Apple Crisp

1c flour

1c sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

cinnamon

1 egg

1 cube butter

1/4c hot water

5-7 apples, peeled and sliced

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in egg until crumbly. 

Melt butter and add 1/4 cup hot water. 

Put apple slices into the dutch oven, sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover apples with flour mixture.  Spoon butter mixture over until flour is dampened. Bake until crust is golden brown and crispy.  Best served with ice cream. 

Greek Shrimp Pasta Bake

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta (or anything else but spaghetti)

3/4 lb medium shrimp (we usually use more) 

3 cups fresh spinach, stems removed and torn up 

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon oregano 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 package (about 4 oz) crumbled feta cheese 

1 can black olives, drained and sliced 

Instructions

1. Cook pasta on the stove as directed on package, during the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking add shrimp. 

2. While pasta is cooking cut up remaining ingredients and add them to the salt, olive oil, and oregano. 

2. Once pasta and shrimp are cooked drain.

3. Once shrimp and pasta are cooked and drained stir in the rest of the ingredients. Spread evenly. You can mix everything together in the dutch oven! 

4. Let everything cook in the dutch oven for 15-20 minutes, making sure to stir the dish every five or so! 

Notes 

*We used about 15 coals on top and 10 on the bottom it worked nicely! 

*This recipe is pretty customizable if you want to add or take away something it still always tastes nice! 

*We always make it with garlic bread too! 

Dutch Oven Toll House Pie 🍪😍

This is an important recipe.

Not just for me.

Not just for you.

This is for everyone in your family...for generations.

This will be one of those family recipes that everyone remembers from Grandma & Grandpa's House.

BYU students who lived at Helaman Halls may remember this dessert from the Cannon Center. A version of this dish is made by the BYU bakery, but is often far too sugary to enjoy. This version is sweet but smoooooth. Bonus: it's super easy to make! In a word, it's perfect.

Enjoy.

TOLL HOUSE PIE

*You have my permission to call this Pillsbury Pie, for alliteration's sake*

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs 
• Ice cream -optional-
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup softened butter (can be melted, too)
• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell - If frozen, allow to thaw

Destructions: <--Not a typo 

1. Beat eggs in bowl until foamy
2. Beat in flour and sugars
3. Add butter and beat until smooth
4. Mix in chips and nuts
5. Transfer "dough" into pie shell
   
   
6. Place 5 1-2" stones into bottom of a 12" dutch oven. This will serve as a platform for your pie tin (if you place the tin directly in the dutch oven, the pie will burn). In the meantime, allow a little one to play around with his laser pointer.
    
   
7. Place pie on top of rocks
   
8. Evenly distribute 7 coals underneath dutch oven & 16 on lid
   
9. Bake for about 65 minutes. Don't worry if the top looks like it's getting over done. It'll be perfect.
10. Allow pie to cool (can hurry this along in the freezer--the pie is irresistible!)
11. Slice and serve! Pairs perfectly with butter pecan ice cream!

 

This really is one of my favorite desserts. I hope you give it a try!

--Jared Murphy--6/15/2020--

Tortellini Sausage Soup

Ingredients:

- 16 ounce Jimmy Dean sausage (or any other sausage you like)
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chicken broth
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 (8-10 ounce) package cheese tortellini
- Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Start cooking the sausage either in the dutch oven or on stove top. Add garlic and onions, cook until sausage and onions are cooked.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, apple cider, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, parsley, and basil. Put lid on and simmer 1/2 hour. Add tortellini and cook until tender. Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.

A few tips: You don't have to use apple cider, I used apple-pineapple juice last time I made it. Other similar drinks should be fine to use as well. This probably took me 45 minutes to cook, but you're basically just heating everything up, so as long as it's hot and the pasta is cooked you're good to go.

Dutch Oven - Oatmeal Cake

Cake:
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
1 cube butter, melted
1 1/2 c. water
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. sugar
1 c. raisins
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
nuts

Combine oatmeal, melted butter, and water; let sit for 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Bake at 375° in a 9 x 13 inch pan for 40 minutes.

Topping:
6 T. margarine
1/4 c. milk or canned milk
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. nuts

Combine ingredients in saucepan and cook until boiling and thickened. Pour over cake, then place cake in the oven and broil until brown.

Our favorite way to enjoy this cake is cooked in the Dutch oven (watch it close because it cooks fast). When making the cake in the Dutch oven, you still have to cook the topping on the stove. After the cake is done, add the topping and cover the Dutch oven with coals again to brown the topping.

http://deluctabledelights.blogspot.com/2010/04/dutch-oven-oatmeal-cake_6764.html (reference for recipe)

White Chicken Enchiladas

Introduction: 

These sour cream based white chicken enchiladas have been a family favorite for decades. Very simple and very delicious. When cooked in a dutch oven you will taste that iconic seasoned cast iron flavor that will add to the overall tastiness of the dish. Feeds about 6. 

Prep Time: 20+ minutes 

Cook Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients 

8 soft taco size flour tortillas

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese 

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (we use 1 rotisserie chicken from costco) 

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour 

2 cups chicken broth 

1 cup sour cream

1 (4oz) can green chilies

chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions 

-Preheat your oven to 425 Degrees and spray a 9x13 pan --OR-- Get your charcoal going, and spray down your tinfoil dutch oven liner with cooking spray

- Distribute your shredded chicken and a handful of cheese into each of the 8 tortillas roll up burrito style and place seam down into the pan or dutch oven. (More chicken in each tortilla will feed more people).

-Creamy white Sauce: In a large saucepan (or your dutch oven) melt your 3 Tablespoons of butter. Add the 3 Tablespoons of flour. Cook and stir for about 1 minute on your medium/high heat. Make sure that this mixture gets relatively thick. Add your 2 cups of chicken broth and whisk together until smooth. Continue cooking this mixture on medium heat until it is thickened, it should start to be a bit bubbly. Once sauce has thickened, stir in your 1 cup sour cream and your green chilies. 

-Pour your sauce evenly over your rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the top with cheese. 

-Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly (in a 12 inch dutch oven with 10 coals on bottom and 14 on top it takes about 20 minutes) 

-Sprinkle with fresh cilantro just before you serve

Posted by: Tanner Mills - June 2020

Greek Briam - Roasted Vegetable Stew

Briam is a traditional Greek food, and is often sprinkled with feta cheese and served with a slice of warm bread. This dish can be eaten as a main course, or as a complimentary side! This recipe is adapted from a kitchen oven recipe in 30 Days of Greek Food by Sylia. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 3 medium-sized potatoes (thinly sliced, about 1/8 inch thick)
• 2 to 3 zucchini (thinly sliced, about 1/4 in thick) 
• 1 large red onion (thinly sliced into rounds) 
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice (14.5 oz cans, no salt added)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1.5 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• extra virgin olive oil, to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place sliced potatoes and zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and rosemary. Add fresh parsley, garlic, and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Toss to ensure the vegetables are well coated. 
• Pour 1 can of diced tomatoes in the dutch oven and spread to cover the entire bottom. 
• Arrange the seasoned potatoes, zucchini, and onions in the dutch oven.
• If you have any extra virgin olive oil and season mixture left in the mixing bowl, pour it over the arranged veggies. 
• Top with the last can of diced tomatoes, spreading evenly across the vegetables. 
• Cook for 30 minutes (plus or minus five minutes, depending on how firm you like your vegetables) at 400 degrees in the dutch oven. I used a total of 36 briquettes, and distributed them on the top and bottom. 
• Optional tip: remove the dutch oven lid after baking and broil in a kitchen oven for 5 minutes to slightly char the top layer of veggies.
• Serve with feta cheese and bread.

Creamy White Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2inch cubes

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 (15.5 ounce) cans great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chiles

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

½ cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

Heat olive oil in dutch oven over 17 coals; cook and stir chicken, onion, and garlic into the hot oil until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear.

Mix Great Northern beans, chicken broth, green chiles, salt, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into chicken mixture; bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 30 mins until flavors have blended, stirring about every 5 mins.

Remove chili from heat; stir in sour cream and whipping cream until incorporated and enjoy!

Spicy Ghurma Aloo (cumin potato curry)

Ingredients:

    2 large potatoes, cubed

    2 Tbsp canola oil

    1 Tbsp cumin seeds

    1 red onion, cubed

    1 tsp turmeric

    2 tsp coarse kosher or sea salt

    1 tsp cayenne

    1 cup water

    2 medium-size tomatoes, cubed

    2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation: 

    1. Wash and dry potatoes. Dice potatoes and onions

    2. Heat oil in dutch oven (approx. 9 coals on bottom). Add cumin seeds and cook until they are

        reddish brown and fragrant

    3. Add potatoes, onions, and turmeric and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes

    4. Add salt and cayenne pepper and stir

    5. Pour in water and put lid on dutch oven with approximately 18 coals

    6. Let cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring halfway through and rotating

    7. Stir in tomato and cilantro, let sit for 2 minutes

    8. Serve with rice

Buttery Biscuits

½ cup butter

• 2.5 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup club soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups Bisquick biscuit mix
• ¼ cup melted butter (for top of biscuits)

1. Grease and heat Dutch Oven with 8 coals on the bottom and 17 coals on the top. 
2. Combine all ingredients. Knead the dough by hand until smooth. Pat the dough flat to ¾ inch thickness on waxed paper and punch out biscuits with a biscuit cutter. 
3. Place biscuits on the bottom of the hot Dutch oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate the oven and lid often to prevent burn spots. Remember, these will bake from the top down. 
4. Remove from heat and brush golden biscuits with ¼ cup melted butter.

Super delicious with gravy!

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini

1.5 cups all-purspose flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

5/8 cups vegetable oil

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions:

Prepare dutch oven to 325*. Grease generously bottom of 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches. Blend all ingredients on a low speed for 1 minutes, scrape the bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Pour mixture into pan. Place pan on top of 1/2 inch rocks, inside dutch oven. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (About 50 minutes- 1 hour) Cool 10 minutes then remove from pan. Cool completely or serve warm.

Notes:

Do not shred zucchini in blender. 

If using frozen zucchini, thaw and drain before add to mixture.

Dutch Oven Potatoes

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. thick slice bacon

- 2 med. yellow onions; sliced

- 5 cloves garlic; minced

- 1 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms; sliced

- 15 medium potatoes; peeled & sliced

- 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup

- 10.5 oz can cheddar cheese soup

- 1 cup sour cream

- 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

- 1 TBSP soy sauce

- salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Heat a 12" Dutch oven using 18-20 briquettes bottom until oven is hot. Cut bacon into 1 inch slices and place in oven and fry until brown. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir, then cover and cook until onions are translucent. Add potatoes. In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour soup mixture over potatoes and stir until all potatoes are coated. Cover and cook 60 minutes using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 12-14 briquettes top. Stir pot gently every 15 minutes. 

German Red Cabbage

Ingredients:

- 1 medium onion, halved and sliced

- 1 medium apple, sliced 

- 1 medium head red cabbage, shredded (about 8 cups)

- 1/3 cup sugar

- 1/3 cup white vinegar (or lemon juice)

- 3/4 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon pepper

- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

- bacon (optional)

Directions:

- Preheat dutch oven to 350 degrees

- Sauté onions and apple slices over medium heat until onion is tender (about 5 minutes)

- Stir in remaining ingredients; cook covered until cabbage is tender (about 1 hour) stirring occasionally and rotating the lid every 15 minutes. 

- Serve warm or cold

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

Ingredients:
1 Cup warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg washdried rosemary, for sprinkling

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.
2. Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and whole wheat flour. Add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal-dusted piece of parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat your dutch oven to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.
6. Place the parchment paper and dough into the dutch oven. Place the lid back on the top of the Dutch oven, and cook the bread for 20-25 minutes. Check it at 20 minutes, and if it isn't quite done, cook it for another 5 minutes.

Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients

• 6 strips of bacon
• ½ pound breakfast sausage
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• ½ onion, chopped
• 5 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or pizza seasoning
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. In a dutch oven over coals or in a skillet on the stove:
1. Cook bacon, drain grease. Set aside to cool. Crumble once cooled.
2. Brown sausage, drain grease. Mix in garlic, peppers, onions, and mushrooms in with the sausage. Saute until softened - about 5 minutes. Stir in crumbled bacon. Remove mixture and set aside.
2. In dutch oven unroll crescent rolls and line base. Create the "crust" of the pizza by pinching the dough vertically along the side of the Dutch Oven, up to 1".
3. Fill the crust with meat and veggie mixture. Beat eggs. Add in Italian seasoning, red pepper, and salt & pepper. Pour over meat and veggie mixture.
4. Sprinkle cheese on top of egg, meat & veggie mixture.
5. Cover the dutch oven with lid and place 8-10 coals on the bottom and 12 on top. Be careful not to put too much heat on the bottom as to not burn the crescent dough.
6. Bake 25 - 35 minutes or until eggs are no longer jiggly in the middle.
7. Remove from heat. Let cool a few minutes, slice, serve up, and enjoy!

Modified from: https://50campfires.com/dutch-oven-deep-dish-breakfast-pizza/

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients: 
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Onion Diced
1 Celery Stalk Chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped
1 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
3 Teaspoons Taco Seasoning
2 Roma Tomatoes Chopped
1 15 Ounce Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes Drained
1 Can Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles Drained
1/3 Cup Mexican Shredded Cheese
1 Can Black Beans Drained
1/2 Avocado
10 Tortilla Chips
2 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Water
3 Cooked Shredded Chicken Breasts
2 Cups Corn
1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro

Instructions: 
1. Heat your dutch oven over briquettes (for a standard 12-inch dutch oven, you will need 10 briquettes on the bottom and 18-20 on top)
2. Add olive oil to dutch oven
3. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook the veggies until tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the garlic powder, taco seasoning, tomatoes, canned tomatoes, green chiles, and stir to combine, cooking for another 5-10 minutes.

5. Place the veggies, avocado, and cheese in a blender. Blend for about a minute or until smooth.
6. Add 1/2 can of black beans (save the other 1/2 of the beans) and add tortilla chips. Pulse a few times, leaving chunks in the soup.
7. Pour the mixture back in the dutch oven and stir in shredded chicken, 1/2 can of black beans, corn, chicken broth, water, and salt. Cook for 30 minutes.

8. Stir in the cilantro and serve with fresh avocado, chips, cheese, and sour cream (if desired).

BBQ Chicken and Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3-4 large chicken breasts
• 1 lb package of bacon
• 5 small potatoes, sliced into 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 lb butter, optional (I made this with 1/2 lb of butter and I thought the end result was still too oily. Next time I'll leave it out.)
• 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (about 18 oz)
• 26 coals

Instructions

1. Make sure your coals are burning nicely. Place dutch oven on top and put bacon in dutch oven.
2. Cook bacon until browned. Drain most of the excess grease (you want to keep probably 1/4 cup in the dutch oven). If you are making this at home, I find it's easier to bake the bacon in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes and chop it up so everything gets dumped into the Dutch oven at once.
3. Add onions, potatoes, chicken breasts, onion, butter, and BBQ sauce into the dutch oven. (Use enough sauce to coat all the other ingredients. It will become soupier as it cooks, so you might not need the whole bottle)
4. Cover with lid and make sure there are 14 coals underneath the the dutch oven and 12 on top.
5. Cook about 35-50 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.

Delicious Baked Omelet

Ingredients

10  Eggs
1 pt.  Cottage Cheese
1/2 cup  Flour
1 tsp  baking soda
1 lb.  jack cheese grated
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted butter
7 oz. can of diced green chilies

Instructions

Beat eggs until fluffy. Gently fold in remaining ingredients.
Bake in Dutch Oven for about 35 minutes. Omelet is done when golden on top, or firm all the way through.
Can also bake in an oven at 350 degrees.

Barbecue Brisket Pizza

Ingredients
8-10 oz pizza dough (Trader Joe's pizza dough works great)
1 T flour
1 T cornmeal
1/2 cup fresh pineapple
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
cilantro
barbecue sauce
pre-cooked beef brisket pieces
*Pizza topping are adaptable to your preference*

Instructions
Prepare your charcoal briquettes. For a 10" Dutch oven, you'll need about 30. For a 12" Dutch oven, you'll need about 33. Once the briquettes are ready, preheat the Dutch oven to 450. If you're using a 10" Dutch oven, put 10 coals under and 20 on the lid, for a 12" oven, put 11 coals under and 22 on the lid.

Roll the dough out in a circle shape about the size of the Dutch oven. Use flour on the rolling surface and rolling pin to avoid too much stickiness. Spread the cornmeal over the surface of a piece of parchment paper (a little wider than the circumference of the Dutch oven) and transfer the dough onto the parchment paper. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the dough so it doesn't bubble up when cooking. Add the barbecue sauce- but avoid using too much as it may cause the dough to become soggy. Put the rest of the toppings on.

Remove the lid of the Dutch oven and carefully place the parchment paper and pizza down into the pre-heated oven together.

Cover and bake for 20 or so minutes, until you can see browning and the dough is cooked through. Halfway through the cooking time, turn the oven and lid to prevent burn spots. Carefully remove from Dutch oven and enjoy!

Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

by Brian Hill

Use a 6 quart, 12" Dutch oven.

Ingredients:
  24-28 oz of canned diced tomatoes with juice
  1/2 cup finely diced celery
  1/2 cup finely diced carrots
  4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  1/2 cup finely diced onions
  1 bay leaf
  1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
  1 Tbsp dried basil leaves or 1/4 cup fresh basil
  1/4 cup butter
  1/4 cup flour
  1 cup Parmesan cheese
  1 quart milk
  1 tsp salt
  1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions:
  1. Pre-cook celery, carrots, and onions in broth for 20 minutes until vegetable are fully cooked.
  2. In warming Dutch oven, melt butter and add flour mixing to form a crumbly roux.
  3. Add cooked vegetables and broth, tomatoes, and all herbs and spices.  Smash tomatoes and bring to a light simmering boil.
  4. Add milk and stir often to keep the soup from sticking, melt the roux, and thicken the soup (About 20 minutes).
  5.  When soup is thickened and nearly ready to boil, remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese.

You could also run the soup through a blender or food processor for a smooth soup.

Will be especially good if cooked with double cheese grilled cheese sandwiches cooked on a cast iron skillet over your coals.

For a demo of this dish, watch this YouTube video:

https://youtu.be/14QWWNOxW3Y

No-Knead Focaccia

1 1/4 oz.       Envelope active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)
2 tsp.            Honey
5 cups          All-purpose flour
1 Tbsp.         Morton kosher salt
6 Tbsp.         Extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands
4 Tbsp.         Unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 pinch         Flaky sea salt
2-4               Garlic cloves

1. Whisk one ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.), 2 tsp. honey, and 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl and let sit 5 minutes (it should foam or at least get creamy; if it doesn’t your yeast is dead and you should start again—check the expiration date!).

2. Add 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour and 5 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt and mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain.

3. Pour 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into a big bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. This puppy is going to rise! Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size (it should look very bubbly and alive), at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. If you're in a rush, you can also let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 3–4 hours.

4. Generously butter a 13x9" baking pan, for thicker focaccia that’s perfect for sandwiches, or an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet, for focaccia that's thinner, crispier, and great for snacking. The butter may seem superfluous, but it’ll ensure that your focaccia doesn’t stick. Pour 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into center of pan. Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up edges of dough farthest from you and lift up and over into center of bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat process. Do this 2 more times; you want to deflate dough while you form it into a rough ball. (We learned this technique from Alexandra Stafford, who uses it to shape her no-knead bread.) Transfer dough to prepared pan. Pour any oil left in bowl over and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot (like near a radiator or on top of the fridge or a preheating oven) until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.

5. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. If it springs back quickly, the dough isn’t ready. (If at this point the dough is ready to bake but you aren’t, you can chill it up to 1 hour.) Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out dough to fill (you probably won't need to do this if using a baking pan). Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers, like you’re aggressively playing the piano, creating very deep depressions in the dough (reach your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan). Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes

6. Hold off on this last step until you're ready to serve the focaccia: Melt 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Peel and grate in 2–4 garlic cloves with a Microplane (use 2 cloves if you’re garlic-shy or up to 4 if you love it). Return to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until garlic is just lightly toasted, 30–45 seconds. (Or, if you prefer raw garlic to toasted garlic, you can grate the garlic into the hot butter, off heat, then brush right away.)

7. Brush garlic-butter all over focaccia and slice into squares or rectangles.


* I used 18 briquettes on the top and 6 underneath, but my bread didn't brown on the top, so I would recommend using more briquettes on the top as per Professor Hill*

Chicken Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:

-          2 Medium size Chicken Breasts

-          1 handful of Asparagus

-          ¼ Large Yellow Onion (chopped)

-          1 Can Cream of Chicken *or* Cream of Mushroom Soup

-          1 Can Chicken Broth (10.75 oz, or just use the empty can of soup)

-          1 can Water (10.75 oz, or just use the empty can of soup)

-          Suggested Seasonings (Chicken dry rub):

o   Salt and Pepper (heavy)

o   Oregano (heavy)

o   Rosemary (heavy)

o   Basil (medium)

o   Paprika (light)

-          Suggested Seasonings (Asparagus)

o   Pepper (heavy)

o   Basil (heavy)

o   Salt (medium)

o   Balsamic Vinegar (medium)

-          Suggested Seasonings (Soup)

o   Bay leaves (1-2)

o   Oregano (heavy)

o   Rosemary (medium)

o   Paprika (medium)

o   Garlic powder (medium)

o   Rubbed Sage (light)

o   Basil (light)

o   Chili Pepper flakes (light)

Instructions:

Chicken:

1.       Thaw chicken before preparation.

2.       Balance chicken at around ½ inch all the way around (if possible)

3.       Rub chicken with dry rub using suggested seasoning

4.       Place chicken in Dutch oven with chopped onion on top of the chicken

5.       Bake chicken at 425°F for 20 minutes in a standard oven

6.       Cut chicken into small chunks or strips

With a standard 12” Dutch oven you’ll need 31 briquettes to cook your chicken: 21 on top, 10 on bottom (with temperature adjustments as necessary). The medium-size chicken breasts should cook in about 35 minutes, if you put the briquettes on as soon as possible. Once your chicken is done, you should remove it quickly and replace the lid. If you cut the chicken outside of the oven, you will retain heat in your Dutch oven much better.

Asparagus:

1.       Cut asparagus into 3” pieces.

2.       Heat a frying pan (or your Dutch oven) to about 400°F

3.       Add suggested seasoning

4.       Heat asparagus to desired consistency

5.       Cut asparagus again into ½ or 1” chunks

To save time, I like to heat my asparagus separately, over a backpacking stove in a frying pan, while I cook my chicken. If you are hoping to use your Dutch oven, you can cook your asparagus once you remove your chicken for cutting. If you’ve timed it right, you should have enough charcoal to cook your asparagus thoroughly. It doesn’t hurt to add 3-4 briquettes on bottom and 8-10 on top to retain heat though. Asparagus cooks better and more evenly if it’s cooked in 3” pieces. I shoot for a texture that easily cuts with a fork, but crisp enough that it won’t fall apart in a soup pot. For soup, after the asparagus is cooked, I cut it again to make it easier to eat. If you want, you can also remove the asparagus, or you can leave it in the pot while cooking soup.

Soup:

1.       Mix 1 can of “cream” soup, the chicken broth, and water outside of the oven.

2.       Add suggested seasoning

3.       Put soup mix into oven

4.       Add chicken and asparagus

5.       Heat until warm

6.       Serve

If you’ve cooked your asparagus separately, you should have enough heat in your coals to heat your soup to a desired temperature. If you cooked your asparagus in your Dutch oven, you may need to add another 3-4 briquettes on bottom and 8-10 on top. Once you’ve mixed your soup mix, make sure to quickly combine the soup, chicken, and asparagus, and then cover. If you add briquettes, the soup should heat in 10-15 minutes. If you use the remaining briquettes, without adding more, the soup will take 20-30 minutes to heat, depending on how much of the briquettes remain.