Chocolate Dump Cake

 While this cake may not look the prettiest, it sure is rich and delicious!

Ingredients

2 cans (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size)

1/3 cup sliced almonds

2 cubes of butter, melted

1/4 cup of Nutella to spread on top

Instructions

Preheat your Dutch oven to around 350 degrees Fahrenheit with around 10 briquettes 

on the bottom and around 14 on the top. Lightly spray it with cooking spray (optional: You can line your oven with parchment paper if you choose.)

Combine the pie filling and evaporated milk and spread the filling mixture into the bottom of the Dutch oven. sprinkle the dry cake mix and almonds over the top. Drizzle with butter. Bake covered, until the cake springs back when touched, about 35-40 minutes. When the cake is finished, spread Nutella on the top.

Serve warm with ice cream. Enjoy!

(For even richer texture/flavor, add sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk)

Herb & Cheese Artisan Bread

 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one packet)

1 1/4 cup warm water (between 100-110 degrees)

1 tsp granulated sugar 

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cup flour

1 cup of cheese approximately (I used mozzarella) 

1/2 tsp of herbs of choice (I used oregano, sage, and thyme. Rosemary is also good. Follow your nose)

Combine sugar and water, add yeast. Let it proof for 15 minutes

Combine salt and flour, mix in herbs and cheese 

Slowly pour yeast mixture into flour mixture. Mix until dough comes off edges of bowl but is still a little sticky. Add more flour or water as needed. 

Flour both sides. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hrs in a warm place

Gently slide out of bowl onto a floured surface, shape by folding each corner into the center. DO NOT KNEAD OR PUNCH DOWN. Dust each side with flour again, let rise another 20 min or so. 

This is when I start my bricketts. By the time they are ready, the dough has had time for the second rise. 

Flour the bottom of your Dutch oven. 

Brickets on the edges of bottom and top in a circle worked best for me. 

Don't forget to rotate it. Should take approximately 30min to cook. Check center for doneness. Cheese should be melty. 

Cornbread

 1 Tbs butter 

1 c flour

1 c cornmeal 

2/3 c sugar 

1 tsp salt 

1 Tbs baking powder

1 egg 

1 c milk 

1/3 c vegetable oil 

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another. 

Melt butter in Dutch oven before putting in cornbread and heat it to 400°.

Combine together and cook for 20 minutes.

Ultimate Sloppy Joes

 Adapted for Dutch oven from "Dinner, then Dessert"

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Warm 25 briquets and place all of them under the Dutch oven.
2. Add beef to Dutch oven and brown.
3. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat and remove meat from Dutch oven.
4. Add in onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes.
5. Add beef to the Dutch oven and then add garlic, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
6. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15-20 minutes.
7. Serve with cheese on hamburger buns.

Notes:

• You will want to keep the lid off for most of this recipe so you can easily stir and moisture can evaporate.
• If you want to prep things beforehand, you can chop the onions and bell pepper and put them in a container together (when you remove the beef, you can put it in this container if you push the beef to the side, add the veggies, and then take the beef out). You can also mix all the sauce ingredients (garlic, mustard, ketchup, sugar, salt, and pepper) together in one container.
• Homemade buns make these sloppy joes great! For an easy homemade bun recipe, use https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/beautiful-burger-buns-recipe  I make them into sliders!

Browning the beef

Beginning of step 5

Done cooking!

Finished product

Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter

2 rolls of Pillsbury biscuits

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp cinnamon

Instructions: 

Step 1

Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar-cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared dutch oven. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in the dutch oven. 

Step 2
In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.

Step 3

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. 

Roasted Red Pepper Bread

Ingredients

3/4 cup roasted red bell peppers, drained (these come in a jar)

1-1/8 tsp. active dry yeast

1 Tbsp. warm water (110° - 115°)

1/2 cup grated or finely shredded Parmesan cheese (for dough)

2-2/3 Tbsp. warm 2% milk (110° - 115°)

1 Tbsp. butter, softened

5/8 tsp. salt (rounded half-teaspoon)

1-1/2 to 1-7/8 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg

1 Tbsp. water

3/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)

Yield: 1 loaf

Instructions

1. Place red peppers in a food processor; cover and process until pureed. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the red peppers, 1/2 cup cheese, milk, butter, salt and 1-1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. It should feel slightly sticky but not so much that you have lots of dough clinging to your hands.

2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. 

3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Shape each into an 18-in. rope. Place the 3 ropes on a greased baking sheet* and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. 

4. In a small bowl, combine egg and water; brush over braid. Sprinkle with pepper and 2 Tablespoons cheese. 

*See alternate Dutch Oven instructions.

Oven

Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. 

Dutch Oven

After braiding the bread, place on parchment paper. If you have a rack, place the parchment paper on the rack (if not, just use parchment paper), and then place the rack on a cookie sheet. Let rise. About 20 minutes before your bread is done rising, start your briquets. Once the coals are done, place approximately 10 coals on the bottom and 18 coals on top and let the Dutch oven preheat for about 10 minutes. The number of coals and/or time to preheat may need to be adjusted according to your particular oven and the weather and temperature. When the oven is done heating, place the rack with the bread inside the oven and cover. Try not to remove the lid as this will release heat. After about 20-25 minutes, check your bread. Mine was done after 26 minutes. Let the bread cool completely (preferably on a rack of some kind) before cutting/serving, as this will prevent doughiness. 

8 Can Soup

 

8 Can Soup

This recipe is a super quick and super easy dump and wait recipe. It also makes for quick cleanup because you really are just heating everything up together. This has a slight kick to it that would be great with tortilla chips or bread!

 

1 15 oz can Black Beans (drain as best you can)

1 15 oz can Pinto Beans (drain as best you can)

1 14.5 oz can Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 15 oz can Sweet Corn (drained as best you can)

1 12.5 oz can Chicken Breast (drained as best you can)

1 10 oz can Green Enchilada Sauce

1 14 oz can Chicken Broth

1 Packet Taco Seasoning (any kind)

 

To cook you really own need briquettes on the bottom, I used 12-14 on the bottom, and stirred every 10-15 minutes, until warmed. Don’t forget your ladle and your can opener! Enjoy!

Apple Cider Pork Chops

 

Ingredients:

* 4 Tbsp vegetable oil

* Salt and Pepper, to taste

* 5-6 pork chops (bone in or out)

* 1 c chicken broth

* 1 c cider vinegar

* 8 oz sliced mushrooms

* 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

* 1 Tbsp brown sugar

* 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

* 1 tsp dried thyme leaves

* 1/4 c chopped parsley

Instructions:

Heat up dutch oven with coals on bottom, begin heating up the oil

Heavily season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper

Brown both sides of pork chops in the oil (can do ahead of time for a crispier exterior, browning in dutch ovens is rough)

Add chicken broth, vinegar, mushrooms, onion, brown sugar, garlic, and thyme

Cover and simmer until pork is done (roughly 40 min)

Top with parsley to serve

Thai Green Curry

Adapted for Dutch oven from Hot Thai Kitchen

Ingredients:

1¾ cup coconut milk, divided

3 Tbsp green curry paste (use Mae Ploy or Maesri)

1 cup chicken stock

1 lb chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces (if using chicken breast, see note)

2 Tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped (can substitute brown or granulated sugar but only add 1 Tbsp)

1½ - 2 Tbsp fish sauce

1½ cup bamboo shoots, canned (optional, but very good)

1 cup Thai basil

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

6 cooked cups jasmine rice for serving

Directions:

1. Heat 25 briquets and then place all of them under the Dutch oven.

2. Reduce ¾ cup coconut milk until very thick (around 10 to 15 minutes).

3. Add curry paste and sauté, stirring constantly for about 4 minutes until aromatic. 

4. Add chicken thigh (see below if using chicken breast) and stir to mix with the paste. 

5. Add chicken stock, remaining 1 cup of coconut milk, palm sugar and 1 Tbsp fish sauce. Let simmer gently (with lid off) for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender and cooked through.

6. Once the chicken is cooked, add bamboo shoots and bell peppers. 

7. Taste and add more fish sauce and/or sugar as needed.

8. Stir in Thai basil.

9. Serve with jasmine rice.

If using chicken breast:

4. After sautéing the curry paste, add coconut milk, chicken stock, palm sugar and 1 Tbsp fish sauce.

5. Add chicken breast and cook until chicken is about 70% done (about 15-20 min). 

6. Add bamboo shoots and bell peppers and cook until chicken is cooked through.

7. Taste and add more fish sauce and/or sugar as needed.

8. Stir in Thai basil.

9. Serve with jasmine rice.

Note: The curry should be thicker than it is in these pictures. If you don't reduce the coconut milk enough, it will be like this.

Camper's Herbed Focaccia

 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 3 to 4 tsp dried herbs (such as basil, rosemary, thyme, dill or desired combination), divided
• 1/4 cups olive oil, divided
• 1-1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp. coarse sea salt, or to taste, divided
• 1/3 cups grated Asiago, Parmesan or Romano cheese

Instructions:

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, yeast and sugar. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons very warm water and stir until dough forms*. Cover bowl and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. To dough in bowl, add 2 teaspoons herbs**, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and Asiago cheese. Use hands to work ingredients into dough until well incorporated (dough will seem oily). Knead dough for 10 minutes until smooth. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. Grease bottom of Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Put dough evenly over bottom of pot. With fingers, press 1/2 inch-deep indentations evenly spaced over top of dough. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with remaining 1 to 2 teaspoons herb and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover pot with lid.

4. Arrange about 9**** hot coals in cooking ring underneath Dutch oven. Place remaining 19 hot coals on lid. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes or to desired crustiness. Rotate pot and lid twice during cooking. Adjust the number of hot coals on top and bottom as needed for even cooking. Cool slightly before cutting into wedges.

5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* Even if you think you're going to need more water, wait to add it until you've fully added the oil. It will seem very dry and not like a cohesive dough until the oil is added.

** I did 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp basil, and 1 tsp thyme, and used the same ratios for the top of the bread. Also, it'll seem like the dough will never come together but if you really do knead it for 10 minutes on a non-floured surface (I just did it straight on my countertop) it will eventually form a nice dough.

*** I did 7 on bottom and 21 on top, which worked better for my oven as far as not burning the bread on the bottom. I also ended up cooking my bread for about 30 minutes, but you should check it after 20.

Easy Ravioli Lasagna

 Ingredients:

    -1lb ground beef

    -2 cans diced tomatoes

    -Italian seasoning

    -Cheese ravioli and/or Meat ravioli (from freezer section)

    -Mozzarella cheese

    -Parmesan cheese

Steps:

    -Brown your hamburger, then add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Set aside or take out of Dutch oven.

    -Layer ingredients in this order- Ravioli, Hamburger, Mozzarella cheese, REPEAT, Then add some parmesan cheese

    -Add your briquettes on top and bottom, rotating Dutch oven and lid every 10 minutes. Let cook for 25-30 minutes. ENJOY!!!