There is a reason people hover around fire pits in October even when it is cold. The fire is half the draw, and food cooked on it is the other half. I have burned enough hot dogs to learn what actually works over open flame, and these are the winners.

Foil packets are the safest bet

Foil packet meals are forgiving in a way open flame food rarely is. Tear off a big sheet of heavy duty foil, pile in sliced potatoes, sausage, onions, and a pat of butter, then seal it tight. Cook the packet on hot coals, not in the flames, and flip it every five minutes or so. Twenty minutes later you have a full meal with almost no cleanup.

Corn on the cob, husk and all

Soak the corn in cold water for fifteen minutes, then throw it on the grate with the husk still on. The wet husk steams the kernels while the outside chars. Peel it back, add butter and salt, and you will never boil corn again. The soaking step matters. Dry husks catch fire.

Skewers that beat hot dogs

Hot dogs are fine, but skewers open up better options. Cubed chicken or beef, bell peppers, mushrooms, and onion threaded onto metal skewers cook evenly if you keep them away from direct flame. Turn them every couple of minutes and move them when the fire flares. Let the fire die down to coals first. Coals cook food, flames just char it.

Easy fire pit desserts

• Banana boats: slice a banana through the peel, stuff with chocolate and marshmallows, wrap in foil, and set it near the coals for ten minutes.
• S’mores on a cast iron skillet: stack everything in the pan and let the heat do the work.
• Apple slices with cinnamon sugar in foil packets.

A cast iron skillet is worth its weight out there. One pan handles everything from eggs in the morning to s’mores at night, and it survives the fire without a scratch. My fall fire pit dinners are now full meals instead of burnt sausages, and cleanup takes minutes.