Potatoes Wrapped in Bacon

     I was thinking of this recipe today while I was swimming, it's terrible, I know, to be obsessing about food while you're trying to burn off calories but since anything tastes good wrapped in bacon, I thought, why not potatoes?  I searched the Internet and found that various versions of this recipe have been around for a while now.  If you only have large potatoes you can cut them into wedges, wrap them tightly with bacon and basically cook them the same way.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, they baked for 55 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and the lid completely covered with briquettes.  I started with a blazing hot oven and left it undisturbed for almost an hour, when I smelled the bacon I knew they were done.  Double or triple the recipe if you're feeding a crowd.   Crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, serve these dressed potatoes for breakfast, as an appetizer or as a side dish with dinner, I guarantee they will fly off the plate.

Potatoes Wrapped in Bacon
12 New or fingerling potatoes, washed and dried thoroughly
6 slices of bacon
Salt and pepper to taste

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Cut bacon strips in half.
     Wrap each potato tightly with halved bacon strip.
     Place wrapped potatoes side by side in dutch oven.
     Add salt and pepper to taste.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until bacon is crisp and potatoes are tender.
     Serve warm with sour cream, chives or softened butter.

Wrap potatoes with bacon and place in a single layer
in dutch oven.

Roast at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes

Serve these crispy spuds with your favorite toppings

Bacon Cheese Pull-Aparts

     Since we're having the first real cold snap of the season I was in the mood today for a hearty, stick to your ribs kind of breakfast.  This recipe from Pillsbury was not only a cinch to prepare but warm and filling as well.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, the biscuits baked for a total of 23 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 14 placed around the outside edge of the lid with 6 briquettes spaced evenly in the middle.  I removed the center coals during the last 5 minutes of cooking time as the center was starting to brown too quickly.  This is a very good campfire recipe with ingredients that won't take up too much room in your cooler and you can even stir everything together in your dutch oven if you don't want to dirty an extra bowl. 

Bacon Cheese Pull-Aparts
1 egg
2 Tblsp milk
1 16.3 oz can Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Refrigerated Original Biscuits
1 2.1 oz package precooked bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (4 medium)

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven.
     In large bowl, beat egg and milk with wire whisk until smooth.
     Separate dough into 8 biscuits; cut each biscuit onto quarters.
     Gently stir biscuit pieces into egg mixture to coat evenly.
     Fold in bacon, cheese and onions.
     Spoon mixture into prepared oven; arrange biscuit pieces in single layer.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 23-28 minutes or until golden brown.
     Cut into squares, makes 4-6 servings.

Spread biscuit mixture in single layer in well oiled oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 23-28 minutes

Stash this recipe in your camping recipe file,
it's easy and very tasty as well

Bacon and Date Scones

     If you have ever savored a bacon wrapped date as an hors d'oeuvre, you are going to love these sweet and savory scones.  From Bon Appetit, this recipe makes just the right amount for your 10 inch dutch oven.  Rather than kneading, patting out the dough and cutting it into wedges, I took the easy way out and plopped spoonfuls of batter right into my well oiled oven.  They baked for 20 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and 24-26 on the lid.  Don't worry if they fuse together while baking, just cut them while they're hot and allow them to cool a bit before removing from your oven. 

Bacon and Date Scones
10 slices thick-cut bacon
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup buttermilk
Raw sugar for sprinkling tops of scones

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until cooked through but still tender and not crisp.
     Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain; cool.
     Pour bacon drippings from skillet into small heatproof bowl and reserve.
     Coarsely chop cooled bacon.
     In large bowl, whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
     Using pastry blender or two knives cut cold butter into flour until mixture resembles small crumbs.
     Add bacon and dates to flour mixture; mix until well combined.
     Add buttermilk, stir until just combined.
     Drop dough by large spoonfuls into prepared dutch oven.
     Brush with reserved bacon drippings and sprinkle with raw sugar.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
     Allow to cool slightly before removing from oven.
     Makes 7-8 scones.

Spoon batter into well oiled oven then brush with
bacon drippings and sprinkle with sugar

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

A sensational combination of flavors in a flaky, buttery scone

Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Shallots and a Bacon Blanket

     I wish you were sitting at my dining room table right now so I could serve you a big plate of this scrumptious chicken.  I have been dying to roast a whole chicken in my 10 inch deep dutch oven and once I wiped the drool off of my keyboard after reading this recipe, I knew I had hit the jackpot.  What could be easier than throwing unpeeled garlic and shallots, a chicken and bacon slices in your dutch oven?  The original recipe calls for roasting the chicken in a 500 degree oven and you definitely need a hot oven to crisp the bacon.
     I started roasting a 4 pound chicken in my 10 inch deep oven with 12 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 15 coals in a ring around the outside of the lid with 8 briquettes spaced evenly in the middle.  After an hour, I left the bottom coals alone, replaced the top coals with 18 freshly lit briquettes and let it cook for 45 more minutes.  This is best made in a deep oven, however I would suggest making this in nothing smaller than a 12 inch regular oven as you do need a little space between the bacon and the lid.  Slipping the skins off of the shallots and garlic is a bit messy but licking your fingers is half the fun.
     Let the chicken sit for 15 minutes before carving and be sure to toast up some thick slices of bread so you can slather it with the sweet, roasted cloves of garlic.  I would make a terrible food critic because basically, I like everything but honestly, this is one of the best dinners I have made in my dutch oven and would recommend it highly.  The combination of garlic, shallots and smokey bacon transforms an ordinary roast chicken into a five-star dinner.

Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Shallots and a Bacon Blanket
2 heads garlic, separated into cloves, but not peeled
8-10 medium shallots, not peeled
1 Tblsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
4-5 lb whole chicken
8 oz thickly cut bacon
Salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste
Thick slices of toasted bread

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Toss garlic cloves and shallots with olive oil in prepared oven.
     Add the wine then sprinkle with salt.
     Use paper towels to pat dry the chicken, season with salt and pepper, including the cavity.
     Set the chicken, breast side up, on top of the garlic and shallots.
     Drape the strips of bacon over the chicken.
     Roast at 400 degrees for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, adding new top coals after the first hour.
     Chicken is done when bacon is crisp and thigh temperature reads 170 degrees.
     Remove chicken from dutch oven and set on platter, allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
     Meanwhile, slip the garlic cloves and shallots from their skins and serve with the chicken, they are also good spread on toasted bread.
     Depending on size of bird, makes 4-6 servings.

Toss garlic and shallots with olive oil in prepared oven

Place chicken in oven and cover with strips of bacon,
you may have to reposition shallots to allow more room
for chicken.

Roast at 400 degrees for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours changing
top coals after first hour of cooking time

Let chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving

Oh boy, crispy bacon, juicy chicken and the
 best garlic bread in the world
 

Bacon-Cheddar Biscuits

     A dutch oven cook can never have enough biscuit recipes, especially if they're loaded with bacon and cheese.  This recipe from Williams Sonoma may seem complicated but it's your basic biscuit formula, the only difference is the method for rolling out the dough.  Similar to making puff pastry from scratch, you roll out the dough, fold it in thirds then repeat the process again.  As you probably know by now, for the sake of convenience, I much prefer making drop biscuits in my dutch oven.  I must say, this recipe really does produce a flakier biscuit.  I patted the dough on a piece of parchment paper then lifted the ends of the paper to fold the dough onto itself, much neater and quicker than flouring your counter.  If you're camping and don't want to go to the trouble of rolling out the dough, add an extra tablespoon of buttermilk and drop the biscuits by spoonfuls into your dutch oven.
     In my 10 inch dutch oven, the biscuits baked for 20 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and the lid completely covered with around 26 briquettes.  Brushing your dutch oven with bacon grease makes these peppery biscuits especially crisp and for a little extra kick, serve them warm with butter and hot pepper jelly.

Bacon-Cheddar Biscuits
6 oz bacon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tblsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 Tblsp (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tblsp butter, melted
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp buttermilk

     In frying pan, cook bacon until crisp, about 10 minutes.
     Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate; reserve bacon fat in pan.
     Finely chop cooked bacon.
     Coat bottom and sides of dutch oven with warm bacon fat.
     In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and pepper.
     Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the cold butter until pea-size crumbs form.
     Stir in the Cheddar and Parmigiano -Reggiano cheeses and the bacon.
     Stir in the buttermilk until the dough just comes together.
     Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and roll out into a 9 by 11 inch rectangle.
     Fold the dough into thirds, rotate 90 degrees and roll out into the same sized rectangle.
     Fold into thirds again, rotate 90 degrees and roll out into a 9 by 9 inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
     Using a floured 2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and place side-by-side in prepared dutch oven.
     Gather up the scraps, reroll the dough and cut out more biscuits.
     Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.
     Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
     Let cool for 10 minutes before serving; makes 8-12 biscuits.

Brush dutch oven with bacon fat before adding biscuits

Bake in a hot oven for 20-25 minutes

What could be better than flaky biscuits baked
in your dutch oven

Maple-Mustard Roasted Corn with Bacon

     To kick off the summer corn season, here's an easy way to roast and glaze corn on the cob in your dutch oven.  Adapted from a Country Living recipe, roast the corn under high heat until it's tender then toss it with a maple-Dijon glaze and crispy bacon.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, the corn roasted for 20 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and the lid completely covered with coals.  You can leave the corn whole if you like but it fits more easily into the oven when it's broken into pieces.  Not overpowering, the glaze adds a touch of sweetness and the bacon tastes like candy.  My taste testers overwhelmingly agreed that, although delicious, the recipe definitely needed more bacon.

Maple-Mustard Roasted Corn with Bacon
6 ears corn, husked and broken into thirds
1-2 Tblsp olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tblsp Dijon mustard
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained and finely chopped

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Toss corn with olive oil in dutch oven until well coated.
     Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until tender.
     In small bowl, combine maple syrup and mustard.
     When corn is done, add bacon and syrup-mustard mixture.
     Toss until well combined and serve.

Toss corn with a little olive oil until well coated

Roast for 20 minutes then stir in remaining ingredients

Salty, sweet and a little tangy

Chocolate-Topped Peanut Butter-Bacon Bars

     Just when you thought you'd seen it all, Betty Crocker brings us the ultimate dessert for bacon junkies.  Easily made from a package of peanut butter cookie mix and crisply cooked bacon, these addictive bars are the perfect balance of sweet and salty ingredients and will remind you of a warm peanut butter and bacon sandwich. 
     In my 10 inch dutch oven, the bars baked for 25 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 14 placed in a ring around the outside of the lid with 6 spaced evenly in the center.  Once the cookie batter layer is golden brown, remove the lid, sprinkle with the chocolate chips and continue baking until the chips are soft and spreadable.  I allowed them to cool in my dutch oven for 30 minutes before lifting them out with the parchment paper.  If you don't want to eat them while they're still warm and gooey, place them in the fridge until the chocolate has set before cutting into bars.  These are indescribably good and if you use maple flavored bacon they're even more flavorful and delicious.

Chocolate-Topped Bacon Peanut Butter Bars
1 17.5 oz pouch Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tblsp maple-flavored syrup
1 egg
12 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled (about a cup)
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, oil, syrup and egg until soft dough forms.
     Reserve 1/4 cup bacon for garnish.
     Stir remaining bacon and peanuts into dough.
     Press dough evenly into parchment lined dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
     Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
     Replace lid and cook for 3-5 minutes or until chocolate has melted.
     Immediately spread softened chocolate over bars.
     Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup bacon over chocolate.
     Cool for 30 minutes before lifting from dutch oven.
     Wait 30 minutes, or until chocolate has set, before cutting into squares.
     Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Press cookie dough into parchment lined 10 inch dutch oven

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, sprinkle with chocolate chips
and bake for several minutes more or until chocolate has melted

Spread melted chocolate then top with remaining bacon pieces

Nothing like a little protein to balance out the sugar

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Country Ribs

     Adapted from this recipe I found on the Just A Pinch website, these bacon wrapped ribs are seriously good and just made for dutch oven cooking.  Really, is there anything that doesn't taste better when wrapped in bacon?  Juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, applewood smoked bacon paired with a hickory barbecue sauce made for a winning combination.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, I started with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven with 26 briquettes on the lid.  I left them alone and in spite of the wind and chilly temperatures, in one hour the steam was pouring from my oven and they were perfectly done.  This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, depending on the size of your oven.  Just be sure to bake them in one layer and don't cover them with too much sauce, you want the bacon exposed to the heat, otherwise it will become soggy.  

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Country Ribs
5 pork country ribs
10 slices uncooked bacon
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
toothpicks

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Cover bottom of dutch oven with half of barbecue sauce.
     Wrap each rib with two slices of bacon; secure bacon with toothpicks.
     Place ribs in single layer in dutch oven.
     Spoon remaining sauce evenly over ribs.
     Ribs should not be swimming in sauce.
     Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until bacon is crisp on top and ribs are tender.
     Recipe can easily be doubled and baked in larger dutch oven.

Wrap ribs with bacon and secure with toothpicks

Cover ribs in a light layer of sauce before baking

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour

Mmmmm, bacon keeps the ribs moist and juicy

Bacon Biscuits with Orange-Honey Butter

     The first thing I did when I woke up this morning was Google the word 'bacon'.  Having all the ingredients on hand, this biscuit recipe from Betty Crocker not only satisfied my craving for bacon but is perfect for a lazy morning when you need immediate gratification without a lot of effort.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, they baked for 15 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and about 22-23 on the lid.  Piling on the heat will help the biscuits to rise higher.  I cheated by using a 2 ounce package of ready-cooked applewood bacon and as usual, added a little extra liquid for a wetter batter.  The orange-honey butter is the perfect finishing touch and if you're a real bacon junkie, tuck a couple of slices between the biscuit halves for an exceptional way to start the day.

Bacon Biscuits
8 slices cooked bacon, drained and cut or crumbled into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/4 cups baking mix (Bisquick)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk OR half and half plus extra if needed
Orange-Honey Butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tblsp orange marmalade
1 Tblsp honey

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In medium bowl, combine Bisquick, cornmeal, sugar and bacon.
     Stir in milk OR half and half, adding more liquid if necessary, until soft dough forms.
     Drop dough by 8 spoonfuls into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
     In small bowl, beat butter, marmalade and honey with whisk until blended.
     Serve warm biscuits with orange-honey butter.

Drop batter into well oiled dutch oven

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes

You can't go wrong with bacon, marmalade, butter and honey

Canadian Bacon Upside Down Cake

      We can thank Marsha Gardner from Florala, AL for posting this wonderful Canadian Bacon Upside Down Cake recipe online.  She makes it in a cast iron skillet but it is perfectly adaptable to dutch oven cooking.  In my 10 inch oven, it baked for 28 minutes with 10 coals around the base of the oven, 14 briquettes in a ring around the outside of the lid and 6 spaced evenly in the center.  I used a 15 ounce package of Krusteaz Honey Cornbread and added a sprinkling of brown sugar to the melted butter.  Serve it hot out of the oven with maple syrup or even a drizzling of honey, warm cornbread topped with sweetened pineapple and Canadian bacon is a combination that just can't be missed.

Canadian Bacon Upside Down Cake
12 slices Canadian bacon
4 Tblsp unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 20 oz. can pineapple rings, drained
1 15 oz. package cornbread mix
Ingredients for preparing cornbread as listed on package
Maple syrup

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Pour melted butter in prepared oven, swirl to cover bottom of oven completely.
     Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.
     Arrange pineapple rings over brown sugar and butter.
     Layer Canadian bacon slices over pineapple rings, overlapping if necessary.
     Prepare cornbread mix according to package directions.
     Spoon batter over bacon and pineapple.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown and tester comes out clean.
     Let sit for 10 minutes before lifting out and inverting onto plate.
     Serve warm with maple syrup, makes 6 servings.

Overlap slices of Canadian bacon on top of pineapple layer

Cover with cornbread batter

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before lifting out and
inverting onto plate

Best served warm, doused with maple syrup

Bacon Cheddar Corn Pudding

      If you're looking for a nice side dish to bring to your next dutch oven gathering or Thanksgiving dinner, this spoon bread/corn casserole from Kraft is easy and very filling.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, it baked with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom of the oven, 14 placed around the edge of the lid and 6 briquettes spaced evenly in the center.  After 35 minutes, or when the middle was firm to the touch, I sprinkled on the topping and let it bake for 10 minutes more. It has all the elements of a great campfire recipe, can be mixed in one bowl, is easy enough for the beginning dutch oven cook to master and best of all, it's smothered in cheese and bacon.  

Bacon Cheddar Corn Pudding
2 eggs, beaten
1 15 oz can cream-style corn
1 11 oz can corn with red and green bell peppers, drained
1 8.5 oz package corn muffin mix (Jiffy sized)
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 8 oz. package shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
4 green onions, sliced
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven.
     Mix first 5 ingredients until well blended; stir in 1/2 cup cheese.
     Pour into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until center is firm to the touch.
     Meanwhile, combine remaining cheese, onions and bacon.
     Top casserole with cheese mixture, bake 10 minutes more or until lightly browned.
     Makes 8-10 servings as a side dish.

Pour batter into prepared 10 inch dutch oven

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until firm
to the touch in center

Top with bacon, Cheddar, scallion mixture and bake for
10 minutes more or until melted and lightly brown

An easy spoon bread pudding for your next dutch oven gathering