Chili Mac Stuffed Peppers in Foil Packets over the Campfire
Brown beef to 160°F in a deep skillet over a medium fire or stove, then simmer dry macaroni right in the chili sauce for about 12 minutes. Spoon the cheesy chili mac into halved bell peppers, tent them in foil and cook on a grate over medium coals for 18 to 22 minutes until the peppers are fork-tender. Total time is about 65 minutes.
This is chili mac you eat out of its own bowl. The peppers soften and sweeten in the foil, and the cheesy macaroni inside stays hot and saucy. Each person gets two halves and a fork, and cleanup is mostly foil.
The filling cooks in one skillet, so the pasta takes on the chili flavor as it simmers. The packets finish on the coals while you set up chairs. It's a good pick for car camping with a cooler, and the filling works as plain chili mac too if you have extra.
Chili Mac Stuffed Peppers in Foil Packets over the Campfire
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Heat
- Medium coals, with a medium flame for the skillet
- Pack weight
- 4 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- One burner
- Some water
- A few dishes
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- Deep 12-inch cast-iron skillet with lid
- Campfire grate or grill rack
- Heavy-duty foil
- Long tongs
- Heat-proof gloves
- Wooden spoon
- Knife and cutting board
- Instant-read thermometer
- Can opener
- Empty can for grease
Steps
-
Prep the peppers
Halve the peppers lengthwise through the stem and scoop out the seeds and ribs. Set two halves, cut side up, on each sheet of foil. Keep raw beef and everything else on separate boards.
-
Brown the beef
Heat the oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over a medium flame or on a camp stove. Cook the beef 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it reads 160°F. Spoon off extra grease into an empty can.
-
Build the flavor
Add the onion and cook 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika and salt, and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
-
Simmer the macaroni
Add the tomato sauce, water, beans and dry macaroni. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is just tender. Add a splash of water if it gets dry.
-
Melt in cheese
Take the skillet off the heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar. The filling should be thick and scoopable, not soupy. Let it sit 3 minutes to firm up.
-
Stuff and wrap
Spoon the filling into the pepper halves, mounding it slightly. Fold each foil sheet up and over into a loose tent with the edges crimped tight, leaving some air space above the peppers.
-
Cook over coals
Set the packets on a grate over medium coals. Cook 18 to 22 minutes, rotating once, until a fork slides easily into the pepper and the filling is steaming hot, at least 165°F.
-
Top and serve
Open the packets away from your face, since steam escapes fast. Sprinkle on the remaining cheddar, close the foil for 2 minutes to melt it, then top with sour cream and green onions.
Trail Notes
Cook the filling at home through step 5, cool it fast and freeze it flat in a zip bag. It thaws in the cooler in a day or two. At camp, reheat it in the skillet until steaming before you stuff the peppers.
Keep raw beef at 40°F or below and use it within the first day or two of the trip. Wash your hands and the knife after handling it, and don't put cooked filling back on the board that held raw meat.
Use ground turkey and cook it to 165°F. For a meatless version, skip the beef and use two cans of beans plus a cup of frozen corn.
Pack out the foil, since it doesn't burn away. Pour cooled grease into a can and carry it out. Strain dishwater and scatter it well away from camp and water.
Round out your camp day
Picked to work with the same kit as this recipe.
BreakfastCast-Iron Cinnamon Sugar Biscuit Donut Bites
LunchCast-Iron Italian Sausage and Pepper Melts
Snack or treatCampfire Foil Packet Maple Cinnamon Apples with WalnutsMore one-burner camping meals →Planning a trip? Get the free 3-day meal plan →
Campers ask
How do you know campfire stuffed peppers are done?
A fork should slide into the pepper wall with little pushing, and the filling should be steaming hot, at least 165°F. If the peppers are still firm, re-wrap and give them 5 more minutes.
Can I use leftover chili mac for this?
Yes. Spoon cold leftovers into the peppers and add 5 to 8 minutes to the cook time so the center gets steaming hot, at least 165°F.
Can I make stuffed peppers without a grate?
Yes. Set the foil packets directly on a bed of hot, settled coals, not flames. Turn them once and check at 18 minutes, since the bottoms cook faster.
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