Dutch Oven Cooking -- Additional Recipes

Version 2.3 -- July 1995
These additional Dutch Oven recipes have been compiled since the publication of Version 2.3.

Table of Contents

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One Pot Chicken DO Dinner

This is the first meal I'd ever eaten from a DO and is still a favorite in my family. In a 12-inch Dutch Oven, layer the following: Dot bottom with dabs of butter or margarine, add sliced potatoes to feed your party (we use 4). While adding potatoes also add green peppers that are diced. Add sliced onions and mashed garlic if desired in the potatoe mix. Season with salt, pepper, garlic. Add sliced carrots to feed your party (in coins or slices or those new baby carrots right out of the bag). Place on top of this 3-4 chicken breasts, or chickent tenders to cover the layers.

At this point the DO is fuller than some recommend, but oh well, it works.

Put about a dozen coals on top and bottom. Cook 45 to 60 minutes, until the chicken is done. Heating is about equal from top and bottom because you're trying to fry up cottage fries and bake chicken.

-- Thanks to Charlie Lawrence  

SMACOS

Failure being the mother of invention led us to discover a uniquely delicious treat this past week at Webelos Camp. Being part Smores and part Taco we aptly named them SMACOs.

Take your dutch oven. Using a paper towel with dipped in veg.oil wipe the bottom (not too much, just enough to give it a gleam).

Place on coals (we did this with as few as 6 coals)

In the bottom of the dutch oven place a soft flour tortilla. On top of that place a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips. On top of that place a handful of mini-marshmellows.

Cover dutch oven with lid for 1+ minutes. Remove lid. Using tongs fold the tortilla in half (making a taco shape). You will note that the oven side of the tortilla is a golden brown.

Cover for another minute. Remove lid Remove SMACO from Dutch oven and place on paper plate to cool (THIS IS A MUST... IT COMES OUT TOOO HOT TO HANDLE).

Once shell has cooled to touch enjoy......the inside will still be moist and warm, gooy chocolate and marshmellows. Unlike SMOREs the shell will not crumble but allow you to enjoy this delicacy in a relatively clean manner.

We made over 200 of these in under an hour using multiple dutch ovens, and the kids LOVED them. We cooked up some extra for the next morning and they were just as good the next morning as they were that night.

-- Thanks to Peter Van Houten, peter_van_houten@QM.WV.TEK.COM

Adirondack Beans

Hudson Bay Bread

Blend the margarine, sugar, syrup, and honey. Add oats and almonds and mix well. Place batter in a greased baking pan into a 14 inch Dutch oven. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on rack. Temperature should be about 350 degrees F which equates to 8 coals on the bottom and 10 coals on the top of a 14 inch oven.
-- Thanks to Jeff Babis, CC Troop 211, Tucson, AZ

"Mother of Invention" Dutch Oven Cobbler

Combine all 3 boxes of mixes together, mixing well. Add the oil and eggs, and any other ingredients that your particular cake mix calls for. Add water until the resulting batter is fairly thick yet. This doesn't seem to be too critical, except if it is too thick it seems to burn easier. Preheat the Dutch oven slightly and oil up good. Add the batter. Drain the pineapple juice and spread the pineapple out evenly over the top of the batter.

Place the cover on the oven. Use a very small amount of coals on the bottom, about four or five charcoal briquettes worth. Cover the oven top with coals, and bake for about 30 minutes. Replentish the coals on top if needed.

The cornbread adds a wonderfull taste and texture to this dessert. It has become a troop standard.
-- Thanks to Steve Tobin, SM, srtobin@mmm.com, Troop 39, Cannon River District, Cannon Falls, MN

Dump Cobbler

Another Dutch Oven Cobbler

Open two large cans of pie filling (our favorites are: cherry, apple and peach).

Place Dutch oven on level ground with 17 coals underneath and 15 coals on lid.

Melt two sticks of butter. Empty ziplock bag into Dutch oven and immediately pour pie filling in on top (pour in center). Allow to bake for 40-45 minutes making sure coals cook top and bottom evenly.

If done properly, you'll have a light brown crust on top with no sign of fruit until you dig in. If fruit does show through, well, you've still got an awesome taste treat. We usually send a dad to the nearest bait shop or all-night grocery for vanilla ice cream to top off this masterpiece.

-- Thanks to Dave Rogers, ASM, Beaumont, TX

Easy Peach Cobbler

Cherry Crisp

Dutch Oven Black Forest Cobbler

Put cake mix in Dutch oven, dump in pie filling and about 1/2 the can of 7-Up, stir and Dutch Oven cook, about an hour, turning the pot every 10 minutes or so, to cook evenly.

-- Thanks to Jan Mussler, Bear DL, Pack 170, Nederland, CO, Arapahoe District, Longs Peak Council

Black Forest Cake in a Dutch Oven

My experience shows that it should be done in about 30-35 minutes. Test with a knife (Stick the knife into the cake, vertically, and remove -- IF the knife is clean the cake is done; if the knife is gooey with cake mix, let it bake longer.)

When done, remove it from the coals and let it cool a few minutes. Server while warm with whipped cream or Cool Whip (if desired).

-- Thanks to Ray Klaus, Asst. Scoutmaster, Troop 1602, Mission Viejo, CA, "...and a good old Eagle too."

Another Dump Cake

-- Thanks to Jay C Bingham, Plano, TX USA, ADC - Great Plains District, Circle Ten Council, Advancement Chairman Troop/Team27

Dutch Oven Chili Meal

There are no set measurements:

3 Lbs. Ground Round (good stuff-less grease
2 Lbs. Bacon
2 Lbs. dry pinto beans or 2 #10 can pork and beans- your favorite
6 large onions
4 large green bell peppers
1 stalk Celery
2 bottles of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 jar Honey
Garlic Powder - Salt - Pepper
Hot Chili salsa to taste

This will feed about 15 hungry people quite nicely.

If you use dry beans, you will have to soak them the required period before use. Take your oven and line it well with foil. Line the bottom and sides with the bacon strips. In another pan, quick cook the Ground round a little and drain the fat, don't over cook.

(This is a layer type affair, please follow carefully)
While the ground round is being prepared, have another Scout dice the onions, peppers and celery. Now we're ready to start!!!!

You have the bacon in place around the pot (with some left over). Now in layers, place in some onions, peppers, celery. Season with salt, pepper and a little galic powder (just a little). Now a layer of beans (If you use canned beans, drain them first, but save the liquid). Now a layer of Ground Round. Now a Layer of Bacon. Now pour on some honey, BBQ Sauce and Salsa and sprinkle a little brown sugar. (These are thin layers, to fill the whole oven). Repeat this process of layers until all of the ingredients all used up. After this has cooked for a while (about 1.5 hour) you can stir it all together. If you need more liquid, add the bean liquid that you drained off earlier. This should be slow cooked for about 4 hours.

Be prepared for a great one pot meal.

-- Thanks to Tom Lynch

Green Bean Casserole

Dinner with Bob Nix

20 lb charcoal, 4 dutch ovens - if Dutch Ovens are not cured, start cleaning & curing about 1PM; finish and off the heat to cool by about 2PM. DO are easier to cure at home. At campsite, you stand a chance of scorching the empty oven in attempting to cure it. Pot 1: Beef stew. Recipe from MacScouter modified. This recipe makes one full #12 Lodge DO.

Used 2 1/2 lb, stew beef, probably 15 carrots, 10 potatoes, water to cover all but about the last 1 inch. Learned that 1 hour of cooking will not completely tenderize carrots. From experience: Start charcoal 2:30 prior to serving; immediately start chopping carrots; put carrots, 2 beef bullion, water to 1/2 the depth of the carrots, boil 45 min. - 15 charcoal on lid, 10 under. Pull lid, add potatoes, chunked 1" but sliced 1/3" thick, 2 tennis ball sized onions chopped , cook another 30 min, refresh the charcoal load, add beef, large dash of garlic powder, lots of pepper, minimal / no salt, beef, stir hard, cook 1 hour at 16 top / 10 bottom. Could add 1-2 cups of instant potatoes to make gravy; or leave alone to have broth. Stir after 30 minutes. rotate pot 1/3 every 20 minutes; rotate lid another 1/3 turn at same time - to balance the hot spots. This one is easy, especially if you chop the carrots prior to leaving home; or buy them pre-cut.

Pot 2: Manicotti Recipe from MacScouter modified. This recipe makes one full #12 Dutch Oven.

You need a 1-gallon container for mixing; try a trash bag inside a large fire bucket. 3 lb ground beef; 30 manicotti noodles, uncooked. Use fresh / stale bread rather than bread crumbs because you have to stuff the mix into raw uncooked manicotti shells which are rather brittle. Mix raw meat, 4 eggs, 1/2 loaf of bread broken into pieces, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1 t. garlic powder (not garlic salt) by hand until combined. Maybe 1/2 cup water to thin this load. Stuff into the shells; lay shells into DO. Pour in 1 cup water. Cover the load lightly with good brand of spaghetti sauce - I used Ragu. Place remainder of meat mixture (if any) on top, add 1/2 cup of water to remaining spaghetti sauce, rinse out the jar, pour contents on top. Cover with 1/4" coating of parmesan. Cover, bake 1:15 18-20 charcoal on top, 10 on bottom. Rotate pot 1/3 turn every 30 minutes; rotate the lid another 1/3 turn at the same time. Test noodles; should be tender when using a fork; when noodles are done, eat. May require another 15-30 minutes to finish cooking the noodles. Check heat; add perhaps 4-5 top, perhaps 2-3 bottom after 1 hour. This one is labor-intensive. Allow perhaps 1/2 hour, two people for noodle stuffing.

Pot 3: Texas beef beans and beans. Makes 1 full #12 DO. Heat one DO HOT - 12-15 charcoal under it, to fry 2.5 lb ground beef or turkey. (If turkey, add some vegetable oil; it is lean and will stick). Drain any excess oil. Add 1 gal. Pork&beans, 2 tennis ball sized onions chopped, 1 bottle hickory smoked BBQ sauce, 1 regular BBQ sauce, whatever almost empty bottles of BBQ, 57, worcestershire sauce you have at home, draw four complete large circles on top with a squirt mustard bottle (I don't know how much that is), stir it, cook 15 charcoal top/10 bottom 45 minutes. Eat.

Pot 4: Green bean casserole. My wife's recipe, stretched. Makes #12 DO 3/4 full. Pour in 2 large / institutional cans (probably 18 oz each?) cream of mushroom soup. Open 1 gal. can cut green beans, pour one soup can full of juice; discard the remainder of the bean juice. Rinse each soup can with this one can of bean juice; add to DO. Add the beans. Add 4 cans (the size is about the same as a Pepsi can; probably a 1.5 oz. serving size) of french fried onion rings to the mix; stir all this together. Add 2 more cans onion rings to the top as garnish, don't stir in. Cook 45 min. 15 charcoal top/10 bottom. This pot was the first one emptied, and was the easiest to make.

This load, 4 full pots, fed thirty very hungry adults plus perhaps 3-5 youth who had already eaten with their patrols. We had a few Texas beans left; everything else was scraped clean.

Cracker barrel: Recipe from International Dutch Oven Society. Yellow cake mix plus its ingredients; 1 box Jiffy cornmeal muffin mix plus its ingredients, 1 can fruit, drained. I made a peach and a pineapple. Each need more moisture; probably should have included 1/2 the juice and another 1/2 can of peaches; 1 full can of pineapple plus 1/2 can of juice to that one. Get crushed pineapple; stab the peaches a bunch with a serving spoon or dull knife; you want lots of small pieces. Mix all but fruit in the oven; pour fruit on top gently; bake probably 45 min - 1 hour (toothpick test) with 15 on top/10 bottom. Our campfire started as I set the cobblers on the fire; cooked one hour; held with only 4 coals on top for another 1/2 hour; too dry / overcooked, but there was none left over. Not burned.

Suggestions:

1. Put foil under each DO, charcoal on top of the foil. Damp charcoal does not heat well; you get additional reflected heat from the foil.
2. Figure 5 lb. charcoal per DO per meal prepared. On average.
3. Remember to take heavy pliers, gloves, charcoal starter. A hammer substitutes well for a pot carrier and lid carrier.
4. Plan ahead for a safe place to put a 400 degree lid when it is not on the pot.
5. Use foil inside the pot to reduce the cleanup, and then expect that it will be torn during serving. You will have to clean the pot regardless of your best efforts.
6. Get / borrow Dutch Ovens with legs on bottom and charcoal holding rims on top. A flat bottomed pot will smother the charcoal underneath (no airflow); rocks/bricks at the corners put your dinner at some risk.

-- Thanks to Bob Nix ..ustaBabeaver..

Thanksgiving in a Dutch Oven