Dining and Cooking
In Editors’ Collections

Sweet Potato and Apple Hobo Pack

The hobo pack, a self-contained, foil-wrapped meal cooked in hot coals, is an easy option for outdoor cooking. Though this recipe includes a lot of fall flavors, it is great for summer cookouts, a change from the usual suspects. The key to success is to be sure the foil packet is tightly sealed so no juices leak out. Be aware that the intense heat of the coals will deeply char some of the food that’s right up against the foil, but to us that’s the best-tasting part.

Ingredients

  • ¼cup golden raisins
  • 3tablespoons Cognac
  • 2sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise
  • 2Golden Delicious apples, unpeeled, cored and quartered
  • 1large red onion, peeled and sliced thin
  • ¼cup finely chopped sage
  • 4tablespoons butter
  • 1tablespoon orange zest (about 1 orange)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Nutritional Information
      • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

        278 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 30 milligrams cholesterol; 42 milligrams sodium

    Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

4 servings

Preparation

  1. Build a fire in the grill. Let the fire die down, until the coals are covered with gray ash.
  2. Put the golden raisins and Cognac in a small bowl and soak for 10 minutes.
  3. Tear off 8 sheets of heavy-duty foil, each about 2 feet long, and divide them into 2 stacks. Place half the sweet potato quarters, apple quarters, onion slices and sage in the center of the top sheet in each stack. Dot each with half the butter and half the raisins, plus the orange zest and salt and pepper to taste. Fold the top sheet in each stack over the vegetables, rotate each package one-quarter turn, and fold the second sheet over it. Repeat with remaining 2 sheets of foil.
  4. Place the packs in the coals around the periphery of the fire. Pile up the coals around the pack and cook 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the pack from the coals, unwrap and check: If the sweet potatoes need more time, put the pack back in the coals or in a 300-degree oven until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork but give a bit of resistance.

45 minutes

Dining and Cooking