Mediterranean Chicken Casserole

     I'm posting this basic but good casserole from Campbell's because it's an easy camping recipe and makes just the right amount for your 8 inch dutch oven.  It's one of those mix it all in one bowl and pour in your oven to bake recipes.  If you dined on this casserole under the stars, as is, it would pass as a tasty and filling dinner. If you want to elevate it to greatness and give it some oomph think about adding chopped roasted red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, canned artichoke hearts, black olives, pine nuts and even some feta cheese.  In my 8 inch dutch oven it baked for 35 minutes with 8 coals in a ring around the bottom and 12 on the lid.  After 30 minutes, or when the orzo is tender, give it a stir, add the final topping of cheese and let it bake until the cheese has melted.  It's a warm and creamy casserole that comes together in a jiffy and if you're a vegetarian, leave out the chicken and load up on more vegetables. 

Mediterranean Chicken Casserole
1 10 3/4 oz can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup water
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp ground black OR lemon pepper
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2/3 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In medium bowl, combine soup, water, oregano, pepper, spinach, chicken and pasta.
     Pour into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until orzo is tender and mixture is hot and bubbling.
     Sprinkle with cheese.
     Cook for 3-5 minutes more or until cheese has melted.
     Makes 2-4 servings.

Stir everything together except cheese and pour
 into your 8 inch dutch oven

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes then
sprinkle with cheese

Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese has melted

Top with crumbled feta to give it some zing

Chicken Alfredo and Rice Casserole

     This recipe from Better Homes and Gardens caught my eye for two reasons, not only is it just the right amount for baking in your 2 qt. dutch oven, it gave me an excuse to try a packet of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice.  The rice is precooked, comes in a vacuum sealed 8 oz. packet and is perfect for camp cooking.  All you have to do is break apart the rice before opening the package then mix it with the rest of the ingredients.  Of course you can make your rice any way you like, from scratch is always the best but this baked and tasted wonderfully in this casserole.  One packet was about 2 cups, that's all I added and the dish was very creamy. 
     In my 8 inch dutch oven it baked with 8 coals in a ring around the bottom and 12 on the lid.  After 30 minutes I added the crumb topping and in 10 minutes it was golden brown and bubbling away. If you don't want to mess with frozen peas, try adding chopped scallions, finely chopped green bell pepper or even a can of green chilies.  I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem but then again, what's not to love about anything cooked with Alfredo sauce and a buttery, crunchy topping.

Chicken Alfredo and Rice Casserole
1 10 oz. container refrigerated Alfredo pasta sauce
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups cooked white rice OR 1 8.8 oz package Uncle Ben's Original Ready Rice
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, chopped
1 Tblsp chopped fresh basil OR 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Topping
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 Tblsp butter, melted
2-3 Tblsp grated Parmesan cheese

     Lightly oil or spray 8 inch dutch oven.
     In large bowl combine pasta sauce and milk.
     Stir in rice, chicken, peas, sweet peppers and basil.
     Transfer to prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
     Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan cheese.
     Sprinkle atop bubbling casserole.
     Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown.
     Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
     Serves 4.

You can even mix casserole ingredients right in your dutch oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until bubbling
then sprinkle on topping

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until golden brown

A creamy casserole for your smaller oven

Chicken-Chile Enchilada Pie

     I woke up this morning, looked at my 8 inch dutch oven and thought, 'Today's the day I'm going to dust you off and put you to good use'.  There is something so endearing about that little pot, it's light and easy to clean, uses fewer coals and like The Little Engine That Could, it packs a powerful punch for it's size.  There are many of us who are cooking for small families and I will try to post more recipes geared for our tiny ovens. 
     Since I already had a picked over rotisserie chicken in the fridge and most of the fixings, this recipe for Chicken-Chile Enchilada Pie caught my eye.  I simplified it even more by using a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix.  In my 8 inch wonder, it baked for 25 minutes with 8 coals in a ring around the bottom and 12 on the lid.  Before you top it with cheese, test the corn bread to make sure it's done in the center.  Once you add the cheese, give it 3 to 5 more minutes to melt.  You can certainly make this in your 10 inch oven, the sweet corn bread is a good contrast to the spicy chicken, a quick and easy meal beside the campfire or in your kitchen at home.

Chicken Chile Enchilada Pie
2-3 cups cooked, cubed or shredded chicken
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies, undrained
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
1 8.5 oz. package corn muffin mix (Jiffy)
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 11 oz. can Mexican corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In medium bowl, combine chicken, chilies and enchilada sauce.
     Spread in bottom of 8 inch dutch oven.
     In separate bowl, combine corn bread mix, milk and egg until well blended.
     Stir in corn.
     Spoon over chicken mixture.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until tester in center of topping comes out clean.
     Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
     Bake for 3-5 more minutes or until cheese has melted.
     Makes 2-4 servings.

Spread chicken mixture in bottom of 8 inch oven

Spoon corn bread batter over chicken

Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees or until tests done in center

Top with cheese and bake for 3-5 more minutes

A warm and filling dinner for two

Hatch Green Chile Pie

     Not wanting to waste even one of the Hatch green chilies I had roasted, this Hatch Green Chile Pie , another good recipe from Central Market, was just the right amount to bake in my 8 inch dutch oven.  Line your oven with the opened, roasted chilies, sprinkle with cheese, pour over the eggs and bake.  With 8 coals around the base of my oven and 14 on the lid, it was puffed and golden in 20 minutes.  Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving and top with a smidgen of sour cream, the coolness helps to balance out the heat of the peppers.
 
Hatch Green Chile Pie
6-7 roasted Hatch green chilies, peeled and sliced open
2 Tblsp heavy cream
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
5 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

     Lightly oil or spray 8 inch dutch oven.
     Split open the chilies lengthwise and place in prepared oven to form a "crust".
     In a bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, salt and pepper.
     Sprinkle cheese over chilies.
     Pour beaten eggs over cheese.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until pie has set.
     Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
     Makes 2-4 servings.

Line your oven with roasted chilies

Sprinkle with cheese then add eggs

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

A quick and easy chile pie

 

Polenta Pie With Cheese and Tomato Sauce

     Here's another nifty little recipe adapted from a June 2006 issue of Gourmet magazine.  This Polenta Pie with Cheese and Tomato Sauce is another good camping dinner, all you need is a tube of unrefrigerated, precooked polenta, a jar of chunky spaghetti sauce and some grated cheese.  Cut the polenta into quarter inch slices and layer with the sauce and cheese like a lasagna.  I bought the polenta from Trader Joe's, a one pound package is only $1.99 and produced about 18 slices, just the right amount for my 8 inch oven.  You can double and triple the recipe depending on how many people you want to feed and don't be afraid to add any leftovers you may have on hand.  Grilled or sauteed vegetables, fresh herbs or cooked sausage and ground beef would also be terrific sprinkled between the layers. In my 8 inch oven, it baked with 8 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and 14 on the lid.  After 20 minutes I added the top layer of cheese and left it to cook for another 5 minutes to melt and brown.  With so few ingredients I was wonderfully surprised by how creamy and good this was.  Economical too, the whole meal was under five dollars, simple, affordable and definitely something I'll try again.

Polenta Pie With Cheese and Tomato Sauce
1 16 to 18 oz. ready-made plain polenta roll (plastic wrapped)
1 1/2 cups chunky pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tblsp grated Parmesan cheese

     Lightly oil 8 inch dutch oven.
     Cut polenta roll crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices.
     Line bottom of dutch oven with half of the slices, overlapping slightly.
     Spread 3/4 cup pasta sauce over polenta slices.
     Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
     Cover with another layer of polenta then the remaining 3/4 cup of pasta sauce.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and polenta is cooked through.
     Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 
     Cover and cook for 5 more minutes or until cheese has melted and browned.
     Let pie stand for 15 minutes to firm up and cool.
     Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish.

Layer polenta slices with pasta sauce and cheese

Bake for 20 minutes then top with cheese

Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese has melted

Surprisingly good for something so easy

Blueberry Upside-Down Cake

   
     On Oct 17, 1777, British General Burgoyne surrendered his army of 5,000 men to the American troops during the Saratoga campaign. It was a major victory for the American colonists and the turning point of the Revolutionary War.  His gigantic cast iron kettle is located by the monument commerating the famous Battle of Bennington in VT.  One can only imagine the thousands of weary British soldiers who were fed hot broths, soups and stews from this massive pot.  Undoubtedly it was one of his army's most important pieces of equipment and vital to the survival of the troops.
     Here's another way to take advantage of summer's ripe berries, this Blueberry Upside-Down Cake from Martha Stewart makes a lighter than air cake topped with sweet, buttery blueberries.  Perfect for your 8 inch dutch oven, be sure to line it with parchment paper for easier removal.  The cake baked with 8 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and 12-13 coals on the lid, in thirty minutes it was golden brown and cooked all the way through.  I served it warm with a big scoop of Maine Lobster Tracks ice cream and it was pure heaven on a plate. 

Blueberry Upside-Down Cake
4 Tblsp butter, melted
1/3 cup plue 3 Tblsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cups blueberries
3/4 cup cake flour (not self rising)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk, room temperature

     Lightly oil or spray an 8 inch dutch oven, line with parchment paper.
     Pour 2 Tblsp melted butter into the bottom of prepared dutch oven.
     Sprinkle butter evenly with 3 Tblsp brown sugar.
     Scatter 1 cup blueberries over sugar.
     In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
     In another medium bowl, whisk together remaining 2 Tblsp butter, remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar and the egg.
     Whisk the milk into the egg mixture.
     Add flour mixture; whisk until batter is smooth.
     Pour half of the batter into dutch oven.
     Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup blueberries over batter.
     Spread remaining batter over blueberries.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
     Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto plate, serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
     Makes 4 servings.


Sprinkle blueberries over melted butter and brown sugar

Top with batter and more blueberries

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes

Let sit for 10 minutes before inverting onto plate

A red, white and blue summer treat

One Pot Mushroom Stroganoff

     After posting the Beef Stroganoff I searched for a vegetarian version and came across this recipe for a One Pot Mushroom Stroganoff on Epicurious.com.  It is made in much the same way, saute the mushrooms and onion over a full compliment of coals, add the liquid and noodles then at the last minute stir in the baby spinach and sour cream.  It is rich and full bodied and you'll never miss the beef.  I halved the original recipe to make it in my 10 inch dutch oven, if you're making this in your 12 inch dutch oven, double everything but the sour cream.  It only took 25 minutes to make and it cooked with about 16 coals under the bottom and 18 on the lid.  Use fresh dill if you can get it, it really brightens the dish.  If you're a Vegan, skip the sour cream, it would still be pretty tasty without it. 

One Pot Mushroom Stroganoff
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups low-salt V-8 OR tomato juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups medium sized egg noodles
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 Tblsp chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried
1/2 bag baby spinach

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Saute mushrooms and onion in olive oil over a full compliment of coals until lightly browned.
     Stir in tomato juice, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and noodles.
     Cover with as many coals needed on lid to keep liquid at a steady simmer.
     Cook for 15 minutes or until noodles are tender.
     Add spinach, stir well, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until wilted.
     Stir in sour cream and dill.
     Garnish with fresh dill.
     Makes 2-4 servings depending on your appetite.

Saute mushrooms and onions over a full spread of coals

Add noodles, juice, Worcestershire sauce and pepper,
cover and cook for 15 minutes or until noodles are tender

Stir in baby spinach

When spinach has wilted add sour cream and dill

So creamy and good you'll never miss the beef

Cowboy Cornbread

      Adapted from a National Hot Dog and Sausage Council's recipe, this Cowboy Cornbread tastes like a cheesy, Southwestern corn dog.  Just the right amount to make in your 8 inch dutch oven, double the ingredients if you want to make it in your 10 or 12 inch oven.  Mine baked for 25 minutes with 8 coals around the base of my 8 inch oven and 13 briquettes on the lid.  A kid friendly recipe for sure and with some baked beans and coleslaw on the side you've got the fixings of a gourmet campfire feast.

Cowboy Cornbread
4 hot dogs, coarsely chopped or sliced
1 8 oz. can corn, drained
1 8.5 oz. package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk
4 oz. (2/3 cup) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese with jalapeno peppers, divided

     Lightly oil or spray 8 inch dutch oven.
     Combine corn muffin mix with milk, egg, hot dogs, corn and 1/3 cup of cheese; mix until just combined.
     Pour into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
     Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of cornbread.
     Bake for 5-10 minutes more or until cheese has melted and cornbread is lightly brown around the edges.
     Serve warm, makes 4 servings.

Combine all ingredients and pour into well oiled 8 inch oven

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes then top with remaining cheese

Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until brown around edges

Like eating a cheesy corn dog with a kick

Baked Eggs With Corned Beef Hash

     One of the best parts about cooking a boiled dinner is having the leftovers for breakfast the next day.  I usually make corned beef hash in my cast iron skillet but decided this morning to try it in my dutch oven.  It came out as good if not better than if I had made it on the stove.  The one thing you really need to do is pile as many coals as you can fit under your dutch oven.  Don't let the coals sit too long after you light them, they burn hottest when they are just lit and before they are covered in ash.  Saute the onion and pepper until translucent then stir in the seasonings, potatoes and corned beef.  Put 8 or 10 coals on the lid and it will help things to cook faster.  Once you drop the eggs over the hash, it is only a matter of minutes before they are set, maybe 5-6 at the most.  This recipe can easily be doubled and you can even try it with canned hash if you are camping.  I used my 10 inch oven but if you do double the recipe, use a larger oven, the potatoes will brown more evenly if they are in one layer.  Start your day with a hearty breakfast and don't forget to nibble on the crispy bits left behind in your dutch oven, they're the best part.

Baked Eggs With Corned Beef Hash
2 cups chopped, cooked corned beef
2 medium sized cooked potatoes, diced
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped red pepper
2 Tblsp chopped fresh parsley plus some for garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tblsp olive or vegetable oil
4 eggs

     Saute chopped onion and pepper in olive oil over a full spread of coals until onion is soft.
     Add corned beef, potatoes, parsley and salt and pepper; stir until well combined.
     Cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes start to form a crust; stirring halfway.
     Carefully pour eggs over hash; cover and cook for 5 minutes or until eggs are set.
     Garnish with parsley; makes 2 servings.

Saute onions and pepper over high heat until softened

Add potatoes, corned beef, salt, pepper and parsley

 Cook hash for 15 minutes, stirring halfway, before gently adding eggs

Cover and bake eggs for 5 minutes or until set the way you like them

A feast fit for a lumberjack

Cherry Cobbler For Two

     I really love cooking in my 8 inch dutch oven, not only is it lighter to carry, uses fewer coals and is easier to clean but I am always amazed by how efficiently it bakes for it's smaller size.  To honor the Father of our Country's birthday I decided to bake a scaled back version of a cherry cobbler/dump cake.  Oil your oven well, dump in the pie filling, sprinkle with the cake mix, pour over the soda, pat with butter and bake.  I placed 8 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 10 coals around the rim of the lid and two in the center.  In about 40 minutes the cherries were bubbling away and the cake was puffy and golden.  Celebrate George Washington's big day with this sweet and classic dutch oven dessert.

Cherry Cobbler for Two
1 21 oz. can cherry pie filling
1 9 oz. package yellow cake mix (I used Jiffy brand)
3/4 cup raspberry ginger ale
3-4 Tblsp butter, cut into 7 or 8 slices

     Lightly oil or spray 8 inch dutch oven.
     Spread pie filling in prepared oven.
     Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pie filling.
     Pour ginger ale over cake mix, covering completely.
     Dot with butter.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until top is lightly browned and pie filling is bubbling.
     Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Layer pie filling, cake mix, raspberry ginger ale and butter in dutch oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until brown and bubbling

I cannot tell a lie, this is really good