Easy Foil-Packed Recipes When You Forget to Plan Dinner

This baked salmon recipe couldn’t be simpler — plump fillets seasoned with dried oregano and thyme, and fresh or canned tomatoes means this recipe can be made year-round.

Don’t just think pink, white fish such as cod or halibut also work well wrapped in foil. This recipe takes a tropical turn with lime juice, coconut milk, ginger and lemongrass, as well as fresh herbs and red chili.

Meatloaf on the BBQ is made possible through the magic of a foil pack — and as a bonus, the reflective foil speeds up the cooking time.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be cooked to perfection on foil in the oven. Each of your diners will enjoy chili-flecked bell peppers and chicken to fold into tortillas with the traditional fixings.

Take horseradish out of the realm of roast beef and use it to season and protect salmon fillets with a savoury bread crumb crust. Dill and vodka nod to the gravlax tradition, but this recipe is a stunner in its own right.

Using foil packs means you can keep your grill or baking sheet clean while indulging in brown sugar, chili powder and cilantro chicken wings any day of the week.

Versatile shrimp make for tasty fajita fillings, especially when lots of cumin and chipotle-tossed bell peppers, onions and scallions bulk out the mix. The tortillas get their own separate foil package, making for double the fun to open come dinnertime.

Haddock fillets are steamed in lemongrass-infused coconut milk, and loaded with vegetables for a classic packaged dinner. Although this recipe is meant for parchment packages (en papillote), aluminum foil can be used to equal effect.

Adding briny capers to the mix lends another layer of flavour to this salmon dish. Grape tomatoes are sweeter and more compact, with a less pulpy flesh to add moisture, so the juice of a lemon is pressed into service.

No more waiting for a pot to boil — make spaghetti from scratch in a foil package (cooked in white wine and a Mediterranean mixture of vegetables).

For those who don’t have a handy campfire, these foil packed quesadillas can also be made on a hot grill or in the oven — the idea is just to melt the cheese and warm the vegetables through.

A curry-inspired chicken and potato dish in foil means a contained, no-mess entree. Coconut cream provides richness and body to the dish without excess liquid.

There’s a little prep work required for these pasta and seafood parcels, but this twist on the pasta casserole is a new way to bring comforting flavours to the table. Be sure to use large shrimp and scallops to avoid overcooking the delicate seafood.

Tired of fishing potato bits from the bottom of the grill, and don’t feel like investing in a potato basket? Corral them together in a foil package for minimal flipping and supervision.