Blame the Dog Bean Casserole

 
     I must confess,  I was drawn more to the name of this recipe than it's ingredients.  Posted on Allrecipes, it's a filling campfire casserole that can be altered to your liking.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, the beans baked for one hour, undisturbed, with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and 20 on the lid.  Almost better the next day, it's an easy and inexpensive way to feed your hungry campers and be sure to pack a slotted spoon for serving.

Blame the Dog Bean Casserole
1 12 oz package kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 12 oz package smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 28 oz can baked beans
1 15.5 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dry mustard powder OR 1 Tblsp prepared mustard
1 dash Worcestershire sauce

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Combine all ingredients in prepared oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until hot and bubbly.
     Makes 6-8 servings.

Mix all ingredients in prepared dutch oven

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until hot and bubbly

A doggone good camper's supper

Grands Green Bean Casserole

     I was looking for something different to make for Thanksgiving this year and thought I'd test this Green Bean Casserole from Pillsbury in my dutch oven before serving it to my family.  In my 12 inch dutch oven, the casserole baked for a total of 40 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and 28 on the lid.  The biscuits baked for 10 minutes before I spooned on the bean mixture.  After 25 more minutes the casserole was hot, bubbly and ready for the final coating of onions.
     I pre-cooked the frozen green beans in my microwave but you could also use 4 15 oz cans of your favorite green beans, drained, right out of the can.  Use your more traditional green bean casserole recipe if you like but do try it sometime on the biscuits, it's a good combination and a fun way to dress up an everyday side dish.
                                                                                                                                         
Grands Green Bean Casserole
24 oz frozen cut green beans, cooked and drained
1 16 oz can Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 18 oz can Progresso Vegetable Classics creamy mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups French's fried onions, divided
Salt and pepper to taste

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven.
     Separate each biscuit into 3 layers.
     Press biscuit layers in bottom and up sides of dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until set.
     Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix green beans, mushroom soup, 2/3 cup fried onions, salt and pepper.
     Spoon over biscuits.
     Bake 25-30 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly.
     Sprinkle with remaining fried onions.
     Bake 5 minutes more or until onions are golden brown.
     Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
     Makes 8 servings.

Cover bottom and sides of dutch oven with biscuit segments

Bake biscuits at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until
set before adding bean mixture

Bake for 25-30 minutes before adding final topping
of fried onions

Like an upside down veggie pot pie

Ghoulish Black Bean Chili Casserole

     I really love a good, mix, dump and bake kind of recipe.  This casserole from Pillsbury can be made with chorizo, Italian sausage or even soy crumbles if you're a vegetarian.  You can brown the sausage in your dutch oven or make it easy and cook it on your kitchen stove beforehand.  I couldn't find the Mexican stewed tomatoes called for in the original recipe.  Plain stewed tomatoes worked just fine but if you want to add some heat, toss in a small can of diced, drained, green chilies.  I baked this in my 12 inch dutch oven with 12 coals around the base of the oven and the lid completely covered with 28 briquettes.  After 55 minutes I added the cheese and let it sit for 5 more minutes to allow it to melt.  Be sure to give this cool weather casserole a try and have a hauntingly good Halloween!
   
Ghoulish Black Bean Chili Casserole
1 lb chorizo or Italian sausage, casing removed if necessary, crumbled, browned and drained
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup regular long-grain white rice, uncooked
1 8.75 oz can corn, drained
1 15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, cut up and undrained
1/2 cup water
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven.
     In large bowl or dutch oven combine all ingredients, except cheese.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until rice is tender.
     Sprinkle with cheese, bake for 5 minutes more or until cheese has melted.
     Makes 8 servings.

Mix all ingredients, except cheese, and pour into dutch oven

Bake at 375 degrees for 55 minutes then sprinkle with cheese

Bake for 5 minutes more or until cheese has melted

Top this ghoulishly good casserole with sour cream
and chopped fresh cilantro

Block Party Barbecued Baked Beans

     Kraft brings us this very tasty pot-luck bean casserole.  Meaty, smokey and a little sweet, it's the kind of dish you could serve on the side or even as a main course with a big helping of cole slaw.  Saute the beef and onions, drain off any excess grease, add the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer until hot and bubbly.  I browned the beef over a full spread of briquettes then left about 10 coals in a ring around the bottom with 18 on the lid.  If you let the beans sit for a while they'll thicken and soak up some of the flavorful juices.  A good hot dog topping, you could also serve them in a bun like a Sloppy Joe.

Block Party Barbecued Baked Beans
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 16 oz can pork and beans
1 15 1/2 oz can mild chili beans
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tblsp mustard

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Brown beef and onion over a full compliment of coals, drain off excess fat.
     Move bottom coals to a ring around base of oven.
     Stir in remaining ingredients.
     Cover and cook with enough coals on lid to keep beans at a steady simmer.
     Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring halfway, until bubbling and heated through.
     Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.
     Makes 6 one cup servings.

Brown beef and onion over a full compliment of coals

Stir in remaining ingredients

Simmer for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly

A very filling side dish or main course

Blackeye Pea Gumbo

      For good luck and prosperity in the upcoming year, my Southern friends traditionally eat blackeye peas on New Year's Day.  More like a jambalaya than a gumbo, this very easy recipe from Bush's can be tweaked and adapted to suit your needs.  If you're a vegetarian, substitute with vegetable broth and if you want a heartier more stick to your ribs kind of meal, add sliced, cooked kielbasa and raw shrimp during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time.  Ramp up the heat and flavor by adding your favorite spices.  In my 12 inch dutch oven I sauteed the vegetables with a full mound of 24-26 coals underneath my dutch oven.  Once the onions were translucent I moved the coals to a ring of 12 around the base of the oven with 26 briquettes on the lid.  It took a good 45 minutes for the rice to cook and absorb some of the liquid.  So ring in the New Year with a big bowl of lucky blackeye peas and I hope all your dreams come true in 2015! 

Blackeye Pea Gumbo
1 Tblsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken stock
4 15 oz cans blackeye peas with liquid
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Tblsp Cajun spice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste    
    
     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch or larger dutch oven.
     Saute olive oil, onion, pepper, garlic and celery over a full compliment of coals until softened.
     Move bottom coals to a ring around the base of dutch oven.
     Add remaining ingredients, stir until well combined.
     Cover dutch oven with as many coals as needed to bring gumbo to a strong bubble.
     Simmer for 45-50 minutes, stirring halfway, or until rice is tender.
     Makes 8 servings.

Saute onions, pepper, celery and garlic over high heat
until softened

Add remaining ingredients, stir until well combined

Simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is tender

A great warming, filling game day dinner and don't
forget the cornbread

Four Can Baked Beans

     From Progresso, the hardest part about making this bean recipe is opening the cans.  Ideal for camping, after the flavors meld, these rich and spicy beans taste like they were simmered all day.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, the beans baked for 50 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and 20 briquettes on the lid.  You can monkey around with the flavors, I used bake beans with onions and chile beans with cayenne and cumin, although I would avoid the sweeter maple flavored baked beans.  Allow them to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving so the beans will have time to absorb some of the zesty juices. 

Four Can Baked Beans
1 16 oz can baked beans, undrained
1 15 oz can spicy chili beans, undrained
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In large bowl, combine ingredients well, pour into prepared oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until bubbling and flavors have blended.
     Allow beans to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Combine all ingredients in well oiled dutch oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes

Simple to make but loaded with flavor

Cowboy Beans

 
     Although it's in the 20's today, the lack of wind and brilliant blue sky beckoned me outside to give this campfire recipe a try.  Just a tip, when you're cooking in the frigid weather, you have to slow things down and remind yourself not to place your hot oven or lid on the snow or icy ground.  The extremes in temperature could easily cause it to crack.
     From Hillshire Farm, I have to say these beans are downright delicious and when topped with smoked sausage, they're guaranteed to leave you feeling fat and happy.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, I sauteed the bacon and onion over a full compliment of coals.  Once the bacon had browned I moved the bottom coals to a ring of 10 around the base of the oven and covered the beans with 20 coals on the lid.  They took a full forty minutes to cook and the smells steaming from my oven told me they were bound to be good.  This may become my new go to bean recipe which can easily be doubled if you're feeding a crowd of hungry cowhands. 

Cowboy Beans
1 package smoked sausage (Kielbasa)
1/4 lb bacon, chopped (about 4 slices)
1 onion, chopped
1 15 oz can baked beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can Lima beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
2 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In large bowl combine beans, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, cider vinegar and salt.
     Cook bacon and onion over a full spread of coals until bacon is brown and onions are tender.
     Move bottom coals to a ring around base of dutch oven.
     Add bean mixture to dutch oven, stir until well combined.
     Cover with as many coals as needed on lid to bring beans to a bubble.
     Simmer for 20 minutes.
     Add sausage; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until sausage is heated through.
     Makes six 1 cup servings.

Saute onion and bacon over a full compliment of coals

Add bean mixture

When beans have simmered for 20 minutes top with smoked sausage

Continue cooking for 15 minutes or until sausage is heated through

Tangy, smoky and most definitely filling

Country Style Barbecued Onions

     Another winner from Bush's Beans, this recipe for Country Style Barbecued Onions is an excellent dutch oven dish and something everyone will love at your next cook out.  The recipe calls for 8 medium onions but 7 large onion halves just fit in my 12 inch oven.  With 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and around 28-30 on the lid, they were ready in 35 minutes.  I would suggest cutting off the top third of your onions, that way they will be deeper, will hold more filling and less apt to fall apart as they are baking.  Leave the root end on the bottom, you may have to nestle them in closely to keep them upright.  A very tasty and fancy way to dress up baked beans, you could use your favorite flavor, brand or recipe to fill the sweet and delectable onions.

Country Style Barbecued Onions
8 medium Vidalia onions or other sweet onions
1 28 oz. can Bush's Country Style Baked Beans
1/2 cup chopped onion, from centers of onions
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp mustard
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
4 Tblsp butter, cut into 8 pieces
2-4 strips bacon, precooked, cut into 8 pieces
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch or larger dutch oven.
     Cut off top third of onions, leaving root end intact.
     Peel and hollow out root end of onions.
     Chop centers of onion to equal 1/2 cup.
     In medium bowl, combine baked beans, onions, brown sugar, mustard and barbecue sauce.
     Spoon baked bean mixture into onions.
     Place side by side in prepared dutch oven.
     Top each onion with piece of butter, ground pepper and piece of bacon.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until onions are tender.
     Serve with slotted spoon.

Top filled onions with butter and bacon

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes

Baked beans served in  sweet, succulent onions

Baked Barbecue Beans and Spicy Sausage

      We've been lucky this year, today was the first day all winter I had to cook in the snow.  I love cooking outside on cold, crisp days but when there is snow on the ground you really have to slow down and think about what you're doing.  One thing you never want to do is set a hot dutch oven in the snow, the rapid change in temperature could easily crack your oven.  Thankfully spring is right around the corner and camping season in many parts of the country will soon be upon us.  This recipe for Baked Barbecue Beans and Spicy Sausage from Cindie Haras of Vero Beach, FL was a winner in Aidell's 2005 Main Dish Recipe Contest.  If you're a vegetarian, the flavor of the beans is so good you won't even miss the sausage.  In my 10 inch dutch oven I sauteed the onions, garlic, sausage and pepper over a full compliment of coals then moved the bottom briquettes to a ring of 10 around the base with 18-20 on the lid.  Tangy, sweet, hot and spicy, this great dutch oven one pot meal has it all. 

Baked Barbecue Beans and Spicy Sausage
1 Tblsp olive oil
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. Green Chile or Cajun Andouille Chicken Sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 4 oz. can green chilies
2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Saute onions, pepper, sausage and garlic in olive oil over a full compliment of coals for 5-10 minutes or until onions are softened and translucent.
     Stir in tomatoes, green chilies, beans, barbecue sauce, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.
     Mix ingredients thoroughly.
     Move bottom coals to a ring around base of dutch oven.
     Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until bubbling.
     Season to taste with salt and pepper.
     Makes 4-5 servings.

Saute onion, garlic, pepper and sausage over a full compliment of coals

Stir in remainder of ingredients

Simmer for 30 minutes at 350 degrees

This tastes even better the next day

Better Baked Beans

     This recipe for Better Baked Beans was contributed by a reader to the Bush's Beans website, the site is a treasure trove of delicious looking bean recipes.  A little on the sweet side but not overly so, this is a good basic recipe and a great way to doctor up a can of baked beans.  In my 10 inch oven, I baked them for 35 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom of the oven and 20 on the lid.  I partially cooked the bacon before placing it on top of the beans, you could even use the pre-cooked, unrefrigerated variety if you are camping.  Let the beans sit for 15 minutes or so before serving so they can soak up some of the liquid, this will serve 8-10 hungry campers.

Better Baked Beans
2 28 oz. cans or 1 55 oz. can baked beans
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tblsp brown sugar
3 Tblsp maple syrup
2 Tblsp ketchup
2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
4 slices bacon, partially cooked

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In a large bowl, stir together the baked beans, onion, brown sugar, syrup, ketchup and mustard.
     Pour beans into prepared oven; lay bacon strips over top.
     Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
     Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Mix beans with onion and flavorings then top with bacon

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

Hearty Bean Casserole

    I came across this recipe on the back of a can of beans several years ago, it is one of those versitile recipes that you can bring to a cookout, serve on a buffet or make at your campsite in your dutch oven.  If you are new to dutch oven cooking and want to start out with something simple, this is the recipe for you.  People love it, it's easy to throw together and you can double it to serve a crowd.  I like to make it with maple flavored bacon and baked beans.  Substitute cider vinegar to give it a bit more tanginess. I cook it in a 10 inch oven with 10 coals on the bottom and 12-14 on the top. Give it a stir halfway through cooking time.

Hearty Bean Casserole
1 lb. ground beef
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 28 oz. can baked beans
1 15 oz. can light red kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketsup
1 Tblsp. vinegar
1 Tblsp. mustard

     In dutch oven, over a full compliment of coals, brown ground beef, bacon, and onion; drain.
     Add all remaining ingredients; mix well.
     Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
     Let sit for 15 minutes so juices can be absorbed.  Serves 6.

Saute beef, bacon, and onions together

Hot and bubbling

Let sit for 15 minutes to soak up the juices