I'm considering a new Dutch oven strictly for our camp kitchen, and wonder what recipes you camp cooks have to share?
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Dutch Oven Recipes
- Thread starter Odyssey
- Start date
Congratulations on upping your camp cooking game. I firmly believe that you can cook anything in a camp style Dutch oven that you can cook in your home oven. I've even made cheese and chocolate souffles in them to prove that point during adult cooking classes.
We have and use quite a few Dutch ovens. We have both standard and deep 14", 12", 10" ovens and a pair of 8" ovens. We also have a 12" diameter antique "spider skillet" with long legs and a rimmed lid (think of the deep cast iron skillet sometimes called a "chicken fryer" with legs and a rimmed lid)
And, on occasion, we've used a standard domed lid household style Dutch oven with coals, too. Most of our 10" and larger ovens have a round second-hand-store meat rack in them along with a pan for cakes, cobblers and such, a pair of gloves and a tool to lift the lid and carry the oven around by the bail handle. The 12 and 14" ovens also have a round shallow pan for pizza and flat breads.
I suspect that you may well already know this so at the risk of "preaching to the choir":
A 12" oven will comfortably cook most main courses for 6 or even 8 persons but we find that for just the two of us a 10" oven seems to be the best size for most meals or for a quick evening cobbler, buckle or other dessert. If the oven is along primarily for desserts then I bring an 8" oven. For casseroles or chili type meals the 8" oven work well for the two of us.
What size oven are you contemplating buying and how many people do you normally cook for? And are you looking for recipes for one pot meals, main courses, roasts, a little bit of everything or something specific????
Lance
We have and use quite a few Dutch ovens. We have both standard and deep 14", 12", 10" ovens and a pair of 8" ovens. We also have a 12" diameter antique "spider skillet" with long legs and a rimmed lid (think of the deep cast iron skillet sometimes called a "chicken fryer" with legs and a rimmed lid)
And, on occasion, we've used a standard domed lid household style Dutch oven with coals, too. Most of our 10" and larger ovens have a round second-hand-store meat rack in them along with a pan for cakes, cobblers and such, a pair of gloves and a tool to lift the lid and carry the oven around by the bail handle. The 12 and 14" ovens also have a round shallow pan for pizza and flat breads.
I suspect that you may well already know this so at the risk of "preaching to the choir":
A 12" oven will comfortably cook most main courses for 6 or even 8 persons but we find that for just the two of us a 10" oven seems to be the best size for most meals or for a quick evening cobbler, buckle or other dessert. If the oven is along primarily for desserts then I bring an 8" oven. For casseroles or chili type meals the 8" oven work well for the two of us.
What size oven are you contemplating buying and how many people do you normally cook for? And are you looking for recipes for one pot meals, main courses, roasts, a little bit of everything or something specific????
Lance
I usually only bring the heavy stuff on a short base camp style trip. I still keep to those recipes that allow make ahead prep if any and easy clean up with minimal garbage. Some of the below I do ice fishing also, but would transpose nicely. I also wouldn’t do some of these in the warmer months- I would be concerned about bear attracting smells.
I will bake biscuits and make sausage gravy- getting back to my southern midwestern roots.
Steel cut oats with apple chunks.
I will cheat and buy a store made quiche and bake it on a trivet or stones in the Dutch oven as to not burn the bottom.
Venison stew or beef bourguignon with everything chopped and prepped ahead. Red wine in a small box.
My absolute favorite if I am looking to babysit and fire watch all day is cassoulet. I soak the beans ahead of time and everything else is prepped to dump in.
Boiled red potatoes (in a separate non-cast iron pot) smashed and browned in duck fat are a religious experience.
Thanks Brad- I think I gained 5 pounds writing this and am now hungry!
Bob
I will bake biscuits and make sausage gravy- getting back to my southern midwestern roots.
Steel cut oats with apple chunks.
I will cheat and buy a store made quiche and bake it on a trivet or stones in the Dutch oven as to not burn the bottom.
Venison stew or beef bourguignon with everything chopped and prepped ahead. Red wine in a small box.
My absolute favorite if I am looking to babysit and fire watch all day is cassoulet. I soak the beans ahead of time and everything else is prepped to dump in.
Boiled red potatoes (in a separate non-cast iron pot) smashed and browned in duck fat are a religious experience.
Thanks Brad- I think I gained 5 pounds writing this and am now hungry!
Bob
Hi Lance, thanks for styles and sizes information. It's helpful to know what options exist in the Dutch oven world! So much is entirely new to me! Currently we have three enameled DOs none of which my wife will allow to leave our kitchen. No problem. I just need a Dutch oven for camp. I wonder what size, shape, style, accessories??? I've only used them for baking bread, and making soups and stews. I almost never use regular pots at home anymore. But camp cooking is a whole other world. Or is it?
On a canoe trip and some car camping trips this past summer I wondered about the potential for single pot group meals rather than so many pots and pans all vying for space on the fire. I like simple. And hearty. And family group gatherings breaking bread together. So I asked myself, how do I move our home kitchen to camp? It would've been nice to have used a DO for our guys trip last May; there were 5 of us. For family car camping there are any number, from 2 to 20. Hmm. Might need a bigger pot. Probably 2. As far as recipes I'm flexible.
Thanks Bob! I love cassoulet and boeuf bourguignon! My all time DO favourites to make at home. But I've never attempted this in camp. I MUST do. Those are some awesome recipe ideas!! So now I have some researching to do!
On a canoe trip and some car camping trips this past summer I wondered about the potential for single pot group meals rather than so many pots and pans all vying for space on the fire. I like simple. And hearty. And family group gatherings breaking bread together. So I asked myself, how do I move our home kitchen to camp? It would've been nice to have used a DO for our guys trip last May; there were 5 of us. For family car camping there are any number, from 2 to 20. Hmm. Might need a bigger pot. Probably 2. As far as recipes I'm flexible.
Thanks Bob! I love cassoulet and boeuf bourguignon! My all time DO favourites to make at home. But I've never attempted this in camp. I MUST do. Those are some awesome recipe ideas!! So now I have some researching to do!
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In Boy Scouts there was a guy at camputs snd camporees who was our Dutch Oven Master. He would have a vertical stack of s many as 8 ovens with coals burning between each one, each with a different recipe cooking in it. Stews, chili, veggies, meats, deserts enough to feed everyone. Cobblers were a favorite desert. Dump dry cake mix powder into a Dutch oven on top of a can of fruit and fruit juice (pie filling, pineapple, etc) and that is all you need,
At BSA summer camp, Thursdays were Iron Chef Cookoff days. Every troop was given a full kit to make a complete meal, including a special "secret ingredient" that had to be included. Camp staff would go around with checklists to grade each meal in many categories. Some were extremely creative and tasty, others not so much. They could use local natural food materials, especially worthwhile in berry season. A special prize was given to the winner.
At BSA summer camp, Thursdays were Iron Chef Cookoff days. Every troop was given a full kit to make a complete meal, including a special "secret ingredient" that had to be included. Camp staff would go around with checklists to grade each meal in many categories. Some were extremely creative and tasty, others not so much. They could use local natural food materials, especially worthwhile in berry season. A special prize was given to the winner.
Great idea. I have been wrastling iron pots for over 40 years. We first learned from horse packers and then later river runners.
I have a 10 inch Lodge from the 1930s that was my great uncles. I like a 12 inch deep for almost everything.
Stacked enchiladas, stew especially with beef, elk or buffalo, lasagna, chicken with vegetable, green chili chicken, tortilla soup, pizza, Asian food, the list goes on. After a few days people will do a back flip for a dessert like a cobbler or muffin mix with fruit. For lay over days a big breakfast with eggs, vegetables, flat meat and biscuits.
Mostly on boat trips I use a 10 inch aluminum DO. For the backyard campsite I have a pile of iron pots and have cooked for up to 30-50 people plenty of times.
I have a 10 inch Lodge from the 1930s that was my great uncles. I like a 12 inch deep for almost everything.
Stacked enchiladas, stew especially with beef, elk or buffalo, lasagna, chicken with vegetable, green chili chicken, tortilla soup, pizza, Asian food, the list goes on. After a few days people will do a back flip for a dessert like a cobbler or muffin mix with fruit. For lay over days a big breakfast with eggs, vegetables, flat meat and biscuits.
Mostly on boat trips I use a 10 inch aluminum DO. For the backyard campsite I have a pile of iron pots and have cooked for up to 30-50 people plenty of times.
For outdoor cooking you're looking for one with feet, not the kind that go in an oven. I have a 10" and 12" lodge. The smaller one does for my wife and I, the larger one for more folks. Recommend The Scout's Outdoor Cook Book for receipes, including many for the dutch oven. Also gives some basics on heating and temperatures, though that takes some experimentation.
www.scoutshop.org
The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook | Boy Scouts of America
Each tasty recipe is accompanied by easy-to-read information about cooking method, basic essentials, and instructions.
www.scoutshop.org
For outdoor cooking you're looking for one with feet, not the kind that go in an oven. I have a 10" and 12" lodge. The smaller one does for my wife and I, the larger one for more folks. Recommend The Scout's Outdoor Cook Book for receipes, including many for the dutch oven. Also gives some basics on heating and temperatures, though that takes some experimentation.
The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook | Boy Scouts of America
Each tasty recipe is accompanied by easy-to-read information about cooking method, basic essentials, and instructions.
There are a lot of camp cooking ideas available in scout related cookbooks and a wealth of free online ideas at a number of websites. Sorting them out to find the one you're interested in can be tough as a lot of the the recipes are of the "dump and stir" variety and many won't fit your ingredient preferences or cooking methods. But some have better applicability for most of us than that. Like every other cookbook, you'll have to sort through them and be flexible in when you modify them.
A longtime favorite cookbook that has been around in several editions over many years is the "Camp Cookery for Small Groups" cookbook. It is aimed at the smallest basic unit of a scout troop which is a "Patrol" of around six youths. The cookbook gives clear instructions on how to develop a menu for a camping trip, how much food to buy for the trip with thoughts on frugal shopping, how to reduce packaging, to scale the recipes up or down based on group size or varied appetites etc. And ingredient prep tips, a list of the cookware, accessory items such as aluminum foil and the utensils needed are included for each recipe.
Of particular value, it discusses how to gauge temperature by how many charcoal briquets you need for the top and bottom to have the right level and location for the heat needed, what the food or the liquid in the pot should look like at various stages to determine if you are using the correct amount of heat etc.
Camp Cookery for Small Groups | Boy Scouts of America
Perfect for patrol-sized groups, this easy-to-follow cookbook offers simple recipes for complete and balanced meals that feed six to eight.
www.scoutshop.org
There's an old saying in the traditional barbecue world that also applies to Dutch oven cooking.... "If you're looking, you ain't cooking"
While DOs generally recover heat faster than BBQ smokers do the theory applies to many recipes. For instance, most baking heat needs to come from the top of the oven so removing the lid to check on some types of baked goods affects cooking time and browning much more than checking your oven fried chicken leg quarters does.
Once you learn temperature control with charcoal briquets it is pretty easy to transition to coals. Temperature control is at the heart of most Dutch oven cooking as you can't see the food in the oven and we need to balance the need for different amounts of heat above and below the oven in different recipes. So you generally have to rely on experience or darn good instructions. You don't want to spend a few hours making you main course or one pot meal only to find out that it is ruined or ready long after the rest of the meal has gotten cold. I'd suggest that when learning to use a camp oven that briquets are the most nearly foolproof way to learn temperature control.
And if you want to speed up the process of learning temperature control, especially when a group is learning together, consider getting some of the refrigerated tubes of biscuits to experiment with. If you turn a batch of biscuits into well browned biscuits with a raw center or burn them into hockey pucks you can still have a successful batch a few minutes later. Of note, a stick of good butter or a few jars of jam go a long way to making this more rewarding and fun, especially for youngsters. For now, concentrate on learning temperature control and all else will be much easier to master.
And as time permits I'll toss in some ideas of how to convert your favorite home recipes to great campfire meals. It's probably easier to do than you think.
Lance
When I bring my dutch oven camping I just think "crockpot" when it comes to recipe's. I'm not fancy enough for much else. Any concoction I would whip up in a crockpot at home can be done with a DO at camp. To me its an easy way to prepare dinner before an afternoon hunt/fish until dark and have a meal ready to eat when I get back to camp. Having a meal waiting for me is a real plus if I have fish or game to clean too. I have a 10" Lodge with one of those plates for the bottom to keep the meat elevated above the bottom. Throw a venison shoulder, boston butt, country style pork ribs, cornish game hen's or whatever. Slice some potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, etc or rice, can of pea's, lima beans and such. Pour enough water in there to almost cover the holes in the meat plate. Put meat in, cover with veggies, salt/pepper, put the lid on and go hunting or fishing for a few hours. The 10" will easily feed 3-4 hungry adults, more if you load it up. Hardest thing to figure out is to not overheat. Easiest to start with charcoal briquettes vs firewood coals until you get your groove on. Its not that difficult nor does it need to be that precise. Its just generally better to use a little less heat than too much. The cast iron will hold a lot of heat and continue to slow cook after the coals have lost their btu's.. bon appetit' :\
When baking, more heat on top than under provides me with better results.
Bob
Bob
As far as recipies, I'm a sucker for Dutch oven breakfasts. Many french toast variations - best prepared the night before when nights are cool - this one especially good: http://dutchovenmadness.blogspot.com/2010/07/stuffed-peach-french-toast-pudding_22.html?m=1
Any of the train wreck variations also favorites.
Any of the train wreck variations also favorites.
This is new country to me, both the cooking methods and gear. Last summer I had two revelatory moments in which I had the same thought "There must be a better way?! A one pot meal would be perfect right about now. A big pot?" One was on a canoe trip with guys all co-operatively chaotically doing the multi-pot/pan dance around stove and fire. No food met the ground but boy there were some close calls. The other time was on a car camp group site, whilst watching my big family brood all performing the same dance, each around their own stoves under a picnic shelter, and as I glanced out to the large empty fire pit all aglow I had that thought again, that something doesn't look quite right.
I am learning a lot here. I've already decided to divide the gear choices into two camps, canoe tripping, and car tripping. A lightweight pot for the paddle-in, and cast iron pot(s) for the drive-in. Heat control has been in the back of my mind and has gnawed away at what little self-confidence I have. Using charcoal is a brilliant idea I'd never have considered. And the only pot accessory I'd ever heard of before (the newbie that I am) was the lid lifter thingy. Additional gear items that go inside the pot have pushed my imagination into new territory. Wow!? I must admit that my wife gave me the eye glaze look when I started talking about camping Dutch ovens, right up until I started reading aloud your meal suggestions...then she drifted out of the room and started rummaging around her cook books. So, I'd say she's onboard now.
All of your helpful advice is encouraging. I look forward to more. At the very least this thread may provide a beneficial source for the Dutch oven curious. I am determined not to become a victim of analysis paralysis as I prepare for my brave new world of camp cooking.
I am learning a lot here. I've already decided to divide the gear choices into two camps, canoe tripping, and car tripping. A lightweight pot for the paddle-in, and cast iron pot(s) for the drive-in. Heat control has been in the back of my mind and has gnawed away at what little self-confidence I have. Using charcoal is a brilliant idea I'd never have considered. And the only pot accessory I'd ever heard of before (the newbie that I am) was the lid lifter thingy. Additional gear items that go inside the pot have pushed my imagination into new territory. Wow!? I must admit that my wife gave me the eye glaze look when I started talking about camping Dutch ovens, right up until I started reading aloud your meal suggestions...then she drifted out of the room and started rummaging around her cook books. So, I'd say she's onboard now.
All of your helpful advice is encouraging. I look forward to more. At the very least this thread may provide a beneficial source for the Dutch oven curious. I am determined not to become a victim of analysis paralysis as I prepare for my brave new world of camp cooking.
I've posted this one before, but here it is again. Chicken Marbella adapted from the Silver Palate cookbook.
www.adventure-journal.com
And yes, charcoal briquets are a game changer.
Gourmet, Easy, and Crazy Good Dutch Oven Chicken Marbella
This base camp dish is extraordinarily tasty and nowhere near as complicated as you might think.
www.adventure-journal.com
And yes, charcoal briquets are a game changer.
With charcoal and car camping you really want a chimney (even if harder to find newspaper).
I do not like charcoal at all. You have to carry it, bring a starter and wait. I do not count briquettes. Cooking with wood is much easier and I never run out.
Bob is right. For baking more top heat and less bottom heat.
Bob is right. For baking more top heat and less bottom heat.
For car camps charcoal looks like the easy answer for me, OTOH scrounged wood is still the go-to fuel for canoe trips.
By the way, easy to bake in a Dutch oven as well. I made a bunch of the NYT no knead bread dough and baked it in camp. Good stuff.
Thanks Bill!! My wife and both love baking. She is the natural in the kitchen, I the student. I came across "shaggy bread", or "no-knead bread" awhile back and love the results. And it's dead simple. I can find things to do while even multiple proofing, but do not enjoy all that kneading to build the gluten chains blah blah. Recently on my youtube travels I discovered an Irish granny who bakes like this as well, tho' without the DO. I am convinced a DO to bake with will improve my results over a campfire. Bannock-scones-farls may be the first things I try with a Dutch oven.
I'm wondering if I should have a DO just for bread baking?
3 stacked up - pot roast, bread, dump cake. Mmmmm...
The Scout troop where I used to live had 16 or 18 dutch ovens. (100+ Scouts) I think we bought charcoal by the half ton.
The Scout troop where I used to live had 16 or 18 dutch ovens. (100+ Scouts) I think we bought charcoal by the half ton.
@Odyssey - if you are interested in baking bread with a Dutch oven, you need to read “Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast” by Ken Forkish. He is a world renown bread baker out of Portland, Oregon. He specialized in artisan breads and took his recipes and tweaked them for the home baker. The hardest thing to replicate were the commercial ovens with steamers. The steam is important in the development of the crust. He realized that by utilizing a DO, the dough would self steam inside at high enough baking temperatures. I’ve had a lot of fun with the technique s and recipes outlined in the book.
Mike
Mike
