My dad showed me how to make these little foil packet meals back when money was tight and we needed supper to stretch without feeling skimpy. He called them hobo dinners, and they were our way of turning a pound or two of ground beef and a few vegetables into individual feasts. This slow cooker version keeps the same spirit: just four simple ingredients, tucked into their own little trays, and cooked low and slow until the potatoes are soft, the carrots are tender, and the beef is perfectly juicy. It’s the kind of practical, no-fuss Midwestern cooking that fills the house with good smells and the table with comfort.
These hobo dinners are a meal in themselves, but I like to round them out with something cool and crisp, like a simple lettuce salad or sliced cucumbers in vinegar. A basket of warm bread or dinner rolls is handy for soaking up the rich brown juices that collect in the foil trays. If you want to stretch things for a bigger crowd, serve with buttered peas or green beans on the side and finish with something homey for dessert, like applesauce or a pan of brownies.
Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Hobo Dinners
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 (1-ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
