Gnocchi Foil Packets

Why You’ll Love This

Easy: Foil pack recipes are so good if you’re camping because you just have to put your ingredients in there and put it on the campfire until cooked. What could be simpler?
Tasty: The delicious combination of gnocchi, vegetables and Italian seasonings might be a relatively basic one but the result is a really delicious meal that everyone will love.
Satisfying: If you’re camping, hiking or doing another activity, you’re going to get hungry at the end of the day and want a good energy boost. Gnocchi isn’t only tasty, it’s satisfying too – so your tastebuds and your belly will be happy!

Gnocchi Camping Recipe Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below

Gnocchi: Choose uncooked gnocchi, either the refrigerated kind if you can keep it chilled until cooking or the shelf-stable kind.
Corn and tomatoes: The way corn kernels pop in the mouth and their sweet flavor add appeal to gnocchi foil packs, and cherry tomatoes are also sweet and tasty. You can use thawed or canned corn and your favorite type of fresh small tomatoes.
Butter: For a rich flavor and moisture. Sub a butter alternative if you prefer.
Seasonings: Garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and paprika add plenty of wonderful flavor, although you can tweak what you use and how much of each one.

How to Make Campfire Gnocchi Foil Packets

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card

Prepare the campfire or grill: Get it nice and hot (around 400 degrees F) and prepare for direct cooking.
Flavor the gnocchi: Toss the gnocchi with melted butter, and then add the seasonings, tomatoes and corn.
Assemble the foil packets: Divide the gnocchi mixture between 4 (12-inch) squares of foil and seal tightly.
Cook, serve and enjoy: Cook the foil packets for about 15 minutes or until the gnocchi is done, rotating halfway through, open (carefully because of the steam!) and serve hot.

Substitutions and Variations

Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, look out for gluten-free gnocchi (made without wheat flour). You can order it online if need be (my fave here).
Dial up (or down) the spice: You can use more red pepper flakes, use cayenne pepper or chili powder instead, or even omit the spice altogether. If some people like spice and others don’t, make their foil packs different or else just offer a bottle of hot sauce on the side.
Different veggies: Not a corn fan? Don’t like tomatoes much? No problem, you can use other ingredients in their place if you want, perhaps summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms, green onions, or eggplant. Don’t add anything too dense (like carrot chunks) because they take much longer to cook than the gnocchi does.
More optional ingredients: Throw in anything you want. You might like to swap the garlic powder and minced garlic for onion powder and minced onion, or add some fresh basil leaves. You could also add a splash of tomato sauce to the cooked gnocchi, or a drizzle of olive oil before serving. Get creative and come up with your own variations!

Serving Suggestions

Appetizers: Camping-friendly appetizers to snack on before dinner include coastal medley trail mix or tropical trail mix.
Side dishes:  Unless you’re a vegetarian or don’t want to have meat, you might like to pair the campfire gnocchi foil packets with anything from bacon-stuffed burgers or herby New York strip steaks or one of these fantastic foil packet recipes. You could even grill some chicken or your favorite protein and add the foil packets about 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Desserts: Keep the foil packet theme going with a foil packet apple crisp or foil packet banana boats.