Dutch Oven Recipes

Dutch Oven Biscuits and Gravy

Published on by a12gaugegirl
Be sure to watch your biscuits! Everyone is going to want a taste of this hearty and delicious dutch oven breakfast.

“Time camping isn’t spent, it is invested.”

When I first bought a dutch oven I had one thing in mind: biscuits and gravy.  Biscuit and gravy is the most cliché dutch oven meal you can make, but it is the definition of dutch oven cooking.  Biscuits and gravy (or B&G as it is more affectionately known as) is a quick, simple, easy clean-up, hearty meal, which is what dutch oven cooking is all about.  A good dutch oven meal tastes like a home cooked meal served next to a campfire on a paper plate.  B&G fulfills this role perfectly, as nothing tastes more home cooked than creamy sausage gravy from scratch piled over warm, oven cooked golden biscuits.

The hardest part of making dutch oven B&G is the preparing the dutch oven (and trust me, this part isn’t difficult!)

For this recipe, it is easiest to have two dutch ovens.  You can do it in a single one, but the bottoms of your biscuits will most likely be soggy. So, I am going to go through the recipe for two ovens, but know you could accomplish this task in a single one.

When cooking with a dutch oven, there are a few different options for a heat source: charcoal, wood, and gas.  I tend to go with charcoal because it creates a nice even heat when cooking, is easy to prepare, and easy for clean-up.  Wood is a great option as you usually don’t have to purchase extra materials since wood is all around you while camping!  A main disadvantage is that wood creates uneven heat, so you have to be a little more meticulous while you cook.  Finally, gas is as easy option if you have a propane stove with you to just set the oven on, but I actually take a dutch oven to replace the whole concept of carrying around a stove.  Anyway, all three options will work and have pros and cons, it really is all about personal preference.


To heat up my charcoal briquettes, I use a chimney.  This is the easiest way I have found to light and burn down the charcoal.  Chimneys are a relatively cheap investment, here is a link for a few different options: Charcoal Chimney. To light the briquettes, simply place the chimney over a few pieces of newspaper or other paper source, add the charcoal to the top of the chimney, and light the paper on the bottom.  The paper should flame up and then the chimney should start to smoke.  It takes about fifteen minutes for briquettes to heat up, you will know they are ready when the top layer starts to ash over.

 

To my first dutch oven, I add the biscuits.  You could whip up a batch of your own dough and make the biscuits from scratch, but since this is camp cooking, I tend to opt for the easier version on things.  So, for camp B&G I just use store bought biscuits.  I like to get the big homestyle ones that are buttery and flaky.  Before adding the biscuits, I place a layer of aluminum foil into the oven.  This helps the biscuits from getting too brown on the bottoms, keeps them from sticking, and also makes clean-up that much easier.  Place the biscuits in a single layer on top of the foil, and cover with the lid.  To the bottom of the dutch oven, add between 8-10 briquettes for a 12″ dutch oven.  The biscuits need to bake around 350 degrees to cook.  If your oven is smaller than 12″ subtract two or three briquettes, if it is larger add two or three.  On top of the oven, add 15-18 briquettes.

While the biscuits are cooking, start to preheat the second dutch oven stacked on top of the first.  Once the oven has heated up, add the pound of ground sausage.  I like to use homemade deer sausage, but any breakfast sausage is perfect for this recipe.  Cook the sausage until it is golden brown.  There is no need to remove the sausage from the pan.  You want to create a roux so the gravy will be thick and creamy, and at home you traditionally would pull the sausage out to do this, but this is camping! And the rules are meant to be broken while in the outdoors.  So, let’s break some rules and not remove the sausage!

To the sausage and drippings, add 1/4 cup flour and whisk until a paste forms and the mixture looks smooth and free of lumps.  This should take about a minute.  Slowly add the milk, stirring the entire time.  Allow the mixture to bubble and cook down until it reaches your desired consistency, stirring occasionally to keep things from burning or sticking to the bottom.  While you want the gravy to bubble gently while cooking, don’t allow it to come to a hard boil.  If things are too hot, simply remove a few pieces of charcoal from under the top oven and continue cooking.  Once the gravy is thick and glossy, season with salt and pepper.

The biscuits need between 12-15 minutes to cook.  They should be fluffy and golden brown on top when finished.

To plate this bad-boy breakfast up, split a biscuit in half and place it on the plate.  Smother it in the sausage gravy.  Dig in!  It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Enjoy and Happy Hunting!

 

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Dutch Oven Biscuits and Gravy

Category: Dutch Oven Recipes

6-8 servings

Dutch Oven Biscuits and Gravy

Ingredients

  • 1 can homestyle biscuits
  • 1 pound breakfast sausage
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Line the a 12" dutch oven with aluminum foil. Place biscuits on top of foil and cover with lid.
  2. Place 8-10 already heated charcoal briquettes below the oven. Add 15-18 briquettes on top.
  3. Stack a second dutch oven on top of first.
  4. Allow second oven to preheat.
  5. Add pound of sausage and cook until just browned.
  6. To the sausage and its drippings, whisk in the flour, creating a roux. The flour should create a lump-free, smooth paste.
  7. Once roux is ready, slowly add the milk, stirring the entire time.
  8. Allow the gravy to come to a gentle boil and reduce down, stirring occasionally to prevent burning or sticking. Once the gravy has reached desired consistency, and season with salt and pepper.
  9. The biscuits should be ready in 12-15 minutes, so check them as you cook the gravy.
  10. Plate by breaking open a biscuits and smothering in sausage gravy.
  11. Enjoy!
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Chicken Cordon Bleu: Fancy Dutch Oven Dinner!

Published on by lynzmarshall@yahoo.com

 

img_0236“In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport.” ~ Julia Child

I live in a rapidly evolving tourist town. People visit from all over the world to river raft, mountain bike, off-road, canyoneer, base jump, and rock climb. I grew up here, and watching the explosion of visitors, hotels, stores, and restaurants has been overwhelming at times. However, growing up here also allowed for an ample of opportunities to work in a variety of fields.

My brother worked as a river guide for years, leading rafts full of adventurers through the rolling waves, dramatic drops, and whirlpools of white water rafting. He mostly worked overnight trips, which required him to not only be the raft guide, but also a hiking guide, chef, medic when necessary, and camp host.

Even though the river trips carried participants to the deep backcountry of southeastern Utah, the meals served on the trips were always first-class fine dining (with unfortunately maybe a little beach sand). My brother cooked extensively in a Dutch oven on the majority of these trips, and he has shared many of those recipes over the past few years with me.

The first Dutch oven meal he taught me was chicken cordon bleu. This dish was one of the most anticipated meals of the trip.  The flavors developed in the Dutch oven make this decadent meal even better tasting then when prepared at home in a traditional oven. I think this meal is a great first-timer Dutch oven meal because it is really, really hard to mess up. And while it is great for the Dutch oven newbie, it is also so amazingly fantastic that it is the perfect meal for impressing your guests with. Sitting around the campfire with a plate full of roasted chicken and ham, melted cheese, and creamy sauce will make even the most cynical camper love the outdoors!

As always, start with getting the coals ready.  This meal will need about a total of 35 coals, so I always do a couple extra because some burn down to unusable during the heating process. To heat my coals, I purchased my charcoal chimney at the Sportsman’s Warehouse for about $20.00 and it was worth every penny. All you do is crumple up a few pages of newspaper and stuff them under the base of the chimney, add your coals, and light the paper. You don’t need lighter fluid or even the match light coals. Initially, the chimney will set the coals on fire, much like the barbeque pit. After a few minutes, the coals will go down and they will start to ash over. It takes about ten to fifteen minutes for the coals to be ready. I usually pull mine from the heat when the top ones are half grey and half black. If you wait until the top ones are completely grey then the bottom ones are almost gone. A reminder I ALWAYS need when cooking with my dutch oven is to remember to not set up my dutch oven just in the dirt. The dirt will extinguish the coals (I know, common sense should take over here, but I do it all the time!) I usually set my dutch oven up on a flat rock, but you can also buy metal pans that make the process even easier!

While the coals are heating, prepare the cordon bleus.  I bought the boneless skinless chicken breasts.  If you want to save a little money, you can get the breasts that still have the rib meat or skin on and clean them yourself; however, when working in the outdoors I try to eliminate as many steps as possible. The breasts need to be flattened out a bit in order to achieve proper rolling of the cordon bleus.  I placed my breasts into a gallon size Ziploc bag and then used a coffee cup to pound them down. When I am at home, I just lay plastic wrap over the breasts and then use a rolling pin to do this part, but when camping I do not bring a rolling pin….and the Ziploc seemed like a safer idea for protection of my chicken breast from dirt and bugs and other outdoor hazards.  Anyway, the point is to find something flat and heavy and whack the crap out of the chicken breasts until they are a half or quarter inch thick.

cordonbleuchicken

On top of the flattened breasts, add a few slices of deli black forest ham (or whatever your favorite ham is).  I suggest just buying a pre-sliced deli packaged ham because, again, it eliminates the step of thinly slicing a chunk of ham. On top of the ham, lay down your favorite piece of white cheese. Traditional cordon bleu uses Swiss cheese. I went a little wild this time and used Havarti. It was a really nice substitution.

Roll the chicken into little bundles and secure using two toothpicks.  The cordon bleus are now ready for breading.

cordonbleurolled

So, the next step in the process is to cover the chicken bundles with breading. Typically at home, I set up a breading station: a plate with flour for the first coating, a shallow dish with a beaten egg, and a plate with the breading. I work through each station and drop the cordon bleu into a pan at the end. For camping, I used Ziploc bags to help simplify the process. The bags were convenient for each station, also created a transportation container for the flour, and made clean-up a breeze. So, before I left I home, I filled a gallon freezer bag with about a cup of flour, and also grabbed two more gallon bags.  Once cooking, I cracked an egg and added a bit of water to the second freezer bag, and also filled the third bag with Italian bread crumbs.

To bread, drop a chicken bundle into the flour, seal the bag, and give it a good shake, making sure to coat the entire bundle.  Remove from the flour bag and drop in the egg bag. The final bag is the breading bag, making sure once again to the coat the entire bundle. Repeat with remaining cordon bleu bundles.

Place the cordon bleu in a single layer into the Dutch oven. Set the oven over 10-12 coals and then place 15-20 coals on the top. The chicken needs to cook at about 350 Fahrenheit. I also like to check the temperature of my oven by using my hand to guesstimate where things are at. I read this online, and while it isn’t a fool proof method, I have found that it has not failed me yet. So, place your hand about 6 to 8 inches above the dutch oven. You should only be able to hold it there for about five seconds. If you can do this, you are at about 350 degrees, which is what this chicken needs to cook at. If you can hold it there longer, say ten seconds, you are more around 250-300 and you need to add more coals. If you are only able to hold it there for a second or two, you are too hot, more around 400, and need to remove a couple of coals from the bottom! Like I said before, this is a really great starter meal because it isn’t super temperature dependent. If you are too hot or too cold, you most likely won’t destroy the meal.

cordonbleufrying

Let the chicken cook for 30 minutes.  During this time, prepare the sauce. I just have to add that this sauce is so good. I wanted to keep eating it, but all good things must come to an end. So, for the sauce, in a large mixing bowl whisk together a can of cream of chicken soup, half cup of sour cream, half a cup of milk, and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.

cordonbleusauce

After the chicken has been cooking for 30 minutes, pour the sauce over the top of the chickens. Allow them to continue cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Plate those beautiful melted bundles of cordon bleu, drizzle with extra sauce from the pot, and serve alongside a simple salad. Camping meal fit for royalty!

cordonbleufinalplate

Happy Hunting!

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Chicken Cordon Bleu: Fancy Dutch Oven Dinner!

Category: Dutch Oven Recipes

4

Chicken Cordon Bleu: Fancy Dutch Oven Dinner!

Ingredients

    For Cordon Bleu Bundles
  • Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 15 ounce can Italian style bread crumbs
  • 1 package deli ham (black forest)
  • Havarti pre-sliced cheese
    For Sauce
  • 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

  1. Heat about 40 coals in charcoal chimney until ashed over, about 15 minutes.
  2. Pound chicken breast flat, to about a quarter to half inch thick.
  3. Place a slice of deli ham and slice of cheese on top of chicken breast. Roll into bundle and secure with two toothpicks.
  4. Create breading station in gallon size freezer bags. First bag should contain cup of flour, second bag should contain beaten egg and tablespoon of water, and third bag should contain bread crumbs.
  5. Place chicken bundle in flour bag and coat entirely in flour. Move to egg bag and coat entirely. Finish in the breading bag. Repeat with four remaining chicken bundles.
  6. Place bundles in single layer in Dutch oven.
  7. Place Dutch oven over 10-12 coals on bottom and 18-20 coals on top. Allow chicken to cook for 30 minutes while preparing the sauce.
  8. For the sauce, whisk together cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, and Dijon mustard.
  9. Add sauce to Dutch oven at 30 minute mark.
  10. Continue to cook chicken bundles and sauce for additional ten to fifteen minutes.
  11. Enjoy!
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Elk Shepherd’s Pie: Dutch Oven Style

Published on by lynzmarshall@yahoo.com
shepherdspiescoop
That is shepherd’s pie in all its glory right there: meat, veggies, potatoes, and ooey, gooey cheese!

“I do hunt, and I do fish, and I don’t apologize to anybody for hunting and fishing.” ~ Norman Schwarzkopf

I never had shepherd’s pie as a kid.  My mom never made it. No grandmother on either side of my family passed along their secret ingredient that made their shepherd’s pie a family favorite, requested for any special occasion.  Growing up, the closest I had to shepherd’s pie was when my mom would split a hot dog in half down the center, place it on a baking sheet, pile on a mound of mashed potatoes, sprinkle on cheddar cheese, and melt it under the broiler.  Not exactly shepherd’s pie, but I see some similarities I guess: meat, potatoes, cheese.

I wasn’t introduced to shepherd’s pie until I graduated high school.  Over a college break, I stayed with a friend’s family and we had it for dinner.  I immediately was a fan of the gravy soaked beef with vegetables under a dome of potatoes and cheese.  I was informed then that this meal was a family favorite, ever requested by aunts, uncles, and cousins when they came to visit.  I was secretly a little angry at my own family for trying to pass off hot dogs as an acceptable substitute.  Trust me, aunts and uncles weren’t requesting hot dogs as a special treat when visiting my home growing up.

Since then, I have prepared shepherd’s pie many times and experimented with different flavor and texture combinations.  I have used different meat bases: elk, deer, pronghorn, beef, lamb, buffalo.  I have manipulated the gravy from cream-of-this to cream-of-that or even gone broth or wine based.  I’ve switched up the vegetables: corn, celery, carrots, maybe a little cubed sweet potato.  Once, I even used mashed turnips in place of the mashed potatoes to see if anyone would notice.  For the record, they did, and not really in a good way.  The only thing I always keeps the same is a big pile of cheese to finish everything off.

This recipe is a double bonus; it is a wild game dish, and it is a dutch oven recipe that is perfect for your hunting camp!  To start, light your coals.  I use a charcoal chimney when I am camping.  They heat the coals quickly, and the chimney is easy to use.  Simply pour the desired number of charcoal briquettes in the top, wad up a few pieces of newspaper, stuff them under the chimney, and light the newspaper.  The chimney should start to smoke and the coals should be ready in about 15 minutes.  You can tell they are ready to go when the top layer of coals start to turn to ash around the edges.

shepherdspieelkFor this recipe, I used a 12″ oven, but a 14″ would also work fine.  Place the oven over a fairly large number of coals, like 20 -25.  You want to get the oven as hot as you can in order to fry the meat.  You could also use a gas camp stove for this part, which would save on the number of coals needed for the entire recipe.

Drop in a pound of ground elk meat to the oven.  I used my homemade elk burger for this recipe, which is simply a 1/4 pound of bacon ends ground with 3/4 pound of elk.  I like the bacon because it adds a hint of bacon flavor to the burger but still the perfect amount of fat.  Brown the meat, which takes about five to seven minutes.  About half way through the meat cooking, throw in the diced carrots, onion, and celery.  You want them to cook until they are soft.  Once the vegetables are soft, add two or three tablespoons of tomato paste.  Season the pot with salt and pepper to your liking.

shepherdspievegetables

Okay, it is now gravy time!  With the pot still hot, pour in a cup of red wine.  You can use whatever type of wine you prefer or have on hand.  I used pinot noir this time because I wanted to have a glass of that wine with my dinner, but merlot or cabernet would also be great.  Let the wine reduce down by half and then add two cups of beef stock to the pot.  Continue to cook over medium high heat and allow this to start to reduce down, which can take around ten minutes.

shepherdspiecheeseWhile the beef stock is reducing, in a large pot of water boil two pounds of potatoes.  I used a Yukon potato, but you could use russet or red potatoes too.  Another great option when camping would also be the boxed instant mashed potatoes.  These would eliminate the need to boil a pot of water and cook the actual potatoes.  Boxed instant potatoes simply require adding boiling water to dehydrated potato flakes.  Another option would be to make the mashed potatoes at home and just bring them along.  You will heat them up when you melt the cheese, so this option works just as well as any.

To the potatoes, add a quarter cup of butter and a quarter cup of milk or cream.  You could also add a couple tablespoons of sour cream, if you so desire.  Be sure to salt and pepper the potatoes.

Once the stock has reduced down, pour in the can of corn.  Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the elk mixture, making sure to reach all the corners of the pot, and sprinkle on a cup of the cheese of your choice. I tend to use cheddar cheese when I make shepherd’s pie, but I went with a Monterey Jack for this recipe, thinking it would pair better with the red wine.  If you are cooking over coals, remove about half the coals, leaving behind 12-14 on the bottom.  If you cooked your meat over a camp stove, set out 12-14 coals for your oven to now sit on.  Place 15-20 coals on the top of the oven.  Let the shepherd’s pie cook for fifteen minutes, giving enough time to melt the cheese, heat the mixture thoroughly, and soften the corn.

shepherdspiefinalplate

Shepherd’s pie is comfort food at it’s best, and this dutch oven version allows you to bring comfort food straight to the outdoors.  Perfect for sharing around the campfire, this meal is hearty with fluffy cheese covered mashed potatoes, and a little bit sweet from the carrots, corn, and touch of red wine.  The elk definitely shines as the star of this dish!  Enjoy!

Happy Hunting!

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Elk Shepherd's Pie: Dutch Oven Style!

Category: Dutch Oven Recipes, Elk Recipes, Wild Game Recipes

Elk Shepherd's Pie: Dutch Oven Style!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground elk
  • 2-3 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 pounds potatoes
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup milk or cream
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 cup shredded cheese of choice

Instructions

  1. Start coals for dutch oven.
  2. In large pot add potatoes, cut into quarters, and boil.
  3. In dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook ground elk.
  4. Add diced celery, onion, and carrots, cook until soft.
  5. Add tomato paste and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Pour in red wine and reduce by half, about five minutes.
  7. Add beef stock and continue to reduce, about ten minutes.
  8. When potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes, mash and add butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper.
  9. Once stock has reduced, add the can of corn.
  10. Spread mashed potatoes over elk mixture, covering completely. Sprinkle on cheese.
  11. Cook in dutch oven over 12-14 coals on bottom and 15-20 coals on top for 10 minutes, until cheese has melted.
  12. Enjoy!
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Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Published on by lynzmarshall@yahoo.com

pineapplecake“The world is wrong side up. It needs to be turned upside down in order to be right side up.” ~ Billy Sunday

Sometimes at home, I will pull something out of the oven and be pleasantly surprised with how beautiful it turned out.  The glistening golden brown skin of an oven roasted turkey, a buttery caramel-colored cake top, bubbly, slightly browned mozzarella melted over lasagna, all those things cause me to pause, just briefly, and think, “Huh, that turned out pretty.”

I can’t say that happens when dutch oven cooking.  Usually, I open the lid, steam comes rushing out, and once it is cleared I think, “Well that looks like a disorganized pile in a pot.”  I’m not saying it doesn’t look delicious, just beautiful never comes to mind.

Pineapple upside down cake in the dutch oven is a different story.  I lifted the lid and smells of sweet pineapple and rich cheese cake filled the air.  I thought, “That smells fantastic and looks delicious.”  But then I flipped the cake over, and it was a melted blend of rich reds, and golden yellows and oranges from the pineapples, cherries and brown sugar.  It looked like a little watercolor painting sitting on a plate.  It was beautiful.

I passed the plate around the campfire and told everyone to look how beautiful our dessert was.  “Almost to pretty to eat,” my dad said.  “Almost.”

He was right.  While it was a passing moment of admiration, the cake was gone with no leftovers, not even crumbs on the plate, in a matter of minutes.

To start this beautiful dessert, line a 10″ dutch oven with foil.  Foil is helpful for a few reasons.  First, it keeps the dutch oven cleaner.  Sugar can really bake down deep into the cast iron and can be difficult to clean-up.  Second, it helps with flipping over the cake.  Finally, the aluminum helps keep more delicate foods, like cakes, breads, and biscuits, from burning to the bottom of the oven.

pineapplefoillined

After you line the oven, start the coals.  I use a charcoal chimney when I am camping.  They heat the coals quickly, and the chimney is easy to use.  Simply pour the desired number of charcoal briquettes in the top, wad up a few pieces of newspaper and stuff them under the chimney, and light the newspaper.  The chimney should start to smoke and the coals should be ready in about 15 minutes.  You can tell they are ready to go when the top layer of coals start to turn to ash around the edges.

In the foil lined oven, melt a stick of butter.  Once fully melted, spread it to the edges of the oven and then sprinkle a light coating of brown sugar.  Lay the pineapple slices and maraschino cherries into the buttery sugar mixture.

pineapplecherries

In a large bowl, pour in a box of cake mix.  I used a mix specifically made for pineapple upside down cake, but a yellow, white, or even angel food cake would be a nice alternative.  Normally, at home, I would say to make a cake base from scratch, but this is outdoor cooking and delicious but simple is the name of the game.  To the cake mix, add four eggs, a box of cheesecake flavored instant pudding, 1/2 cup oil, and the juice from the pineapple can.  Mix everything until the lumps are gone and the batter is smooth and silky.  Pour the batter over the pineapples and cherries.  Evenly spread the batter over the entire oven.

pineapplebatter

On a solid surface, like a flat rock or metal grate, place 12-14 coals and set the oven on top. Place about 15-20 coals on the top of the oven. I also like to check the temperature of my oven by using my hand to guesstimate where things are at. I read this online, and while it isn’t a fool proof method, I have found that it has not failed me yet. So, place your hand about 6 to 8 inches above the dutch oven. You should only be able to hold it there for about five seconds. If you can do this, you are at about 350 degrees, which is what the cake needs to cook at. If you can hold it there longer, say ten seconds, you are more around 250-300 and you need to add more coals. If you are only able to hold it there for a second or two, you are too hot, more around 400, and need to remove a couple of coals from the bottom.

pineappledutchoven

This cake takes about an hour to bake.  At around the 45 minute mark, I start to hang out much closer to the dutch oven.  As soon as I smell the unmistakable scent of pineapple and cheesecake, I check the cake.  To see if the cake is ready, first do a touch test.  Lightly press on the top of the cake in the center, if it is finished baking it will lightly spring back when pressed on.  Second, you can insert a tooth pick in the center of the cake and it should come back out clean.  The top will have a light brown color.

To make this cake truly upside down, use the foil to pull the entire cake from the oven.  Set the cake on a flat surface and place your serving plate on top of the cake.  Gently slide your hand under the cake, place the other hand on the plate, and flip.

pineapplefinal

Interested in other dutch oven desserts?  Try apple pie, baked pears and dried cherries, and banana upside down cake!

Happy Hunting!

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Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Category: Dutch Oven Recipes

Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 jar maraschino cherries
  • 1 can sliced pineapple, 20 oz
  • 1 box cake mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1 box cheesecake instant pudding, 3.4 oz box

Instructions

  1. Start dutch oven charcoals in chimney.
  2. Line a 10" dutch oven with aluminum foil. Melt stick of butter in oven and sprinkle cup of brown sugar over butter. Place pineapples and cherries in butter-sugar mixture in single layer.
  3. In large bowl, mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, cheese cake instant pudding, and juice from the pineapple can. Mix until batter is free of lumps, and silky smooth.
  4. Pour batter over pineapples. Spread batter evenly over entire dutch oven.
  5. On a flat, hard surface place 12-14 coals. Set oven on top of coals. On top of dutch oven add 15-20 coals.
  6. Let cake cook for one hour.
  7. Cake is ready when toothpick comes out clean. Flip cake and enjoy!
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Dutch Oven Apple Pie

Published on by lynzmarshall@yahoo.com

applepiedutchovencookedpie“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.” ~ Jane Austen

No season is more defined by flavor, smells, and taste than fall.  Sure, summer has lemonade and watermelon, and winter has hot chocolate, but fall has a an overabundance of flavor.  Pumpkin, cinnamon, caramel, ginger, cranberry, maple, and the list could go on and on! One of my favorite fall flavors to play with is apple.

Apple can be coupled with a variety of options.  Caramel and apples are a wonderful pair.  Pears and apples make for a sweet and tangy dish.  Apples even compliment the subtle sweetness of onions when sautéed together.  But nothing can quite compare to apples and cinnamon in a crusty, flaky traditional apple pie.

Apple season was in full swing last week, and I was lucky enough to get in a case of honey crisp apples to play around with.  I decided to create a special weeknight apple pie treat at home.  It was nothing short of amazing.  Traditionally, apple pie is made with tart apples, like green granny smiths.  Honey crisp apples, which are hybrid from keepsake apples and another unidentified parent, are a bit larger apple with a tangy sweetness and a firm texture.  They are an excellent eating apple.  I could not bring myself to eat an entire case of apples, so I had to come up with something to do with all those apples.  Bring on the pie!

So, after making the pie at home, I decided to take some apples with me for our fall muzzle loader mule deer hunt.  Dutch oven pie sounded like a pretty simple and good idea.  I was right about the pretty simple part, it was easy to throw together and one of those recipes that would be hard to mess up.  I was mistaken about the good idea; it was a great idea.  The pie was even better in the dutch oven then than the one I had made at home.

applepiedutchovenapplesSo, if you are interested in having a phenomenal dessert to serve your hungry campers and hunters after a long day, look no further, dutch oven apple pie is it!

Start the coals first.  They take quite awhile to get hot, so it is advantageous to start them before doing anything else.  I use a charcoal chimney! I purchased my charcoal chimney at the Sportsman’s Warehouse for about $20.00 to start my coals.  You could also do them in a fire pit, but I tend to lose a lot of coals when I do it that.  With the chimney, all you do is crumple up a few pages of newspaper and stuff them under the base of the chimney, add your coals, and light the paper. You don’t need lighter fluid or even the match light coals. Initially, the chimney will set the coals on fire, much like the barbeque pit. After a few minutes, the coals will go down and they will start to ash over. It takes about ten to fifteen minutes for the coals to be ready. I usually pull mine from the heat when the top ones are half grey and half black. If you wait until the top ones are completely grey then the bottom ones are almost gone. A reminder I ALWAYS need when cooking with my dutch oven is to remember to not set up my dutch oven just in the dirt. The dirt will extinguish the coals (I know, common sense should take over here, but I do it all the time!) I usually set my dutch oven up on a flat rock, but you can also buy really great metal pans that make the process even easier!

applepiedutchovenappleslicesNext, peel, remove the core, and slice the applies into slices that are about an inch thick.  This is a task that technically could be done at home before leaving for camp.  It would also be a fun task to have the kids help out with.  As I said before, I used honey crisp apples, but a more common approach to apple pie is the granny smith apple.  In all honesty, I would probably use the granny smiths if I had not had a case of honey crisp for the simple reason that honey crisp apples are expensive.  Anyway, select the apple of your liking and start peeling!

When making desserts in a dutch oven, I like to line the oven with aluminum foil.  It is probably against some cardinal dutch oven rule to line the inside with foil, as the idea behind cast iron cooking is the oven becomes seasoned over time with all the dishes you have created inside it and this assists in creating even more flavor with each additional dish, but desserts use sugar, which is sticky, and makes a big, difficult to clean up mess.  So, I line the oven with foil for any sugary dessert.

For this dessert, you want to use a smaller dutch oven.  An eight inch oven would be ideal for this pie, but I only had a ten inch available.  It still worked fine.  I laid the crust in the bottom of the oven and then added the apples over the top.  When I prepare apple pie at home, I like to make a crust from scratch.  When I am out in the wilderness, crusts from scratch are cut and I just use the store bought refrigerated ones.

For the sugar syrup in the apple pie, you will need a gas stove.  You could do this part in a dutch oven, and it would work just fine, but it would require having two ovens.  So, I used a small camp gas stove.  In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt a stick of butter.  Once the butter is melted, sprinkle in three tablespoons of flour and then whisk until a paste is formed.  To the paste, pour in a quarter cup of water, a half cup of brown sugar, a half cup of sugar, a tablespoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of ginger, and a quarter teaspoon of salt.  Mix until the sugar starts to dissolve and then let the mixture cook at a very light boil for five minutes.

applepiedutchovensauce

To make things a little easier, I pre-measured the sugars, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and placed them in a Ziploc bag.  This makes cooking outside a bit easier because you don’t have to worry about bringing measuring cups along for your camping trip.

applepiedutchovenappleslices

applepiedutchovenlattice

Pour the sugar syrup over the apples.  Cut the second crust into inch thick slices and create a lattice top over the pie.  Cover the oven and set over the coals.  For this recipe, the oven needs to be cooking at about 350 degrees.  I put 14 coals on the bottom and about 10 to 12 on the top and let her go! I also like to check the temperature of my oven by using my hand to guesstimate where things are at. I read this online, and while it isn’t a fool proof method, I have found that it has not failed me yet. So, place your hand about 6 to 8 inches above the dutch oven. You should only be able to hold it there for about five seconds. If you can do this, you are at about 350 degrees. If you can hold it there longer, say ten seconds, you are more around 250-300 and you need to add more coals. If you are only able to hold it there for a second or two, you are too hot, more around 400+, and need to remove a couple of coals from the bottom.

Let the pie cook for about an hour.  The top should be slightly browned and the sugar syrup bubbling up between the lattice holes.  You also should be able to smell the pie.  I call this the sniff test, which was a technique shared with me by my brother-in-law (he worked for years as a river guide on the Colorado River and made thousands of dutch oven meals. I consider him my dutch oven mentor!). Going by smell sounds like a weird tactic, but it works and it is crazy! You might THINK you smell the pie a few times and will catch a couple of whiffs, but when the dessert is done you will be OVERWHELMED by the smells of cinnamon, apple, and brown sugar and it can be from a good distance away. That is a sure fire way to know it is ready to eat!

applepiedutchovenfinishedpie

Happy Hunting!

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Dutch Oven Apple Pie

Category: Dutch Oven Recipes

Dutch Oven Apple Pie

Ingredients

  • 8 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
  • 2 refrigerated pie crusts (usually come in a pack of two)
  • 1/2 cup butter (one stick)
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Start coals for dutch oven.
  2. Peel, core, and slice apples into two inch slices. Set aside.
  3. Line oven with foil, and cover oven bottom with one pie crust. Pile in apple slices.
  4. Over medium heat in a small saucepan, melt the butter. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until paste forms.
  5. Add sugars, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Stir until combined. Let boil for five minutes.
  6. Pour sauce over apples and create lattice top with second pie crust.
  7. Cover dutch oven with lid and set over 14 coals. Add 10 to 12 coals on top. Allow to cook for one hour.
  8. Enjoy!
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Chipotle Apricot Rum Chicken: Dutch Oven Dinner At Its Best!

Published on by lynzmarshall@yahoo.com

dutchovenapricotchickencampsite“A good spicy challenge strikes a balance between flavour and fear.” ~ Adam Richman

Out for the muzzleloader deer hunt this past weekend, it got cold! It was in the mid-70s on Friday afternoon.  For a fall October afternoon, it was one of those days reminiscent of summer.  It didn’t feel possible for the sky to be so blue and clear.  The sun had a direct path to my face, and the day just felt, well, hot!

Come Saturday morning, it was like Friday never existed.  A cold front blew in, and the sky filled with black, thick, heavy clouds and rain tickled the desert sand. On Friday, I was out in a camp chair, reading books in the sun while taking a break from hiking the desert in search of mule deer.  On Saturday, I wanted to sit by a fire, a cup of hot chocolate warming my hands, and a blanket wrapped around my shoulders.  It was dark and windy and cloudy, but most importantly it was COLD! Gone was a warm fall afternoon, and instead it was replaced by the 50s, and quickly dropping to the 30s by sundown.

I was so happy come Saturday evening to have a spicy, warm, rich dutch oven dinner ready to share with the hunting camp. This recipe takes a bit of time to cook, but is worth the wait and is very simple to put together. It is perfect for a chilly evening and a tired, maybe even exhausted, camp full of people.

Heat a 14 inch dutch oven over a significant number of coals, like 14 to 16.  You want the pot to be hot enough to brown the chicken.  Pour in two tablespoons of cooking oil and two tablespoons of butter.  You want an oil that can handle getting hot since you are browning the meat.  Canola oil works great, but other good options are vegetable, avocado, and peanut oil.  Get the oil hot before dropping the chicken in.  For this recipe, I used a dozen chicken drumsticks, but wings and thighs would also be good additions.  The other nice thing about this recipe is you can make it as big or as small as needed.  The recipe creates a lot of sauce, so you could add up to six or eight more pieces of chicken to the pot and still have plenty of room.

dutchovenapricotchickenfryingSprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper before adding to the pot.  Brown each side for about three minutes.

Pull the chicken and set it aside.  Add the sliced onions and minced garlic to the pot, and cook them for about five minutes.  If the oil is too hot from frying the chicken, you might consider removing a couple of coals from beneath the oven and drop the heat a bit.

Now comes the fun part.  Drop in a cup and half of rum. I love this part!  The rum will hit the pan with a sizzle, pulling a bunch of flavor from the chicken, onions, and garlic from the bottom of the pan, and then it will bubble.  Just the sound is delicious!  You can use whatever type of rum you have on hand, white or dark, or you could substitute the rum for whiskey or bourbon, maybe get a little adventurous with some brandy.  If you aren’t a liquor cabinet type person, you could also use chicken stock, which will still add tons of flavor to the dish.dutchovenapricotchickenonionsdutchovenapricotchickenbbq

Allow the rum to simmer the onions for a few moments, this will also cook off the alcohol.  After a few minutes, like three or four, pour in the entire bottle of barbeque sauce.  In order to create the heat in this dish, you want to get a spicy barbeque sauce.  I used chipotle, and it paired so wonderfully with the apricot and rum flavor.  The spicy really enhances the subtle sweetness found in apricots.

dutchovenapricotchickenjuiceThere are a couple of options for the apricot part of this recipe.  I was fortunate to have an abundance of fruit available to me this summer, and juiced my own apricots. I used an entire quart of the apricot juice for the recipe.  You could also purchase apricot juice at the super market. My suggested brand is the Santa Cruz Apricot Nectar, which comes in a 32oz jar.  I would probably start with half the jar, check the sweetness level, and then see if you want more apricot.  Another option is a jar of apricot jam.  If you use jam, you will need to add a cup of water to the pot.

To finish things off, add two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.  If you used unsweetened apricot juice like I did, you will also need to add a tablespoon or two of honey to add a bit more sweetness to the dish.  Give everything a good whisk, add the chicken back to the oven, and place the lid over it.  Add about ten coals to the top of the oven.  This dish is designed to cook for a long time, so the flavors can really develop and gain some depth, and also so the chicken gets tender and starts to fall of the bone.  Mmmmmm…

dutchovenapricotchickenpotPlan on giving the pot at least an hour to cook.  If you have more time, you can let it go an extra half an hour, your palate will thank you for it!

There are several ways to finish this meal.  You could always just eat the chicken by itself, but I like to serve it over the top of something.  For this weekend’s trip, I poured the sauce and placed the chicken thighs over sweet potatoes.  I baked the sweet potatoes in a dutch oven for about an hour and a half.  When they were soft, I split them and mashed them up a bit, then scooped spoonful after spoonful of the spicy sweet sauce directly on the mashed sweet potato and then added two to three chicken thighs.  You could also do a russet potato or even rice.

Well, I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious dutch oven recipe. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes or if you have any questions.

Happy Hunting!

dutchovenapricotchickenfinalplate

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Chipotle Apricot Rum Chicken: Dutch Oven Dinner At Its Best!

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Category: Dutch Oven Recipes

4-5

Chipotle Apricot Rum Chicken: Dutch Oven Dinner At Its Best!

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 12 Chicken Legs, Wings, Thighs
  • Two Medium Onions Diced
  • 4 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1 and 1/2 cups rum - white or dark
  • 18oz Bottle Favorite Barbeque Sauce - I used Chipotle!
  • 32 oz Apricot Juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Honey
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat a 14 inch dutch oven over 14 - 16 coals. Drop in butter and oil.
  2. Once butter has melted and pan is hot, add chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
  3. Brown each side of chicken for three minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
  4. Remove a few coals, three or four, to drop the heat of the oven a bit. Add diced onions and minced garlic. Allow to cook for five minutes.
  5. Add rum to the oven and simmer for five minutes.
  6. Pour in the entire bottle of barbeque sauce and apricot juice.
  7. Add Worcestershire sauce and honey. Stir and test sweetness level, add more honey if you like!
  8. Add chicken back to oven, cover with lid.
  9. Place additional 10 to 12 coals on top of the oven.
  10. Allow oven to cook for one and a half hours. The sauce should be thickened and chicken should be tender and falling off the bone.
  11. Serve over baked sweet potato, russet potato, or rice.
  12. Enjoy!!!
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Dutch Oven Nachos!!!!

Published on by lynzmarshall@yahoo.com

NachosSunsetPhoto“Life is a nacho. It can be yummy-crunchy or squishy-yucky. It just depends on how long it takes for you to start eating it.” ~ John Updike

I always struggle with dinner the first night of a hunting trip. Usually, we pull into camp after dark. Everyone knows how it goes. You have a long weekend planned full of camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, and recreating, but you can’t leave until after work on Friday. And then when you get home from work, you realize you have to go grocery shopping for three days worth of food. And then you realize you have to load the truck. And the entire drive to camp you are remembering all the things you left at home, like a pillow or the coffee (Oh man! Don’t even start with me on someone forgetting the coffee, talk about a camping nightmare!). When all is said and done, you pull into camp after dark, and you still have to set everything up!

It is always at this point I realize dinner is going to be a midnight affair, if we are lucky. Usually I like to start my hunting trip with a memorable dinner to kick the weekend off right, but that plan always backfires, as it is too late to dutch oven anything in hopes it will be ready in a reasonable amount time for everyone to eat. We usually end up grumpily eating sandwiches, which were supposed to be for lunch the next day but have now replaced dinner. Everyone goes to bed a little disappointed at the start of the trip.

Well, this sad story will not be repeated for us anymore! I have found the PERFECT dutch oven meal for your first night at camp: Dutch Oven Nachos! They are quick, easy, delicious, and give that fun feel to the start of the weekend you are looking for, because hey, you are eating nachos in the outdoors and how fun is that? My favorite dutch oven meals are the ones that bring the unthinkable to the outdoor. Usually, nachos are made in the oven, or at least the microwave, and have a ton of ingredients so they don’t really sound like a very easy camping meal. Don’t be fooled, they are super easy!

NachosChimneyThe key to not having your nachos ready at midnight is to pull the charcoal chimney out when you first arrive at camp and light your briquettes. The briquettes will be ready to go by the time you are finished setting up the tent. Besides the coals, there is very little prep needed for this meal. Light the coals and allow them to heat until the top ones have just started to turn grey. I used to let them burn until the top ones were completely grey, but this resulted in the coals at the bottom of the chimney amounting to nothing more than dust.

The fun thing about nachos is you can top them with pretty much anything your heart desires. They can be filled with meat or vegetarian, spicy or mild, topped with a pile of veggies, have beans of several varieties, and so on. Anything the old heart desires!

I used a 12 inch Dutch oven for these nachos, but really any size will work. The temperature is not crucial to the success of this meal, like it would be if you were doing biscuits or some type of cake, so you can be flexible in the size of your oven. To start, I poured a very thin layer of nacho cheese sauce in the bottom of the oven. I felt that if I set my chips directly onto the bottom of the pan without a little bit of liquid they might burn. For those of you who might not know what nacho cheese sauce is, like I did not before making this meal, it is canned cheese found in the Hispanic food section of the grocery store. There were several varieties available out my grocery store, and I went with a queso fresco style, but you could get anything that catches your fancy. There were several varieties filled with different chilies or spices.

On top of the thin cheese layer, add a layer of chips. Everyone likes a different style of tortilla chip, and you can’t change their mind once it is set. Trust me, I have experienced this with the loved ones in my life. No fight is ever as vicious as when someone pulls out a brand of tortilla chips that is different than my sister’s or my dad’s favorite brand. So, use whatever brand of tortilla chips you love, but my suggestion, and it is purely a suggestion, is the Mission Tortilla Rounds. I like to use these for nachos because they are a bit thicker than some of the other brands, which means they hold up a little better to the cheese or other ingredients that make nachos soggy.

Nachos

NachosDutchOvenTo the tortillas, add a layer of shredded cheese. I used the Mexican cheese blend, but you could also use any variety of cheddar, Colby, or even Italian style cheese. Pepper jack cheese would add some nice spice and heat to your nachos. Next I poured half a can of black beans on top of the cheese. Again, there are several options of beans that could be added, including red kidney beans, pinto beans, or refried beans. At this point, you could also add meat. For this time around, I was looking to make a very quick meal and I did not add meat, but shredded chicken, pork, or steak would be amazing! You could also do chorizo or hot sausage. And that is something you could prepare at home and it would then be quick and easy to throw onto the nachos.

I added a couple more toppings to this pot of nachos, including pickled jalapenos, sliced black olives, and some diced tomatoes. You can create any flavor combination you want at this point. Other great toppings could include: diced pineapple slices, bell peppers of any color, red or white onion, zucchini (I know sounds, kind of weird but it is actually pretty good), shredded carrots, and whatever else you can dream up.

So, once you have all your toppings added, it is time for the second layer. Add another layer of tortilla chips, top with more cheese, the other half of the can of beans, and all the additional toppings you have decided to add. Top it with a final layer of chips and a sprinkling of whatever cheese is left over. To finish it off, pour the entire can of nacho cheese over the top of the nachos and let it run down through the mountain of chips and toppings you have created.

Place the lid on top of the oven and set over your hot coals. I did about ten coals on the bottom of the oven and added another eight coals to the top. Let the nachos cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

While the nachos are baking away, you can prepare the fresh toppings for your nachos. For this time around, I added shredded lettuce, salsa, diced avocado, and sour cream.

The nachos are ready once the cheese is all melted! Pile on your favorite toppings and enjoy around a crackling campfire!

Happy Hunting!

NachosFinalPlate

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Dutch Oven Nachos!!!!

Category: Dutch Oven Recipes

4

Dutch Oven Nachos!!!!

Ingredients

  • 1 bag tortilla chips
  • 1 can beans, any style including black, red kidney, pinto, or refried
  • Half pound meat, your choice of chicken, pork, steak, chorizo, sausage
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
  • 1 can nacho cheese
    Additional topping suggestions
  • 1 can sliced black olives
  • 1 shredded carrot
  • 1 jar pickled jalapenos
  • 1 shredded zucchini
  • 1 can diced pineapple
  • 1 diced tomato
    Fresh ingredients
  • Cilantro
  • Sour Cream
  • Avocado
  • Salsa
  • Lettuce
  • Diced tomato

Instructions

  1. Heat charcoal briquettes in charcoal chimney until top briquettes are just starting to turn grey, about fifteen to twenty minutes.
  2. In a 12 or 14 inch Dutch oven, pour a very thin layer of nacho cheese in bottom of pan.
  3. Add single layer of tortilla chips.
  4. Top chips with layer of shredded cheese.
  5. Add half of the can of beans.
  6. Add meat, if desired.
  7. Add additional toppings such as sliced jalapenos or black olives.
  8. Create a second layer of chips, cheese, beans, meat, and other toppings.
  9. Finish nachos off with a single layer of chips, any remaining cheese, and the rest of the can of nacho cheese.
  10. Cover with lid and cook over coals for fifteen to twenty minutes. Cook with 8 to 10 coals on bottom of oven and 6 to 8 coals on the top.
  11. Serve with additional fresh toppings.
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Baked Pears and Dried Cherries: A Dutch Oven Dessert

Published on by lynzmarshall@yahoo.com

PearDessertOven“Absolutely eat dessert first. The thing that you want to do the most, do that.” ~ Joss Whedon

When camping, dessert typically consists of such campfire classics as s’mores, fruit cobblers, and caramelized bananas or peaches. Don’t get me wrong, these traditional camping delights are one of the main reasons I enjoy spending a night under the stars. I can’t deny the nostalgia I get when roasting a marshmallow on the end of a long stick I spent an hour searching for through the dark, stumbling and tripping over fallen tree branches. Childhood quickly returns as one crunches into a gooey, chocolate and marshmallow graham cracker s’more. It is awesome.

However, since purchasing a dutch oven, I have discovered dessert can be more than something concocted over the flames of a fire on the end of a stick. Dessert can be something you find in a five-star restaurant, such as this baked pear with dried cherries.

While this dessert is decadently eye-catching, and smells sweet and rich, it is incredibly simple to put together. It requires very few ingredients, minimal prep time, and cooks quickly.

For this dessert, gather together a pear per person. For this time, I did three pears, but a 14 inch oven, like the one I used, will hold up to six. Some dutch oven recipes require a specific oven size in order to create a perfect cooking environment. One of the beauties of this dessert is it can be prepared in any size oven.

PearDessertIngredients
Other necessary ingredients include a bottle of your favorite semi-sweet white wine. I used a pinot grigio, but others such as a moscato or zinfandel would work great. Another option would be a semi-sweet red wine. A pinot noir would work nice or maybe a red zinfandel. Also needed for the recipe is some honey, ground cinnamon, nuts, and dried fruit. I used walnuts and dried cherries this time, but other great alternatives could include almonds or pecans for the nuts and currants or cranberries for the dried fruit. As you can see, it is a very flexible and diverse recipe.

Before prepping the pears for cooking, start the cooking coals. The coals are easiest to start in a charcoal chimney. To do this, crumple up some newspaper and place it below the chimney, pour the desired amount of coals into the chimney, for this recipe you will need around thirty, and light the paper. Allow the coals to cook until the ones at the top of the chimney are just starting to turn grey. This can take awhile, so you want to start the coals a good time in advance, such as twenty minutes.

When making desserts, I like to line the inside of the dutch oven with aluminum foil. This helps to keep the pears from sticking to the bottom of the oven, and also makes clean-up easy.

To prepare the pears, begin by removing the peels. Cut the stem off from the top of the fruit, and then remove two thin slices from each side of the pear. Removing the thin slices creates a stable base for the pear to sit in the oven. Finally, cut the pears in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and coarse center for the fruit, which also creates a nice bed for the honey and cinnamon to settle into.

PearDessertPeeling

PearDessertBalance

PearDessertScooping

Lay the pear halves into the oven and drizzle them with honey. Sprinkle each pear with your desired amount of cinnamon. Drop in the dried cherries and nuts. It is okay if some of the ingredients end up in the bottom of the oven instead of on top of the pears, they will just cook down into the wine and create a syrup.

PearDessertinOvenAt this point, it is easiest to carry the oven over to the coals. Set the oven on top of about 10 to 12 coals. Slowly pour in your wine, being careful to not splash it over the pears. The amount of wine needed will depend on the size of your oven. I just kept pouring until there was about a half an inch of wine in the bottom of the oven. Cover the oven and place about ten coals on the top of the oven. Allow the pears to cook for twenty to thirty minutes, or until they are soft.

The sweet aromas of the pears and dried cherries may seem like this dessert is already enough, but it doesn’t stop here! Plate up two halves of pear per person, making sure each serving is covered with a generous portion of cherries and walnuts. Drizzle the sticky, thin syrup from the bottom of the pan over each pear, and top everything off with a dollop of whipped cream. The warm pears and sticky honey will melt in your mouth, and everything is topped off with the sweet, cool taste of the whipped cream and a slight crunch from the walnuts! This dessert will make you simply sigh.

So, enjoy this decadent fruit dessert, but fear not, s’mores are still on the menu for all camping excursions.

PearDessertFinalPlate

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Baked Pears and Dried Cherries: A Dutch Oven Dessert

Category: Dutch Oven Recipes

Baked Pears and Dried Cherries: A Dutch Oven Dessert

Ingredients

  • Six bosc pears
  • Three tablespoons honey
  • One tablespoon cinnamon
  • One cup dried cherries or other dried fruit of choice
  • One cup of walnut or other nut of choice
  • Bottle of semi-sweet wine, such as pinot grigio, moscato, or zinfandel
  • Whipped cream for topping

Instructions

  1. Begin by preparing the coal briquettes in the charcoal chimney. Allow coals to cook for twenty to thirty minutes, until the top coals in the chimney start to turn grey.
  2. Line the oven with aluminum foil.
  3. Peel the skin from the pears, and cut the stem from the top.
  4. Take a small slice from two opposite sides of the pear, creating a flat bottom for the pear halves to sit on.
  5. Cut the pears in the half and scoop the seeds out.
  6. Lay the pear halves in the oven and drizzle with honey.
  7. Sprinkle on cinnamon.
  8. Drop in cherries and walnuts.
  9. Place the oven on top of 10 to 12 coals.
  10. Add the wine to oven, taking care to not splash it on the pears. Pour in until about a half inch of liquid is in the bottom of the oven.
  11. Cover and place 10 coals on the top of the oven.
  12. Bake for twenty to thirty minutes, or until the pears are soft.
  13. Top each portion with a healthy dollop of whipped cream!
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Lemon Cream Tarragon Chicken: A Dutch Oven Picnic

Published on by lynzmarshall@yahoo.com

LemonChickenScenery“Nothing’s better than a picnic.” ~ Zooey Deschanel

Last weekend, I packed up my shotgun and shells, grabbed my turkey tag, loaded my boots into the truck, and prepared for a long day of searching for toms. I am notorious for throwing half of what I need for a day out into the truck cab and leaving half of what I need on the couch or somewhere else. I tend to forget things like socks to go with my boots, and I have had the pus-filled, bright red, tender to the touch blisters on my toes to prove that instead of going home, I trekked on sockless (which in case you are wondering, is never worth it!). I have forgotten shells to go with my shot gun. I have seen the bird I was destined to meet up with that day, only to reach into my empty pockets and then picture my shells sitting on the counter, probably next to my bird tag. I probably most often forget to bring something to eat, you know, like lunch or dinner, or at least a snack.

This weekend was going to be different! I remembered my shells (see, I even listed them in my opening sentence there!), I remembered my tag, and I remembered socks! And I decided that I was going to take food too. Figuring I would be out all day, I decided a more significant meal was needed and not just a snack. I started to pull out a loaf of bread and jars of peanut butter and jelly when a thought hit me. Carrying around a loaf of bread and all these jars was just as difficult as grabbing my dutch oven and throwing together a fancy little picnic.

That is what I love about the dutch oven. With a little pre-planning, it is just as easy as grabbing a loaf of bread, and the meal will be ten times what a loaf of bread has to offer. In an effort to make a very simple meal, I picked something that required few ingredients and was also easy to just transport in Ziploc bags or Tupperware containers. When making dutch oven meals outdoor friendly, I try and do a few things before-hand. I dice up any vegetables or fruits I plan on using, thus eliminating the need for bringing a knife and cutting board. I clean my meats and remove unwanted fat. I mix together any ingredients that can be combined into a single container, thus eliminating how many items I have to carry around.

This lemon cream chicken is a perfect easy, quick dutch oven lunch. And a picnic with a dutch oven meal is waaayyyyy more fun, and delicious, than “pb & j” sandwiches.

So, for home preparation on this meal, in a medium-sized Tupperware container I combined two cloves of minced garlic, a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, half cup of chicken broth, half cup of heavy cream, the juice of a lemon, a couple tablespoons of fresh minced tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. The Tupperware is a great way to go because not only is everything in one convenient container, but you could just shake the entire thing to mix it. And then you don’t need a mixing spoon!

LemonChickenMarinadeFor the second part of home preparation, in a large Ziploc freezer bag, the kind that has the slide tab so you know things are good and sealed, dump in eight bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. You could also do this meal with chicken wings or drumsticks too. You just want a meat that has a little skin and fat on it so you can develop some good flavor in the dutch oven without having to carry around extra oils or butters. To the Ziploc bag add a couple tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, the zest from your lemon, a tablespoon of fresh minced thyme, a tablespoon of fresh minced rosemary, and salt and pepper. Seal the bag and then massage all the marinade ingredients around the chicken pieces.

LemonChickenCoals Viola! The meal is ready to go and all you need to do now is place your cream in its Tupperware container and your chicken marinating in its Ziploc bag in a cooler with a little ice. The picnic is just about ready to go! Before you leave the house, be sure to grab the dutch oven, a bag of coals, your lid lifter, a charcoal chimney, a lighter, some newspaper, tongs for the chicken, and a spoon. Oh! And don’t forget something to eat on! And with!

LemonChickenDutchOvenOkay, so once out in the beautiful outdoors, pour the coals into the charcoal chimney, place the newspaper under the chimney, light, and let the coals burn until they start to turn grey. This can take up to fifteen minutes. Once the coals are ready, pour a good little stack on the ground, I did about 14 to 16 for this first part, and place the oven over the coals. Let the oven heat up to where you can’t hold your hand over it for more than two or three seconds. Once the oven is good and hot, place the chicken thighs into the oven, skin side down, and let them sear for two or three minutes. Flip and repeat. Right now, you are just browning the chicken and not fully cooking it. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour in the Tupperware containing the lemon tarragon sauce. Bring the sauce to a slight boil and allow to simmer for five or ten minutes. Once the sauce has reduced down just a bit and started to thicken, add the chicken thighs back to the oven.

Place the lid over the oven and add ten or twelve more coals to the top of the oven. Allow the chicken to cook an additional twenty minutes. There are two ways to check if the chicken is done. First, you can always, and I do mean always, tell a dutch oven meal is ready by the smell test. What is the smell test? Good question! It is a very simple test. Once you start smelling the amazing aromas of your meal seeping out of the closed dutch oven, you know your meal is ready. I am serious! I know it sounds crazy, but it has yet to fail me. So, for this lemon tarragon cream chicken, you will know the meal is ready when the air starts still fill with tangy scents of lemon and rich hints of tarragon, which has a smell similar to black licorice.

Second, cut into a piece of the chicken and check for doneness. The juices from inside the chicken should run clear and it shouldn’t be pink on the inside. So, there are two tests for you!

To serve this fantastic picnic lunch, I piled my plate high with just a bagged salad mix. I was even able to just pour the salad dressing directly into the bag for easy stirring of my salad ingredients. Don’t forget when you plate your chicken to pour a heaping scoop of cream sauce from the bottom of the pan over the top of your seared roasted lemon chicken! Mmmmm…it is sooooo good, and even better when enjoyed after a long day of turkey hunting under a setting sun!

Happy Hunting!

LemonChickenFinalPlate2

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Lemon Cream Tarragon Chicken: A Dutch Oven Picnic

Category: Dutch Oven Recipes

Lemon Cream Tarragon Chicken: A Dutch Oven Picnic

Ingredients

    For Lemon Sauce
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cream heavy cream
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh minced tarragon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
    For Chicken Marinade
  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or drumsticks or wings)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

Instructions

  1. In a medium container with a sealable lid, combine all ingredients for the sauce. Place on ice in cooler.
  2. In a large freezer grade Ziploc bag, add chicken thighs that are covered in salt and pepper. Add rest of chicken ingredients to bag. Seal and massage oils and spices into chicken thighs. Place on ice in cooler.
  3. Heat dutch oven coals in charcoal chimney until starting to turn grey.
  4. Place 14 to 16 coals under open dutch oven. Add chicken, skin side down and sear two to three minutes. Flip and repeat. Remove chicken from oven.
  5. Pour ingredients for lemon sauce into oven, bring to a light boil and allow to simmer five to ten minutes, until sauce starts to reduce and thicken.
  6. Return the chicken to the oven, place lid, and cover with 10 to 12 more coals.
  7. Cook 20 to 25 minutes until chicken juices run clear.
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Something Sweet, Something Satisfying, and Something Upside Down: A Dutch Oven Dessert!

Published on by a12gaugegirl

DutchOven“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” ~ Ernestine Ulmer

What can I say about dessert that hasn’t already been said? It is sweet, it is satisfying, and there is always room. How many times have you leaned back in your chair at the dinner table, belly full of what you are calling “the best meal” of your life, and patting your overly full stomach while uttering, “I couldn’t eat another bite.”? And then, emerging from the kitchen, another plate enters the room: dessert! Suddenly, you can “make” a little room.

Many people, myself included, are gluttons for dessert. I am not a picky dessert person. I will try anything once, and probably will like it if it is dessert. I love chocolate, that is definitely my list topper, but I also have a place in my heart for cheesecakes, cobblers, fruit-based desserts, pies, custards, cookies, brownies….the list is endless.

Now, I understand that a dessert recipe seems out of place on a blog about a girl learning to hunt and fish, but as part of my journey of developing into a better outdoorswoman, I am embracing the entire experience. One of the best parts, maybe the best part, of hunting and fishing in my opinion is camping! And a key ingredient to a successful camping trip is excellent camping food! I have shared a dutch oven dinner and a breakfast, but no meal, even in the outdoors, is complete without a little treat. So, the next time you are out enjoying some solitude and peace in the mountain or at the lake, I would suggest throwing this simple, but thoroughly delicious, banana cake into your dutch oven.

The first time I made this cake, we were out shed hunting in the desert. My five year old niece and I hiked around for a couple of hours, searching for antlers, and when we got back to camp she asked for a treat. I asked if she would like to help make a cake, and she was thrilled. This recipe is very simple, doesn’t take much time, and is great for little helpers.

The main players in this dessert include bananas, buttermilk, sugar, flour, basking soda, baking powder, vanilla, vanilla, eggs, and butter!
The main players in this dessert include bananas, buttermilk, sugar, flour, basking soda, baking powder, vanilla, vanilla, eggs, and butter!

Whenever I am making a dessert in the dutch oven, I premeasure out any dry ingredients I need. I do this for two reasons. One, I don’t know about you, but I don’t keep things like flour, baking powder, and baking soda or measuring cups and spoons in my camping supplies. Two, I don’t have any desire to bring along an entire bag of flour either. I can see the flour spilling over everything right now! Doesn’t it just sound like a mess waiting to happen? So, in order to avoid this potential flour fiasco, I premeasure my dry ingredients into zip lock bags.

As with all the dutch oven recipes, remember to start the coals first. I use a coal starter, which I picked up at Sportsmans Warehouse. You can pick one up for fairly cheap, and they are a great tool when dutch oven cooking. I usually start up about thirty coals, just so I have extras if need be. This recipe calls for about 12-14 coals for the bottom and 10-12 on the top, but when you are baking it is nice to have extra coals so you can adjust the temperature if things aren’t working right.

Once the coals are started, it is time to get baking! Now, usually when I cook in the dutch oven, I don’t line the inside of the oven with anything. I don’t line the inside mostly because I usually serve right out of the oven itself. Desserts are different. They usually need to cool outside of the pan so they can finish setting, like with a cheese cake or brownies, or they need flipped, like with this upside-down banana cake or pineapple upside-down cake. Or they just need to be pretty in presentation! Half of dessert is using your eyes to eat how gorgeous the dessert looks! That moment, while usually short lived, is half the reason dessert is so great! Anyway, what I am so long-windedly saying is that I line the dutch oven with aluminum foil so flipping the cake and admiring my handy-work is much easier.

bananasOnce the oven is ready, I drop in a cup of brown sugar and 6 tablespoons of melted butter. I melted the butter on the fire, which was actually easy and quick. Stir the butter and brown sugar until it makes a paste and then call your little helper. While I cut the bananas into slices, which were about a quarter inch thick, my niece arranged each slice down into the butter-brown sugar paste. You want to line the entire bottom of the oven with the bananas.

Next, you want to mix up all your dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. I did not have to do this step, because I mixed all my dry ingredients at home and then put them in a zip lock bag. This saves a step, needing those measuring devices, eliminates the necessity for an extra bowl, and cuts down on the mess. Something very important in baking, that is different from cooking, is to make sure your measurements are exact. You can’t eyeball your ingredients like you can in cooking. So, in the zip lock bag, I had a cup and half of flour, 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda, a 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In two other separate bags, I measured out my cup of brown sugar and one and a quarter cups of white sugar.

crushedbananasSo, after the dry ingredients are all together, it is time to mix up the wet ingredients. For this part, you will need to a bowl. So, when packing for this camping trip, put two medium sized bowls on your trip list. Also, you might want to add an extra zip lock bag, as I have a little trick you can use it for in this next step. To start off your wet ingredients, you need a cup of mashed banana, which is roughly two medium sized bananas. You could mash the bananas at home, but they will probably be pretty brown when you go to use them. You could also bring a potato masher along with you, but again you are reaching a point where you are taking everything but the kitchen sink camping. I drop my bananas into the zip lock bag and mash them with my hands. After the banana is good and gooey, add them to a bowl with a 1/2 cup of buttermilk and the teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix everything together and set aside.

eggsandsugarNow you need to get your second bowl out and cream together your white sugar and a 1/3 cup of butter. Same as with the bananas, I drop my butter and the sugar into a zip lock and use my hands to do the mixing. It works really well! Drop your creamed butter and sugar mixture into a bowl and add the eggs, fully incorporating the first egg before adding the second.

allingredientsAlright, so there should be three mixes at this point: the dry ingredients, the buttermilk and banana mixtures, and the butter, sugar, and egg mixture. Starting with the dry ingredients, add half the dry mixture to the butter, sugar, and eggs. Next, drop in half the banana and buttermilk. Once fully incorporate, stir in the rest of the dry ingredients and then the last portion of the banana mixture. Once everything is mixed together and lump free, drop the entire bowl in the aluminum foil lined oven. You are ready to start baking!batterinoven

The oven needs to be 350 degrees, and the cake takes about 40 minutes to bake. I put 14 coals on the bottom and 12 to 14 coals on the top to start. Let the oven go for a few minutes, and then do a hand test to see if you have the oven hot enough. For the hand test, you want to place your hand about 6 to 8 inches above the oven and count how long you can comfortably keep it there. For 350 degrees, you should only be able to keep it there for about 5 seconds. Any shorter and you are too hot and need to remove some coals. Any longer and you are too cool and need to add a few coals, preferably to the bottom of the oven.

cookedcakeI have mentioned before how you can tell if your dutch oven meal is ready is the “sniff test.” The sniff test is most effective with desserts! You want to time your cake, and check its progress as you start getting closer to the 40 minute mark, but the sniff test will also let you know that the cake is ready. It is so weird. You will smell nothing, and then all of a sudden once the cake is ready, the sweet scent of caramelized sugar and bananas will hit you! It will smell amazing, and you will know your cake is done. You also can test if your cake is done by sticking a toothpick in the center and seeing if it comes out clean. The top of the cake should be lightly springy and bounce back after lightly touching it. The top of this cake is a beautiful brown when ready!

crunchytopOnce the cake is done, pull the oven from the coals and let it cool down for a few minutes before you try moving anything. Dutch ovens are heavy and very hot! They are also a bit awkward to handle, so you might grab a friend when removing this cake. Pull the cake out of the dutch oven by the aluminum foil, and then let the it cool a bit longer, about 15 minutes. When you are ready, flip your banana upside down cake right-side up and enjoy!

This cake is sweet and gooey on the top and very delicate and fluffy on the inside.  If you are a fan of bananas, this is the cake for you.  It would also be wonderful with some melted chocolate drizzled over the top, if you are chocolate and bananas kind of person.  It is a crazy good dessert, and it is almost hard to believe, as you are sitting by the fire after a day of playing in the wild, that you can make this outside!finishedcake

Recipe
Banana Topping
*2 bananas sliced in 1/2 thick slices
*6 Tablespooons melted butter
*1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Combine brown sugar and melted butter in bottom of aluminum foil lined dutch oven. Arrange banana slices in sugar and butter mixture.

Cake Batter
*1 and 1/2 cups flour
*3/4 teaspoon baking soda
*1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 cup mashed bananas
*1/2 cup buttermilk
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*1 and 1/4 cup white sugar
*1/3 cup butter
*2 large eggs

Combine your dry ingredients and set aside. Mix mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla in a medium bowl. Cream together butter and white sugar, until fluffy, and then add the eggs, incorporating thoroughly before adding the second egg. Add dry ingredients alternatively with buttermilk mixture, mixing until just combined, but removing any lumps. Pour batter over bananas in dutch oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool, flip , and enjoy!

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