Dutch Oven Camping

When the weather warms and the snowmelts, those of us who have cabin fever can go camping. Camping rejuvenates our soul and lets our body get back to nature. When we go camping to relax the last thing we want to do is fret about what to eat and how to cook it.

Whether you are planning to cook the fish you just caught in the stream or throw together a one-pot chuck wagon stew, the Dutch oven provides all the necessary camping cookware equipment you will need. The cast iron of the Dutch oven actually adds iron to our food as it cooks. This is especially noted when cooking tomato-based meals in it. If you are anemic, cooking with cast iron can boost up the level of iron in your diet, naturally.

No need to purchase elaborate camping stoves, and cookware the Dutch oven is the end all answer for every type of camping meal. The Dutch oven does it all. From main dishes to desserts and preparation and clean up is easy, so you can get back to relaxing.

Try these great Dutch oven recipes for your next camping adventure or create your own.

Dutch Oven Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1½ lean ground beef

1 small onion

1 package small soft flour tortillas

1 large can enchilada sauce

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 small can sliced black olives

1 small block of cheddar cheese or Colby jack cheese

1 can cream of mushroom soup

½ a can of evaporated milk

1 small 8 oz. container of sour cream

Instructions:

Get your charcoal briquettes or campfire burning hot. Brown the ground beef and chopped onion in Dutch oven. Stir while cooking then drain off excess grease. Add enchilada sauce, chilies, milk and mushroom soup, stirring often. Prepare the tortillas while waiting for the enchilada mixture to come to a boil. Fill each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of grated cheese, 1 heaping teaspoonful of chopped tomatoes, and a few black olives. Layer the filled tortillas in the boiling enchilada sauce mixture. Cover the Dutch oven and cook for about 20 minutes. Be sure to place about 10 hot charcoals on the lid of the Dutch oven, this ensures more even cooking. When finished, garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

1 large can of sliced peaches in heavy syrup

1 white or yellow cake mix

1 stick of butter

Cinnamon

Instructions:

Pour can of peaches in the bottom of Dutch oven. Cover peaches with prepared cake mix. Cut and evenly place several pats of butter evenly over the cake mix. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and cover the lid. Put at least 10 charcoals on lid for even baking and bake over hot charcoals for about 45 minutes.

Dutch Oven Chuck Wagon Stew

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs. Lean ground beef

2 large potatoes cut into small pieces

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce

1 tablespoon instant beef bouillon

1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 8 ounce can green beans with liquid

Instructions:

Brown and drain ground beef. Add all the other ingredients, stir and cover. Stir again occasionally, and cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. You can also add a second layer to your Dutch oven. Use this layer to cook Pillsbury refrigerator rolls or cornbread. When baking especially, be sure to add hot charcoals to top lid for even cooking.

There are so many delicious and easy recipes for Dutch ovens on the Internet. If you know your way around the kitchen, you can just use your imagination. The best part of cooking in a Dutch oven is adding the most nutritious ingredients to your one pot meals. You don’t have to be confined to using canned vegetables if you don’t want to. Learning to cook in a Dutch oven is something all campers should check out. Dutch oven cooking is an adventure in itself. It provides good nutrition, convenience and fun to your camping experience.