Go Camping – Life’s An Adventure

Let me tell you a story.  My husband and I were on a camp trip that was pretty well rushed, which is very unusual for us.  The topic of the evening meal came up and we both looked at each other and said what are we going to have.  After searching through our cooler and camp kitchen, my husband and I came up with this simple but filling dish.  

Camp Fire Recipe:  Easy Nacho Cheese Soup with Smoked Sausage

Ingredients

Spray or liquid oil

5 ounce package of dried au gratin potatoes

15 ounce can of whole kernel corn

1 cup of salsa or tomatoes with green chilies

2 cups water

2 cups of milk

1 ½ cup of shredded Taco flavored cheese

2 ounce can of sliced black olives

1 link of smoked sausage

Tortilla or corn chips for garnish

Steps

1. Construct a fire to prepare the charcoal briquettes.
2. Grease the 12 inch Dutch oven with spray or liquid oil.
3. Pour packaged potatoes, corn, salsa or tomatoes, and 2 cups of water into the 12 inch Dutch oven.
4. Stir.
5. Move the 12 inch Dutch oven to a heat resistant surface. 
6. Arrange 12 prepared coals in a circle.
7. Place Dutch oven on top of the circle.
8. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and completely cover the lid with prepared charcoal briquettes.
9. Cook for 25 minutes.
10. While the potatoes are cooking, cut up the smoked sausage into ½ inch slices.
11. Once the 25 minutes have passed, remove the lid and add the milk, cheese, and olives that have been drained.
12. Place back on the hot coals and cook until the soup is completely heat through and the cheese has melted.
13. While the soup is heating up, break up the chips.
14. To serve, take up a ladle of soup and top with some chips.

As simple as this dish is, there are a few things that you can do to change it up or to use some tidbits in the camp kitchen.  First, if you do not have smoked sausage, do not worry.  You can use leftover cooked sausage from breakfast.  Do not have Taco flavored cheese; simply add a little taco or chili powder.  Want to make the dish a little more special then consider adding to your topping list.  Not only offer chips but also some sour cream and even a few chopped green onion tops.
Check out DCWCasing.com for more options.

If you have a peanut butter and chocolate cup lover in your family then this is the dessert you should be fixing.  This is the fact with my son who requests this sweet treat every time we go camping.

Campfire Recipe:  Chocolate Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

Liquid or spray oil

¾ cup of butter

1 ¾ cup of granulated sugar

2 eggs

Bananas

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 cups of flour

¾ cup of cocoa

1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

¾ teaspoon of salt

¾ cup of buttermilk

Steps

1. Put butter out to soften.
2. Build fire to prepare the charcoal briquettes.
3. Once the butter has softened, cut up into small pieces and place inside a bowl.
4. Add granulated sugar and eggs to the softened butter.  Work the butter into the sugar and eggs using a hand mixer.
5. Peel bananas and squish them on a plate until you have 1 ¼ cups of the pulp.  Add to the butter and egg mixture.
6. Stir in vanilla extract.
7. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir.
8. Add the flour mixture a little at a time into the butter and egg mixture.  Alternate the flour mixture with the buttermilk.  Continue until all the ingredients have been incorporated together.
9. Using a 12 inch Dutch oven, lightly grease down the inside with either liquid or spray oil.
10. Line the inside of the 12 inch Dutch oven with parchment paper.
11. Pour the cake batter into the prepared 12 inch Dutch oven.
12. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and move to a heat resistant surface.
13. Take 12 charcoal briquettes and arrange in a circle on the heat resistant surface.
14. Put the 12 inch Dutch oven on top.
15. On the lid, place 26 prepared charcoal briquettes.
16. Cook for 30 minutes.
17. After the time period has passed, slowly remove the lid and check the doneness of the cake with a toothpick. 
18. If done, knock off the coals on the lid and remove the Dutch oven from the heat resistant surface.  If the cake is not done, place the lid back on and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
19. Allow the cake to cool before icing it.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

½ cup of butter that has been set out to soften

1 cup of creamy peanut butter

Milk

2 cups of powdered sugar

Steps

1. Place the soften butter and creamy peanut butter in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time as the mixture becomes thick.  Do not go over 3 tablespoons.
4. Once all the ingredients have been combined, continue to beat for 3 minutes.

Spread on top of the cooled cake and serve.

This recipe is not what you are expecting.  While it is cooked in a Dutch oven, what really is going on is the chicken is oven fried not deep fried.  Regardless of how it is fried, this dish is so tasty you will have people eating it hot and cold. 

Camp Fire Recipe:  Dutch Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients

Spray or liquid oil

12 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

3 cloves of garlic

2 cups of bread crumbs

2/3 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 teaspoons of salt

Ground black pepper

3 ½ pound whole chicken cut up of pieces that equal the same weight

Steps

1. Build fire to prepare the charcoal briquettes.
2. Grease the inside of a 12 inch Dutch oven with spray or liquid oil.
3. Place a grill rack above the fire.
4. Mince the garlic and place in a small saucepan.
5.  Place the 12 tablespoons of butter inside the saucepan and put on the grill rack. 
6. Melt the butter.
7. Once the butter has melted, pour into a bowl and allow to cool a little.
8. In a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, salt and pepper.  Stir.
9. If using a whole chicken, cut it up.  Once you have pieces, dip each piece into the butter and then roll in the bread crumb mixture.
10. Place each prepared piece of chicken in a single layer in your 12 inch Dutch oven.
11. Continue until all the chicken has been used.
12. Pour any remaining butter over the chicken and top with the lid.
13. Take 12 charcoal briquettes and move them to a heat resistant surface.  Arrange in a circle.
14. Move the prepared Dutch oven to this hear resistant surface and place on the circle of charcoal briquettes.
15. Top the lid with 28 prepared charcoal briquettes.
16. Cook for one hour.  If you find your briquettes are cooling off, replace them every 30 minutes.
17. After the hour has passed, knock off the coals from the lid and check the doneness of the chicken by cutting into the thick part of a few pieces.  If they are not pink, the chicken is done.  If the chicken is still a little pink, put the lid on, top with new coals and cook for 10 more minutes.

Once the chicken is done, remove the Dutch oven from the hot coals and serve the chicken.