Elk Camp Dutch Oven Cooking

One of my favorite things to do at elk camp is cook in my Dutch oven. It works great because generally you can make everything in one pot and cook in the campfire as you sit around drinking a cold (or warm!) beverage telling the hunting stories of the day.

 

The following are a few recipes I made this year - some tried & trues, some new -  all delicious! My ingredients and directions are "rough" because I didn't measure a single thing including the cooking times. I added pictures so you could get a rough idea but each recipe turns out a little different each time. Before we leave for the mountains I always freeze the meat for each meal in Ziploc bags & thaw out what I'm cooking for the night after the morning hunt. Most of the recipes also use very similar ingredients to make the shopping/packing easy.

 

 

 

 

Peppered Beef Stew

 

Ingredients:

Beef (I just cut up some cheap steaks), potatoes, onions, carrots (I used a whole bag of precut baby carrots & cut them in half), celery (the whole thing!), Johnny's seasoning, McCormack's steak seasoning, salt & pepper

 

Directions:

(this first one I made over a camp cooker instead of on the fire because I wanted a consistent slow cook)

Season the meat with steak seasoning and then brown in the pan

Add water to create some broth

Add in potatoes, onion, celery & carrots

(There wasn't enough room in my pot to add all the veggies at once, but as the stew slow cooks and cooks down, I just kept adding things in)

I added quite a bit of salt & pepper (hence the "Peppered Beef Stew"), but season to taste

 

When it tastes good, she's ready!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken Potatoes Gravy Stew

 

Ingredients:

Potatoes, onion, chicken breasts, 2 packets of brown gravy mix, flour, salt & pepper

 

Directions:

Brown the chicken and add in the brown gravy mix

Add some water, potatoes, and onion

You can eat this as soon as potatoes are ready or let it slow cook & turn into a thicker stew by slowly sprinkling in flour as you stir.

 

 

 

 

 Bacon Jalapeno Potatoes & Boneless Ribs

Ingredients:
Bacon, potatoes, onion, green pepper, jalapeno, ground beef (optional)

Directions:
(This is my brother's specialty dish)
Layer the pan with bacon strips cut in half, then layer with sliced potatoes
After these cook a little, add in onion, green pepper, jalapeno
We happened to have some browned ground beef left over so added that in
Salt & pepper - & yum! it's quite the concoction.

As for the boneless ribs, they are to die for but a secret family recipe!
(aka I didn't make them & couldn't tell ya!)
 

 

Chuck Wagon Casserole
this is always a camp favorite!

Ingredients:
Ground beef, Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce, large can chili beans, onion, green bell pepper, corn muffin mix, can of corn

Directions:
Mix the box of corn muffin mix with the can of corn, set aside so it can rise a tad (if you're around a fridge full of supplies you can prepare the corn muffin mix according to the directions, but if you're in a use-what-ya-got situation, I've found the can of corn in lieu of milk & eggs works fine)
Brown ground beef, add in onions and green peppers
Add in can of chili beans & whole bottle of Sweet Baby Rays
When the chili like pot of goodness has warmed back up, add the corn muffin mix on top
Cover with coals & when the corn bread is golden brown it's ready to serve!



 

 

 

 

Bacon Stuff Baked Potatoes & Trailside Beans

 

Ingredients:

Potatoes, bacon, ground beef, chili beans (or whatever kind of beans you have/like), onion, chili powder, chili pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, shredded cheese (optional but delicious)

 

Baked Potato Directions:

Cut the potatoes in half, poke with fork, add a slice of bacon, wrap in tin foil

I cooked the potatoes in the Dutch oven

Turn the potatoes often so they are evenly cooked through - when bacon is done they're ready

 

Chili Directions:

 Brown ground beef, (season whenever you'd like to taste with chili powder, chili flakes, Worcestershire, brown sugar etc.)

Add onions, bell peppers if you want, beans (I added chili beans & Pork 'N Beans)

 

When everything is cooked - layer the beans on your potato, top with shredded cheese - enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peach Cobbler

 

Ingredients:

Large can sliced peaches, box cake mix, butter

 

Directions:

Drain some liquid out of peaches and spread across pan

Layer with cake mix

Cut butter into tablespoon sizes & layer on top of cake mix

Cover the Dutch oven with coals & bake until golden brown

 

Pineapple Teriyaki Steak

Ingredients:
Steak, bottle of teriyaki sauce, can sliced pineapples

Directions:
Marinate steak in teriyaki sauce
Layer on pineapples
Cover & cook over campfire
Flip steaks as needed

 

 

 

After you cook each meal & are ready to clean out your Dutch oven - slowly boil out anything left in the pan and wipe down with a sponge. When the pot is clean an still warm, add a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil (you can use a paper towel to make sure you cover the sides too). This will keep your oven nice and seasoned & ready for your next meal.

 

Enjoy!