For most of our “veteran” campers, cast iron crock pot cooking is a staple in their camping repertoire. Many people refer to is as a Dutch oven. If you are new to camping then this is a must have in your camping accessories. A meal cooked in a cast iron pot over an open fire is like a great steak sizzling on the grill! Your mouth waters and you can taste the aroma in the air till it’s done.

A few things to look for when purchasing a Dutch oven;

1. Try to get a 5 to 8 quart. This will insure enough room for beef stews, soups, and fresh veggies, the room to cook down.
2. A handle is definitely an added plus. It is often called the carry bale of the Dutch oven. This large handle makes placing and removing your Dutch oven from the fire-pit a breeze.
3. A pre-seasoned pot is nice but not a must. To season a pot, all you do is remove it from the box when it arrives-wash it with hot soapy water to remove the manufacturer’s coating that prevents rusting. Wipe completely dry and then rub with vegetable oil over entire pot, in and out. Don’t forget the lid too! Cook in the oven, upside down, for about an hour at 350 to 500 degrees. Repeat the entire process 3-5 times and you will have a “seasoned” pot.

Now that you’ve got your Dutch oven, let’s get cooking’!!! I’ve listed a couple recipes below that will have you ranting and raving to your friends and family all the joys of a cast iron pot.

How to Use a Dutch oven

1. Prepare the camp fire. If you have a camp fire going, move any large pieces of still-burning wood to the side and level out your hot coals to fit the size of the Dutch oven. If the campground doesn’t allow wood fires, burn 50 charcoal briquettes till they’re mostly gray, 10 to15 minutes, and spread into an even layer the size of the Dutch oven.

2. Set up the oven. For many recipes, you just set the Dutch oven on top of the hot coals (“bottom heat cooking”). But there are times when you’ll need to heat both the top and bottom of the oven. Just scrape about half the coals to the side and arrange the rest in a circle the size of the Dutch oven’s outer edge. Set the oven on top of the circle of coals, piling the rest of the coals on top of the lid.

3. Start cooking. Lift the Dutch-oven lid occasionally to check the food and temperature. To decrease the heat, scrape away some fuel. To increase the heat, or to cook longer than 45 minutes, add 6 to 10 new briquettes or more wood embers (from that still-burning wood you moved to the side of your fire pit) every 30 minutes.

Chili

2 lb. ground beef (I prefer ground chuck)
2 md Onions, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 c Beef broth or water
15 oz. Can tomato sauce

14 1/2 oz. Can diced tomatoes, un-drained
3 tablespoons Uncooked oatmeal
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Sugar
5 tablespoons Chili powder
1 teaspoon Red pepper
3 15 oz. cans pinto beans, un-drained

Cook ground beef, onions, and garlic in a Dutch oven until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain in a colander. Return beef mixture to Dutch oven and add remaining ingredients except beans, stirring well. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Add beans; simmer, partially covered, 20 additional minutes. Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler

2 pounds frozen peaches, thawed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1 cup pancake mix

1/4 cup butter, cut into 1/8-in. pieces 1 large egg

Sweetened whipped cream

1. Mix peaches, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup sugar in a 4- to 6-qt. cast-iron Dutch oven.
2. Stir pancake mix, butter, egg, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a medium bowl to make a thick and chunky batter. Drop 4 evenly spaced heaping tablespoons of batter over peaches. Cover.
3. Arrange coals for top and bottom heat cooking and cook, checking every 10 minutes, until batter is puffed, firm, and starting to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve portions with whipped cream.

Wash Day Dinner

This is the easiest of all Dutch oven recipes and my personal favorite.

You take all leftovers from your group of camping pals. Someone has a leftover steak-throw it in. 4 baked potatoes from the night before-throw it in. Hotdogs, bratwurst, whatever you can find, throw it in the pot. Add some beef or chicken broth, sliced onions, morel mushrooms if you can find them, season with garlic powder, Lawry’s, salt and pepper, and whatever sounds good. Let it simmer all day in your campfire. We’ve never had one turn out bad yet! It’s a great way to clean out everyone’s fridge and make an easy dinner for all!

Whether you have been camping since you were knee high to a grasshopper or just got your first Rv this year, camping etiquette is something we should all pay close attention to. What is camping etiquette you may ask? It is an unwritten code of ethics, so to speak, that most campers share to make the camping experience more enjoyable for themselves and the next campers to arrive to the site. In my family, there are several duties that are performed when we first arrive. We like to do mostly rustic camping, so I feel the need for campground etiquette is quite necessary. When you camp at a state or private campground, many of these tasks are performed after you leave or before you arrive.

1. When you first arrive to the site, it is helpful to walk the site-looking for debris, broken glass, wire, stumps or fallen tree limbs that may be a hazard to an unsuspecting friend or family member. We like to carry a garbage bag to collect these items along with any garbage we may find. Any fallen logs make great firewood!

2. A fire pit inspection is a must; we bring a small rake to rake through whatever is remaining in the fire pit. We’ve found everything from alkaline batteries to glass bottles, cable wire, and such, all of which can be dangerous when heated.

3. Everyone in our group picks up a rake and starts going to town. It cleans up the sites, makes laying out your carpet under the awning easier, and gives you a clean slate to start with.

4. If you camp as a group, it should be decided at this point who will be getting the firewood or if you brought your own, who will be stacking it or splitting it if needed.

5. Garbage bags and pop can bags can be hung off the awning arms at this time, which encourages others to avoid littering and to pick up after themselves.

6. Picnic tables are washed and covered with picnic cloths.

7. We usually have an outside bathroom where we camp, so we put extra toilet paper rolls inside coffee cans, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes inside. This saves the hassle of messing with this task at night and assures it’s there when needed.

8. Everyone should set up their lawn chairs and tables around the fire pit area for later and we make an effort to use our own seating. It’s the polite thing to do. J

9. Music levels and tv volume levels should be kept to an acceptable level so that no one has to suffer through music or a program that they do not like. After all, camping is supposed to be a stress relief. We like to keep our own stereos under our own individual awnings unless we all agree on a shared channel for listening.

10. Be courteous to others by not placing paper products in the fire pit when others will be cooking their food on it later.

11. Everyone pitches in to make it enjoyable for all!

12. When you are ready to pack up and leave….

1. Make sure all garbage bags are taken with to dumped at home or a local dump station.

2. We like to rake the site again and leave it better than we found it as a rule.

3. Make sure the fire is completely out and there are no items in it that are not safely burnable.

4. The bathroom area is cleaned and a call is made to the DNR if it should be emptied for the next group coming in.

5. Last minute scan of the area for forgotten items is a good idea especially if there is a beach where towels, toys, and such may have been left behind.

When we all do our part, everyone benefits. Campground fees are not raised as often and your group will be remembered and welcomed back next year too!