Dutch Oven for one

HoMiPa · 08-21-2017, 12:52 PM

I recently bought two Dutch Ovens - a 5qt, and a 3/4qt - which is very small, and perfect for a serving for one. I tried it out this weekend, and it was my first time cooking over coals with a dutch oven.

DO experiment #1 - breakfast on Saturday - polenta, cherry tomatoes, prosciutto, all diced, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with basil. Cooked for about 30 minutes, then dropped an egg on top, and cooked for another 10 minutes or so. Sprinkled on some Parmesan cheese. It was fantastic!

DO experiment #2 - Polenta & shrimp, drizzled with lemon juice, a little minced garlic, and parsley - cooked for about 40 minutes. Another success!

DO experiment #3 - mac & cheese. Some milk (about 1/2 cup), some ricotta (about 1/4 cup), some cheddar (about 1/2 cup), some elbow pasta (about 1/2-3/4 cup), about 2 tablespoons of butter, a pinch each of dry mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, salt & pepper. Cooked for about an hour, toss in more cheddar, another 15 minutes - and ta-da! It didn't look so great, but it was really yummy!

Now I can't wait to try more things, so I'll probably be cooking with it at home on the weekends when I'm not camping!

Shane826 · 08-21-2017, 02:51 PM

Damn. We usually just have hot dogs & hamburgers or sandwiches. When do you want to come camping with us, Chef Holly?

My friend came camping with us Father's Day weekend and she's a helluva cook. We are like kings & queens all weekend.

HoMiPa · 08-21-2017, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shane826

Damn. We usually just have hot dogs & hamburgers or sandwiches. When do you want to come camping with us, Chef Holly?
.

Ha ha, thanks! I do like to cook, but this summer I haven't done much at all - BOTH kids were gone, just me, so I ate cereal at least 5 nights a week. It was just sad! LOL Creating things for the little dutch oven forced me to cook a decent meal for just one - something I never do. It was fun!

RottieMom · 08-21-2017, 07:30 PM

Dang, Holly, your dishes look great. I need to experiment more with food when camping. I have a little weber grill that I like to take with me and grill kabobs. I cut up veggies and chicken, put them on skewers, pour Italian dressing over them and let them marinate while traveling to where I'm going. Then, all I have to do is throw them on the grill after I've got everything setup at campsite.

HoMiPa · 08-22-2017, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RottieMom

Dang, Holly, your dishes look great. I need to experiment more with food when camping. I have a little weber grill that I like to take with me and grill kabobs. I cut up veggies and chicken, put them on skewers, pour Italian dressing over them and let them marinate while traveling to where I'm going. Then, all I have to do is throw them on the grill after I've got everything setup at campsite.

Thank you! And I do kabobs at home fairly frequently! I'll have to try Italian dressing. I stuck in a rut - I always teriyaki marinade, with chicken, red pepper and pineapple. Having them marinade while traveling, so dinner is ready to pop on the grill upon arrival is a great idea!

handjstar · 08-22-2017, 09:30 PM

I keep one in my TM all the time. Can make stews and cake in it that are delicious. A fellow camper showed me light one weekend and it is standard equipment now.

HoMiPa · 08-23-2017, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by handjstar

I keep one in my TM all the time. Can make stews and cake in it that are delicious. A fellow camper showed me light one weekend and it is standard equipment now.

Yes, I want to try a dump cake! I'm thinking I need to get another small one - and I doubt I'll use the large one very often at all, but thought it would be good to have, even if I just use it in my oven at home. My enameled cast iron dutch oven I use in the house it only a 3qt, so the larger 5qt cast iron will come in handy, and was WAY cheaper than my enameled 3 qt!

I'm not much of a stew-while-camping person, but I have fond memories as a child, at rest areas off the highway somewhere between MO & NH, eating Dinty Moore Beef Stew heated on a Coleman stove - it was our 'go to' supper meal while traveling back and forth between MO & NH for summer vacation. I always have a couple of cans of it in my pantry, for power outages, etc. I'm thinking half a can in the small DO, with some biscuits on top, just might be a renewed camping favorite! Cheating, I know, but canned Dinty Moore will bring back memories no homecooked stew could ever hope to.

GolfingDebby · 08-25-2017, 10:54 PM

Yummy! Dinty Moore Beef Stew over bread. Also reminds me of tent camping with my family when I was young! I have a can in our TM right now and we're boondocking in Glacier National Park. We never go camping without it!

HoMiPa · 08-30-2017, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GolfingDebby

Yummy! Dinty Moore Beef Stew over bread. Also reminds me of tent camping with my family when I was young! I have a can in our TM right now and we're boondocking in Glacier National Park. We never go camping without it!

Oh YAY! I'm not alone in having happy memories of that stuff, and still loving it now years, and years, (and years) later!