Food and Recipes Dinner Our Favorite Meals that Use Aluminum Foil – Because You Deserve to Work Smarter, Not Harder, in the Kitchen By Emma Phelps Emma Phelps Emma Phelps is an Editorial Fellow who covers lifestyle, beauty, and food content for Southernliving.com. She also works on Southern Living's social media across all platforms from Facebook to TikTok. You'll find everything from her grandma's crisp linen secrets to products she can't live without under her byline. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on February 24, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox There are a million and one ways that cooking has upgraded overtime. One invention that we're especially grateful for: aluminum foil. We can't think of a greater convenience than the easy clean up, cover up, and storing opportunities that aluminum foil offers us in the kitchen. Plus, there are so many other ways to use aluminum foil outside of cooking. We rounded up our favorite recipes that use aluminum foil for those nights where dinner needs to be an all-inclusive, fast affair – both the cooking and clean up. There are tasty sheet pan dinners and appetizers and several foil packet suppers for those especially busy nights. Some of the foil packet dinners can even be made in advance, so if you're heading out for an evening hike and need a portable trail dinner, then those are the meals for you. After you've enjoyed your tasty meal, clean-up is easier than ever, plus if there are any leftovers, you can use – you guessed it – aluminum foil to store them in the fridge. 01 of 20 Mini Meatloaves with Potatoes, Leeks, and Brussels Sprouts Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Mini Meatloaves with Potatoes, Leeks, and Brussels Sprouts By the time you've helped the kids finish their homework, this filling and healthy sheet pan meal will be out of the oven in just an hour. Mini meatloaves are paired with crispy Brussels sprouts and potatoes for a meal that everyone will love. 02 of 20 Roasted Pork Chops with Beets and Kale Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Roasted Pork Chops with Beets and Kale The beets roast with the pork chops for a delicious winter salad on a bed of kale garnished with a drizzle of tangy thyme-honey mustard dressing. 03 of 20 Greek Pork Chops with Squash and Potatoes Hector Sanchez Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Greek Pork Chops with Squash and Potatoes We love to switch up the expected palate of a recipe, so it should be no surprise that this Greek Pork Chops recipe is a winner any night in our book. 04 of 20 Sheet Pan Nachos Photographer Iain Bagwell; Food Stylist Kelly Kellie; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos Fresh radish slices contrast with tender avocado cubes and seasoned ground beef for an easy and fun weeknight meal. 05 of 20 Sheet Pan Flank Steak, Greens, and Yukon Gold Fries Greg DuPree Recipe: Sheet Pan Flank Steak, Greens, and Yukon Gold Fries Before you head to work in the morning, prepare the marinade and coat the steak so you'll have a fast and easy dinner on the table within an hour of getting home in the evening. 06 of 20 Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots We're all about a meal that's high in flavor and low on clean up. Caramelized grapes mellow out the paprika in the seasoning on this sheet pan chicken recipe. 07 of 20 Simple Whole Roasted Chicken with Broccoli-Mushroom Rice Alison Miksch Recipe: Simple Whole Roasted Chicken with Broccoli-Mushroom Rice You'll no longer be intimidated by cooking a whole chicken, if you use this method. Plus, everyone will be able to choose the meat that they like best. That's what we call a win-win. 08 of 20 Lemon-Basil Chicken Breast Foil Packets Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Lemon-Basil Chicken Breast Foil Packets Chicken can dry out so quickly, but with a foil packet meal all the juices are locked in making for a flavorful and easy dinner. 09 of 20 Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon with Veggies and Oranges Alison Miksch Recipe: Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon with Veggies and Oranges It's like your favorite takeout meal, but healthier and oh-so simple to make. Be sure the salmon filets are all roughly the same size so they cook evenly. 10 of 20 Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil Whenever the craving for a shrimp boil hits you in the middle of the winter, turn to this sheet pan recipe for a taste of summer with easy clean up. 11 of 20 Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo and Refried Beans Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo and Refried Beans If you can't make it to your local Mexican restaurant tonight, put this supper together in just 30 minutes. You can customize this dinner to be as spicy or mild as you like. 12 of 20 Grilled Clambake Foil Packets with Herb Butter Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Grilled Clambake Foil Packets with Herb Butter Who doesn't love a good clambake? The seasoning in these foil packets seep into every bit of the meal making it even better than a traditional bake. 13 of 20 Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip Photo: Iain Bagwell Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip Whether you eat these potatoes on their own as a savory dinner, or serve them as a delicious game day appetizer, their cheesy, herby flavor is sure to be a hit with any crowd. 14 of 20 Ancho Chile Flank Steak and Sweet Potato Tacos Alison Miksch Recipe: Ancho Chile Flank Steak and Sweet Potato Tacos This is not your typical flank steak dinner. A little southwest flair gives this taco dinner a major upgrade with the help of lime and ancho chile seasoning. 15 of 20 Cheesy Green Chile Pork Chop Foil Packets Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Cheesy Green Chile Pork Chop Foil Packets Spicy pork chops? That's a twist that we didn't see coming. 16 of 20 Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Drumsticks with Squash Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Drumsticks with Squash Pepper jelly and hot sauce make for a unique flavor combination on these crispy drumsticks that are ready in just one hour. 17 of 20 Foil Packet Red Beans and Rice Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Foil Packet Red Beans and Rice This classic Southern recipe just got a major convenience upgrade. It's comfort in every bite. 18 of 20 Bacon Bites Oxmoor House Recipe: Bacon Bites Snack time counts as a meal too, right? These Bacon Bites are irresistibly crispy and savory. They're sure to satisfy any mid-day craving that overcomes you. 19 of 20 Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets with Red Potatoes and Zucchini The Recipe Critic Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets with Red Potatoes and Zucchini We're always looking for a low-mess way to satisfy our shrimp boil cravings and this recipe is the answer we were hoping for. 20 of 20 Foil-Pack Clams with White Wine and Herbs Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Foil-Pack Clams with White Wine and Herbs During the heat of summer, these flavorful foil-pack clams are ideal for an outdoor dinner party. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit