A Guide to Camp Cooking Tips, Equipment, and Favorite Recipes Compiled February 2013 Contents Introduction Methods of Camp Cooking Open Fire Charcoal Camp Stoves Planning Safety Recipes Do It Yourself Making Your Own Backpacking Food & Recipes How to Make Your Own Ovens and Camp Stoves Afterword Introduction From the earliest days of Scouting, or even taking it further back to the dawn of time when people discovered that a fire or lightning strike sure made that wild antelope smell tasty, cooking has been an integral part of camping. Although nobody knows for sure who first came up with the idea of ramming a stick through a rabbit and burning it to a crisp before eating it, we are all glad someone did. Imagine the bravery of those first campers—how many experiments had to go wrong until somebody figured out that skinning an animal before cooking and eating it works better or that washing the dirt off those roots made them taste better. Who first dropped a potato into the boiling laundry vat and discovered that hot water did good things to veggies and roots. Let’s not even try to think about all the things our ancestors picked up and put in their mouths in the search for food. Let’s only hope the pickers-up were in front of the animal herds. Fortunately, along the way, some experiments turned out well. There is nothing like the smell of bacon in a skillet over a campfire to wake up to on those cold mornings to make one thankful for the intrepid souls who came before us. Technology has made the process a lot easier, and with modern gear and food technology allowing food to be stored indefinitely and cooked inside packaging on stoves smaller than a large sandwich, today’s campers definitely have the best of both worlds. This guide will touch on techniques for campers to use and share with others, as well as some favorite recipes of our friends, fellow scouts, and kindred spirits who enjoy the great outdoors and the comraderie that comes from sitting around a campfire sharing a meal. Methods of Camp Cooking Open Fire Open fire cooking is probably the simplest method of cooking. Build a fire, drop the food in whatever container you choose, and wait for it to get hot. Campfires also have the companionship, romance, and “feel” of a campout. This is certainly the oldest method, but there are many drawbacks to this method. The most obvious is that with an open fire, you have a hard time regulating the temperature of the cooking surface. This can limit the scope of your meal choices, and makes following precise recipes difficult. A moment’s inattention means you might be better off eating the charcoal you brought just in case you couldn’t get your fire started. One of the most important aspects of an open fire is the issue of burn bans. Here in North Texas, and increasingly in the southern and western US, drought and water shortages are a fact of daily life. Even if you are camping on a lakeshore, beach, or riverside, it is IMPERATIVE that you ascertain in advance whether open fires are permitted. Another drawback to an open fire is that it MUST be contained and monitored constantly. As scouters, it is our responsibility to ensure that our fires are safely and responsibly handled. The fire is best constructed in a metal ring, which are frequently provided in prepared campsites. In sites where no ring is provided, you may bring your own, or gather stones to make a ring. Be aware that current Leave No Trace principles dictate that you take care to minimize the impact of your fire. In prepared sites with a fire pit or ring, ALWAYS use the prepared area. In a pristine or back country setting, open fires are generally discouraged. If an open fire is used, the use of a mound fire is encouraged. You must ensure that it is properly contained, and that all traces of the fire are removed before leaving your site. Yet another negative to the open fire is fuel. Many areas prohibit the gathering of firewood, and chopping firewood is usually not allowed. This means you must either purchase firewood or bring in your own. For a family of four on an overnighter this might not be too much of an issue, but for a 12 person group on a 2 or 3 night stay it could become a logistical nightmare. Open fires are best suited for simple recipes, or items that don’t require pinpoint accuracy. Dutch ovens, skillets, or a hanging pot are most appropriate. With a fire ring (highly recommended) and grate, you can move your skillet or pot around to better regulate cooking temps, and with a little practice you can soon cook with full confidence. Foil wrapped dinners also work extremely well, with a little practice. For boiling water, use a high quick flame. For stewing, use a low flame. For frying or broiling, a bed of glowing coals works best. Charcoal Most of us have a familiarity with charcoal cooking. Face it, we’ve been doing it in the back yard for years. Even with the explosion in popularity(no pun intended) of the multiburner gas grill for backyard grilling, most folks will agree that a steak or burger cooked over charcoal just tastes better. The principle advantage of charcoal over an open wood fire for cooking is that you can more closely regulate the heat of your fire. You can achieve more uniformity with charcoal. This will open up additional menu items for your campout. Another plus is that packing in charcoal is less of an obstacle than packing in firewood. The drawbacks to charcoal are similar to those of wood fires: you must determine if charcoal fires are allowed where you are going, you must keep the coals contained, and you must take care that your fire does not impact the area in which you are camping. Even though you can actually do more with charcoal than wood, the aesthetic of charcoal is a little less romantic. You probably will not be able to find a Rockwell painting of scouts gathered around a charcoal grill roasting marshmallows. However, charcoal is an extremely viable option for camp cooking. Camp Stoves Camp stoves come in 2 main varieties: the camp stove and the backpacking stove. They can use a variety of fuels. The larger variety generally use propane, while the smaller backpacking stoves might use propane, butane, kerosene, or white gas. The major advantage of using a camp stove is that they are almost universally permitted. Few extra precautions are necessary, they are easily extinguished, and leave virtually no waste. Fuel containers are easily packed in and out of any area, fuel is inexpensive, and the amount of cooking possible per unit of fuel far surpasses that of charcoal or wood. The drawbacks of camp stoves are rather few. With backpacking stoves, wind can seriously inhibit cooking performance. Some forms of fuel do not do well in extreme cold or at high altitude. Some fuels are toxic and hazardous if mishandled. However, for dependability, speed, weight, and versatility, the portable camp stove is hard to beat. Alcohol Alcohol stoves have the advantage of having a stable, dependable fuel source. The alcohol is carried around in a bottle and poured into the stove's tank. The problem is that alcohol stoves also have a low heat-to-fuel ratio, burning cooler than any other kind of stove. It will take longer to cook with an alcohol stove, and more fuel will be burned along the way. Butane and Blended Fuel Butane stoves are fueled from pressurized canisters, which must be replaced when empty. Butane burns at a high temperature and has a good heat-to-weight ratio, but it does not perform well in cool temperatures. Reviews show that butane stoves have performance problems in weather below 50 degrees. This has given rise to the blended-fuel stove, which uses a mix of butane and isobutane. This has improved performance, and you will not encounter problems until the temperature drops below freezing. Gasoline Some camping stoves are fired by gasoline. These stoves have built-in tanks like alcohol stoves, into which the gasoline is poured. Gasoline is readily available everywhere, but it has a number of drawbacks for campers. First and foremost is that it is a toxic substance, and that includes the soot that the camp stove will produce. When using a gasoline-fired stove, a camper needs to watch out for soot particles getting into food which is nearly impossible to do when cooking at night. Furthermore, gasoline evaporates easily when exposed to the open air and can be a fire hazard if improperly handled. Kerosene Kerosene stoves are similar to gasoline stoves and have similar problems. Kerosene is somewhat toxic and creates a lot of soot; therefore, a camper using a kerosene stove must guard against soot getting in the food. However, kerosene has been widely used in stoves and lamps for more than a century and remains a widespread fuel. Part of this is because of its very high heat-to-weight ratio. Kerosene burns so hot that it is sometimes used in jet fuel mix. That makes these stoves great for anyone considering weight and storage issues, as a little kerosene can fuel multiple appliances and go a long way. However, kerosene is also more liable to be a fire hazard than propane or butane when improperly handled. Propane Propane is a clean-burning gas that comes in canisters. It burns very hot, making it an excellent fuel for stoves. The one problem is that these stoves are reported to have bad performance at high altitudes, making them a bad choice for mountain climbers and trekkers. Planning As with any outing, scout related or otherwise, planning is of the utmost importance. Details determine how, what, and where you will eat. You will have different requirements for a 10 scout, 50 mile backpack trip than you will for a full troop, family campout at the local scout camp. Location—The first detail, obviously, is where you will camp. Consider the following: Is potable water available? Are there prepared campsites? Are campfires permitted? How far will we need to carry equipment? What is the weather likely to be at this time of year? Local forecast? Menus— Once the location is determined, decide: For how many people are we cooking ? What type of equipment will we /can we use? Heavy or light? How many meals will we need? Are our menus balanced and nutritious? Will any ingredients need to be kept cold? How? Equipment— Which equipment will be needed to cook the selected items? Heavy camp stoves or backpack stoves? Gas bottles? Firewood? Charcoal? Dutch ovens? Skillets? Grates? Fire rings? Many troops keep chuck boxes already stocked with certain staples, cooking utensils, and pots and pans. Some have one per patrol, others one for the entire troop. There should be a person or persons designated to ensure that these boxes remain stocked and ready to go, with any items replaced as needed. Generally however, these boxes are quite heavy and are difficult to move over long distances. This should also be taken into consideration when planning a campout. There are many more factors to be considered, and these will vary from unit to unit. The age and experience of the unit, for example—a patrol of Life Scouts or a Venture Crew will be able to do things that a First-year patrol should not. Needless to say, no matter what happens, things can go awry, but with proper planning, these will become tales to laugh at around the next campout instead of a tragic headline. Some other things to include in a chuck box water proof matches: with their safety striker box Match safe: water proof with strike anywhere wooden matches camp stove lighter: because fire starter, fire ribbon, primer: for starting cranky stoves tinder: for starting cranky fires fuel bottles / containers: for fuel only, not for anything else. funnel: for pouring fuel into itty bitty stove tank openings pouring cap: for pouring fuel into itty bitty stove tank openings pliers: for fixing cranky stoves bandanna: for holding hot pots when you forget your gloves Pot grippers: for holding hot, hot pots when you forget bandanna grid /grate: for holding pots higher over the burner or coals. splatter shield / wind shield: the wind is always blowing 2'x3' plastic 6 mil sheet: Clean area to put things down on and catch spills nylon spatula: whisk: for mixing batters and puddings aluminum foil: several sheets for cooking, wind screens handy-wipes: for drying dishes, reusable scouring pad / sponge: clean up pine cone for when you forgot the scouring pad Soap: small bottle biodegradable dish soap, in a zip bag. trash bags: several "spice rack": collection of spices in small bottles or film containers, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion flakes, bell pepper flakes, cinnamon, Italian seasoning, etc. Butter Buds: Seasonings, not for frying Cooking oil: In a small plastic bottle and in another zip bag Small can opener: better than the one on your knife. Spring Steel Handle: Hand made for when you forgot the pot grippers, pliers, and Bandana ZIP bags for all kinds of things, wet and dry, all sizes. Aluminum foil Here is an example menu plan : Breakfast -Breakfast can be the best meal of the day if you take time to plan and prepare it. Always serve a main dish, fruit (fresh or dried), and juice. Poptarts, granola bars, and dried cereal are not suitable for Boy Scout breakfast. • Breakfast Burritos - Use flour tortillas, scrambled eggs with sausage and cheese. You can also add chopped onions and green peppers. Serve with hot sauce. • Instant oatmeal or grits - This is a good meal when you are backpacking or for Sunday mornings when you are getting ready to break camp and go home. • Biscuits and Gravy - Use the canned biscuits and instant gravy mix. You can cook about 12 biscuits in a #10 Dutch oven. The instant gravy mix uses only water to make. Fry sausage patties or bacon to eat with the biscuits. • Pancakes - Use instant batter and make on the griddle from the chuck box. • Cinnamon rolls - Use the canned cinnamon rolls and bake them in a Dutch oven, box oven, or pie pan oven. These are a good meal with fruit and juice. Lunch - As a rule lunch should be a light meal that can be prepared with the minimum of utensils and effort. Always plan to have some type of bread products, vegetables, fruit, and a protein. Plan to make some type of Kool-aid or punch. Soup and sandwiches - The best type of soups to make are the instant noodle soups like Ramen Noodles or Lipton Chicken Noodle soups. They are easy to prepare and they taste good. You can add canned chicken to them if you like. Keep the sandwiches simple. Grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly, or tuna salad are good suggestions. Plan to serve carrot sticks or a green salad. • Burritos - Burritos are very simple and very good. The beans can be heated right in the can (if you are careful). Wrap them up with grated cheese and a little hot sauce. Serve with vegetable sticks dipped in salad dressing and juice. • Pizza - Pizza is a favorite of just about everyone. The best way to make pizza is in the Dutch oven or pie pan oven. Use canned biscuits or Boboli pizza shells for the crust, bottled Pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your choice of toppings. Serve with carrot sticks, fruit, and juice. • Tacos - Make tacos or taco salad using hamburger meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and taco sauce. Dinner - Dinner needs to be the meal that you make the fanciest meal of the day. At dinner you really want to show off the cooking skills of you Patrol. You should serve a meat, vegetable, bread or pasta, fruit, and juice. • Foil Packs or Silver Turtles - These are the easiest and most foolproof of the dinner menus. You can make you meat and vegetables at the same time. You can be very creative with Silver Turtles. Use a variety of meats, such as hamburger, sausage (links or packaged), chicken, pork, ground turkey, or fish. Any type of vegetable can be used. Traditionally silver turtles are made with sliced potatoes, carrots, onions, and mixed vegetables (canned). Season them with any type of appropriate spice. They are very good with a little BBQ or A-1 sauce poured in them. For dessert you can wrap up an apple that has been cored and filled with brown sugar or redhots and cook it with the foil pack. Be creative since you won't have to spend a lot of time cleaning up. Spaghetti - Spaghetti is a good dinner meal. There is only one catch . . . you cannot use sauce from the jar. If you are going to make spaghetti you must make your own sauce from scratch. It is very easy to do with browned hamburger or Italian sausage, Italian spices, and tomato sauce. You can spice it up with onions and garlic. Serve it with a green salad and garlic bread. Make garlic bread in the box oven or Dutch oven. • Stew or soup - During cold weather a nice stew or soup is very good and easy to make in Dutch oven. It is best with beef cubes, potatoes, assorted vegetables all cooked together until they are done. Serve with bread and juice. • Fajitas - Chicken or beef fajita are simple to make and even better to eat. They can be made over charcoal on a grill or in a skillet or griddle. Be sure to make some sautéed onions with them. Serve with tortillas, green salad, grated cheese, hot sauce, and juice. Desserts - The favorite meal of the day has got to be dessert. Keep in mind that anything you can make at home in your stove or oven you can make on a campout. You can bake cookies, pies, cakes, cobblers, turnovers in a Dutch oven or box oven You can make pudding or pop popcorn. Plan to make at least one dessert on each campout. The most popular is Dutch oven cobbler, but don't limit yourself. Drinks - Plan to drink juice or Kool-aid on every campout. Orange juice (Tang) is great for breakfast and Kool-aid will be your drink of choice for all other meals. Have packets of Hot Chocolate in the Patrol gear for cool evenings and mornings. YOU CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH WATER. Snacks - Plan to have snacks for the Patrol. Do not bring candy or junk food unless you bring enough for the entire group. Good snacks for campout include GORP( Good Ole Raisins & Peanuts), trail mix, jerky, and chewing gum. Vegetables - It is important that you eat some vegetable with lunch and dinner. If possible, try to cook the vegetable with the meat. Carrot sticks are always easy and good. Fruit - Fruit should be planned for every meal and snacks. Oranges, apples, bananas, and raisins are the most common. Baked apples make a great dessert. Meat - Try to have a meat dish for every meal. Remember that fresh meat can spoil quickly in the Texas heat so freeze it before you bring it. Use canned meats whenever possible (canned tuna, chicken, or SPAM). They do not spoil and if prepared properly they are very good. Breads and Pasta - Breads and pasta are where we get the energy we need to keep going all day. Plain white bread is okay but it can be smashed very easily. If possible, substitute tortillas or pita bread. English muffins are good also. General Commandments on trail cookery: go light, no fuss, no mess 1. Nutritious What! pop-tarts for supper again? 2. Low in weight Less than a 11 yr. old scout. 3. Taste Great Scouts sure are great cooks..... 4. Cooks fast with no fuss Hurry up, the batteries are going... 5. Meets BSA's handling standards Packed by a 11 yr. old scout 6. Compact Smaller than a 11 yr. old scout 7. Cheap Merit... No the Money Tree is not in the Forestry Some other things to remember: Eating well is not just part of the fun of camping. It is important to eat well to replace the energy used in the hiking and activities that busy scouts are prone to do. High fluid intake and high caloric intake are needed. Seasonal changes may demand over 3,000 calories per day. The food pyramid is a guide for meal planning. The Pyramid can change with camping. Campers use more fats during colder weather. ScoutMaster Rule #3 “Take seconds only after the rest have finished firsts” Fred Wantsommor Scoutmaster Rule #47: "No Boy Scout ever starved to death on a weekend campout."-Morris, Scouter Roger Safety Any time you are dealing with fire, the potential for trouble is always apparent. Throw in the natural rambunctiousness, bravado, and (in)attention span of your average teenage boy, and well………. enough said. Common sense precautions should be just that—common sense. But we are dealing with youngsters, so it is always a good idea to review basic safety precautions. Any scout with his Fireman’s Chit should already be aware, but…. Getting Started For a campfire/charcoal: *Make sure your campfire is completely enclosed by a fire ring, stones, etc. *Stack wood/charcoal and tinder carefully. Avoid overhanging branches, limbs, etc. * Have a fire extinguisher, water/sand bucket, and shovel handy. *Don’t overbuild the fire. You’re not forging horseshoes—just cooking. You can’t roast marshmallows if you can’t get within 15 feet of the fire. *Stay upwind. If it’s extremely windy, you might reconsider a campfire. For Camp Stoves *Check equipment thoroughly before use. Look for leaks or other signs of damage. *Ensure that all connections are tight *For liquid fuel stoves, take caution not to spill fuel on yourself or anything else that will burn. *Ensure stoves are well away from extra fuel or combustibles. *Keep stoves and fuel well away from campfires. Some stoves require priming or pouring fuel into a reservoir. Take care to avoid spillage or overfilling to help prevent flare-ups. * If a propane stove does not light promptly, shut off gas and allow time for any gas buildup to dissipate. Getting yourself ready to cook. * Protect your clothes from spills by putting on an apron; then wash your hands *Not everyone will agree with you on a favorite flavor of dirt, so wash hands frequently. Hand sanitizer is NOT the same as washing, * Read the entire recipe carefully. * Organize the bowls, spoons, pans and other equipment that you will need. * Read and know about making fires and fire safety. * Have all the ingredients for the recipe. Measure ingredients accurately. Follow the recipe mixing the ingredients. * While the food is cooking, put things away and clean up your work area. * Stay near your food. If you forget them, the food will cook too long and burn. * Turn pot handles away from the edge so no one will bump the handle and cause pot to spill. * Always use potholders when handling hot pans. Keep all towels, pot holders, clothes and hair away from the flames. * Learn how to use a knife. * Have water or fluid in a pan, when placed on the stove. Even if not lit. * Practice, Practice before trying new recipes in the rain, 20 miles out on the trail. * Do NOT use your finger to test the water. Trust me—if it’s bubbling, it’s hot. *Unless you can count by 9’s, don’t goof off while chopping ingredients for dinner. Fingernails are tough, and blood tastes lousy. *Keep a fire extinguisher handy. For open fires, a water bucket and/or a sand bucket and shovel should be available. Remember—do NOT throw water on a grease fire. Use a wet towel or flour. *Be aware of proper food cooking temperatures. Make sure to cook thoroughly. Food poisoning does not a fun campout make. Remember to review the National BSA policy on fuels and the local regulations on fires and fuels. ScoutMaster Rule #4 “Scouts should learn to find water, start a fire, and make coffee for the Scoutmaster.” A. J. Anonymous Terms and Measurements Before we venture into the actual cooking part of this guide, it would likely be a good idea to review some common cooking terms, measurements, and abbreviations. A tbsp. of flaked red pepper will have a markedly different result than a tsp. Abbreviation Measurement Tsp teaspoon Tbsp tablespoon Fl fluid Oz ounce Pkg package C cup Pt pint Qt Quart Gal Gallon Lb Pound Sm Small Lg Large Granny's Measurements Pinch, Dash, and Smidgen are a lot like Bunch, Few, and Some - there is no precise measurement. A pinch is what you can pick up between your finger and thumb. But, for folks that just have to know, here are commonly accepted conversions. Measurement Equivalent a Hint tiny amount (1/2 drop) 1/64 teaspoon (1/2 a Drop smidgen) 1/32 teaspoon (1/2 a Smidgen pinch) a Pinch 1/16 teaspoon (1/2 a Dash a Tad 1/4 stick butter 1 stick butter juice of a lemon juice of an orange Measurement Tsp Tbsp Oz Cup Pint Quart Gallon dash) 1/8 teaspoon (1/2 tad) 1/4 teaspoon 2 tablespoons 1/2 cup 3 tablespoons 1/2 cup Cooking Measurement Equivalents Equivalents Tsp Tbsp fl oz Cup pint quart gallon 1 1/3 1/6 1/48 3 1 ½ 1/16 1/32 6 2 1 1/8 1/16 48 16 8 1 ½ 1/4 1/16 96 32 16 2 1 1/2 1/8 192 64 32 4 2 1 1/4 768 256 128 16 8 4 1 Standard Can Sizes The tin can size was based on the volume it could contain and the weight of that volume of water. Water weighs a little more than 8 pounds per gallon. Can Size Weight Volume #1 can 11 oz. 1 1/3 cups #2 can 20 oz. 2 1/2 cups #3 can 33 oz. 4 cups #5 can 59 oz. 7 cups #10 can 109 oz. 13 cups #211 can 12 oz. 1 1/2 cups #300 can 15 oz. 1 3/4 cups #303 can 17 oz. 2 cups Useful Cooking Measurement Substitutions If This is Called For 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar Use This Instead 1/4 cup white vinegar 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 Tbsp sherry or cider vinegar 1 cup beer 1 cup non-alcoholic beer, beef broth, or apple cider 1/4 cup bread crumbs, dry 1/4 cup finely crushed cracker crumbs or corn flakes 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 cup granulated sugar + 2 Tbsp molasses or dark corn syrup 1 cup corn syrup, light 1 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup water 1 cup corn syrup, dark 1 cup light corn syrup or 3/4 cup light corn syrup + 1/4 cup molasses or 1 cup maple-flavored syrup 1 Tbsp cornstarch 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour or 1 Tbsp potato or rice starch or 1 Tbsp arrowroot or 4 tsp. instant tapioca 1 cup cream, half and half 7/8 cup whole milk + 2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter 1 cup cream, heavy 2/3 cup whole milk + 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter cream fresh 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup whipping cream + 1 Tbsp buttermilk or yogurt or 1/2 cup whipping cream + 1/2 cup sour cream or 1 cup mascarpone cheese 1 cup currants 1 cup raisins or 1 cup chopped dates or 1 cup other dried fruit (cranberries, blueberries, cherries) 1 cup flour, all-purpose 1 cup + 2 Tbsp cake flour 1 cup flour, cake 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 cup flour, self rising 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder + 1/2 tsp. salt 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1/8 tsp. garlic powder or 1/4 tsp. instant minced garlic 1 Tbsp ginger root, grated 1 Tbsp candied ginger; rinsed and finely chopped or 1 1/2 tsp. dry ground ginger + 1/2 tsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp herbs, fresh chopped (1 Tbsp) 1 tsp. of the same dry herb 1 cup honey 3/4 cup dark corn syrup + 1/2 cup granulated white sugar or 3/4 cup maple syrup + 1/2 cup granulated white sugar or 3/4 cup light molasses + 1/2 cup granulated white sugar or 1 1/4 cup sugar + 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar + 1/4 cup liquid called for in recipe 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice, lime juice or white vinegar 1 tsp lemon zest 1 tsp. lime or orange zest or 1/2 tsp. lemon extract 1 Tbsp lime juice 1 Tbsp lemon or orange juice 1 tsp lime zest 1 tsp. lemon or orange zest 1 cup milk, nonfat 1/3 cup powdered milk + 3/4 cup water 1 cup milk, whole 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water or 1 cup skim milk + 1 Tbsp melted butter 1 cup molasses 1 cup honey, dark corn syrup or maple syrup or 3/4 cup brown sugar heated to dissolve in 1/4 cup liquid 1 Tbsp mustard, yellow 1 tsp. ground mustard 1 cup oil 1 cup melted butter, margarine, or shortening depending on the recipe 1 cup orange juice 1 cup reconstituted frozen concentrate 1 tsp orange zest 1 tsp. lemon or lime zest or 1 tsp. finely chopped candied orange peel 1 tsp poultry seasoning 1/2 tsp. ground sage + 1/4 tsp. ground thyme + 1/4 tsp. ground rosemary 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1/2 tsp. cinnamon + 1/4 tsp. ginger + 1/8 tsp. nutmeg + 1/8 tsp. cloves 1 cup shortening 1 cup butter or margarine. Do not substitute oil for shortening 1 cup sour cream 1 cup plain yogurt 1 cup sugar, light brown 1/2 cup dark brown sugar + 1/2 cup white sugar 1 cup sugar, white 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 cup tomato juice 1/2 cup tomato sauce + 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup tomato paste 1 cup tomato sauce cooked until reduced by 1/2 2 cup tomato sauce 3/4 cup tomato paste + 1 cup water 1 cup tomatoes, canned 1 1/3 cup fresh cut-up tomatoes; simmered 10 minutes 1 cup treacle 1 cup corn syrup (light or dark) or light molasses 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or 1/3 cup lemon juice 1 cup wine, red 1 cup non-alcoholic wine, apple cider, beef broth, tomato juice or water 1 cup wine, white 1 cup non-alcoholic wine, white grape juice, apple juice, chicken broth or water 1 cup yogurt, plain 1 cup sour cream, buttermilk, or cream fresh or 1 cup heavy whipping cream + 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp arrowroot 1 Tbsp cornstarch, potato starch, or rice starch or 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp. baking soda + 1/4 tsp. cornstarch 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp. baking powder (must replace the acidic liquid in recipe with non-acidic liquid) 1 cup butter 7/8 cup vegetable oil 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup plain yogurt or 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1 cup; let stand for a few minutes 4 oz chocolate, unsweetened 12 Tbsp cocoa powder + 4 Tbsp butter 4 oz chocolate, semisweet 2 oz unsweetened chocolate + 4 Tbsp sugar 4 oz chocolate, sweet 1/4 cup cocoa powder + 1/3 cup sugar + 3 Tbsp shortening chocolate chips chop a bar of chocolate into small chunks 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice 1 cup Milk 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water or 1 cup reconstituted dry milk + 2 tsp margarine or butter 1 cup Buttermilk 1 tbs vinegar + 1 cup sweet milk, or 1/4 cup butter + 3/4 cup milk 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch 1 tbs all purpose flour 1 cup Honey 1 1/4c sugar + 1/4 cup water or other liquid Special Cooking Terms Blanche: To cook quickly in boiling water. Vegetables are blanched, then plunged into ice water to set their color or to make them easier to peel. Boy Scout Definition: Add boiling water to instant vegetable soup mix. Cream: To beat air into butter or shortening. Usually in combination with sugar. A common baking mistake is not creaming thoroughly. It can take up to 10 minutes to make butter really fluffy. Boy Scout Definition: To beat up the butter, till it yells uncle. Deglaze: To add liquid - usually wine, stock or juice - quickly to a hot pan. The cooking residue in the pan is loosened, adding flavor. The liquid is then boiled (cooked down) for a quick sauce. Boy Scout Definition: To add boiling water to clean the pot. Fold: To mix one ingredient very gently with another, such as adding beaten egg whites to a batter without deflating them. Not to be confused with stirring, which is more vigorous. Fold with a rubber spatula, scooping under the main ingredient and folding it over the added ingredient. Boy Scout Definition: Bend a tortilla in half Peaks: Sufficiently beaten whipped cream or egg whites will stand up in peaks. To test, lift the beater or whip: Soft peaks will point up, then fold over. Stiff peaks will stick straight up. Boy Scout Definition: Climb every Mountain, Ford every Stream Poach: To cook an ingredient, usually fish, boneless chicken, or fruit, in a gently simmering liquid, usually water flavored with herbs. Some fruit juices can make flavorful poaching liquids too. Boy Scout Definition: No. Don’t shoot the King’s deer. Reduce: To boil a liquid rapidly until it partially evaporates. Reducing concentrates flavor of stocks for sauces. Boy Scout Definition: Smaller and Smaller Zest: The outer, colored portion of citrus peel. Doesn’t include any of the white part of the peel, which is bitter. To remove the zest, use the small holes of a grater and rub very gently, or use a zester or a vegetable peeler to peel off longer strips. If you get any of the white part on a strip gently scrape it off with a knife point. Boy Scout Definition: Eat them up. Cooking Equipment Dutch Ovens Very little says “campout cooking” like a dutch oven. They are extremely versatile, being usable with open fires, charcoal, a camp stove, or even in a conventional oven. Literally anything that can be cooked in a regular oven or stovetop can be cooked in a dutch oven. A dutch oven can be cast iron or aluminum, can be anywhere from 8-24 inches in diameter, holding 2 -12 quarts. A 12 inch oven is a good fit for most uses, but here is a chart with typical sizes and uses. Capacity Weight Depth Dishes (quarts) (pounds) Side dishes, vegetables, desserts, and sauces 8" 2 3" 11 for 2 or 3 people Side dishes, vegetables, beans, small roasts, 10" 4 3.5" 15 desserts, and sauces Roasts, poultry, fish, stews, potatoes, beans, 12" 6 3.75" 20 rolls, breads, and desserts 12" Standing rib roasts, hams, whole chickens, 8 5" 23 D stews, potatoes, beans, rolls, and breads Larger roasts, chicken, stews, potatoes, rolls, 14" 8 3.75" 26 breads, and desserts Standing rib roasts, hams, chickens, stews, 14" 10 4.5" 28 potatoes, rolls, and breads Large quantities of meat, stews, potatoes, 16" 12 3.75" 32 rolls, breads, and desserts Probably the most daunting challenge is to determine cooking temperatures. On the kitchen oven is a really cool dial. Turn it to 350 and trust that the oven will heat up to and remain at 350 degrees. Put in the food, set the timer, and go do something productive. When camp cooking in the outdoors, there's a bit more hit-or-miss. On a dutch oven, there's no dial, nothing to tell how hot the oven is. Since cooking food at a fairly consistent and known temperature is important for Size success, there are 3 ways for estimating temperature. Depending on your skill level and how you'll be cooking, one of them should work for you. Also keep in mind that there are many environmental factors that will influence your oven temperature. Wind might blow heat away; colder air temperature, higher humidity and higher elevation reduce heat generated by coals; direct sunlight makes a black oven a bit hotter. You might consider making an aluminum foil wind shield to place around your oven, but if it is that windy, I would recommend you not have an open fire. Nearly all dutch oven cooking will come out ok if your dutch oven is about 350 degrees. Some things should be cooked hotter and some cooler, but that's the temperature for all recipes that fail to include a temperature suggestion. Hand Test Use your hand to feel the heat. Of course, every person has a different sensitivity to heat but this works well. Just remove the lid from the dutch oven and place your hand just above or just inside the oven. Count how many seconds you can keep your hand there before it gets too hot. It is about 50 degrees per second counting down from 550, so just count - "550, and 500, and 450, and 400, and S350, and 300, ...". Seconds/Temperature 1/ 500+ 2/ 500 3/ 450 4/ 400 5/ 350 Counting Charcoal Lots of dutch oven cookbooks tell you how many charcoal briquettes to put under and on top of the oven. This is the easiest way to cook since every coal is similar and consistent. The normal formula is to use twice the number of briquettes as the diameter of the oven. For a 12 inch oven, you would use 24 briquettes. Depending on the type of cooking you are doing, you need to make the heat come more from the top or bottom of the oven. For example, too much heat on the bottom will burn bread. To do this, you place more or less of the briquettes on the lid. Here is a simple chart: Baking More heat from top so bottom does not burn. Place 3/4 coals on top and 1/4 underneath. Roasting Heat comes equally from top and bottom. Place 1/2 coals on top and 1/2 underneath. Stewing, Simmering Most heat from bottom. Place 1/4 coals on top and 3/4 underneath. Frying, Boiling All head from bottom. Place all coals underneath. Rule of 3 This is a real simple estimate of briquettes. Take the dutch oven diameter and add 3 briquettes on top. Subtract 3 briquettes underneath. So, a 12 inch oven would have 12+3=15 on top and 12-3=9 underneath. This works for any size dutch oven. Then you need to adjust briquette placement depending on the type of cooking. Rings of Coals As it turns out, the sizes of briquettes work out so that the recommended briquettes count above can be estimated easily. As an experiment, you can take a 12 inch dutch oven and 24 briquettes. On the lid, make a ring of briquettes all the way around the outer edge. How many did you use? I bet it was 15 or 16! Now, see how many it takes to make a ring just under the oven. There should be 3 or 4 briquettes between each leg for a total of 9 to 12. That is pretty close to the recommendation for a 350 degree roasting set up, isn't it? It works pretty well for any size dutch oven and any size briquettes - smaller briquettes means you need more of them, but its about the same amount of burning mass to make a ring! A ring around the top and the bottom is about 325 to 350 degrees. Remove every other briquette underneath to make 300 degrees. Add a second ring to the top to make 375 degrees. If your camp cooking calls for stewing or frying, you'll want to drop most of those top coals down and shove them under the oven. If you're baking breads, then maybe move a couple from underneath up to the top. Just remember that a ring around the top and a ring around the bottom is your base starting point and tweak it from there. Maintaining Even Heat No matter how evenly you distribute your coals above and below your dutch oven, there will be some spots that get hotter than others due to wind, quality of fuel, and phase of the moon. To prevent burned and raw portions of your meal, you should just rotate your oven occasionally, maybe every 10 minutes. You can do it however you like, but I've got an easy way - remember, I'm lazy. Lift the whole oven off the campfire cookin coals by the wire bail. Turn the oven clockwise 1/3 of a revolution. Set the oven back down on the coals - with three legs on your oven, it should sit in the exact same spot it started in with coals between the legs. With a lid lifter or pliers, grasp the lid handle. Twist the lid counter-clockwise 1/3 turn - the logo on the lid should be in the same position it started at. I like this way because both the top and bottom heat moves in relation to the food inside and there's nothing for me to remember except that the lid logo always looks the same. Taking a quick look inside at this time will give you an idea if the coals are cooking too fast or slow. Just be careful to not drop ash in or let heat out. Maintaining Long Heat Your first batch of coals will probably keep the oven hot for 30 to 45 minutes. That's long enough to cook most things, but you sure don't want to let the oven go out for those 1 hour or longer meals. Just make sure you check your oven every 20 or 30 minutes to see that the coals are ok. Where you see spaces with just white ash, fill in with a few more coals. Or, you can just brush all the ash and coals away and put on a new batch all at once. Stacking Heat Stacking Heat When you really get going and have 3 or 4 dutch ovens outdoors cooking, there is a lot of ground space chewed up and a large part of the heat from the coals is heating the surrounding countryside instead of the ovens. I recommend that the first dutch oven you buy is a 12 inch model and then your second purchase is a 10 inch model. This allows you to stack the ovens. Stacking your dutch ovens is a great way to save ground space, fuel, and time - besides, it looks really cool to have 3 ovens making a tower. The coals on the lid of one oven serve as the 'underneath' coals for the oven stacked on top. And, the oven on top helps trap heat for the oven underneath. All this makes heat estimating more difficult so you should only tackle this after you've got some experience and are willing to practice on a few meals. The most important thing to remember is that items needing more heat should be on top. Your bread or dessert should be the bottom-most oven since it wants very little heat underneath. Then, your meat to roast in the middle and a stew on the top. It takes some planning, but an entire meal can be fixed this way so it all gets done at the same time. Rotating stacked dutch ovens takes a bit more work. Take off the top ones, rotate the bottom one, and then work your way back up the stack. Move as fast as you can without spilling so you keep the ovens hot. Temperature Tips Finally, just a few tips to tuck away for later: You can cook food, but you can't unburn food. Use less heat and cook longer rather than overheating. Preheat your dutch oven for frying or searing meat. Otherwise, put the food in cold and let it all heat up together. Keep adding wood to your campfire to ensure you have a supply of camp cooking coals available. If your fire burns too low, it may take extra time to finish your cooking while you make coals. Some briquette users just set new briquettes next to burning ones around the dutch oven so they light and continue providing heat as the first batch burns out. Other Cookware Cast iron We all probably remember our grandmothers’ kitchens. It was there where most of us first encountered cast iron. Amazing how heavy those skillets and pots were, isn’t it? We wondered why, in the days of Teflon and aluminum, why on earth this little old lady would hang on to these ancient, bulky, cooking dinosaurs? BECAUSE THEY LAST FOREVER!!!! If properly cared for, cast iron will last practically forever. Cast iron skillets come in all sizes. From a 6 ½ in all the way up to 17 in., there is very little you cannot do. There are deep as well as shallow varieties. They can tolerate all ranges of heat, and a well seasoned piece of cast iron can be nearly as easy to clean as the newest non-stick cookware. Caring for cast iron is fairly straightforward: Hand wash and dry completely DO NOT use harsh detergents or scouring pads. Lightly coat with vegetable oil after each use. Cookware for Backpacking As wonderful as cast iron is, there is one unavoidable drawback to using it--WEIGHT. In a backpacking context, very, very few of us are willing to lug 50 lbs. of skillets and dutch ovens on a 5 day hike(more than once, anyway). Therefore we turn to other, lighter materials. The 3 most common are aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium. Aluminum Cookware made of this is heavy-duty, lightweight and inexpensive. This make it sounds like it's the best choice but food tends to stick on it, making it a little more difficult to clean than other cookware. Stainless Steel Stainless steel pots are durable and less likely to have scratches than aluminum cookware. Cleaning is also easier. However, these are heavier, and are not that good in distributing heat evenly. If you choose this, you should constantly stir food to cook it evenly. Titanium Titanium cookware is often referred to as the best choice for backpacking cookware because they are much lighter, very tough and easy to clean. And when compared to stainless steel, it does a better job in cooking food evenly. The only downside? It is the most expensive among the three kinds of cookware. Some other notes about backpacking cookware: Multifunctional—The more ways you can use an item, then the fewer different items you will need. For example—if you have a pot with a lid that doubles as a plate and/ or skillet, you save both space and weight. A “spork” weighs less and takes up less space than a spoon and fork. Compact—Utensils such as knife, spoon, and fork, potscrubber, and potholder, should all fit inside your pot. Ideally the pot should have a folding handle to further save space. Light—Let’s face it- the less you have to carry, the longer you can carry it and the fewer things you have to deal with later. Dutch Oven Recipes Armadillo Eggs Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1/4 stick butter 24 pickled jalapeno peppers 2 cup Biscuit mix (dry) 12 oz. shredded cheese 2 lb. hot pork sausage 2 pkg ShakenBake pork seasoning in a ziploc baggie. Instructions: Tear the sausage into little bits. In a bowl, mix sausage, biscuit mix, and 6 oz. of cheese into a dough. (add a little water if it's too dry) Cut the stem off each pepper, cut a slice down it, and remove the seeds. Stuff the pepper with cheese. Create a flat patty of the biscuit/sausage mixture. Place a stuffed pepper on the patty and wrap the dough around the pepper, pinching the dough sealed. Drop the pepper in the ziploc and shake it to coat well. Heat the dutch oven over coals and rub the butter around the inside. No need to use the lid - all the heat is under the d.o. this time. Place a few wrapped peppers in the d.o. and fry until they are very brown all over. Make sure you cook the sausage well. Serves 6 to 8. Au Gratin Ham and Potatoes Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 4 Tbsp butter or margarine 1 onion 3 Tbsp flour 2 cups milk Seasoned salt and pepper 1-1/2 cups cooked ham 3 cups potatoes 1/2 cup cheese 2 Tbsp fine bread crumbs Instructions: Mince onion. Dice ham. Dice potatoes. Grate cheese. Preheat dutch oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter and saute onion until translucent. Blend in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add pepper and seasoned salt. Mix in ham and potatoes to coat well. Sprinkle cheese and bread crumbs on top. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serves 4 Bacon Spuds Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 large potato per person 1/3 onion per person 2 or 3 slices bacon per person salt and pepper Instructions: Set the dutch oven on coals to heat. Slice the bacon into small pieces. Peel and cut onions into 1/8ths and break them apart. Peel spuds and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Dump the bacon in the D.O. and stir until about half cooked. Spread the bacon evenly over the bottom of the D.O. Spread the onions on the bacon. Pour the spuds on the onions. Shake quite a bit of salt and pepper on top. Set the D.O. over a solid bed of coals. Place the lid on and cover with coals. Cook for about 45 minutes, turning the D.O. and lid in opposite directions every 10 minutes or so. The bacon grease in the bottom should keep things from burning, but it's fine to check after 20 minutes if you're getting antsy. The spuds are done when they are tender to a fork. Black Forest Cobbler Dutch Oven Recipe Required: aluminum pie tin Ingredients: 1 Chocolate cake mix 1 can Cherry pie filling 1 can soda pop - cherry or lemon lime 1 Hershey chocolate bar chopped walnuts (optional) Instructions: Dump pie filling into pie tin. Sprinkle about 3/4 of cake mix on top in even layer. Pour half can of soda around on top of cake mix. Stir soda into cake mix, leaving the pie filling alone as much as possible. Break chocoloate into small pieces and place on top. Sprinkle walnuts on top. Place pie tin in dutch oven, setting it on top of four small pebbles for air circulation. Cover with dutch oven lid and set on a small ring of coals. Cover the lid with coals. Cook at about 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until the cake looks done when cut or poked. Another way to mix the mix: Sprinkle about 1/3 of the cake mix over the pie filling. Then, pour soda right into the cake mix bag and knead the bag with your hands on the outside to mix. Once mixed, pour into the dutch oven. You don't really need the pie tin. You can make it directly in the dutch oven. About 8 servings. Blonde Brownies Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 2 C flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 1 1/4 sticks butter 2 C brown sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 3/4 C chocolate chips 3/4 C chopped pecans Instructions: Start heating dutch oven to 350 degrees, most coals on top. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a zip-loc. In a pot, melt the butter. Mix the sugar into the butter. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture, stirring well. When the batter is smooth but thick, pour into dutch oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans on top. Cover and bake, checking at about 20 minutes to see if center is cooked. Serves 6 or 8. Candied Apples Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: Each serving: 1 apple 1 oz. raisins 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1 cherry 1 pineapple ring Instructions: Core the apples and fill the bottom of oven with apples standing stem side up. Pack brown sugar and raisins into the core holes. Place a pineapple ring on top of each apple. Place a cherry in center of each ring. Pour pineapple juice from the can of pineapple over the apples. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Chicken and Dumplings Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 2 large envelopes chicken noodle soup mix (not single serving) 1 12 oz. can chicken meat Buttermilk biscuit mix Instructions: Preheat dutch oven to 250 degrees. Mix soup mix with about half the normal water. Add chicken and bring to a boil. Mix biscuit mix and drop by spoonfuls on the chicken soup. Cover and bake at about 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until dumplings are done. Can also add a can of corn, peas and carrots, or mixed vegetables if that sounds good to you. Serves about 4 Chicken Stir Fry Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: peanut or cooking oil 4 chicken breast halfs 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 3 green onions 2 large carrots fresh, raw green beans 1/4 cup soy sauce rice Instructions: Prepare rice in a pot separately. Slice chicken breasts into thin strips. Cut green onions and green beans into 1/2 inch sections, on a diagonal. Slice carrots into thin discs. Cover the bottom of the dutch oven in oil, not too deep. When oil is hot, dump in chicken and sprinkle ginger on it. Stir fry until well browned. (cut a few strips open to check the inside) Dump in onions, carrots, and beans. Stir fry for about 3 minutes. Add soy sauce and stir 1 minute. Serve on rice with soy sauce or hot sauce for individuals. Can add pea pods, water chestnuts, peanuts, or other taste sensations. Baked Salmon Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 11-inch length of whole salmon body 6 ears of corn 1/2 stick butter, melted 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 cup sliced onion 1/2 lemon, sliced seasoned salt parmesan cheese Instructions: Place husked corn in bottom of dutch oven to cover bottom. Shake seasoned salt inside salmon. Lay alternating slices of onion and lemon inside the salmon. Pour 1 cup water into the D.O. Lay salmon on corn cobs. Mix butter and lemon juice and baste top of salmon. Cook for 15 minutes at 350 degrees with 2/3 coals on top and 1/3 underneath. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of salmon. Cook for another 15 minutes, or until salmon flakes and is no longer translucent. Serve with rice, noodles, or couscous. Chili Chicken and Dumplings Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 2 10oz cans cooked chicken breasts 1 15oz can tomato sauce 2 15oz cans chili beans 1 8oz can corn 1 1/2 cup Bisquick 1/2 cup cornmeal 2/3 cup milk 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded Instructions: Preheat dutch oven to 350 degrees. Pour in undrainded chicken and tomato sauce. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to 275. Simmer 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in undrained beans and corn. Heat to boiling. While beans and corn are heating up, combine Bisquick, cornmeal, and milk in a mixing bowl. Stir until it becomes dough. After chili has reached boiling, reduce heat to 275 degrees. Drop dough on top of chili by spoonfuls to cover the top. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top of dumplings. Cover and cook 5 minutes, until cheese melts Chili Rellano Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1/2 Tbsp butter 2 lg cans whole green chilis 1 lb cheddar cheese 1 lb monterey jack cheese 3 Tbsp flour 1 can (13 oz) evaporated milk 4 eggs salt and pepper Instructions: Preheat large dutch oven to 325 degrees. Separate the egg whites from yolks, keeping both. Add flour, milk, egg yolks, and a few dashes of salt and pepper in large bowl. Beat well. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into yolks. Use butter to grease a casserole dish that will fit in your dutch oven. Place 1/2 the chilis in the casserole. Spread cheddar cheese on chilis. Layer the rest of chilis on the cheese. Spread monterey jack cheese on chilis. Pour eggs on top. Cook 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Chocolate Chip Cookies Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 2-1/4 cup flour 2 eggs 1 cup soft butter 1 (12oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract Instructions: Preheat dutch oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg. Gradually mix in flour. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls onto ungreased pie tin. Place on inverted pie tin. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on your D.O. temperature. Chocolate Upside Down Cake Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 3 Tbsp butter (or margarine) or oil 1 cup flour 3/4 cup sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 5 tsp dry cocoa powder 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 1 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup dry cocoa powder Instructions: Melt 3 Tbsp butter in dutch oven and swirl around to cover sides. In zip-loc, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. (Could do this beforehand) In a bowl, combine flour mix with milk and vanilla. Pour in melted butter from dutch oven. (Just take what pours out, leaving the oven well-coated.) Add nuts and stir well. Pour batter into dutch oven. Mix sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa in a zip-loc. (Could prepare beforehand) Sprinkle sugar over top of batter. Pour 1 cup of water over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes with more heat on top than under. Check for doneness by inserting toothpick or similar into center of cake - if it comes out clean, it is done. When done, remove from heat and remove lid for about 5-10 minutes to cool. Then, put lid on and turn cake over onto lid. If all goes well, it will fall onto lid, but you may loosen the cake with a knife before flipping. Serves 6 Chuck Wagon Casserole Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef 1 15.5oz can chili beans in sauce 1 11oz can Mexican style corn 3/4 cup BBQ sauce 1 8.5oz package corn muffin mix 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt Instructions: Preheat Dutch Oven. Brown ground beef, onions, and peppers in dutch oven. Add chili beans, BBQ sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil. Drain corn. Prepare corn muffin mix according to package. Add corn to mix. Pour mix into dutch oven, spreading over meat. Close dutch oven and place 10 charcoal bricks on top and underneath. Bake for 30 minutes or until inserted knife pulls out clean Coca-cola Chicken Dutch Oven Recipe Required: Dutch oven or large pot 2nd pot Ingredients: 6 boneless chicken breasts 1 can of Coke 12-16oz ketchup 1 package spaghetti noodles or 2 packages rice Instructions: Pour the ketchup into the 1st pot or dutch oven. Stir in the Coke. While heating the ketchup mixture on a bed of coals, cut the chicken breasts into strips. Add chicken to the ketchup pot, stir, and heat with lid on. Cook chicken for at least 45 minutes, at about 350 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes. Heat water in 2nd pot as rice or noodle directions indicate. After cooking the chicken for 20 minutes, start cooking the rice or spaghetti so it gets done at about the same time. CCC Casserole Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 lb. lean hamburger 1.5 cups corn chips (like Fritos) 1 cup cheese - American, cheddar, colby, or mix 1 can of chili 1 quarter onion Instructions: Chili, Chips, and Cheese Casserole, that is. Chop the onion. Grate the cheese. Brown the hamburger and onion in dutch oven, crumbling it as it cooks. If there's lots of grease, remove it. But some is fine. Add chili. Bring to boil while stirring and simmer about 5 minutes. Mix corn chips into chili. Spread cheese over the top. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes with most coals on lid. Makes about 6 servings Could serve into soft tortillas. Easy to double this recipe - but use 1.5 cups instead of 2 cups cheese or there is too much cheese on top. Cowboy Stew Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 lb. ground beef 1 onion 3 potatoes (all cans are about 15 oz.) 1 can green beans 1 can baked beans 1 can black beans 1 can tomato soup 1 can corn 1 can diced tomatoes 1 tsp Chili powder 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 bay leaf Salt and pepper Instructions: Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Dice onion. Preheat dutch oven to 350 degrees with all coals underneath. Brown ground beef and onion. Add potatoes and all cans, undrained. Add spices (more or less if you like bland or spicy) Cook until potatoes are soft (about 45 minutes) Serves about 8. Since this is 'stewing' rather than 'baking' all coals are underneath and you should stir every 5 minutes or so.. Cooked Apples Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 8 apples 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 Tbsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp salt 4 Tbsp butter 1/2 tsp cinnamon Instructions: Preheat dutch oven to 300 degrees. Core apples and cut into quarters. Dump all ingredients into ducth oven and stir until butter is melted and all is mixed. Cover and cook 30 minutes or until apples are soft and sauce is clear and thick. Doughnuts Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 3 cups flour 3/4 cup milk 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 Tbsp cooking oil 2 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 tsp powdered ginger 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 bottle vegetable oil 1/2 cup powdered sugar Instructions: Mix all ingredients, except bottle of oil and powdered sugar, into a smooth dough. Roll (or press with hands) to 1/2 inch thick. Use an empty tomato paste can to cut out the doughnut hole. Use an empty tomato sauce can (or water bottle lid) to cut out the doughnut. Preheat about 2 inches deep of vegetable oil in a 375-400 degree dutch oven. The smaller diameter the better to cut down on oil needed and heating time. Carefully drop doughnuts and holes into hot oil. They will sink and then float back up as they cook. Fry until golden brown, flipping once. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep the oil hot or the doughnuts may get greasy. Pies Dutch Oven Recipe Required: aluminum foil or aluminum pie tin Ingredients: 1 can apple pie filling 1 box Jiffy muffin mix 1/4 stick butter 1 spray can of whipped cream Instructions: Pour the filling into the pie tin. Sprinkle the dry muffin mix over the entire surface. Slice the butter into thin squares and distribute across surface. Put 4 or 5 equal sized pebbles in the dutch oven. Carefully, place the pie tin on top of the pebbles. (keeping the tin off the bottom reduces burning.) Put on the lid and cover with coals. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on fire temperature. Dish a spoonful out and apply whipped cream. Pizza Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 box Pizza dough mix 1 can pizza sauce 1/2lb mozzarella cheese 1/2lb pepperoni 1 aluminum pie tin Instructions: Prepare the pizza dough per mix directions. Spread dough inside pie tin and up the sides. Top with sauce, cheese, pepperoni. Place 4 pebbles or wads of aluminum foil in d.o. to raise pie tin off bottom. Set pizza in d.o. Put d.o. on top of 12 briquettes and cover d.o. with 14 briquettes. Cook for 15-25 minutes. Pineapple Chicken Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1/4 cup flour 2/3 cup light molasses 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 6 chicken breasts 1 Tbsp prepared mustard 2 Tbsp oil 1 Tbsp cider vinegar 1 8oz. can sliced pineapple 1 16oz. can sweet potatoes, drained rice or noodles Instructions: Preheat dutch oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil. Combine flour, salt and pepper in plastic bag. Slice chicken breasts into strips. Coat chicken breasts in flour mixture. Brown in hot oil. Drain pineapple, pouring juice into mixing bowl. Mix pineapple juice, molasses, mustard, and vinegar. Place chicken and potatoes in dutch oven. Brush with half of the sauce. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Top with pineapple, brush with remaining sauce, cook 30 minutes more. While cooking last 30 minutes, prepare rice or noodles so it is ready at the same time. Fizzy Fruit Cobbler Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: Apple pie filling 1 box yellow cake mix 1/2 can 7-Up 1 Tbsp. cinnamon Instructions: Any combination of flavors that sound good to you can be tried. This example is apple, yellow cake, and cinnamon. Another might be cherry filling, chocolate cake, and powdered sugar. Or, blueberry filling, white cake, and grape soda. Line the dutch oven with aluminum foil to make clean up easier if you aren't adverse to doing that. Pour the fruit filing into the bottom of the D.O. Sprinkle the cake mix on top of the filing - do not stir it. Pour the soda on top of the mix from a low height so it does not splatter all over. With a fork, mix the soda into the cake mix, being careful not to mix it into the filling too much - a little is ok. When the cake mix is stirred, sprinkle cinnamon on top. Cook for 45 minutes at 325 degrees Fast Teriyaki Flank Steak Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 4-6 flank steaks 4-6 pineapple slices 1 Tbsp salad oil 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup sugar 2 Tbsp sherry (optional) 1 tsp ginger 1 clove garlic, crushed Instructions: Put steaks in a plastic container with a lid. Mix all ingredients except pineapples and pour over steaks to marinate. Let sit for 1.5 hours. Preheat dutch oven to 375-400 degrees. Lift steaks from marinade and fry in oven for about 2 minutes. Brush with marinade. Fry another 2 minutes. Add pineapple, brush with marinade and cover. Cook 3 minutes more or until desired doneness. Serve over rice. Fried Rice Dutch Oven Recipe Required: knife, spoon, pot, pie tin, dutch oven Ingredients: 3 Tbsp sesame seeds 1 C dry instant rice 5 Tbsp butter 1 large onion 5 large carrots 5 scallions (green onions) 5 eggs 5 Tbsp soy sauce salt pepper Instructions: Either at home or in dutch oven, place sesame seeds in a pie tin and place the tin in a 350 degree oven. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove tin from dutch oven. Prepare instant rice in a pot, following package instructions. Chop onion, carrots, and scallions. Melt butter in dutch oven and add vegetables. Saute until carrots are soft. Crack eggs into pot containing rice and stir. Pour egg/rice mixture into dutch oven with vegetables and mix together. Cook as if it were scrambled eggs. When nearly done, mix in sesame seeds and soy sauce, stirring well. Serves 4 to 6. Garlic Potatoes Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 6 potatoes garlic salt 1/2 pint of cream Instructions: Preheat dutch oven to 325 degrees. Peel potatoes and cut into thin slices. Place a layer of potatoes in the D.O. Sprinkle garlic salt over the top. Repeat for all potatoes. Pour cream over the top. Cook for 1 hour. German Pancakes Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups milk 9 eggs 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 tsp salt 6 Tbsp butter Powdered sugar Instructions: Mix together milk, eggs, flour, and salt in a bowl. Heat a 12 or 14 inch Dutch Oven with about 14 briquettes underneath and 20 briquettes on top for 7-10 minutes. Add butter to Dutch Oven and let melt. Pour batter into Dutch Oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until pancake is fluffy and light brown. Sprinkle powdered sugar over pancake, cut, and serve. Good Bars Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 stick of butter 1 package of graham crackers, crushed 1 can sweetened condensed milk 2 cups chocolate chips 1 cup peanut butter chips Instructions: Preheat the dutch oven to 350 (6 briquettes under and 18 on top) Put butter in D.O. and melt. Pour graham crackers in, mix, and press into a crust. Pour condensed milk over crust. Pour in chocolate and peanut butter chips. Bake for 20 minutes until gooey serves 8 \\ Hawaiian Steak Strips Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained 1-1/2 lb round steak 1 jar beef gravy (or dry package and water) 1 bell pepper Crunchy chow mein noodles 1/2 lb mushrooms 1/2 tsp salt Instructions: Cut pepper into strips. Slice mushrooms. Preheat dutch oven to 350 degrees. Cut steak into 1/4" strips. Heat oil. Add steak, onion, pepper, mushrooms and salt. Brown meat, stirring constantly. Drain and add water chestnuts and gravy. Cover and simmer 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with chow mein noodles. Hawaiian Swiss Crescents Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 can (15oz) pineapple spears 1 tube crescent rolls (8) 8 thin slices of ham 8 slices of swiss cheese Dijon mustard Instructions: Wrap a slice of ham and a slice of cheese around a pineapple spear. Wrap inside a crescent roll. Place in dutch oven. Cook at about 350 for 15 minutes with 2/3 coals on top and 1/3 underneath. While rolls are cooking, crush two extra pineapple spears in juice and mix in mustard. Boil and stir in saucepan until thickened. When rolls are golden done, serve with sauce for dipping. Hearty Potatoes Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 8 slices bacon 3 medium potatoes 1 onion 1/2 bell pepper 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 package frozen green peas Instructions: Cook the bacon until crispy and let it cool. Crumble it into pieces. Slice potatoes thin. Chop onion and bell pepper. Place all ingredients in D.O. Cook for 35 minutes at 325 degrees. Hopping Black-eyed Peas Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 8 bacon slices 1 small onion 3 Tbsp minced garlic 4 cups water 6 cups shelled black-eyed peas - fresh or canned 1 jalepeno pepper 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 cup cooked ham 1/4 cup green onions Chop the onion, jalepeno, ham, and green onions. Instructions: Cook bacon in 350 degree D.O. until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside but leave hot grease in the D.O. Saute onion and garlic in D.O. Add water, peas, black pepper, and jalepeno. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Add bacon, ham, and green onions. Cook 15 minutes more. Hopping Black-eyed Peas Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 8 bacon slices 1 small onion 3 Tbsp minced garlic 4 cups water 6 cups shelled black-eyed peas - fresh or canned 1 jalepeno pepper 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 cup cooked ham 1/4 cup green onions Chop the onion, jalepeno, ham, and green onions. Instructions: Cook bacon in 350 degree D.O. until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside but leave hot grease in the D.O. Saute onion and garlic in D.O. Add water, peas, black pepper, and jalepeno. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Add bacon, ham, and green onions. Cook 15 minutes more. Hot and Sweet Sausage Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 4 lbs. polish sausage 2 sliced onions 2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup spicy brown mustard 4 minced cloves garlic 1 cup water 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper Instructions: Put sausage and onions in Dutch Oven. Mix all other ingredients well in a bowl. Pour over sausage and stir to mix. Bake at 350 degrees (9 briquettes under and 14 on top) for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Could add corn and cut-up potatoes, if desired. Serves: 6-8 Hot-n-Spicey BBQ Beef Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 2 lb beef chuck roast celery, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped green pepper, 1/2 cup chopped water - about a quart 1 1/2 cup ketchup 3 Tbsp taco sauce 2 Tbsp brown sugar 2 Tbsp vinegar 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp salt 1 tsp dry mustard 1 tsp chili powder 1 bay leaf 8 hamburger buns Instructions: Put beef, celery, onion, pepper in D.O. Add water until beef is just covered. Cook 2.5 hours. Remove meat, but keep liquid in D.O. Break meat into large pieces to help it cool faster. When cool enough to handle, shred beef and return to D.O. Add all ingredients except buns. Cook 1 hour. Serve on buns. Huggies Dutch Oven Recipe Required: Pot or dutch oven Slotted Spoon paper towel Ingredients: 1 Bag of Hershey Kisses 1 Bottle of Cooking Oil 1-2 Packages of Pillsbury Biscuit Dough Instructions: Heat an inch or so of oil in the pot. Unwrap a Hershey Kiss and wrap it in a piece of Biscuit Dough. Drop into hot oil and fry. When brown, remove and let it cool on paper towel. Irish Soda Bread Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 2 1/2 cup milk 2 Tbsp white vinegar 4 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup white flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp salt Instructions: Preheat 9-inch dutch oven to 375 degrees with 13 coals on top and 7 underneath. Pour milk into a small bowl and mix in vinegar, then set aside. In large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients. Add milk mixture to large bowl and stir until thoroughly moistened into a dough. Turn dough onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes, making the dough smooth. Form into a 9-inch round loaf and place in D.O. Score a large X across the top, cutting in about 1/4 inch. Bake for 1 hour or until bread is brown and hollow sounding when the crust is tapped. Jambalaya Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 lb hot link sausage or kelbasa sausage 2 chopped onions 1 cup chopped parsley 4 cloves chopped garlic 1 15oz can tomatoes 1 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups dry instant rice 2 cups water 1 lb frozen peeled shrimp Instructions: Heat dutch oven with coals only underneath. Cut sausage into 1/2 inch pieces. Fry sausage and onions in dutch oven until onions are clear. Add garlic and parsley. Cook until parsley is soft. Add tomatoes, thyme, salt, water, and rice. Bring to a boil and stir in shrimp. Place dutch oven on top of 4 or 5 briquettes (low heat) and place 10 briquettes on lid. Simmer until rice is tender and shrimp are pink - about 15 minutes. Serves 4. Meaty-Meat Pie Dutch Oven Recipe Required: dutch oven pie tin Ingredients: 6 slices bacon 1/2 lb. hamburger 1 lb. ground pork 1/2 medium onion 1 stalk celery 1 tp minced garlic 1 tsp ground sage 1 tsp oregano 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 Cup water 1/4 Cup water 2 Tbsp corn starch 1 double pie crust pastry Instructions: Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces. Chop onion and celery. Fry bacon pieces in dutch oven. Remove but leave grease. Fry hamburger and pork until done. Pour off grease. Stir 1 Cup water, bacon, celery, onion, and all spices into meat. Heat to boiling. Cover with lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir often. Sprinkle corn starch over meat mix and add 1/4 Cup water. Stir well, until liquid is thickened, then remove from heat. Put bottom pie crust pastry in pie tin. Fill with meat mixture. Put top pie pastry on top and crimp edges together. Cut slits in top pastry. Bake in dutch oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, with 3/4 of heat on top. Pie is done when crust is brown. Remove pie tin and let sit 10 to 15 minutes. Serves about 6. Mountain Dew Chicken Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1/2 lb. bacon 1 gallon zip-loc bag with 1 cup flour 5 chicken breasts 5 potatos 10 carrots 1 large onion 1 can Mountain Dew soda 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Instructions: Preheat dutch oven by setting on bed of coals. Chop bacon into 1-inch pieces. Dice vegetables. Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Fry bacon in dutch oven until crispy. Remove bacon from d.o. but leave grease. Shake chicken breasts in baggie of flour to coat. Cook in bacon grease to brown, about 5 minutes, turning a couple times. Pour vegetables, bacon, and Mountain Dew on top of chicken. Cover with lid and cook at 350° for 45 minutes with 3/4 of coals on lid. Using tongs or fork, lift chicken breasts so they are resting on top of vegetables. Sprinkle cheese over the chicken. Cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Serves 6 to 8. Mountain Man Omelette Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 lb. country sausage 1 lb. bacon 1 large diced yellow onion 3 cloves minced garlic 1 chopped green bell pepper 1 chopped red bell pepper 2 cups chopped mushrooms 18 eggs 3/4 cup milk 3 cups grated Cheddar cheese picante sauce salt and pepper Instructions: Heat a 12inch Dutch Oven over coals until bottom is very hot. Fry sausage until brown, then remove. Cut bacon into 1 inch slices. Fry in D.O. until brown. Remove excess grease from D.O. Add sausage, onion, garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Saute until vegetables are tender. Mix eggs and milk. Pour eggs into D.O. Cover and bake at about 325 degrees, using 8 briquettes under and 15 on top for 20 minutes, or until eggs are firm. Spread cheese over eggs. Cover and let stand until cheese is melted. Serves: 8-10 using picante sauce as they choose. Pasghetti Dutch Oven Recipe Required: pot for spaghetti noodles dutch oven Ingredients: 3 lb. hamburger 1 medium onion 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp ground oregano 1 tsp ground basil 67 oz. Prego spaghetti sauce 1 lb. spaghetti 3/4 lb. mozzarella cheese 3/4 cup parmesan cheese Instructions: Brown hamburger in dutch oven. Add onion and cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Drain off excessive grease. Stir in garlic powder and sauce, let simmer until noodles are done (below). Chop onion. Grate cheese. Break spaghetti noodles in fourths and boil normally as package instructs. Drain noodles and dump into simmering sauce. Stir noodles into sauce. Spread mozzarella cheese over top. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Cover and bake at about 350 for about 30 minutes, with most heat on top. Makes about 8 large servings Pancakes Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 1/2 cups milk 2 tablespoons melted butter vegetable oil Instructions: Pour flour, baking powder, and salt into a zip-loc and mix it very well. In a separate bowl, mix egg and milk. Pour flour mixture into bowl, stirring only until smooth. Blend in melted butter. Place dutch oven lid upside down over coals - place two pieces of wood parallel on the coals and rest the lid on them to leave air space under lid. Pour some vegetable oil on the paper towel and wipe the lid to cover it in a thin film of oil. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter in the center of the griddle. Cook until brown and dry around edges with bubbles on top. Flip over and brown the other side. Makes 12-16 pancakes, depending on size. Peach Cobbler Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: Filling: 2 quarts of canned sliced peaches 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup water 3 tsp corn starch Crust: 2 cups flour 3 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp baking powder 6 Tbsp butter 3/4 cup condensed milk Instructions: Filling: Preheat dutch oven to 250 degrees. Dump peaches and juice into D.O. Dissolve cornstarch into water and stir into peaches. Sprinkle sugar, covering the surface. Cover and simmer. Crust: Mix all ingredients except milk in a large bowl. Add about half the milk and mix. Mix in more milk as needed until a soft dough is formed. Pat the dough out onto a floured board until it is 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1/2 inch wide strips. Open the D.O. and crisscross the strips on the peaches. Cover and cook 20 minutes until crust is browned PECS Breakfast Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 lb. pork sausage links or patties 1 box frozen hash browns 12 eggs 1/2 lb. cheddar cheese salt and pepper Instructions: Grate cheese. Preheat dutch oven to 325 degrees. Cut or tear the sausage into little pieces and dump into D.O. Stir until sausage is cooked. (or heated if using precooked sausage) Add hash browns. Stir and fry until hash browns are browned. Remove from coals. Mix eggs and pour over top of potato/sausage base. Season with salt and pepper. Cover D.O. and add coals to the lid to cook the eggs from above. When eggs are cooked, sprinkle cheese, cover and cook for 5 minutes to melt cheese. Pineapple Upside Down Cake Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: Jiffy yellow cake mix 1 can pineapple slices 1/2 cup brown sugar 12 maraschino cherries 2 Tbsp butter Instructions: Put 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the dutch oven. Form an aluminum foil 'pan' that is 1/2 inch above the bottom of the dutch oven and wraps over the top edges of the D.O. This will hold the cake. Use a few layers of foil. Mix cake mix with water, following package instructions. Drop small bits of butter into your 'pan'. Sprinkle brown sugare over butter. Lay pineapple slices in, covering the bottom. Place a cherry in the hole of each pineapple slice. Pour cake batter over pineapples. Place on coals and add coals to lid to approximate 350 degrees. Cook until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Pizza for Breakfast Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 tube of Crescent Rolls 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese 1 cup hash browns 1 green onion 1 lb sausage 3 eggs 3 Tbsp red bell pepper 3 Tbsp yellow bell pepper 3 Tbsp milk 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper Instructions: Grate the cheese Thaw the hash browns if they are frozen Slice the onion Brown and drain the sausage Beat the eggs Dice the peppers Unroll the crescent rolls and cover the bottom of a 12 inch Dutch Oven with flattened crescent rolls. Sprinkle sausage, peppers, hash browns, green onion, and cheddar cheese evenly over the rolls. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour egg mixture into D.O. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, about 10 briquettes on bottom and 15 on top. Serves 6-8 Pork Chops and Veggies Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 6 pork chops, 1 inch thick 3 Tbsp butter 3 carrots 1 tsp basil 6 pkgs instant onion soup mix (1/4oz. size) 2 cups water 1-1/2 cup fresh green beans 3 small potatoes Instructions: Cut carrots into 1/2 inch slices. Cut beans into 1 inch lengths. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Preheat dutch oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter. Brown chops on both sides. Remove chops. Drain off butter and grease. Place vegetables in oven and place chops on top. Mix soup mix and water. Pour over chops and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to about 250 degrees. Simmer 45 minutes or until chops are tender. Serves 6 guests Raisin Bread Pudding Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 8 slices cinnamon raisin bread 4 eggs 2 cups milk 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup raisins 1 tsp cinnamon Instructions: Mix all ingredients except bread in a bowl. Tear bread into 1 inch squares and drop in D.O. preheated to 325 degrees. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cook for 45-50 minutes. Serves 8 guests S'more Pie Dutch Oven Recipe Required: pie tin dutch oven Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup sugar 6 tablespoons butter 2 cups chocolate chips 2 cups mini marshmallows Instructions: Either buy a premade graham cracker crust or make your own: Melt butter. Mix butter with graham crumbs and sugar. Press into pie tin. Heat dutch oven to about 350 degrees. Cover graham crust with layer of chocolate chips. Cook in D.O. for about 5 minutes to melt chips. Cover chocolate chips completely with layer of minimarshmallows. Cook in D.O. for about 10 minutes. Check every 5 minutes until marshmallows are brown. Carefully remove pie tin and set to cool. If you can set it in snow or shallow cold water, it will cool the crust faster. Serves 8, but they'll want more. Shepherd Pie Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 2 lb hamburger 1 green pepper 1 sweet onion 2 celery stalks 1 can diced tomatos 1 small bag frozen vegetables 3 cups prepared mashed potatos 8 oz. cheddar cheese salt & pepper Instructions: Shred the cheese. Prepare the mashed potato flakes to make 3 cups. Dice the green pepper, onion, and celery. Brown hamburger in a dutch oven. Add green pepper, onion, and celery. Stir about 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Stir tomatos and mixed vegetables into hamburger. Spread mashed potatoes over top of hamburger/vegetable mix, cover it completely like a shell. Put lid on dutch oven and bake at about 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on potatos and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. Serves 6-8 Soda Pineapple Beans Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1/2 lb sliced bacon 1 diced onion 2 diced bell peppers 1 cup chopped mushrooms 4 cloves minced garlic 56oz. canned pork & beans 2 diced tomatos 1/2 cup tomato paste 1/2 lb. sliced summer sausage 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup picante sauce 16oz. drained pineapple chunks 1 can cola - Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper Instructions: Heat a 12" Dutch Oven over hot coals, or 20 briquettes. Cut bacon into 1/2" pieces. Fry in D.O. until crisp. Add onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Move half the heat to the top of the D.O. Cover and simmer 30-40 minutes stirring every 10 minutes. Serves 10 guests. Spicy Cornbread Dutch Oven Recipe Required: 3 C cornmeal 1 C flour 2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking soda 4 tsp baking powder 2 Tbsp sugar 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1 C powdered milk 2 oz jalapeno peppers, chopped 2 C grated cheese 4 eggs 6 Tbsp butter Instructions: At home, combine all dry ingredients into a large zip-loc and mix together. At camp, add cheese and peppers and mix. Melt the butter. Add melted butter, 3 cups of water, and eggs to the dry ingredients. (you can use 3 cups of milk instead of powdered milk) Mix and knead to make a batter. Pour into dutch oven. Bake at about 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Serves 8-10. Sugar Cookies Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup softened butter 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 egg 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Instructions: Preheat dutch oven to 400 degrees. Combine butter and sugar, stirring until well mixed. Blend in egg and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop onto greased pie tin. Place on inverted pie tin in D.O. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes. Sunrise Cake Dutch Oven Recipe Required: 12 inch dutch oven Preparation: can mix all dry ingredients except nuts in a baggie at home Ingredients: 2 1/4 C flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp cinnamon 3/4 C sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 C vegetable oil 1 egg, beaten 1 C buttermilk 1 C rough chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, your choice) Instructions: Preheat dutch oven with 8 briquettes underneath and 16 on lid. In a bowl, mix all ingredients except the nuts. Pour batter into dutch oven, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle nuts over top of batter. Bake 30 minutes. Super Chocolate Brownie Dutch Oven Recipe Required: 12 inch dutch oven large spoon Preparation: Prepare coals. Ingredients: 1 box dry brownie mix (about 19oz.) eggs, water, and oil as required for mix 1/2 cup chocolate syrup 1 cup chocolate chips Instructions: Pour brownie mix into dutch oven. Add eggs, water, and oil as directed on package. Mix in chocolate syrup and chips. Place on 10 briquettes of coals with 18 briquettes on lid. Check at 15 minutes, then every 5 minutes for doneness. Stick in a whittled toothpick - if it comes out clean, it's done. Serves about 8, but you might want to just eat right out of the cooled dutch oven. Venison Stew Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic 4 green peppers 1 sliced onion 3 sliced potatoes 3 tablespoons shortening 4 carrots 2 pounds of cubed venison or beef 1 can tomato sauce 6 medium onions 1 cup water salt & pepper to taste Instructions: Fry sliced onion, garlic and shortening in Dutch oven. Add the meat and brown. Remove garlic. Cover with tomato sauce and water. Add carrots, peppers, potatoes and whole onions. Add more water if necessary along with the seasonings. Cook for 1 hour. Add hot coals to top of lid as well. Serves 6-8 guests. White Chicken Chili Dutch Oven Recipe Required: pot or dutch oven Ingredients: 2 - 10oz cans of chicken breast chunks 1 can Northern beans, undrained 1 can Canneloni beans, drained 4 cups chicken broth 1 cup finely chopped onion 2 tsp minced garlic 1 bunch cilantro (leaves only), chopped 2 tsp cumin 2 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp cayenne 1 cup sour cream 3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese Instructions: In large pot, brown onion and garlic. Add all ingredients except the sour cream and cheese. Simmer 30 minutes. Add sour cream and cheese. Heat until cheese completely melts. Serves 6 guests. Witches Brew Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 1 pound uncooked bacon, chopped 1 pound lean hamburger 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup celery, diced 1 cup onion, diced 28oz can tomatoes, with juice 2 15oz cans dark red kidney beans 2 cups uncooked egg noodles 1 10oz can mushrooms 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Instructions: Brown bacon, hamburger, and garlic in Dutch oven. Drain fat, if desired. Add celery, onion, tomatoes, beans, noodles, and mushrooms liquid from cans also. Add seasonings and stir. Bake 45 minutes in Dutch oven at about 350 degrees. Serves 6 guests. Yams, Apples, Potatoes Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 4 apples 2 yams 2 sweet potatoes 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg 3 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 cups apple cider Instructions: Peel apples, yams, and potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Mix them together. Mix nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt into cider. Pour oil and 1 cup of cider into D.O. preheated to 325 degrees. Put 1/4 of apple/yam/potato mixture in D.O. Pour 1/4 cup of cider on top. Repeat with 3 more layers. Cook 50 minutes. Serves 8 guests. Zingy Pork Chops Dutch Oven Recipe Ingredients: 6 pork chops 4 chopped slices of bacon 1 cup chopped onions 2 cloves minced garlic 1/4 cup soy sauce 3 Tbl honey 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp curry powder Instructions: Preheat 12 inch dutch oven to about 350 degrees, sitting on coals. Cook chops for 6 minutes on each side. Place chops on a plate and cover. Pour grease from dutch oven. Saute bacon, onion, and garlic in dutch oven for 5 minutes. Mix soy sauce, honey, chili, and curry in a bowl, then stir into dutch oven. Place chops back in dutch oven, coating them with sauce. Place oven on a ring of coals, put lid on dutch oven, cover with coals, and cook 20 minutes. Serves 6 when accompanied with rice or noodles. Spicy Beef Dutch Oven Stew Ingredients: 2 lbs beef or diced small 6 slices bacon 1 can Rotel 1 serrano pepper sliced 1 can diced potatoes 1 can Bush’s Steakhouse Grillin’ Beans 1 bell pepper diced ½ cup diced green onions ½ cup diced white onion 1 cup diced carrots 4 cloves diced garlic 2 tbsp coarse black pepper 1 tsp salt Directions: Place bacon in dutch oven and cook till crisp on medium heat. Remove bacon, Leave grease. Saute garlic until tender . Add meat and brown thoroughly. Add Remaining ingredients, including bacon. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer approx.. 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8. One Pot /Skillet Meals Note: Although these recipes are listed separately from the Dutch Oven recipes, in many cases they can be used interchangeably. Ultralite backpacking meals are included and are so noted. Please note that for backpacking purposes there are literally hundreds of pouch meals that require only boiling water. These are not included here. Beanie Weenie Casserole Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 1 large can baked beans 1 package hotdogs 1 tablespoon mustard 1 tablespoon ketchup 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/2 medium onion Preparation: Pour beans in a baking pan or iron skillet. Slice hotdogs into 1/4-inch pieces and add to beans. Dice onions and add to beans. Add mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar. Stir until everything is mixed and cook about 30 minutes. Servings: 6-8 Cabbage Stew Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes Ingredients: 1 head of cabbage 2 pounds new red potatoes 1 pound carrots 1 cup celery, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tablespoons margarine 1 smoked sausage, or your favorite 1 can chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon thyme salt and pepper Preparation: Melt margarine in a big pot and saute celery and onions until clear. Add the chicken broth and thyme. Chop the cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and sausage into chunks and add to the pot. Cover with 2-4 cups of water and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender. Then serve in bowls, add salt and pepper to taste. Servings: 8 Camp Stuff Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 pound Kielbasa sausage 1-2 pounds ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 15-ounce can pork and beans 1 15-ounce can red beans garlic granules, to taste salt and pepper, to taste cottage cheese, as a side dill pickles, as a side Preparation: Brown the ground beef and onion together in a skillet or kettle. Either work fine. Slice sausage into 1-2 inch slices and add to ground beef just before it's completely brown. Drain any grease and add both beans. Stir in a small amount of water to help all ingredients absorb flavors. Basically, you can just rinse each bean can out and that is enough water. Once all ingredients are mixed together, simmer for about 10 minutes and serve with a side dish of cottage cheese and a dill pickle slice. I have made this for regular dinner meals as well. Also works well in the heat of the summer, because you can also cook it outside on the bbq grill or an open fire pit. Please note that salt, pepper, garlic or any other seasonings used, are more of personal taste. I personally use salt, pepper and granulated garlic. The rest just comes from the sausage and how the onions flavor the ground beef. You can experiment any way you see fit. Servings: as needed Tuna Mac Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 box Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese 1 can tuna, drained salt and pepper to taste Preparation: Boil water over campfire in pot. Cook macaroni until tender. Add packet of cheese, dump in can of tuna, add salt and pepper, and stir. You could also add celery or onion, if desired. Servings: 2 (large) Campsite Cannonballs Prep Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: 1 32 ounce package frozen meatballs 4 14-1/2 ounce cans of beef broth 2 cups water 1-2 cups fresh chopped spinach 1-1/2 cups Orzo (macaroni product) 1 medium onion, chopped salt and pepper, to taste parmesan cheese Preparation: Mix ingredients together, except spinach, in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes then add the spinach and cook for 5 more minutes. Add parmesan cheese and serve. Serves 4-8 Chicken a la Queen Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni 5 ounce can boned chicken breast 1 small onion, chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounce can tomato sauce 3/4 cup water salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 cup grated cheese, optional Preparation: Saute uncooked macaroni and onion in hot oil in large skillet until macaroni turns slightly yellow. Add tomato sauce, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes stirring frequently. Add chicken and the juices from the can and simmer 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese (optional). Servings: 2 Chicken and Dumplings 2 chicken breasts, skinless boneless 2 15-ounce cans chicken broth 1 medium potato, diced 1 small onion, diced 1 carrot, sliced 1 stalk celery, sliced 1 cup peas 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 bay leaves 3 tablspoons flour 1 can of 5 refrigerator biscuits 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons butter Preparation: Use a cast-iron Dutch oven, a stove top Dutch oven, or a large pot with a lid. Add oil to pot and heat to medium. Saute the chicken breasts for about 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. Remove chicken to a cutting board. Add butter to pot. Saute onions for about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir to moisten and make a rue. Add one can of broth and stir until the gravy is smooth. Add remaining vegetables, diced chicken, spices and 2nd can of broth. Stir well, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Take biscuits, cut each into 4 pieces, and place them on top of the stew. Put a lid on the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves before serving. Servings: 4-6 Chicken and Stuffing and Warm Milk (Ultralite) Ingredients: 1 box Kraft Stovetop Stuffing (6 oz) 1/2 Foil Pouch Chicken (3.5 oz) 1 tbsp Olive Oil (0.5 0z) 1/4 packet Turkey Gravy Mix (0.25oz) 1 oz Dried Cranberries 4 tbsp Nestle Nido Powdered Milk (1 oz) 2 packets Sugar (0.25 oz) 3 c Water (24 oz) Directions: 1. Combine 1/4c (2 oz) water and gravy mix in mug. Heat, stirring until thickened. Set aside. 2. Bring 1 3/4 c water to boil in cookpot. 3. Add stuffing and chicken. Cover cookpot with lid and transfer to pot cozy. Let sit 5 minutes. 4. Fluff with spoon. Top with cranberries and cover with gravy. 5. Clean mug and use it to heat 1c (8 oz) of water. 6. Add powdered milk and sugar to mug. Stir and enjoy!* Serves 1-2 Chicken Couscous and Cocoa (Ultralite) Ingredients: 1 box Near East Couscous* (5.7 oz) 1/2 Foil Pouch Chicken (3.5 oz) 1 tbsp Olive Oil (0.5 oz) 1 pk Land O’Lakes Premium Hot Cocoa (1.25 oz) 2 1/4 c Water (18 oz) Directions: 1. Bring water to boil in cookpot. 2. Pour 1 cup (8 oz) of boiling water into mug containing cocoa. Stir. 3. Add couscous and seasoning packet to remaining water (1 1/4c) in cookpot. Stir. 4. Cover cookpot with lid and transfer to pot cozy. Let sit for 5 minutes. 5. Add olive oil and chicken to couscous. Fluff with spoon and enjoy! Serves 1-2 ChickNRice Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 4-6 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced 1 small can mushrooms, drained or 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms sliced 1 minced garlic clove or 1 tsp. minced garlic from a jar 2 tablespoons cooking oil or margarine 2 cans chicken broth 1 can green beans, drained or 1/2 bag of frozen green beans 1 teaspoons dried basil salt and pepper, to taste 3 cups instant rice Preparation: Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and put into a greased kettle. Stir and cook until nearly done and add the mushrooms and garlic. Saute until mushrooms are nearly cooked. Add chicken broth, green beans and seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer until beans are cooked (if using frozen). Add rice, cover and remove from heat. Leave covered until rice absorbs broth (about 5 minutes) Serve with crusty bread and butter. Servings: 6 Chuck Wagon Casserole Recipe Ingredients 1 pound lean ground beef 1 can(15 1/2oz)mild chili beans in sauce 1 can(11oz) Mexican style corn(drained) 3/4 cup barbecue sauce 1 package(8 1/2oz) corn muffin mix 1/2 cup of chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt Instructions 1. Preheat pot over hot coals until a drop of water sizzles. 2. Brown ground beef along with onions and bell peppers in dutch oven. 3. Stir in chili beans, barbecue sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil. 4. Prepare corn muffin mix per package directions then stir in corn. Spoon mixture over boiling meat mixxture. 5. Cover and Bake for 25 -30 minutes until corn muffin mix is golden brown( knife comes out clean ) 6. Dish out and enjoy - will feed a patrol of 6. Corn Chowder Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes Ingredients: 3 strips bacon 1 medium yellow onion 8 small red bliss potatoes 1 cup water 2 cans whole kernel corn 1 can cream style corn Preparation: Cut bacon strips into small pieces. Dice onion into small pieces. Place bacon into sauce pan and cook until almost done, then add onion pieces and cook until they become translucent. Add cup of water and the red bliss potatoes cut into good bite size pieces. At this time you can also add the juice only of the whole kernel corn, then cook until the potatoes are done. When done pour in the whole kernel corn and the cream style corn. Bring to a simmer and you are ready to serve. Servings: 4-6 Corn Beef Stew Prep Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 1 or 2 cans corned beef 4 large potatoes, diced 6 carrots, diced 1 large onion, diced salt and pepper, to taste Hot Sauce, to taste (optional) Preparation: Put potatoes and carrots in a Dutch oven or other large pot with one quart of water. Boil until potatoes and carrots are almost tender enough to eat. Add onions and cook another ten minutes. Add corned beef last and cook for ten more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, adding hot sauce. Serve hot with crackers. Servings: 4-6 Cowboy Goulash Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1 large can pork and beans 1 onion, chopped 3 tablespoons brown sugar or molasses 2 tablespoons bbq sauce 2 tablespoons mustard 2 tablespoons relish parsley sprigs Preparation: Brown ground beef, then drain liquid. Add onions and continue cooking until soft. Add remaining items and allow mixture to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with parsley sprigs. Servings: 6 Cream of Chicken and Rice Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 1 6-ounce can chicken (all white meat) 1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup 1 1/4 cups Uncle Ben's Minute Rice Preparation: In a one-quart pot add the can of soup, one can of water, and the can of chicken. Stir while heating to a boil. Remove from heat, add the Minute rice and stir. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes; uncover, stir and serve. Salt and pepper to taste. If you don't want to carry a can into the wilderness, substitute your favorite dry chicken soup mix and use 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/4 cups of minute rice. Servings: 6 Hash Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1 can beef bouillon or 1 beef bouillon cube 5 or 6 carrots, chopped 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 medium to large onion, chopped 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (if meat is lean) extra water as needed to cook veggies salt and pepper, to taste Preparation: If using lean ground beef, heat vegetable oil in Dutch oven. Brown ground beef and onion together. Add carrots, potatoes and beef broth to pot. Use extra water to barely cover veggies. Bring to boil and turn down immediately. Cover pot and simmer until carrots and potatoes are soft enough to eat. This recipe is better the second day when flavors have melded together. Servings: 6 Hunter’s Dumplings Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups diced chicken or leftover turkey 1/2 stick butter 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 large cans chicken broth 8 flour tortillas Preparation: Bring broth and seasonings to boil. Meanwhile slice tortillas into thin strips. Place in the boiling broth and cook for about 15 minutes. Add chicken pieces and cook for 15 more minutes uncovered. Servings: 4 – 6 Jerky Mashed Taters and Hot Cider ( Ultralite) Ingredients: 1 bag Idahoan Mashed Potatoes* (4 oz) 2 oz Beef Jerky 1 tbsp Olive Oil 2 packets Hot Apple Cider Mix 3 c Water (24 oz) Directions: 1. Break beef jerky into bite-size pieces. Set aside. 2. Bring water to boil in cookpot. 3. Pour 1 cup (8 oz) of boiling water into mug containing cider. Stir. 4. Add olive oil, jerky and potatoes to remaining water (2 c) in cookpot. Stir. 5. Cover cookpot with lid and transfer to pot cozy. Let sit for 5 minutes. 6. Fluff with spoon and enjoy! Serves 1-2 Mountain Man Skillet Breakfast Prep Time: 20-25 min Serves: 4-6 Ingredients: 16 oz sage sausage 1-26oz pkg frozen hashbrowns 1-dz eggs 2 cups-shredded cheddar cheese 1 12 oz or 16 oz pkg bacon Preparation: Cook bacon over high heat. Set bacon aside. Drain and save grease. Crumble sausage and cook over high heat. Remove sausage. Cover bottom of skillet with bacon grease. Cook hash browns until browned. Do not over stir, but turn once after 5 min or so. Add sausage and eggs. Mix. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until eggs are set. When eggs are set, add crumbled bacon and 1 cup of cheese. Stir to mix, then top with remaining cheese. Cover and allow to sit 5 min. Serve. One Pot Bubble and Squeak Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 small cabbage 4-6 medium potatoes 1-2 smoked kielbasa sausages 1/4 cup water Preparation: Peel and cube the potatoes, coarse chop the cabbage, and slice the sausage. Then layer the cabbage, potatoes and sausage in a large pot or pan, repeat layers, add water and simmer until veggies are tender. This makes a complete meal in one pot. You can serve more by adding more cabbage, potatoes and sausage. Servings: 6 – 8 Pizza Rice Ingredients 1/3 cup instant rice 1 pouch of dried pepperoni 1 tablespoon tomato powder 1 teaspoon dried tomatoes 1 teaspoon dried mushrooms ¼ teaspoon dried oregano and basil 1/3 cup powdered cheese Preparation: Boil 1 cup water. Add ingredients and boil until rice is soft Pulled Pork Ribs Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 6 hours Total Time: 6 hours, 5 minutes Ingredients: 1 rack of baby back ribs 1 16-ounce bag of sauerkraut 1 bottle of BBQ sauce Preparation: Place the rack of ribs on the bottom of a slow cooker or, if you prefer, a Dutch oven. Pour the sauerkraut over the ribs, then the BBQ sauce, cover and cook for 6-8 hours. The meat will fall off the bones. Makes a great appetizer also, on flatbreads, sandwiches even crackers. Servings: 4-6 Sausage Mac and Cheese and Tea (Ultralite) Ingredients: 1 box Kraft Mac n’ Cheese (7.25 oz) 3 oz Summer Sausage 1 String Cheese Stick (1 oz) 1 tbsp Olive Oil (0.5 oz) 1 Tea Bag (0.1 oz), 2 packets Sugar (0.25 oz) 2 3/4 c Water (22 oz) Directions: 1. Chop sausage and string cheese into cubes. Set aside. 2. Bring water to boil in cookpot. 3. Pour 1 cup (8 oz) of boiling water into mug containing tea. Add sugar. Steep. 4. Return water in cookpot (1 3/4 c) to flame. Add macaroni and boil additional 2-3 minutes. 5. Cover cookpot with lid and transfer to pot cozy. Let sit 10 minutes. 6. Drain excess water from macaroni (if any). 7. Add olive oil, cheese packet, sausage and string cheese cubes. Stir and enjoy! Serves 1-2 Savory Mince in Buns Serves: 4 Preparation time: 15 mins Cooking time: 25 mins Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large green pepper, de seeded and chopped 6 spring onions, trimmed and chopped 12 oz Butternut squash, peeled, de seeded and chopped 1 lb lean minced beef, pork or turkey 14 oz can of tomatoes 1 - 2 teaspoons brown sauce 2 oz sultanas 2 tablespoons orange juice 1/4 level teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 hamburger buns cut in half 2 large carrots peeled, halved and cut into long strips 4 sticks celery washed Preparation: 1.Heat the oil in a large pot and stir-fry the green peppering it until softened. Add the spring onions and squash and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2.Mix in the minced beef, pork or turkey and brown it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then stir in the tomatoes, brown sauce, sultanas, orange juice, salt and some pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the meat is nicely cooked and the sauce is thick. 3.Season with salt and pepper and add oregano. 4.Fill the halved buns with the mixture and serve with the carrot strips and celery sticks Slumgullion Prep Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 1/2 to 1 pound ground meat 1 small onion 3 stalks celery 1 package Birds Eye Italian style veggies (frozen) 2 beef bouillon cubes 1 8 ounce can tomato paste 2 cups elbow macaroni salt and pepper Preparation: Dice onion and celery. Saute ground meat until blood color free. Use more or less meat depending on your individual taste. We like a lot of meat in our dish. Add onion and celery and cook until celery is soft. Add tomato paste, 1 can of water, and bouillon cubes and let simmer until reduced. Add 1 more can of water and vegetables. Cook until vegetables are thawed. Add 1 can of water and two cups of elbow macaroni. Cook until macaroni is soft. Add more water as needed. Salt and pepper to taste. Servings: 4 - 6 Spicy Chicken Casserole Prep Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 2 6-ounce cans boned chicken with broth 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of celery soup 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons paprika [optional] 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 small fresh onion, chopped 1/4 teaspoon red pepper or hot sauce 2 cups white rice water, sufficient to mix soups Preparation: Mix liquid ingredients (soups and water) in 3 quart pot and heat slowly until soup is mixed well with water. Add chicken, seasonings and rice. Stir well to mix. When mixture approaches boil, turn down heat, cover and cook until rice is done. [approximately 25-30 minutes] Do not lift lid while cooking. After 25 minutes, check to determine whether rice is done. If not, remove lid and continue cooking on low heat. Serve with fresh or canned vegetable(s) of choice. Servings: 2 – 4 Spicy Stolen Creole Dinner Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Ingredients: 3-5 pounds of red potatoes, quartered 6-10 ears of fresh corn on the cob, shucked, cleaned, and broke into halves 3-5 pounds of peel and eat shrimp 2-3 capfuls of Zatarain's Crab Boil Oil Preparation: Heat 6-8 quarts of water in a large pot on campstove or over campfire coals. Add 2-3 capfuls of Zatarain's Crab Boil Oil. Do not substitute the granulated kind, because it is not the same. Then put the oil away. You won't need any more spices. Add quartered potatoes and allow to boil until potatoes are about 1/2 - 2/3rd's done. Reduce heat to a simmer and add corn-on-the-cob (I prefer the bi-color or white sweet corn), and allow to simmer until 1/2 done. Add shrimp (frozen is ok, if you can't get fresh) and allow to simmer for 6 - 8 more minutes. Remove from heat and ladle up with a strainer/sieved style spoon. Serve while hot with bread, butter and something iced and cool to drink. Servings: a bunch Stoupalaya Prep Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 1 pound boneless chicken breast 1 pound smoked sausage 1 head of cabbage, chopped 1 pound carrots 5 potatoes, cut up in chunks 1 onion, chopped 2 cans Cajun style tomatoes 2 cans chicken broth seasonings of choice Preparation: Cook chicken, sausage and onion in the chicken broth. Add other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste. We like to use a little Tony's seasoning on it, especially in the winter. Servings: as needed Taters and Brats Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Ingredients: 6 new potatoes 1 jalapeno 1 large onion 2 bell peppers (red and yellow) 1 package of Bratwurst 12 oz water salt and pepper, to taste Preparation: Slice up all the veggies (big or small your choice, although the smaller the better). Place all the veggies in an aluminum pan. Pour water in our dish. Add salt and pepper. Place the bratwurst on top of the mixture. Cover with foil and place on the grill. About every 10 minutes you'll want to turn the dish 90 degrees. Do this until your dish makes one revolution. You want to do this due to hot and cold spots in your heat source. By turning the pot, you will get an equal amount of heat. After this is done, place the bratwurst on the open grill and brown. Grab your plate and enjoy. Servings: 3-4 Tuna Alfredo and Coffee (Ultralite) Ingredients: 1 bag Knorr Pasta Sides Alfredo (4.4 oz) 1 Foil Pouch Tuna (2.6 oz) 1 tbsp Olive Oil (0.5 oz) 1-2 pks Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee (0.25 oz) 2 packets Sugar (0.25 oz) 2 1/4 c Water (18 oz) Directions: 1. Bring water to boil in cookpot. 2. Pour 1 cup (8 oz) of boiling water into mug containing coffee. Add sugar, cream* 3. Return water in cookpot (1 1/4 c) to flame. Add pasta and olive oil. Simmer 2-3 minutes. 4. Cover cookpot with lid and transfer to pot cozy. Let sit for 10 minutes. 5. Add tuna to pasta mixture. Stir and enjoy! Serves 1-2 Tuna Noodle Stew Ingredients 1 box of Macaroni and Cheese 1 packet of tuna Dehydrated celery or other vegetables (optional) ¼ cup dry milk In your pot, put one and a half cups of water and noodles from your macaroni and cheese box. Add dehydrated celery and vegetables if you want. Boil until the noodles are soft. Add the cheese packet, dried milk, and tuna packet. Cook a little longer until the tuna is warm. White Chili Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 1 can cooked chicken 1 can white or shoepeg corn 1 can white beans (great northern or navy) 1 can chicken broth 1 can diced green chilies 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1 medium onion, diced 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro Preparation: In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute 2-3 minutes. Put in chicken, corn, beans, chilies, broth and cumin. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and heat thoroughly. Serve with cheese, cilantro and sour cream as toppings. Goes well with tortilla chips or warmed flour tortillas. Servings: 4-6 Foil Wrapped Dinners Taking the simplicity of one pot cooking a step further, foil dinners and desserts are a fantastic and fun way to experiment. Although the number of items that can be cooked in foil is limited, the “coolness factor” is unlimited, and is a great way to capture the interest of younger scouts who may not be all that enthusiastic about camping. Of course, one does not need to be camping to prepare these dishes, virtually any charcoal grill will suffice. A fire place is another option. One of the main advantages of foil wrapped meals is that they require virtually no cleanup. Many can be prepared at home, eliminating the need for pots and pans. Just utensils and fire, and a hearty appetite. Foil Packet Cooking Tips Use heavy duty foil. You don’t want the foil to rip and have ashes get in and your dinner leak out. If you use regular foil, double up on the sheets. If your food is heavy, and/or if you plan to eat directly from the pack, it’s a good idea to double up even on the heavy duty sheets. Spray the side of the foil on which you’re going to place the food with cooking spray before you add your ingredients and seal it up. When placing your ingredients on the sheet of foil, always put the meat on the bottom as it takes the longest to cook. Cook your foil packet on the fire’s coals, not in the fire itself. Ideally, you want to place the packet on a bed of coals about 2 inches thick. Hard, raw vegetables like carrots and potatoes take a long time to cook. If you don’t want to wait, use the canned variety. When cooking meat, throw in some high-moisture veggies like tomatoes and onions. This will keep the meat from drying out. Cooking times will depend on how hot the fire is and the kind of food in the packet. I generally err on the side of cooking it too long-this is the kind of food that you don’t need to be overly delicate with. Flip the packets over a few times during cooking, and open and check on how the food is progressing from time to time. When it’s finished cooking, open your foil packet carefully, as it’s full of hot steam! Making Your Foil Packs Making a good foil pack is essential to foil dinner cooking success. There are a couple of different kinds of foil packs you can make depending on what you’re cooking. The Flat Pack The flat pack is best for foods like meat where you’re looking for more browning than steaming. 1. Place the food in the middle of the sheet of foil. If you needed to mix the ingredients up, do so in a separate bowl before transferring it to the foil. 2. Tear off a sheet of heavy-duty foil that is about twice as long as the food you’ll be wrapping. It’s better to overestimate the length than place your food on it, start wrapping it up, and realize you don’t have enough foil to keep everything in and make your folds. 3. Bring the long sides together in the center and crease them together, making tight folds until the foil is flat next to the food. 4. Tightly roll up the shorter sides until they meet the food. The Tent Pack The tent pack provides a pocket of air that allows for greater steaming. Thus, it’s best for foods you want steamed more than browned like fruits, vegetables, and meat/vegetable combos. 1. Tear off a sheet of foil just as you would for the flat pack. 2. Place the food in the middle of the foil. 3. Bring the long sides together in the center and tightly fold them together towards the food. This time, stop folding a few inches before you get to the food, leaving a pocket of space and creating a “tent.” 4. Tightly roll up the shorter sides, again leaving an inch or so of space between the end of the fold and the food. Recipes The Classic: Hamburger and Vegg-All ½ lb ground hamburger meat ½ can of Veg-all or other mixed vegetables ½ can can of cream of mushroom soup spices and seasonings Mix together the above ingredients with spices and condiments to your heart’s content. Place the mixture on the center of a sheet of foil, wrap in a tent pack, and place on hot coals for 25 minutes. Sausage and Eggs 1 frozen hash brown patty 2 eggs, scrambled, uncooked 2 frozen sausage patties spices and seasonings Cheese (optional) Crimp the sides of your sheet of foil so that the eggs won’t go anywhere when you add them. First place your hash brown patty on the foil. Then place the eggs on top of the hash brown patty. Then place the sausage patties on top. Season with spices and condiments and wrap up in a tent pack. Place on hot coals and cook for 15 minutes. Add the cheese when it’s ready (it turns out better than cooking it in the pack). Muffins in an Orange Shell Making muffins this way isn’t actually easier than baking them up at home, but it is infinitely cooler. 6 oranges 1 package of just add water muffin mix Mix up the muffin mix as instructed. Cut off the quarter top of the oranges. Carefully scoop out the pulp; do not break the skin. Pour the muffin mix into the oranges. Wrap the oranges in foil, crimping the foil around the hole at top of the shell, but leaving it open. Place the oranges upright in a stable position on hot coals and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Makes six servings. Well, if you’re someone who can stop at one muffin. Note: You can also cook eggs this way, but you’ll want to cover the whole orange shell with foil. Chicken Casserole 1 chicken breast 1 cup of broccoli 1/2 cup of prepared rice 1 can of cream of chicken soup ranch dressing cheddar cheese spices Pound the chicken thinly as chicken can take awhile to cook. Mix together the broccoli, soup, and cheese. Add spices and condiments. Place the chicken breast on the center of the foil. Top with the soup mix and then rice. Seal in a tent pack. Cook on hot coals for about 25 minutes (The thicker your chicken breast, the longer it will take). Catch of the Day Fish that you caught with your own manly hands and filleted ¼ cup of onions 1 tablespoon of butter, melted lemon juice salt and pepper parsley dillweed paprika Mix the melted butter with a dash of lemon juice and the above spices to taste (with the exception of the paprika). Place the onions on the foil sheet. Place the fish on top and sprinkle with paprika. Wrap the foil in a flat pack. Place on hot coals and scoop some hot coals on top of the packet. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops 1 boneless pork chop 1/3 cup apricot preserves 1 tablespoon soy sauce ½ package frozen stir-fry vegetates garlic powder, salt, pepper Mix together the apricot preserves, the soy sauce, and any seasoning you’d like to add. Place the pork chop in the center of the sheet of foil. Spread half of the apricot sauce on top. Put the veggies on top/around the pork chop. Pour the rest of the sauce over the whole thing. Wrap in a tent pack. Place on hot coals and cook for 20 minutes. Thanksgiving Dinner 1 turkey cutlet 1 cup of prepared stuffing ½ cup of turkey gravy ½ cup of green beans ¼ dried cranberries salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram Place turkey cutlet on sheet of foil. Put the stuffing on top and the green beans around the cutlet. Pour gravy over everything and sprinkle with the dried cranberries and seasonings. Wrap in a tent pack and place on hot coals for 20 minutes. Corn on the Cob 4 ears of shucked corn ¼ cup butter or olive oil Parmesan cheese ½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves salt and pepper 4 ice cubes Place the ears of corn on a large sheet of foil. Spread the butter on top. Sprinkle with the seasonings and Parmesan cheese. Put the ice cubes on top. Wrap up into a tent pack. Place on hot coals and cook for 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings. Pineapple Upside Donut Cake Every delicious foil dinner deserves a delicious foil dessert. This is an awesome one. 1 ring of pineapple 1 tablespoon butter, softened 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 cake donut Place donut on sheet of foil. Mix the softened butter and brown sugar together and spread it over the donut. Place the pineapple ring on top. Wrap the donut in a tight flat pack. Place on hot coals and cook for 5-7 minutes. Chicken Surprise Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts 1 large onion, sliced 1 green pepper, sliced 1 bottle Italian dressing Preparation: Slice onion and green pepper, set aside. Cut each chicken breast into four slices, or you can leave whole. Place chicken, peppers and onions on foil. Then as much Italian dressing as you like. I use 1/2 cup. Fold foil and cook over campfire or grill for 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite potatoes. Servings: 6 Campfire Wings Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour Ingredients: 15-20 chicken wings Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning heavy duty aluminum foil Preparation: Fold aluminum foil to make a large pocket for the grill. Place chicken wings on foil and sprinkle Mrs. Dash on chicken. Cover with foil and cook at least one hour, or until chicken is lightly crispy. When done, unfold aluminum foil and enjoy the chicken at the campfire. Servings: as needed Cheesy Melts Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: thinly sliced meat sliced onion sliced green pepper cheese hamburger buns Preparation: Stack sliced meat on a piece of aluminum foil and shape into a tent. Place on the fire and cook the meat in the "tent." Meanwhile, brown some onions and peppers on the side. When the meat starts to cook, put the cheese on top of it and watch it closely until it melts together. Serve with the cooked onions and peppers on hamburger buns. Servings: as needed Chicken Fajita Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes Ingredients: 3 pounds of grilled chicken, pre-cooked 2 bell peppers, 1 red and 1 green, sliced 2 onions sliced 1 package fajita seasoning mix 12 fajitia size tortillas aluminum foil Preparation: Make desired amount of foil pouches, 1 per person. Inside each pouch place a handful of peppers, chicken and onion. Make fajita mix in a bowl, and when dissolved pour equally into the foil packs. Seal the foil so it will not leak. Place on warm coals until hot. Serve with tortillas. Servings: 10-12 Honey Mustard Chicken Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts, split honey mustard barbecue sauce Preparation: Spray heavy duty foil or foil cooking bag with oil spray. Add chicken and 1/2 a bottle of sauce. Seal tightly and cook over fire or charcoal for 20-25 minutes turning often. Remove from foil and baste with remaining sauce for the last 10 minutes, flipping often until crispy outside. Servings: 4 Meatloaf Prep Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef 1 egg 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 can tomato soup Preparation: Get yourself a good portion of aluminum foil and lay it out. Put your ground beef down in the middle of the foil and make a well in the middle of it. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Shape your loaf into the desired shape (you can get creative for fun and for the kids). Wrap your meatloaf well with the foil, leaving room for steam. Cook for approximately 45 minutes. Remember that steam burns, so when you go to open your wrap be careful. Servings: 4-5 No Peek Chicken Prep Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups minute rice 1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup 1/2 cup water 2 large boneless chicken breasts 4 8"x10" pieces of heavy duty foil Preparation: Mix soup, water and minute rice together. Lay out two pieces of foil for each packet and pour half of soup mixture onto each foil packet. You can cut chicken into strips or put whole breast on top of soup and rice mix. Onions can be added for flavor and season to taste. Pull up edges of foil and roll them closed, then tuck ends under. Place foil packs in campfire coals for 15 minutes on each side. Remove from coals, open, and eat. Servings: 2 Pineapple Chicken Prep Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 4 skinless chicken breasts 1/4 cup catsup 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 small can pineapple chunks, drained 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 small sweet onion, chopped salt and pepper, to taste Preparation: Make the sauce first. You can make this ahead of time at home and bring it to the campground in a container in your cooler. First, chop the pepper and onion into big chunks. Then mix all ingredients (except the chicken) in a sauce pan and bring to a slow simmer stirring occasionally. Next tear off a piece of foil big enough to wrap each chicken breast. Spoon some sauce onto each piece of foil, place a chicken breast on top, and spoon more sauce over each breast. Salt and pepper to taste. Wrap foil tightly and cook for 30-40 minutes over campfire coals or on the grill. Turn occasionally. Servings: 4 Bass-Ackwards Prep Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 4 skinless chicken breasts 1/4 cup catsup 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 small can pineapple chunks, drained 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 small sweet onion, chopped salt and pepper, to taste Preparation: Make the sauce first. You can make this ahead of time at home and bring it to the campground in a container in your cooler. First, chop the pepper and onion into big chunks. Then mix all ingredients (except the chicken) in a sauce pan and bring to a slow simmer stirring occasionally. Next tear off a piece of foil big enough to wrap each chicken breast. Spoon some sauce onto each piece of foil, place a chicken breast on top, and spoon more sauce over each breast. Salt and pepper to taste. Wrap foil tightly and cook for 30-40 minutes over campfire coals or on the grill. Turn occasionally. Servings: 4 Hillbilly Boatin’ Trash Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes Ingredients: 1 bag shredded hash brown 6 eggs 1 lb sausage or ham, cooked 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cups shredded sharp cheese seasoning salt and pepper Preparation: Take an aluminum foil cooking bag sprayed with pam, sprinkle with seasoning salt and put some pats of butter in the foil bag. Open a bag of hash browns, beat eggs, chop onions, pour all ingedients into the bag of hash browns, and mix by squeezing. Then pour the mixture into the foil cooking bag and spread out. Add some salt and pepper, more seasoning salt, and a bit more butter on top of the hash brown mixture. Place the aluminum cooking bag on a preheated grill (medium heat) and turn the bag every five minutes. The bag will start to puff and you can open it to check for doneness. Servings: 6 Cowboys and Indians Powwow Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 3 pounds hamburger 1 can ranch style beans 1 can corn, drained Preparation: Mix all ingredients together. Separate into six servings. Place into foil squares and seal tightly. Grill over hot coals about 30 minutes or until done. Serves 6. Butter Onion Trout Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: fresh trout, any kind 1 tablespoon butter salt and pepper 1 small onion, sliced Preparation: Clean the fish. Leaving the fish whole, stuff the insides with butter, salt and pepper, and as many onions as will fit. Place stuffed trout on buttered foil and wrap up. Place over fire for 7-10 minutes. Open the foil pack, peel the skin off, and enjoy. Servings: 1 Camp Bass Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 2 bass fillets 1 tablespoon butter salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste Preparation: Place fish in foil, add seasonings and seal. Place foil pack near the campfire and cook for 18 to 20 minutes. Servings: 2 Foil Crabs Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 6 whole blue crabs 1 tablespoon salt and pepper 2 tablespoons paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 lemon sliced and juice from other half Preparation: Get your grill fired up. You want it good and hot. Make two aluminum foil packs to wrap around the crabs, three crabs to each pack. My crabs were alive, this is not easy. If you put the crabs on ice, they will stay still, somewhat. Lay out lemon slices on the bottom of each pack. Next lay the crabs on top of the lemon slices, topped with the dry ingredients and lemon juice. Wrap foil tight and place on grill or over campfire. Cook about 20 to 30 minutes, until the crabs are nice and pink, almost red. Let stand to cool a bit before eating. Servings: 2 Campfire Trout Prep Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: 6 fresh rainbow trout 6 or more slices bacon 1 or 2 large onions, chopped lemon pepper seasoning 1 lemon, quartered Preparation: Clean the fish by gutting it and cutting off it's head. Wash really well. Pat dry with paper towels. For each fish: Sprinkle insides with seasoning and stuff with onion. Then spray outside of fish with Pam, sprinkle outside of skin with seasonings, and wrap each fish with 1-2 bacon slices, depending on size of fish. Place each fish on a piece of foil that has been sprayed with Pam. Wrap well and place on hot grill for 10-15 minutes or longer, depending on size of fish. You can also place in the coals of fire, but it may cook quicker. When done, open carefully and enjoy. Some fresh slaw or salad and a skillet of fried potatoes really top off this great recipe. Servings: 3 Woods Shrimp Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: cleaned shrimp tomatoes butter mushrooms peppers onions seasoning salt any vegetables you like Preparation: You can cook this recipe either in a pan or on foil on a grill. Chop vegetables and place everything in a pile and cook stirring occasionally until shrimp is how you like it. I make a ring (with the ingredients) and put butter in the middle. Servings: as needed Redneck Italian Fish Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: fresh catch of the day Gardetto's snack mix salt and pepper salad dressing Preparation: Clean and gut fish. Remove head, fins and tail, but leave body intact. Lightly season fish as desired (butter, Italian dressing, or basil/dill are great). Stuff Gardetto's into body cavity of fish, wrap with foil and cook on medium heat until done. Gardetto's turns into a spiced stuffing mix. Servings: 2 Limon Salmon Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 1 lemon 1 lime 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoons butter 2 salmon steaks salt and pepper Preparation: Place salmon steaks on heavy duty aluminum foil. Grate lemon and lime into zest in a small bowl and set aside. Squeeze both lemon and lime over salmon steaks. Squeeze any remaining juice into the reserved bowl of lemon-lime zest. Sprinkle salmon steaks with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and cumin. Slice the remaining lemon and lime and lay over salmon. Mix butter and lemon-lime zest, take a spoonful and dab over each salmon steak. Fold the foil around the salmon steaks. Place foil salmon pouches on grill or open fire and cook until salmon flakes. I'm in Colorado, so cooking time varies due to altitude changes. Servings: 2 Veggies Prep Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour Ingredients: 1 head of cabbage 1 bell pepper 1 Vidalia onion 4 pieces bacon a little bacon grease [optional] a dab of butter [optional] salt and pepper, to taste. 1 cup water [approximate] Preparation: Quarter everything and wrap it together in aluminum foil with the cabbage on the bottom. Add the water and, if you prefer, some bacon grease or butter for flavor. Place foil pack over or near the fire for about an hour. Keep a check on the cabbage for tenderness, and make sure it doesn't boil dry of water or burn. Salt and pepper to taste. Servings: 4 Foil Vidalias Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion 1 beef or chicken bullion cube 1 pat of real butter salt and pepper, to taste Preparation: Peel the onion, then cut a small slit in the top. Put a bullion cube into the slit, and place a pat of butter on top of the bullion cube. Wrap the onion in heavy foil and place on the grill or directly in coals for about 15 to 20 minutes. Open foil, dump in a bowl or on a plate. Salt, pepper and enjoy. Servings: each Garlic Butter Onion Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 onion butter garlic salt oregano Preparation: Peel onion, cut off bottom and top, and then slice. Place onion slices on a piece of aluminum foil. Put butter on top and sprinkle with garlic and oregano. Wrap foil and cook on grill until onions are soft. Servings: 4 Apple Surprise Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes Ingredients: 3 - 4 apples shelled walnuts butter or maple syrup Preparation: Cut apples into slices and take out core. Place apples on aluminum foil. Add walnuts and butter or maple syrup. Fold foil leaving an opening for ventilation. Place on campfire and cook at least 45 minutes, or until apples are soft, not mushy. Servings: 4 Brown Sugar Apples Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: one apple per person brown sugar pat of butter cinnamon candy Preparation: Core out the top half of an apple. Fill with brown sugar. Place pat of butter on top of sugar, and place cinnamon candy on top of butter. Wrap in foil and place in coals, candy-side up, for about 15 minutes. Take out of coals, let cool, and enjoy. Servings: as needed Banana Boats Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 4 bananas mini-marshmallows mini-chocolate chips and / or peanut butter chips chopped nuts (optional) Preparation: Slice the bananas from end to end. Leave the peel on. Open the banana a little. Place minimarshmallows and mini-chocolate chips in the banana. Wrap the banana in foil and place around the outside of the fire. Cook for 10 minutes. Let cool and then unwrap. Banana should be soft and chips and marshmallows should be melted. Servings: 4 Biscuit S’Mores Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 1 can refrigerated biscuits 1 bag marshmallows chocolate bars Preparation: Stretch out one of the biscuits and place a marshmallow and a few pieces of a chocolate bar on top. Then take a second biscuit and place it over the first, sealing the edges. Finally, wrap in tin foil and place either in the embers of the campfire or on a grate over a fire ring. We found it works best over a fire ring, which makes it easier to turn them over half way through cooking so one side doesn't burn. When biscuit is cooked (about 5 minutes, depending on heat of fire) remove and enjoy. Servings: as needed Gingerbread Oranges Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: one orange per person package of just-add-water gingerbread mix Preparation: Slice the top off an orange about 1/4 of the way down and eat the pulp. Prepare the gingerbread mix according to the package and spoon into each orange shell. Each orange should be about 2/3 of the way full. Place the top of the orange back on the shell. Wrap in foil and place in the coals of a fire for about 15 minutes. Servings: 4-6 Peach Delight Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: peach halves mini marshmallows brown sugar pecans Preparation: You can either make individual packets or a family packet, your choice. Take a can of peach halves and put into a foil packet. Add brown sugar and mini marshmallows. Pecans are optional. Wrap up your foil packet and place in hot coals until marshmallows are melted. You'll have a delicious syrup and melted marshmallows around your warm peach. Mmmm good! If you are really adventurous, top them off with a scoop of your favorite ice cream and nuts and you have yourself a "to die for" banana split! Servings: 1 - 6 Pineapple Donuts Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 12 cake donuts 1 1/4 cups brown sugar 1 1/4 sticks butter, softened 12 pineapple rings Preparation: Slather butter on donuts. Pack on brown sugar. Top with pineapple. Seal tightly in foil packet, and cook on coals for 5 minutes. Servings: 12 Pineapple Upside Down Cake Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: crushed pineapple brown sugar maraschino cherries butter shortcakes (the kind that are small and round, concave on one side, usually used for strawberries) Preparation: Tear off foil big enough to close around individual shortcakes and make a tent. On a piece of foil place a shortcake concave side up. Place a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar on cake. Then place a heaping tablespoon of crushed pineapple on the brown sugar. Pour a little juice over the brown sugar to dampen the sugar, but not soak the cake. Dot with a dollop of butter and top with a cherry. Close foil to form a tent. Place in coals or on grill (I have fixed this in the oven at home with the kiddies). Cook till all melted and the heated through. Servings: as needed Sticky Cookies Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes Ingredients: chocolate chip cookies marshmallows Preparation: Make a fire and let it burn down to the ashes. Take two chocolate chip cookies and put a marshmallow on top of the first cookie. Put the second cookie on the marshmallow. Wrap in foil and place carefully on the smoldering ashes. After a few minutes use an oven mitt or a few sticks to take the cookies off the ashes. Carefully unwrap the foil and let cool before eating. Campfire Orange Cake Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: oranges 1 box spice cake mix foil Preparation: Cut off the top of an orange and eat the inside without splitting the peel. Make up cake mix as per instructions on box (may require eggs, water and oil). Pour cake mix into each orange shell and put the top back on the orange. Wrap in foil and place on fire for about 15-20 minutes or until cake is cooked in the middle. Open tinfoil and enjoy! Ham and Sweet Potato Foil Pack Ingredients: cubed ham canned sweet potatoes canned chuck pineapple two tablespoons of butter one tablespoon brown sugar heavy duty aluminum foil charcoal fire optional: grate for fire Preparation: Place on a large piece of aluminum foil the ham cubes, sweet potatoes (in large cubes), and chunk pineapple. Put two tablespoons of butter on top and sprinkle with brown sugar. Gather two opposite sides and fold down like a lunch bag. Fold in the other two sides trying to leave some air in the pack. Cook on grate over coal fire, turning in 10 minutes, finished in 20 minutes. Makes one pack per person. Campfire French Fries Ingredients: 4 Potatoes, cut into strips 1 - 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese 1 Tbsp. Margarine 2 Tbsp. Bacon Bits Salt & Pepper Preparation: Place potato strips on a large square of heavy duty foil, dull side out. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cheese. Shake a bit to coat. Dot with margarine and sprinkle with bacon bits. Seal the foil, leaving a steam vent on top. Grill over hot coals turning several times until potatoes are tender; about 30 - 40 minutes. Dilled Potatoes Ingredients: One large can of peeled white potatoes (drained) OR 20 golf ball size potatoes (cleaned & unpeeled & pre-boiled) 1 - 2 t garlic powder 1 - 2 t salt & pepper 1/2 stick butter small bunch of fresh dill OR 2 T dried dill 1 small sliced onion (optional) 2 ice cubes (optional) Preparation: Make a foil pocket. Add all ingredients. Cook oven campfire or on a grill for 20-25 minutes. These are so easy and everyone enjoys them. Finger Lickin' Fish Ingredients: Fillet of any Fish Packet of Lipton Onion Soup 2 Tbsp Flour Pepper Preparation: Put flour and pepper into opened packet of onion soup - shake and mix - put filet of fish on sheet of foil shake soup mix on both sides of fish - wrap foil tightly and insert on grill or campfire for approx 3 1/2 min. (longer if thick) --YUM Easy Pork Loin Ingredients: 1 2-5 lbs pork loin 1 small (2-3 oz) bottle of garlic oil Montreal seasoning mix Foil or large foil cooking bags Preparation: Rub the loin with the garlic oil. Coat liberally with the Montréal seasoning. Wrap tightly with three layers of foil or the large cooking bag. Grilling: Over low coals cook 2 hrs rotating about every 15 min. Oven: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place in shallow pan for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. Hash Brown Potato Stacks Ingredients: Pre-Browned Frozen Hash Brown Patties - 2 for each serving Margarine or Butter Onion Slices American Cheese Slices Preparations: Butter one side of each frozen hash brown patty. Make a "sandwich" by putting one large slice of onion and one slice cheddar cheese between the unbuttered sides of hash browns. Wrap each "sandwich" in heavy duty aluminum foil. Grill over grate for about 45 minutes on medium low heat or until hash browns are crispy golden brown when you open the packet. Do It Yourself There are those who are content to simply go to the store and purchase all of your equipment that you need for your outdoor adventures. There are many people out there who get as much enjoyment out of learning the how- to and manufacturing as much as they can. There are many, many websites and manuals that instruct you in how to dehydrate and pack food, make camp ovens from virtually nothing, and almost every aspect of outdoor fun. Packing Your Own Backpack Meals Making your own backpacking food is a great alternative to buying pre-packaged backpacking meals. Spending time in advance of your backpacking trip making the food can save you money, provide you with better tasting food, and prove to be more nutritious than store bought food. When deciding what types of food to bring on a backpacking trip, most hikers want food with the most nutrition and carbohydrates in the lightest weight, smallest bulk, possible. All of the food for the trip needs to fit into your pack as well as supplies to cook it, clothing, sleeping equipment, and other essentials. The food you make needs to be compact, tasteful and nutritious. Dehydrating fruits, vegetables, and meat before you leave on your trip is one of the best methods of making your own backpacking food. The dehydrated food is compact and lightweight to carry in your backpack. Once you arrive at your destination you can eat the food dry and crunchy or rehydrate it with water. Dehydrated food requires no refrigeration while it is dry. Dehydrators It is best to buy a good electric food dehydrator when you desire to dehydrate any type of food. Look for a dehydrator with a good fan, as air circulation is a key factor when drying food. The dehydrator should be made of double wall construction with an internal thermostat between 85 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit when running. A good dehydrator will cost a bit more money, but if you camp often, you will save money over time on the expensive cost of prepackaged dehydrated food. The cost of a high quality dehydrator is well worth it when considering the bonuses of better nutrition, better taste, and lower cost of the food. Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables The best fruits to dehydrate: Bananas Apples Strawberries Peaches Cherries Pineapple Mangoes Blueberries The best vegetables to dehydrate: Corn Peas Green beans Onions Mushrooms Carrots Broccoli The easiest meats to dehydrate are thinly sliced deli style: Ham Beef Turkey To dehydrate, cut your fruit, vegetables, or meat into bite sized pieces. Lay them out on the dehydration tray so they do not touch. Follow the directions on the dehydrator to make sure each food item is completely dry before storage Marinade and Instructions For Drying Meat Freeze the meat you will be dehydrating for 30 days to kill microorganisms. Follow the instructions on your food dehydrator, keeping in mind these helpful tips: Thinly slice the meat while partially frozen Wash your hands before and after handling Trim off fat Place strips on dehydrator tray close, but not overlapping Dry for about 10 to 24 hours Let temperature reach at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit Package in plastic bags or consider vacuum packing for longer storage Jerky Marinade Mix ¼ soy sauce 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ teaspoon pepper, onion powder, and garlic 1-teaspoon hickory smoke flavored salt Place strips of meat in the marinade-cover and refrigerate for two hours or overnight. Boil the meat for about five minutes before drying to reduce possible food borne microorganisms. Packaging Your Dried Food For Your Trip The best way to store and carry dehydrated food is in heavy-duty zipper lock bags. Store each fruit and vegetable individually. Put the food into the bag and seal it, leaving a one-inch opening, squeeze out as much air as you can and seal it the rest of the way. Label the bag with a permanent marker so you will know what it contains. If you have a home vacuum packaging machine then you can shrink down the size of your packets even further and achieve a longer shelf life as well. Homemade BackPack Recipes Trail Mix Trail mix is one of the easiest and most nutritious backpacking food you can make. Make the granola recipe below and add any of the following ingredients: Peanuts Pecans Sunflower seeds Cashews Walnuts Chocolate chips Butterscotch chips M&M's Coconut Dried apricots Dried apples Dried bananas Dried blueberries Granola Make homemade granola to eat as a trail mix or breakfast food.Mix in a bowl and then spread in a large buttered baking sheet: 4 cups oatmeal ½ cup wheat germ Sliced almonds Raisins Dried cranberries ½ cup coconut 2 tablespoons sugar ¼ cup flour In a separate bowl mix and then pour evenly over the dry ingredients: 2 tablespoons sugar ¼ cup flour 1/3 cup maple syrup ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons butter melted Tuna Noodle Casserole Ingredients needed: 3 ounce foil pouch of tuna 1 package of Ramen noodles ½ cup dehydrated peas Small pouch of mayonnaise from a fast food restaurant To make on the trail, boil 1 cup water. Add the Ramen noodles and peas. Boil until soft. Add the tuna pouch and mayonnaise and stir. Shredded Beef Chili Make this chili at home and dehydrate it for your backpacking trip. The bread crumbs in the meat help in the dehydration process and makes re-hydrating on the trail easier at camp. Brown the following: ½ pound ground beef ¼ cup bread crumbs 1 large onion Add the following to the ground beef and cook in a large pot: 3 tbsp. chili powder 1-15 ounce can of red beans, drained 1-10 ounce can of tomato puree Boil until most of the liquid is gone. It will take approximately one hour. Spread the chili on the dehydration trays covered with a sheet of parchment paper. Dehydrate for approximately four hours, breaking up into smaller pieces after about two hours. Dehydrate longer if needed. Store the dried chili in a zipper bag. At camp boil one cup of water and add one cup of the dried chili. Let it sit for about five minutes to re-hydrate and then boil another ten minutes. Spanish Beef and Rice Dehydrate some shredded beef, black beans, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Combine in a zipper bag all of the following ingredients: ¼ cup dried shredded beef ¼ cup dried peppers, onions and tomatoes ¼ cup dried black beans ½ cup instant rice 1 tbsp taco seasoning Place the following two ingredients in a separate zipper bag: 1 tbsp cheese powder from a macaroni and cheese box 1 tbsp powdered dry milk At camp boil one and half cups of water. Add the bag of beef, beans, vegetables, rice and seasonings. Rehydrate for approximately 10 to 20 minutes in the boiling water and then add the cheese and powdered milk. Cook a few minutes more until warm. Turkey, Broccoli, and Rice In a large zipper lock bag add: 1 cup minute rice 1 cup dehydrated broccoli 1 cup dehydrated turkey 1 package of powdered onion soup mix When you want to hydrate the meal boil two cups of water, pour the bag of ingredients into your pot and boil until soft. Ramen Noodle Soup In a large zipper lock bag add: Broken up ramen noodles and flavor packet ½ cup dehydrated peas, corn, or carrots ½ cup of dehydrated meat Boil in two cups hot water until soft. How to Make… An Alcohol Camp Stove: Homemade alcohol soda can stoves are small, easy to make, simple to use and can provide food and drinking water in tough situations, such as power outages or camping trips. The stove can boil water and heat up food. Things You'll Need Work gloves Safety goggles 2 soda cans, 12 ounce Push pin Hammer Sharp knife Sandpaper Denatured alcohol Leak-proof container Screw (1 inch Instructions Put on your safety goggles and work gloves to avoid injury. You will be working with sharp edges and fuel. Draw a dashed line around the bottom of one of the soda cans. The line should be about 1 1/2 inches from the bottom of the can and should be straight all the way around. Cut around the dotted line using a sharp knife. If the area where you cut is jagged, you can smooth it with sandpaper. Remove the tab from the top of the other can. Place the can upside down on a hard, flat surface. Draw 24 dots below the rim on the bottom of the can. The dots should be spaced the same distance apart. Push a push pin through each dot that you drew on the second can. The holes should be as small as possible. Keep all of the holes as close to the same shape and size as possible. Make a screw-sized hole in the middle of the bottom of the second can. Be sure that the screw fits tightly into the hole. This will act as a cap. Cut the second can about 1 inch from the bottom with a sharp knife. Sand down any rough edges with sandpaper. Cut 1/2-inch vertical slits at the bottom of the can, each slit being the same distance apart. These slits will help the top of the stove fit along the base of the stove. Fill the base (first soda can) about 1 inch from the top with sand. The sand will help to soak up the alcohol that you'll be using for fuel. Put the second soda can on top of the base. Push it down until it fits tightly. Remove the screw from the top of the can. Place the stove on a dry surface, like a dinner plate. Add your denatured alcohol fuel into the fuel hole. Pour it slowly and only fill it about 1/4 of the way full. Replace the screw into the hole. Pour a small amount of denatured alcohol into the middle of the can to prime the stove. Light the denatured alcohol with a lighter. Do this around the edge of the can. Place your pans on a stand over the stove in order to cook. Most stoves last about 15 minutes until the fuel burns out, but this depends on the weather and the amount of alcohol used. Carry extra denatured alcohol in a leak-proof container. Be sure to mark the container so that you, and those with you, know it is not drinking water. Tips & Warnings Flames should be blue. If flames are yellow, the holes around the rim of the soda can are too large. During a trip or hike into the woods, this stove can be used regularly for cooking as it doesn't take up space and it is easy to make and use. Do not put any other kind of fuel inside of the soda can stove, other than denatured alcohol--the can might explode. Do not use rubbing alcohol as it will boil over. Flames from alcohol can be toxic. Handle with care and do not inhale the fumes from the stove. Be careful when working with fire and fuel as burns can result causing injury or death. Do not place your hand too close to the heat when igniting or cooking on your stove Read more: How to Make an Alcohol Stove From a Soda Can | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5688933_make-alcohol-stove-soda-can.html#ixzz2OmiE6Ojx How to Make a Reflector Oven A reflector oven is a great addition to any campsite. It will allow you to use the radiant heat from your fire to bake or slow cook any number of recipes and greatly add to meal-time appeal in the middle of nowhere. You can make a reflector oven at home, then pack it along with you. They can be quite bulky, so here is how to make one that is small and lightweight. Things You'll Need Ruler Permanent marker Cardboard shoebox Box-cutting knife Duct tape Aluminum foil Potato Instructions Label the smaller end sides of your shoebox "T" (top) and "B" (bottom). This will help you follow these directions. The floor of the shoebox will be called the "back" and the two long sides will be referred to as that. When you are done, stand your box up like a skyscraper with the open side of the box facing you. Measure and mark 6 inches down from the top of your box on the back side. With a ruler, draw a line on the side of each box from that mark on the back to the outer corner of the top. You should have a line angled up from the back to the front top corner when you are done. Cut along the line on each side with a box knife to separate the top from the sides. Make a fold in the back of the box to allow the top flap to come down and meet the angle of the sides. You should be able to make the top come down like the roof to a lean-to to meet the sides. Straighten out any original folds or bends in the box to allow the top to lay as flat as flat as possible on this new angle. Use duct tape to attach the top in its new position. Measure the depth of your reflector oven from the back to the front edge of the sides. Transfer that measurement to the old lid of the box, and cut a piece that is equal to the measurement (6 inches, for instance) but so your piece still has the reinforced bent edges of the original lid. In other words, from the top of the lid, measure down 6 inches on each side and draw a straight line between the two marks. Cut the piece out, and you now have a piece that has the end fold of the lid and two side folds that is as wide as your oven and as deep. This will become your baking shelf. Cut three additional pieces from the old lid that are 1-inch wide and the width of the original box. Tape these pieces to one side of the piece you cut in Step 5; space the additional pieces evenly. These will help reinforce your baking shelf. Measure up 4 inches from the bottom of your box on each side and place a mark. Insert your baking shelf into the box so the top of the shelf is level to the marks and the bent edges meet the sides and back of your oven. This will push the sides of your oven out a bit, but that's okay. Tape the baking shelf to the oven on each point where the two pieces meet. Cover the entire inside of your oven and baking shelf with aluminum foil, shiny side out. Use one continuous piece of foil, and form it to the contours of the oven. Use duct tape to secure the aluminum foil on the outside of the oven only. Cover the entire oven, then do it again so you have two layers of aluminum foil; again, no duct tape should be exposed or placed inside the oven on top of the foil. Place your reflector oven near your campfire so the interior of the oven is reflecting the flames. Tips & Warnings Use a raw baked potato to test the strength of your baking shelf. The shelf should be able to support the potato. Add more tape or reinforced pieces of cardboard if necessary but always before you cover the oven in foil. Make sure that no cardboard or duct tape is exposed to the heat of the fire on the interior of the oven or your oven could catch fire. Check your oven before each use, and layer new foil in if the old one has any holes or tears in it. Read more: How to Make a Reflector Oven | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5380946_make-reflectoroven.html#ixzz2OnMFQj90 How to Make a simple Solar Oven for less than $4 Have you ever been out backpacking, camping or fishing and wanted to have a hot meal but were in an area that prohibits open campfires? Have you ever just wondered how solar cookers worked? Things You'll Need 2 reflective windshield protectors. reflective aluminum tape black pot for cooking with lid x-acto knife or other sharp knife or scissors Instructions Locate your local 99cents store and go shopping. Your list is simple: 1. x-acto knife set 2. 2 reflective windshield protectors. You know those things you place into your windshield to keep your car cooler??? 3. Reflective aluminum tape. You can substitute duct tape if you can not find the aluminum tape. Hopefully you have an old cast iron pot or other dark colored pot in your cabinets, if not you will spend more than the $4 that is targeted. Print the template and enlarge it to the size you need, then align it over your reflective windshield protectors, one on top one below. Using a marker trace the template over your reflective windshield protectors Use your x-acto knife to cut out the template. Use your reflective tape to tape the top piece to the bottom piece, Tape on top and on the bottom to insure a good seal. If using non-reflective tape, only tape on the underside of the reflectors. Cut the slits into your reflective pieces and then line these slits with the reflective tape for extra durability. Tape around the entire outer edge of your reflective material to seal it together and make it more durable. If using non reflective tape, try to only use a narrow strip on the outside upper edges. Fold your stove together and tuck tabs into the slits. Place in direct sunlight trying to aim it directly in the suns path of travel. Prepare your food to be cooked and place it into dark pot. Place a small amount of water into the pot to prevent scorching Place lid on the pot and place it on the flat part of your solar oven, try to center this on the flat part so that your food will cook evenly. Be sure to check frequently to prevent it from over cooking or burning. Enjoy your meal cooked without any electricity, gas or other method of heating food you have to pay for! Tips & Warnings Be careful when checking your food during the cooking process. that Pot gets HOT Read more: How to Make a simple Solar Oven for less than $4 | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5015535_make-simple-solar-ovenless.html#ixzz2OnQPmtHU For an alternate build of a reflector oven, visit: http://www.kidscanpress.com/Assets/Books/w_KidsCampfireBook_0192/PDFs /KidsCampfireBook_0192_activity.pdf Template Provided on Next Page Afterword As I have worked and researched material for this guidebook, it would have been extremely easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material that is out there and available for everyone to use. There are literally thousands of websites concerned with camp cooking and recipes. I have attempted to provide a variety of recipes here with as little repetition as possible. There are so many minor differences and it seems that every single person who has ever cooked on a fire has a slightly different way of doing it. Even the recipes provided here have room for “customizing”, and everyone has their own personal variation. We as scouters are very fortunate to have this wide range of resources to use and choose from. Thanks to the Internet, we can simply punch a URL into our cell phone or Google it and have it literally at our fingertips. Thanks to Youtube we can access all manner of Do-It-Yourself videos to demonstrate techniques for cooking or building a fire or a stove. Hopefully this Guide will be useful to you as we attempt to pass along our love for the outdoors and try to teach skills that were necessary to survive only 100 years ago, and are now a source of recreation and relaxation. Thank You to all those who contributed recipes or pointed me to websites containing information used in this guide. Sources The Art of Manliness http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/07/20/cookingaround-the-campfire-9-easy-and-delicious-foil-packet-recipes/ Big Sky Fishing http://www.bigskyfishing.com/camping-gear/backpackingstoves.php Love the Outdoors http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/cooking_methods.htm ABC of Mountaineering http://www.abc-of-mountaineering.com/info/campingstoves-types.asp eHow http://www.ehow.com/how_6791957_homemade-backpacking-alcoholstoves.html http://www.ehow.com/how_5380946_make-reflector-oven.html http://www.ehow.com/how_5015535_make-simple-solar-ovenless.html http://www.ehow.com/how_5688933_make-alcohol-stove-sodacan.html Kids Campfire Book http://www.kidscanpress.com/Assets/Books/w_KidsCampfireBook_0192/PDFs/Ki dsCampfireBook_0192_activity.pdf Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outdoor_cooking Trails.com http://www.trails.com/list_1877_types-camping-stoves.html Love to Know Camping http://camping.lovetoknow.com/One_Pot_Backpacking_Meals http://camping.lovetoknow.com/What_Kind_of_Food_Is_Good_for_Camping http://camping.lovetoknow.com/One_Pot_Camping_Meals http://camping.lovetoknow.com/Homemade_Backpacking_Food http://camping.lovetoknow.com/Making_Your_Own_Backpacking_Food About.com http://camping.about.com/od/recipes/a/onepotmeals.htm http://camping.about.com/od/recipes/a/foilwrapped.htm BSA Rising Star District http://usscouts.org/cooking/risingstar.pdf Eric the Black’s Backpacking Blog http://blackwoodspress.com/blog/14385/backpacking-dinner-recipes/ Camping Road Trip.com http://www.campingroadtrip.com/outdoor-livingnewsletter-september-2012/one-pot-camping-meals Best Camp Recipes http://bestcamprecipes.com/ Dutch Oven Dude http://dutchovendude.com/dutch-oven-recipes.asp Camping With Gus http://campingwithgus.com/camping-food-menuplanning/camping-menus/