Ads
🔥 The ultimate camping breakfast and BBQ morning. No dishes, no stress
Breakfast foil packets are the recipe that changes morning dynamics at the cottage, at the campsite or on the back deck on a summer Saturday. Diced yellow potatoes, onion, thick-sliced pork and beef breakfast sausages, Italian seasoning and a generous drizzle of olive oil. All sealed inside a heavy-duty aluminum foil packet and buried under shredded Oka cheese. Fifteen minutes on the BBQ or directly over the campfire grill, and you crack open the packets to find tender potatoes, perfectly cooked sausages and melted cheese that’s coated everything in pure flavour. This is the perfect camping recipe: zero dishes, zero kitchen equipment. Just fire food eaten straight out of the foil. Whether you’re camping in a tent, spending the weekend at the cottage with a crew or throwing together a no-fuss BBQ brunch on the patio, this one delivers every single time.
🧀 Oka cheese, rind and all, melting over everything, even in the middle of the woods
What sets these breakfast foil packets apart from a basic potato-and-sausage mix is the Oka cheese, shredded rind and all. That washed rind is where all the character lives. Its earthy, lightly mushroomy, deeply savoury aromas concentrate inside the sealed packet and perfume every single bite of potato and sausage. At cooking temperature, the rind melts right along with the rest of the cheese and creates a natural sauce that’s even more complex and flavourful. Keep the rind. It’s the whole point. No need for cream, no need for a separate sauce, no need for any pots at all. The Oka does all the work, whether you’re in your kitchen, on your deck or deep in the woods around a campfire.
Ads
Ads
🫙 Prep the packets the night before. The secret to a stress-free camping breakfast
Assemble the foil packets the night before, potato mix, sausages and Oka, and store them in the refrigerator or a well-packed cooler until morning. At the campsite or cottage, take the packets out 10 minutes before placing them on the grill to take the chill off slightly. This is the real advantage of this camping recipe: while the coffee is heating up and everyone is slowly waking up, the packets cook completely on their own without anyone having to watch them.
🧀 Oka cheese. Shred it rind and all
The washed rind of Oka cheese is where all the intense flavour lives and it absolutely melts during cooking. Shred the Oka with the rind on. No need to remove it. At heat, the rind melts right along with the rest of the cheese and creates an even more complex natural sauce that coats every piece of potato and sausage. Removing the rind means losing the most flavourful part of the whole cheese. Keep it all in.
🔥 Seal the packets tight. The key to even cooking
Loosely sealed packets let steam escape, which slows down the potato cooking and dries out the sausages. Fold the edges over multiple times to create a truly airtight seal while leaving a small pocket of air inside. That space is what allows the steam to circulate and cook everything evenly. Always use heavy-duty aluminum foil or double up with two sheets to prevent tears on the BBQ grill or campfire grate.
🥔 Cut the potatoes into even cubes for consistent cooking
The size of the potato cubes directly determines the cooking time. Cubes of about 1.5 cm (½ in) cook perfectly in 15 minutes over medium heat. Pieces that are too large will still be crunchy in the centre while the sausages are already overcooked. To speed things up at the campsite, especially when campfire heat is harder to control than a BBQ, blanch the potatoes for 3 minutes in salted boiling water before you leave home, drain them well and put them straight into the packets.
🌡️ Cook over campfire embers. Not open flames
For the campfire camping version, never place the packets directly in active flames. The potatoes will scorch on the outside before cooking through. Wait until the fire has died down to a solid bed of glowing red embers, then place the packets on a grate or directly on the coals. The gentle, steady heat of embers gives perfectly even cooking in 15 to 20 minutes. Flip the packets halfway through using long tongs.
🥚 Add an egg to each packet for a complete camping breakfast
For an even more satisfying version, perfect for active camping or hiking mornings, crack an egg directly into each packet over the potato and sausage mixture before sealing it. The egg steams inside the closed packet: the white will be fully set and the yolk still slightly runny after 15 minutes. For a fully set yolk, add 2 to 3 extra minutes. A complete, high-protein, hot breakfast in a single packet, with absolutely nothing to wash.
Ingredients
- 4 medium yellow potatoes, diced
- ½ small yellow onion, cut into large pieces
- 10 pork and beef breakfast sausages, cut into thick slices
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) Italian seasoning
- Olive oil
- 1 cup (250 ml) Oka cheese, shredded (rind included)
- Salt and ground pepper
Ads
Preparation
- In a large bowl, combine the diced potatoes, onion, sausages and Italian seasoning. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss well to coat everything evenly.
- Divide the mixture equally among 4 large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Double up the layers if needed. Top generously with shredded Oka cheese. Fold and crimp all edges tightly to create fully sealed, airtight packets.
- Preheat the BBQ to maximum heat, then reduce to medium before placing the packets on the grill.
- Place the foil packets on the grill, close the lid and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the sausages are fully cooked. Open carefully to release the steam, and serve directly in the packets.
Yes, absolutely. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and cook the packets on a baking sheet for about 20 to 25 minutes. Oven cooking takes slightly longer than the BBQ, but the result is practically identical. Tender potatoes, fully cooked sausages and perfectly melted Oka cheese. A great option for bad weather mornings or for anyone without access to a BBQ.
That’s exactly what they were designed for. This is an ideal camping recipe: no pot, no pan, no dishes. Just packets you prep at home the night before and transport in the cooler. At the campsite, place them directly on the campfire embers or on the camp stove grate, wait 15 to 20 minutes and they’re done. Everyone eats straight out of their own packet. For tent camping, glamping or any cottage situation without a full kitchen, these are the perfect camping breakfast. Wrap each packet in a second layer of foil before leaving home to prevent tears during transport.
Yes. Oka is ideal for its meltability and its distinct flavour, but Raclette, Gruyère, well-drained whole Mozzarella or a semi-firm Gouda all work very well. For camping or cottage situations without easy access to a cheese shop, a good sharp Cheddar is an excellent substitute. It melts well, it’s available everywhere and it brings a lot of character. Avoid very soft, high-moisture cheeses like Brie. They release too much water inside the packet.
Yes. Mild or spicy Italian sausages cut into thick rounds are an excellent alternative and bring more spiced character to the dish. Smoked pork sausages or Toulouse-style sausages also work very well for a heartier camping breakfast. The key is to cut the sausages into thick slices so they stay juicy inside and don’t dry out during the 15 minutes of foil cooking.
A standard two-burner BBQ can easily hold 4 to 6 packets simultaneously. For large cottage or camping groups, cook the packets in batches and keep the finished ones warm next to the fire. They hold their heat well for 5 to 8 minutes when left sealed. Over a campfire, you can easily cook 6 to 8 packets at the same time on a good grate set over the embers, making this one of the best camping recipes for feeding a big group all at once.
Yes, and it’s one of the best ways to serve them. Especially when camping. Crack one egg directly into each packet over the potato and sausage mixture before sealing it tightly. The egg steams inside as the packet cooks: the white will be set and the yolk still slightly runny at 15 minutes. For a fully cooked yolk, add 2 to 3 extra minutes. A complete, protein-packed, hot camping breakfast in a single packet. With nothing extra to cook and nothing to wash.
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads