Vegan Hobo Burgers!

UPDATE: OMG, OMG, OMG marriage equality!!!!!! I wish this was a post about ALL THE RAINBOW CAKE. But I wrote the following on Thursday night before the awesome news that same-sex marriage is legal everywhere. So I wanted to post this update to say Happy Marriage Equality Day!!!

Okay, so I'm sure the word "hobo" isn't PC. But since we're talking about food and not people, I'm gonna go with it. When I was growing up, my mama would often make something she called "hobo burger packets" — burger patties baked in tinfoil with potatoes and carrots.

It was a popular recipe at the time, and the idea for it was some romantic notion that travelin' folks could cook this simple meal over a campfire without any special utensils. Of course, when we ate this for dinner at home, my mama didn't bake it in a campfire but rather in the oven. Well, it's been years since I've had a hobo burger packet, but I finally made some Vegan Hobo Burgers this week!

I wish I'd photographed this in the tinfoil, but you get the idea. You take a veggie burger, some raw potatoes,  carrot, and seasonings and wrap 'em in a little pouch folded from foil. Then you bake, and if desired, top with gravy or ketchup. Simple as that.

I used Field Roast Hand-Formed Burgers for this because they're basically the best burgers on the planet. Have y'all had these? They're so meaty and juicy. Oh my! I may have purchased four packages last time I bought them just to make sure I didn't run out for awhile. Any veggie patty would do, but hearty, juicy veggie burgers would work best. For the gravy, which I added over the top at the end, I used Riega Foods Turkey-Style Gravy Mix (I found this at Rabbit Food in Austin!). But any brown gravy will do! And gravy is totally optional.

As you can see in the pic, broccoli and cheeze makes an excellent side. That was Heidi Ho Smoky Chia Cheeze.

Here's the simple recipe for the burgers. But it's not so much a recipe as a meal with instructions. Since you make individual packets, this recipe just serves one. But you can easily double or triple or whatever. Just wrap each packet separately.

Vegan Hobo Burgers
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Serves 1

1 thawed veggie burger patty (you could use frozen but it would take longer)
1 medium red potato, cubed
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. seasoning salt (I use Cavender's Greek Seasoning)
Pinch of garlic powder
Black pepper
Non-stick cooking spray
Aluminum foil

Preheat the oven to 400.

Tear off a large sheet of aluminum foil and place the potatoes and carrots in the center. Spray them with non-stick oil and add spices. Toss to coat. Place the burger patty on top and fold the sides of the foil in to cover everything. Seal by folding the foil where the sides meet.

Place the foil on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender.

Note: If you have a crappy oven like mine that only works sometimes, you can also do a variation of this on the stovetop. For that version, steam the potatoes and carrots for about 5 to 7 minutes. Then heat about a teaspoon of oil in a skillet, and add the veggies. Saute until browned. Add the burger to the center of the pan and cook on each side until browned and cooked through, stirring the veggies around the patty as you go.