I created this recipe from  different recipes that I collected at different times. I wanted a recipe that was close to what the early pioneers would have used, but more convenient. The recipe list canned beans, any variety can be used. I like to make them with a variety, it makes for a very pretty dish!  When I make them at home, I often will use 1 pound of dried beans instead of canned beans.

Caroline's Chuck Wagon Beans
6 cans of Beans, rinsed
12 0z. Bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic diced
3 cans of fire roasted tomatoes and green chili's
3 cans of water
3 teaspoons of chicken bouillon or cubes
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
about 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped.
salt and pepper to taste

Brown bacon in a large Dutch oven stirring constantly, until bacon is rendered and starting to brown. Add onions and cook still stirring constantly until onion is softened. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, water and bouillon. Cook about 5 minutes until well mixed. Add beans and spices, cook about 30 minutes until beans are warm and flavors are blended. Add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. These beans are soupy, they can be thickened by cooking longer or by adding a small handful of cornmeal.

Cheesy Sourdough Breadsticks

1 cup sourdough starter

2  Tablespoon  Olive oil
1 cup flour (more if needed)
1/4 cup warm water, one tablespoon at a time, as needed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Asiago or cheese of your choice

Stir together starter and olive oil until blended, add flour, salt and Parmesan cheese. Add water or flour as needed. Stir in grated Asiago cheese. Kneed well at least 5 minutes. place in a greased bowl, cover. Let rise until doubled (about two hours).

Place dough on floured surface and roll to 1/2" thickness.  Slice into strips approximately 1 inch wide( Like using a pizza cutter to slice) Lift and twist breadsticks one at a time, lay and cookie sheet about and inch apart. Cover and rise until doubled. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush tops of breadstick with olive oil or melted butter then sprinkle with parmesan topping, or poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Breadstick Topping
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp paprika

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Most recipes are easily converted to a Dutch Oven, once you know certain elements. A 12" Dutch oven is comparable to a 9"x13" pan. Knowing that makes it easy to switch casseroles to a Dutch oven. This is one recipe that can be cooked in a 9"x13" casserole in the oven at 350 degrees. It can also be cooked in a cast iron skillet on the stove top since the cheese on tops just needs to be melted.  This is a mild dish full of flavor, but you can add more spices and heat if desired.







Easy Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 package of favorite taco seasoning

salt to taste
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breasts
1 C sour cream
12 corn tortillas, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups grated cheese,

1. In a 12" Dutch Oven, melt butter. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute and whisk in chicken broth.  Stir until smooth and thickened.
2. Stir taco seasoning, salt, green chilies and chicken into the sauce. Bring to a simmer, and cook a until chicken is is warmed.
3. Stir sour cream into the sauce and add the tortillas pieces, and 1 cup of cheese. Stir until combined and top with remaining cheese. Cover pan and cook for 5-8 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted.

This recipes cooks best with more heat on the bottom, I use 12-14 briquets on the bottom and 10 on top. 

Dutch Oven Sourdough Chicken Pizza Barbecue Pizza

This is an easy way to impress people with your Dutch Oven skills. 

We like Black olives, but some people don't so if you are not a fan, leave them off!

Dutch Oven 

Sourdough 

Chicken 

Barbecue 

Pizza

Prepare dough, then while waiting for dough to rise prepare the chicken.

Pizza Toppings for 2 - 12" Dutch Ovens

2 Chicken Breast

1/2 tsp of following seasonings

salt

pepper

garlic powder

smoked paprika

4 cups mozzarella cheese OR 1 package sliced provolone

2 cups your favorite barbecue sauce, divided

1/2 cup sliced red onion

1 can sliced black olives (optional)

Mix seasoning together.  Sliced chicken breast  length wise to make thinner. Coat well with seasoning mix.  Baked at 350° until done, about 30 minutes. Cool. Dice chicken,

After removing Dutch oven lid, pour 2/3 of barbecue sauce on semi-cooked dough. top with 1/2 of the cooked chicken, sliced onions and cheese. Drizzle with 1/3 cup of barbecue

sauce.

Return Lid with heat. Cooke until cheese is melted.

Crust for 2 - 12" Dutch Ovens

1 1/2 cup sourdough starter, unfed

3/4 cup hot tap water

3 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp instant yeast

1/2 tsp. onion powder

Thoroughly stir your starter. add 1 1/2 cups to large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients, adjust flour as necessary depending on thickness of starter.  Mix well and kneed for about 10 minutes. Form into a ball, place in greased bowl and let rise to double.

Generously grease 2 Dutch ovens. Fold 2-3, 6" long pieces of foil  in thirds. place down sides and on bottom of Dutch oven as pictured.

Divide dough in have and roll, pat, toss,  press dough to 13-14 inches. (if doing one at a time, place second half of dough in a cool place).

bake at approximately 450° for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

After pizza is cooked, use the foil strips to lift out the pizza. 

Cool, 

slice, 

enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake with Caramel

 It has been a long while since I have posted, so I have lots of new recipes and a couple of patterns I will be adding in the next few days. I served this one and it was gone before I could take a pretty picture of a single serving with ice cream on top. Watch it closely or it will be dried out if you bake to long. This recipe also works well in a 12" Dutch Oven, for a thinner more bar like cake.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake with Caramel

1 Can Pumpkin

1 White or Yellow Cake Mix

2 Eggs

1 Cup Chocolate Chips

1  12 oz bottle Caramel Ice cream topping

Liberally grease 10" Dutch Oven.

Mix first three ingredients. Pour into Dutch oven. Sprinkle evenly

with Chocolate chips.

Bake at approximately  350°  for 20 minutes, rotating Dutch oven and lid heat at about the half way point.

Carefully remove lids and gently pour all of sauce on top of cake. Replace lid and bake for 10-15 more minutes until done.

If you are not camping out in the middle of nowhere, this is excellent served with whip cream or ice cream!

New merchandise now available!

I just added a couple of new shawls to my Etsy Shop

May 6, 2016 Dutch Oven Demonstration Recipes

Chuck Wagon Stew  

I modified this recipe from Rochelle Mooth

2 1/2 lb Meat, cut into 1" squares 

2 tsp Salt 

Pepper to taste            

1 lb carrots- cut

6 Medium Potatoes- cut

2 Cans Beef gravy  

1 Medium Onion (Chopped)

Place all ingredients in a large casserole dish. Pour gravy over top. Do not add liquid.  Cover and bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour, or until potatoes are done. 15 minutes before serving remove lid and thicken with 4 Tablespoons of flour and 1/3 cup of water-mix well.

Notes from Caroline: This recipe is great if you don't like the "gamey" taste that comes with some venison. The gravy helps disguise the flavor.

Sheepherder's Breakfast Recipe

3/4 pound bacon strips, finely chopped OR Sausage OR Ham
1 medium onion, chopped 
1/2 green pepper diced
1 package (30 ounces) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
8 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese 

In a large skillet, cook meat, onion and pepper over medium heat until crisp or done. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup drippings in pan. (If using ham ad oil to prevent sticking)
Stir in hash browns. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat 10 minutes or until bottom is golden brown; turn potatoes. With the back of a spoon, make eight evenly spaced wells in potato mixture. Break one egg into each well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cook, covered, on low 10 minutes or until eggs are set and potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with cheese; let stand until cheese is melted. Yield: 8 servings.

 Notes from Caroline: Jalapeno, mushrooms, spinach, etc...can be added

Rustic Sourdough Bread 

This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour 

              1 cup "fed" sourdough starter

              1  1/2 cups lukewarm water

              1 teaspoons yeast

              1 Tablespoon sugar

              2 1/2 teaspoons salt 

              4- 5 cups  flour

·8 ounces "fed" sourdough starter

·12 ounces lukewarm water

·2 teaspoons instant yeast

·1/2 ounce sugar

·2 1/2 teaspoons salt

·21 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

·227g "fed" sourdough starter

·340g lukewarm water

·2 teaspoons instant yeast

·14g sugar

·2 1/2 teaspoons salt

·602g King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Directions

1) Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.
2) Allow the dough to rise, in a covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
3) Gently divide the dough in half; it'll deflate somewhat.
4) Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves; or, for longer loaves, two 10" to 11" logs. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
5) Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.
6) Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.
7) Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it's a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Hornet's Nest Cake

1  3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
2  cups whole milk
1  18 oz package plain yellow cake mix
1  cup butterscotch chips

1 cup chocolate chips
1  cup chopped pecans

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; 

      Mix pudding and milk in large bowl according to package directions.
     Add cake mix, stir until well combined, there will be a few lumps in the batter.
     Pour batter into prepared dutch oven, smooth evenly with spatula.
     Sprinkle batter completely with chips.
     Sprinkle chips with chopped pecans.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until tester in center comes out clean.
     Cut into small pieces, cake is very rich.

Easy Rhubarb Cobbler

4 cups of sliced rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3oz. package strawberry jello
1 yellow or white cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

Lightly grease your 12" Dutch Oven. Place rhubarb in oven, sprinkle sugar evenly on top. Next sprinkle the jello powder on sugar. Do not mix the jello or cake mix, you use them as is! Pour the cake mix and spread evenly. Mix melted butter, water and vanilla together. Pour on top of cake mix, (When I make this recipe for camping I mix the liquids  together and place them in a jar, so I don't have to deal with it while camping)

To bake I place 8 coals on bottom and 16 on top. Rotating every 15 minutes, cook for 1 hour or until brown and crunch on top!

To cook in your home oven, place ingredients in 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees.

And last, but not by far the least, my sweetheart's favorite...

Apple Dump Cake

2 cans Apple Pie Filling

1 can crushed pineapple

1 yellow cake mix

1/2 melted butter

Dump first three ingredients into a 12" Dutch oven. even out each layer DO NOT STIR.  Drizzle melted butter evenly over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for and hour.

Notes from Caroline: Any flavor of pie filling can be used. A 1 quart jar of homemade pie filling works great. Cinnamon can be sprinkled on top. If you don't want to melt the butter, just cut it into pats and lay on top of the cake mix, this takes way 1/2 more butter.