI think this is just the best idea…it’s a perfect meal for the family and so convenient in the slow cooker. Delish! xo, Catherine
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
August 30, 2015 at 5:53 pmLove this! I don’t think I have ever tried making a hobo meal before, but I love that you did this in the slow cooker. 🙂
Lynn says
September 8, 2015 at 9:10 pmThanks for sharing!
cookie75 says
September 11, 2015 at 7:59 amgreat recipe for summer camping and busy winter days!!
Anonymous says
September 1, 2018 at 1:31 pmPlease keep sending us more crockpot dinner
brandee says
October 4, 2015 at 6:00 amGoing to try about 3 hours on high and see what happens
Jpeters says
October 11, 2015 at 10:35 pmDid it still turn out alright??
bella says
January 6, 2016 at 10:34 am3 hours i dont think is good. slow cooking must be slow so at least 4 or 5 znd after one hour either use low or zutomatic for at least 5 hours
Catherine says
October 17, 2015 at 8:55 amWe love this recipe! We shared it in our 25 Delicious Crockpot Meals for Busy Families roundup on The Shopping Mama!! http://www.theshoppingmama.com/2015/10/25-delicious-crockpot-meals-for-busy-families/
YUM!!
Linda says
April 20, 2017 at 8:41 amDo you seal the foil on potatoes or leave it open
Nicole says
November 3, 2015 at 4:33 amI have made these several times over the fire, but have balled up the meat and put it in foil as well. I think this will be on my list for the week. 🙂
Judy says
November 7, 2015 at 1:06 pmI love meals like this. I am 75 so to fix it early and let it cook is a great help. As a result, we eat better because I’m trying to not buy prepared foods.
Bonnie says
November 8, 2015 at 12:53 pmI love this idea! My crockpot is my favorite tool.
Brenda says
November 11, 2015 at 5:28 pmHas anyone tried this? I’d like to try this but isn’t there a lot of liquid from the meatloaf? I always bake mine on a rack because I hate for it to sit in the grease.
Sarah Olson says
November 11, 2015 at 6:59 pmThere is about an 1/2 inch of liquid. If you use fattier beef than 10% there will be a lot more. I hope this helps.
Cory says
March 31, 2016 at 4:50 amI make crockpot meatloaf & instead of crackers that are bland I use chicken stuffing mix and ground turkey. To keep it moist I add minced, celery, onions, mushrooms, carrots, & bell pepper.. Top with BBQ sauce.. Cook on low 4-5 hrs.. Serve with a crockpot baked or Hasselbeck potatoes
AMH says
January 22, 2017 at 6:59 amThank you so much for the ground turkey replacement. My son and I are Pollo-Pescetarians and was wondering how it would turn out if we used ground turkey or ground chicken. I love this recipe because it sounds easy and it looked really tasty in the pictures.
Nancy says
November 22, 2015 at 10:28 pmLooks great but wonder if it will work with ground turkey the same way? We cannot eat ground beef anymore.
Jeremy says
December 28, 2015 at 5:23 pmWhat size slow cooker did you use for this recipe? I have a bigger family and would like to make one that will fit our family.
Sarah Olson says
December 28, 2015 at 5:30 pmI used a 6-quart oval slow cooker. 🙂
laura says
January 5, 2016 at 12:34 pmDoes anyone know if cooking it on high for 3 hours worked out alright?
LV says
February 23, 2016 at 11:49 amCurios to know if this worked as well! I would love to know if I can cook it on high.
Anna says
January 7, 2016 at 4:41 pmMy crockpot has two little vent holes in the lid.. Do you think this would effect the cook time? Also I would assume you spray your crockpot a little but without any liquid in the pot does it not burn and cook evenly?? Can’t wait to try thanks!
Sarah Olson says
January 7, 2016 at 5:00 pmThe vent holes are fine! I used to worry about that too. Just don’t open the crock pot while it cooks or that would really let the heat out. 🙂 Yes I would spray it with non-stick spray.
Yvonne boggs says
January 7, 2016 at 10:00 pmLove this idea
Becca says
February 10, 2016 at 11:17 amI forgot to throw this in the crockpot this morning, how long would you cook this in the oven?
Sarah Olson says
February 10, 2016 at 11:45 amI remember I used to cook meat loaf in the oven at 350 for about 45 mins? I think that would be a good starting point, and cook longer if needed.
Becca says
February 10, 2016 at 11:49 amOk, i’ll try that, thanks!
Amanda says
February 22, 2016 at 8:15 amI have a very picky family, Would my own meatloaf recipe work for this as well??
Sarah Olson says
February 22, 2016 at 8:41 amI think so! I am very picky about my meat loaf, so I understand!
Whitley says
February 22, 2016 at 9:43 amWill it dry out if left over 5 hours? Like maybe 6? Due to being away from house.
Sarah Olson says
February 22, 2016 at 9:57 amIt may be ok. I would add a tiny bit of water around the meat loaf to help keep it moist.
Jennifer says
March 25, 2016 at 8:24 pmThis recipe looks great! Any idea if I could cook this on high for a shorter period of time? If so, what would you recommend? Thanks so much for sharing!
Kathi says
April 21, 2016 at 11:20 amI only made two changes – the took out the 1/4 cup ketchup and put in 3 tablespoons Mild Salsa. I also changed the crackers to 1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs and I used organic Ketchup. I love the potatoes being cooked on the side and like one to the other reviewers said, I did add about 3 carrots cut into 1 1/2″ chunks. Yum on the entire meal.
Sarah Olson says
April 21, 2016 at 11:26 amGreat ideas Kathi! Thanks for sharing.
Loretta Nave says
April 22, 2016 at 7:43 amI am gone for 10 hours…..has anyone done this and then had their crockpot shift to warm.
Johnny says
July 19, 2016 at 3:45 amThis may seem like a dumb question? Where do you plug the crock pot “in” at a camp sight?
Johnny
Sarah Olson says
July 19, 2016 at 7:11 amWe camp at places with hook ups. Probably would be hard to do while dry camping.
Johnny says
July 19, 2016 at 8:36 amThank you. In Ontario, most of the camping is done in provincial parks in dry sites with tents and coleman stoves. There are spots for trailers and I suppose there are hookups for them.
https://www.ontarioparks.com/en
Billie says
July 21, 2016 at 7:28 pmGoing seven and a half hours on low and the meatloaf is still not done! Turned it to high hoping it’ll cook through!! Why??
Sarah Olson says
July 21, 2016 at 9:14 pmThe meatloaf may be pink from the ketchup. It should be done after that long.
Karen says
August 14, 2016 at 2:59 pmDoes the 5 hours on low cook the potatoes so they are soft? This looks so yummy and would be great for one of our fall camping trips!!
Sarah Olson says
August 14, 2016 at 6:46 pmYes it does. Make sure to keep the lid on the entire tint or they won’t cook. 🙂
Sonnie Schlossmacher says
August 23, 2016 at 8:54 pmI only have a 3.5 quart crock pot can I make this work?
Sarah Olson says
August 24, 2016 at 8:00 amI’m not sure if it would fit. You may be able to put the meat loaf on the bottom flat, then add the potato packet on the top.
Sonnie says
August 28, 2016 at 11:04 amWould I be able to cut the recipe in half and cook it for less time? If so how long do you think I should cook it for? Sorry I’m new to this whole cooking thing
Sarah Olson says
August 28, 2016 at 8:29 pmI am unsure how it would do cut in half. I do know that the potatoes can’t take any less cooking time or they won’t get tender.
Wynn says
January 2, 2018 at 10:43 amFor cooking at home, the potatoes could be microwaved for 3 or 4 minutes in a microwave safe dish, prior to being put in the crockpot with a smaller meatloaf, to have both thoroughly cooked and done at the same time. It’s also a great way for using larger cuts of vegetables in slow cooker meals to have them cooked through and tender when the meat is done.
Keith Richardson says
September 16, 2016 at 1:16 pmYou could make the meatloaf mixture up ahead of time and freeze it before you go camping. Then it could be used to help keep things cold in the cooler until needed.
Sarah Olson says
September 16, 2016 at 1:33 pmSuch a great idea. And meatloaf does great as a freezer meal, it doesn’t get weird after thawing.
Bob Weisskopf says
November 4, 2016 at 12:37 pmHave you tried it without the foil? I think letting the juices meld together might be very tastey
Sarah Olson says
November 5, 2016 at 7:42 pmI have not. Sometimes meatloaf has mucky stuff around the edges, that may not be good in the potatoes.
Bob Weisskopf says
November 5, 2016 at 8:15 pmActually that might be great in the spuds
Vicki says
December 20, 2016 at 5:59 amI use slow cooker liners so I don’t have a big mess to clean up! I am definitely going to try this recipe.
yvonne says
January 3, 2017 at 5:13 pmMy meatloaf didn’t slice up well. It turned into more of a meat crumble. Very yummy though. What could be the cause of the crumblyness though?
Sarah Olson says
January 3, 2017 at 5:30 pmHi Yvonne! Meatloaf can be tricky especially if your meat is more moist or less moist than mine. The meatloaf should hold it’s shape very well before cooking, you can add more crackers if its too wet, or more ketchup if it’s too dry. That’s the only thing I can think of. Also, use fresh meat from the store, thawed meat has a hard time holding together.
Yvonne says
January 3, 2017 at 5:35 pmOh okay. Next time I will use fresh beef and probably a leaner beef as well. Thanks for the tip!
Randi says
January 11, 2017 at 2:06 pmI just made this and followed all the instructions to the letter and nothing was cooked through. The meatloaf was pink and the potatoes were all but raw.
Sarah Olson says
January 11, 2017 at 2:20 pmdid you open the lid at all? Meatloaf may be pink because of the ketchup. If the lid was opened even once, the potatoes won’t be done in the amount of time given.
Suzanne Leigh says
September 5, 2017 at 2:56 pmMine did not turn out either. Very underdone meat and half cooked potatoes. 4 russet potatoes??? Better make sure they’re VERYsmall. Two potatoes were nearly too much. Had to finish baking the meatloaf in the oven and fried the potatoes in a little oil until they were done. Both took about an extra 1/2 hour.
dee says
January 17, 2017 at 5:42 amI use oatmeal in my meatloaf (gluten intolerant). Have you ever tried this? May need more moisture? Thanks
Sarah Olson says
January 17, 2017 at 6:12 amHi dee. Usually when I make meatloaf that I am not making for my site, I don’t measure, you can add the oatmeal until it’s the right consistency and it should do fine.
Diane says
January 26, 2017 at 6:03 amWhat happens info you also put the meat loaf in foil?
Sarah Olson says
January 26, 2017 at 6:10 amI haven’t tried. If you do try let us know how it turns out.
yvonne says
January 26, 2017 at 10:43 pmI always use foil in my Crock-Pot and it didn’t affect my meatloaf cooking time or anything
Candace Stevens says
February 24, 2017 at 8:45 amWe are gone for around 8-9 hours at work … do you think this would be okay that long?
Sarah Olson says
February 24, 2017 at 9:07 amI think it would be burnt to a crisp. Maybe this would be a better on the weekend for you? So sorry!
chris says
March 14, 2017 at 1:11 pmMy 17 year old son made this while I was at work and I came home to a delicious meal. He even added corn on the cob on top of the potatoes, great addition.
Sarah Olson says
March 14, 2017 at 1:27 pmThat’s awesome. The corn is a great idea, I will have to try that!
Philip says
June 29, 2017 at 4:09 pmThank you for this recipe! My daughter and I enjoyed this very much! The meatloaf was very moist and the potatoes were so soft! I might not cook meatloaf again in the oven! We have enjoyed lasagna, enchiladas and now meatloaf in the slow cooker!
Lynise says
October 18, 2017 at 11:57 pmMy husband can’t eat onions, do you think it will work if i omit the onions?
Sarah Olson says
October 19, 2017 at 8:02 amWill be fine without
Jody says
November 28, 2017 at 5:28 pmI have been making hobo dinners in the oven for years. I just use a hamburger patty and potatoes and some of the family members like carrots, or green peppers, or onions in addition to the potatoes. I still have it often as I live alone and it is a nice and easy meal. I love the idea of making it a meatloaf though. I always put everything in the foil together and bake it. Yummy. The cheese also sounds delicious.
Wynn says
January 2, 2018 at 11:05 amGreat hobo meal idea! Has anyone made any beef and baked beans hobo meals?
People worried about meatloaf sticking to their pots, could either put their meatloaf in a separate foil bowl, just as the potatoes were contained, or twist some foil into snake shapes to use as an improvised meat rack under the meatloaf, which will also elevate the meatloaf above the “guck” that sometimes forms around the bottoms of meatloaf as it cooks.
If anyone finds their potatoes aren’t turning out as tender as they would like, they can microwave those briefly in advance in a microwave safe dish to help insure they’ll be tender by the time the meatloaf is done.
Cynthia Reece says
July 31, 2018 at 7:31 pmI made this recipe today and the potatoes didn’t get done. I cooked it for 6 hours on low. Any suggestions on what I need to do different next time? I used a 6 quart oval crockpot.
Anonymous says
August 29, 2018 at 11:49 amReally enjoyed this recipe. My slow cooker has a timer so I set it on 6 hrs. Then checked it at 5 1/2 hrs and all was perfect so add
Kim B says
January 20, 2019 at 8:24 amGet 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.