Dutch Oven Meals

Consider any baked casserole a potential Dutch oven meal!  Dutch ovens are camp cooks vehicle to dust off their favorite baked dinners.  So if you have a favorite baked macaroni and cheese recipe, consider making it in a Dutch oven.  Cobblers work especially well for desserts.

If you want tried-and-true winner recipes, here are a few.

Chicken Dutch-iladas by Ellen Bergman, Pack 673, Whittier California.  2nd place Entree winner Scouting Magazine contest 2009

Serves 8-10.

3 cups boiled shredded chicken (can substitute a rotisserie chicken, or use a crock pot with 3 chicken breasts for 4-6 hours on low.)

1 large can green enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
1 pint sour cream
1 package dry, ranch dressing mix
3 cups Jack and/or cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
Aluminum foil

While the coals heat up, lightly fry both sides of corn tortillas in oil till slightly crispy.  Layer tortillas between paper towels to drain off as much oil as possible, and set aside.  Combine shredded chicken, a third of the green sauce, sour cream, ranch dressing mix, olives and a third of the shredded cheese.  Set mixture aside.  Line the Dutch oven with foil to make it easier to clean.  Wet bottom of oven with some of the green sauce and layer 3 tortillas, shredded chicken mixture, som cheese and more green sauce.  In that order, layer a couple more times and top with the last of the tortillas, green sauce and cheese.  Cover and cook 30 minutes with briquettes on top and bottom.  Should be about 350 degrees inside.
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Spanish Rice Meal by Tom Betancourt, Troop 616, Harrington Park, NJ.  1st place Entree winner Scouting magazine contest 2009.

Serves 10-12

6 TBS olive oil
1 cup bacon, diced, raw
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
4 cups tomato juice
4 cups chicken stock
2 tsp salt
4 cups rice
1 cup frozen peas
1 can small white beans

Heat a 14 inch deep dutch oven over wood coals or charcoal briquettes. Add the olive oil.  When oil is hot, add the diced bacon and cook until translucent but not completely done.  Add green pepper, onion, and garlic to bacon fat and olive oil. Saute for two minutes, stirring frequently.  Add tomato juice, chicken stock, and salt.  Stir to mix and bring liquid to a boil.  Cover the Dutch oven and remove some coals to bring liquid to a simmer.   Simmer for about 20 minutes.  Stir the mixture at 10 minutes.  Rice is done when all liquid is absorbed and rice is soft.  If all the liquid is absorbed and rice is not soft, add additional liquid.  When rice is done, add peas and beans. Stir and recover.  Let sit for about 5 minutes and serve.

To make this a full meal, fry 1 lb of hamburger and add to it.
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Lemon-Lime Soda Apple Dumplings by Martin A. Pessink, Venture Crew 451 Pittsburg, Texas.  Grand Prize Dessert winner Scouting Magazine contest 2009.

Serves 8

2 large Granny Smith apples
1 12 oz can of lemon-lime soda
2 8 oz cans of refrigerated crescent rolls
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 TBS cinnamon

Use a Dutch oven large enough to accommodate all apples in one layer because they'll expand when cooking.  Cut each apple into eight pieces.  Wrap each piece in one crescent roll.  Melt stick of butter in the bottom of the Dutch oven and roll each piece in the melted butter before placing them in the bottom of the pan.  Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle the mixture over all apple pieces.  Carefully add the soda so as to not wash away the sugar from the dumplings.  Based on oven size, adjust the amount of briquettes on top and bottom and bake until dumplings turn golden brown.  This will be about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.