My husband, Bernie, and I plan to check out some Civil War historic sites this year and do a little camping. We’ll haul our own rations and I’ll make packet meals wrapped in aluminum foil. You cannot beat packet meals — they’re fast, easy, and just different enough to bring fun to the table. My Buffalo Burgers recipe is our number one favorite. I don’t know where the name comes from — no buffalos were injured in the making of this meal.

The great thing about packet meals is their versatility. Change the combinations of meat, vegetables, and spices, and you have the makings of several meals in a row that won’t bring a squeal of complaint. And, you can customize each meal to satisfy even the pickiest eaters in the family. I often accompany the packets with pasta or rice to provide a little starch.

Here are a few guidelines to help you get the most out of your own grilled packet meals:

Use heavy-duty aluminum foil. Steam that builds inside the packet is what cooks the ingredients. Regular foil punctures too easily, endangering the steaming objective. You’ll need an 18-by-12 inch sheet of foil for each serving. Spray the dull side with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Layer your food so that the flavors can marry while they cook. Vegetables should surround delicate meats such as fish, chicken, and pork tenderloin medallions. These items need the protection of onions, peppers, or other vegetables to keep the meat from scorching on one side. Ground meat patties cook really well in packets, but cook higher quality cuts of red meat (such as steaks) outside of packets.

Test one packet for doneness before taking them all off the grill. Open the packet carefully to avoid steam burns and test the vegetables with a knife. Use an instant-read thermometer to test meat.

Don’t mold the foil around the food. Instead, heap the ingredients into the middle of the foil. The steam must have room. Bring two opposite edges of the foil together in the center and fold twice. Then bring up the remaining two edges and fold those together twice. Make sure the seams are tight.

Buffalo Burgers

I’m the only one who eats mushrooms in my family, so I take advantage of this opportunity to pile the mushroom slices on my packet. I prefer ground round in this recipe, but any kind of ground beef will work.

• 4 8-by-12-inch pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Cooking spray
• One large onion, sliced
• 1 pound ground beef made into 4 burgers
• 4 small red potatoes, or fingerling potatoes, quartered
• 2 carrots, sliced into quarter-inch coins
• Worcestershire sauce to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Extras: sliced mushrooms, sliced peppers — sweet and/or hot, sliced zucchini or yellow squash

Spray each sheet of foil with cooking spray. Place sliced onions in the middle of each sheet, then top with a burger. Sprinkle the meat with Worcestershire, salt, and pepper to taste. Top with potatoes, carrots, and any extras you like. Seal the packets (see above) and place on a medium hot – 400-degree — grill. These take about 30 minutes to cook, but test at 20 to 25 minutes. If you’re cooking on an open fire or on charcoal, place the packets on hot coals, but not in the fire. Turn frequently and test at 20 minutes.

If you plan to make the packets ahead of time, use fingerling potatoes and baby carrots and toss them in a little olive oil to keep the potatoes from turning brown.

Pesto Chicken Packets

This is a simple but surprisingly elegant dish you could serve to company on a Friday night after a long week. Accompany it with rice or noodles for a hassle-free meal.

• 4 8-by-12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (pounded slightly to equal thickness)
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 cups asparagus pieces or sugar snap peas (you can use fresh or frozen sugar snap peas)

In a bowl, mix the basil pesto and the mayonnaise. Spray foil and place a chicken breast in the center of each sheet. Divide the tomatoes and asparagus or sugar snap peas among all four packets. Top vegetables with pesto mixture. Seal the packets (see above) and place on a medium-hot grill (about 400 degrees.) These take about 30 minutes to cook; test at 20 to 25 minutes. To cook on a campfire or on charcoal, place packets on hot coals, but not in the fire. Turn them frequently and test at 20 minutes.

Tilapia and Spinach Packets

Serve these delicate fish packets with hot rolls. Sister Schubert’s dinner yeast rolls are fast and tasty. Brush them with butter, and sprinkle each with a bit of parmesan. Elegant enough for Sunday dinner.

• 4 8-by-12-inch sheets aluminum foil
• Cooking spray
• 4 tilapia fillets
• 1 (10-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
• ½ cup Vidalia Cucumber Dill brand salad dressing
• 1 green pepper, cut into thin strips

Spray foil and divide spinach between each piece. Top each with a tilapia fillet. Divide the cucumber dressing between each packet, slathering on the fish. Top each with green pepper strips. Seal the packets (see above) and place on medium heat — 350 degrees — for 10 minutes. Check to make sure the fish flakes nicely before taking all the packets off the grill. To cook on an open campfire or charcoal, place packets on the hot coals, but not in the fire. Turn them frequently. These will cook very fast directly on charcoal so take them off at about 5 minutes

Pork Medallions with Apples

Pork pairs so beautifully with apples. You can substitute pears for a twist. I toss some mixed small white, yellow, or purple potatoes – the kind that come in a mesh bag — with a little peanut oil and sea salt, then add a couple of sprigs of rosemary.

• 4 8-by-12-inch sheets aluminum foil
• 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
• 1 pound pork tenderloin cut into ½-inch medallions
• Pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup honey mustard salad dressing

Place sliced apples in center of sprayed foil. Top with 2 or 3 pork medallions — it is fine if they overlap. Pepper the medallions then divide the garlic between each packet. Sprinkle with the chopped thyme, and drizzle the honey mustard dressing over the medallions. Seal the packets (see above) and place on a medium-hot grill, about 400 degrees. These take about 30 minutes to cook but test at 20 to 25 minutes. To cook on an open campfire or charcoal, place the packets directly on the hot coals, not in the fire. Turn them frequently and test at 20 minutes.

Italian Chicken Ragout

I like to serve this spicy dish over noodles. It’s great for any day of the week. This calls for Gourmet Gardens Chili Pepper, found in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle. For best results, prepare this ahead of time and marinate in the refrigerator before grilling.

• 4 8-by-12-inch sheets aluminum foil
• Cooking spray
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno chopped fine or 1 teaspoon Gourmet Gardens Chili Pepper
• ½ cup Italian Dressing

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Divide among 4 sheets of sprayed aluminum foil. Seal the packets (see above) and place on a grill heated to medium high, 400 degrees. These take about 15 minutes to cook, but test the chicken at 10 minutes. To cook on an open campfire or charcoal, place the packets directly on the hot coals, not in the fire. Turn frequently and test at 20 minutes.

+++++++++++++++++++

by Heida Olin