Dutch Oven Meatball Supper

Oh how I love meals that are ready to eat in 30 minutes!  I love them even more when they are full of veggies and relatively healthy.  When you combine the two together, I'm in heaven!  This meal was surprisingly good and simple to make.  The family loved it, and my 3 year old ate her weight in meatballs! 

As I was cooking, I was thinking what a great camping meal this would make.  Use frozen meatballs, either homemade or (even easier) from the grocery store.  Its hearty, simple and best of all, it only uses one pot!

Dutch Oven Meatball Supper
12" dutch oven

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
30 precooked meatballs, freshly made or frozen
1-1 lb. bag carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2" slices
1 large onion, diced
2 cups zucchini, sliced into 1/2" slices then halved or quartered
3 tsp. chicken bouillon
1 tsp. dried basil
3 1/3 cups water, divided
2 Tbs. flour
Salt and pepper to taste

In a 12" dutch oven, heat the oil over a full spread of coals.  Add the onion and carrots and cook until crisp tender (about 5-10 minutes).

Add the meatballs to the frying pan.  Add 3 cups water, bouillon, basil and pepper.  Stir well, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  you may need to remove a few coals to keep it from boiling.

Add the zucchini, cover and simmer until zucchini is crisp tender (about another 5 minutes).  Taste and salt, if needed.

Mix the flour with 1/3 cup cold water and add to the simmering sauce.  Stir until the mixture thickens and comes to a simmer.  Serve over rice. 

Source:  Adapted from Mennonite Girls Can Cook 

BBQ Ranch Chicken Rolls

Here is another simple but easy recipe.  I made these for my kiddos for lunch a while ago and the loved them!  It would make a great camping meal since you can use all prepared ingredients.  I made everything from scratch, but you could easily use refrigerated pizza dough, Lloyd's BBQ Chicken and prepared ranch dressing.

BBQ Ranch Chicken Rolls
14" dutch oven

3 cups flour
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. oil
1 cup warm water
1 Tbs. instant yeast
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 cup prepared ranch dressing
2 cups shredded BBQ chicken  (I cooked and shredded 2 large chicken breasts, shredded them and mixed with BBQ sauce)
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl until a soft dough forms.  Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes, then roll into a rectangle.  Don't roll it too thin or it will tear when you try to roll it up with the chicken inside.  Spread the ranch dressing over the dough, then top with the chicken, green onions and cheese.  Starting at the long end, roll into a log shape like you would for cinnamon rolls.  Using a sharp knife or dental floss, cut it into 1" slices and place in a greased dutch oven.  Bake at 350° for 20-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serve with ranch dressing for dipping.  Serves about 10.

The Finished Product

The Review

I wish the picture looked as good as it tasted.  My kiddos love these!  I have to admit, I'm a sucker for BBQ chicken so I ate more than my fair share of these.  Next time I'll add more cheese, and I'll leave the dough a little bit thicker.  I rolled it so thin that it tore as I was trying to roll them up.  So watch out for that.  This would be a great camping meal.

Taco Meatball Ring

With every day that passes without an oven I become more and more grateful that I can dutch oven cook.  Its not just for camping or emergencies!  Although I think that not having an oven could qualify as an emergency sometimes.  But not for me because I spent last year preparing for just such an occasion!  I'm actually quite pleased that we aren't eating out every night. (Not that we would, I'm way to cheap for that.)  Nor are we relegated only to what I can make in a skillet or slow cooker.  (Although there's been some of that.)  Nope!  Nothing has changed, oven or not!

This recipe is a fun twist on tacos.  It is also really easy.  This will go into the camping category for sure!  I used 1 dutch oven for the whole meal, but it would be faster if you used one oven to cook the meatballs and one to cook the actual dish.  But its up to you.

Taco Meatball Ring
12" dutch oven

2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

3 Tbs. water
4 Tbs. taco seasoning
1 lb. ground beef
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomato
Sliced green onions
Sliced black olives
Sliced jalapeno peppers
Sour cream and salsa

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of cheese, water and taco seasoning. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 16 balls.

Place the meatballs in a dutch oven and bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Use 2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Drain the meatballs on paper towels. Pour the grease out and wipe the oven clean.  (I let it cool for a few minutes so I could handle the oven.)

Arrange the crescent rolls in your dutch oven,  forming a ring with the pointed ends facing the outer edge of the pan and the wide ends overlapping.

Place a meatball on each roll. Fold the point over the meatball and tuck under the wide end of the roll. The meatball will still be visible. Repeat with all the meatballs. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.  Use 1 1/2 rings + a few coals on top and 1 ring on the bottom.

Serve with lettuce, chopped tomato, olives, jalapenos, green onions, sour cream and salsa.

The Finished Product





The Review

This was really good.  Especially if you're a meatball connoisseur like I am.  Next time I'll just serve it out of the dutch oven instead of on a serving platter.  It took 4 large spatulas and a few extra arms to get it out in one piece.  It was totally not worth taking it out of the pan just to save a few dirty dishes.  But we'll be having this again for sure.  My kiddos loved it!  Grade A.

Day 318: Chicken Spaghetti Bake

Just a quick post today!  Its only 9 a.m. and I'm already wishing it was bedtime!  I hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Chicken Spaghetti Bake
12" dutch oven

1 (16 oz.) pkg. of your favorite pasta, cooked and drained  (I used garden rotini)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 small can sliced olives, drained
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1/3 cup cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheese (I used mozzarella)

In a dutch oven over a full spread of coals, saute the onions, green peppers, zucchini and garlic in oil until crisp tender.  Stir in the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and olives.  Bring to a boil.  Move about 1/4 of the coals to the lid and allow the sauce to simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir in the chicken and soup and heat through.  Remove the sauce to a large bowl and keep warm.  Place half of the pasta in the bottom of the same pot the sauce was cooked in.  Pour half of the spaghetti sauce over the pasta and top with half of the cheese.  Repeat the layers.  Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Serves 10-12.

The Finished Product

The Review

This is one of those meals that I have to grade in 2 different ways.  For a weeknight meal, its just okay.  I didn't have much in the house and I wasn't very hungry, so I didn't do my normal nice Sunday meal.  Now for a camping meal, this is great.  The fact that it can all be done in 1 pot is a real plus.  A lot of the preparation can be done ahead of time as well.  For an everyday meal this gets a B- but for camping we give it an A-.

Day 298: Philly Cheesesteaks

First, a disclaimer.  I've never been to Philadelphia.  (Well, I've been to the airport there on my way to New Jersey, but I don't think that counts.)  I've also never had a Philly Cheese steak, so I can't vouch for the authenticity of this recipe.  But I did spend a lot of time on the Internet looking at recipes and reading their comments.  So I picked a couple of recipes that had the most good reviews and kind of combined them.  A lot of the recipes called for cheez wiz, which quite frankly scared me a little so I stayed away from those and went for the provolone.  This one is slightly adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe.

Philly Cheese Steaks
12" dutch oven

For the onions:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, sliced very thin
Coarse salt and pepper 

For the meat:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, if necessary
1 1/2 pounds lean deli roast beef (get the good stuff)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 slices provolone cheese
6 soft Italian sandwich hogie rolls. split lengthwise

In a dutch oven over a full spread of coals, saute the onions in oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes or until onions are soft and caramel in color.  Set aside.

In the same dutch oven, cook the beef until heated through, adding more oil if necessary.  As it cooks, cut into meat with the side of your spatula. When the meat is heated through sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. When the meat is cooked, mix in the onions and top with cheese slices.  Put the lid on the dutch oven and allow the cheese to melt.  Pile the meat and onions into rolls.  Serves 4-6.

The Finished Product

Whoa!  Bad pic--sorry, it tasted good!

The Review

These were delish!  And they were easy!  This was a perfect quick meal that my whole family loved!  These would also be a great camping meal.  Start to finish in about half an hour.  Like I said, I don't know how authentic they are, but they are delicious.  Grade A.

Day 291: Enchilada Lasagne

First thing this morning, I have a little info for all the new readers.  My followers have doubled in the last 4 months so welcome to all of you.  I've gotten a few emails from readers wondering what the references to the rings in the recipes are.  I've found what I think is the best way to figure the temperature of the dutch ovens.  It is the Dinwiddie method of temperature control.  Its different than coal counting and uses rings of coals to determine temperature.  I did a post a while back dedicated to this method.  You can get to it with this link.  It should explain everything, but if you still have questions, feel free to shoot me an email and I'll help!

I know in the past I've mentioned my unhealthy obsession of Mexican food.  I don't know what it is about re fried beans, spicy sauce, tortillas and mountains of cheese that I love so much.  This week I "somehow" (wink, wink)  managed to plan a bunch of Mexican dishes into our menu.  I've been craving it so much lately that if I didn't know better I'd think I was pregnant. (Which I'm not, by the way.)  This is a recipe I just made up as I went along.  I've done something similar in the past, so it is loosely based on that.

Enchilada Lasagna
10" dutch oven

8-12 corn tortillas
3 shredded chicken breasts
1 tsp. cumin
dash cayenne
3/4 cup black beans
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cheese (I don't usually measure cheese, as long as its gooey, its good)

Saute the onions and peppers in olive oil over a full spread of coals.  Add the chicken, cumin, cayenne, black beans, 1 cup of cheese and half of the enchilada sauce.  Heat until it is hot and the cheese is melted.  Remove from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot, layer 2 or 3 tortillas in the bottom.  Top with the chicken mixture and top with part of the filling.  Repeat layers until the tortillas and chicken mixture are gone.  Top with remaining cheese and enchilada sauce.  Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.  Use 1 ring on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serves 4-6.

The Finished Product

The Review

This was good, but there are a few things that I would change about it.  First, I would probably add some corn to it, just because I like corn.  Second, I won't mix the cheese in with the chicken mixture.  I'll just sprinkle it over every layer for added gooeyness.  Finally, the whole dish was a little dry, so next time I'll mix some chicken broth in with the enchilada sauce to make it go farther.  I know that sounds like a lot of changes, but like I said, I was making this up as I went along.  This would be a great camping meal too.  It was a really easy one pot meal.  Grade B.

Day 278: Deer Camp Stew

Okay, so this recipe didn't start out as deer camp stew.  Its humble beginnings were as a skillet stew from Betty Crocker.  But I think poor Betty would find my version almost unrecognizable.  This recipe is so very easy.  It also comes together very quickly.  Its just the sort of thing a man who doesn't cook much would be able to make in the mountains on the deer hunt (which is going on right now around here, by the way).  The original recipe was more skillet meal than stew and it wasn't very interesting.  So I changed things up a bit.  As its written in only feeds 4, but its a cinch to double or triple.

Skillet Ground Beef Stew

12" dutch oven
1 lb ground deer or elk (I used elk, but you could also use ground beef)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (about 3 cups  I hate mushrooms so I left these out)
2 1/4 cups beef-flavored broth
1/3 cup plus 3 Tbs. heavy whipping cream
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 lb unpeeled Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (3 medium)
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 cup frozen peas

In 12"dutch oven, cook meat and onion over a full spread of coals, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain if necessary. Stir in salt, pepper and flour. Add mushrooms; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a bowl, mix broth, whipping cream and mustard with wire whisk. Add to beef mixture. Stir in potatoes and carrots.  Bring to a boil, then move about 1/4 of the coals to the lid and allow the stew to simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and sauce is slightly thickened. Add the peas and allow to cook a few more minutes or until they are heated through.  If the sauce is too thin at the end of the cooking process, cook uncovered another few minutes until the liquid reduces and is slightly thickened. Sprinkle with parsley. I found it needed a bit more salt and pepper, so be sure to have a shaker there so you can add more if you need to.  Serves 4-5.

The Finished Product

The Review

I was really surprised by how good this was.  My kids had seconds, and even my hubby (my pickiest eater) had 2 bowls.  Its also a very simple recipe that just about anyone can make.  Add some dutch oven biscuits and some peach cobbler for dessert and you've got yourself a meal.  Deer camp food never tasted so good!  For a weeknight meal we gave this a B, but for a camping meal it gets an A.

Day 266: Chicken Fajita Pizza

Last night my hubby wanted something new for dinner.  Something different, that we hadn't had in a while.  I laughed because we have something new and different every day!  Since we had soccer games I needed something quick and easy, so I came up with this pizza.

Chicken Fajita Pizza
12" dutch oven

1 pkg yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
4 Tbs. vegetable oil, divided
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. sugar
1 lb. chicken cut into strips
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups sliced green onions
2 cups sliced peppers (green, red, yellow, orange)
1 cup salsa
1 cup each shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese

Dissolve the yeast in water.  Add the flour, 2 Tbs. oil, 1 tsp. salt, and sugar.  Mix well.  Let rest 15 minutes.  While the dough is resting, heat the oil in a 12" dutch oven over a full spread of coals.  Add the chicken and cook about 5 minutes.  Add the peppers, onions, garlic powder and remaining salt and cook until peppers are tender and chicken is no longer pink.  Remove from the pot and wipe the pot clean with paper towels.  Press the pizza dough into the bottom of 2 greased 12" ovens.  Bake at 450° for 6-8 minutes.  Remove lids, spread toppings over crust and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 14-18 minutes longer or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.  Serves 6-8.

The Finished Product

The Review

This was pretty good if I do say so myself.  It came together pretty quickly and my kids loved it.  My 14 year old son had 6 pieces and still wanted more.  It wasn't spicy at all so my little ones liked it too.  It would be an easy camping meal if you bought a roll of pizza dough, use pre-cooked chicken strips and frozen peppers.  That would be a snap to make.  We gave this a B.

Day 260: Easy Chicken Fajitas

Yesterday I was feeling like a big lazy bum!  I've been cooking so much lately that I could hardly face the thought of making anything else.  Thank goodness for a friend that gave me a super simple recipe for Chicken Fajitas.  These are not authentic in any way, but they don't really have to be.  They just have to be good.  My kids actually made most of these!  There really isn't a recipe for this one, just throw together the amounts you need.

Easy Chicken Fajitas
10" dutch oven

Canned chicken (you can also use cooked shredded chicken, but like I said, I was feeling really lazy)
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
Sliced bell peppers (red, green, yellow, orange or any combination)
Sliced onions, separated into rings

Heat some vegetable oil in a 10" dutch oven over a full spread of coals.  Add the veggies and cook until crisp tender.  Remove from the pot and keep warm.  Put the chicken in the pot, add the BBQ sauce and heat through.  Serve with the veggies on tortillas. 

The Finished Product

The Review

These were pretty good all things considered.  Certainly better that any casserole I could have come up with.  These would be the perfect camping recipe since they are so simple.  This isn't something that I'll make often, but it will be on the list of super fast weeknight meals.

Day 254: Apricot Chicken

A friend gave me this recipe last week.  She never tries anything new in the kitchen, so I was really surprised when she told me how much her family liked it.  I figured I'd better give it a try!

Apricot Chicken
12" dutch oven

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup apricot jam
1 cup Catalina or French salad dressing
2 Tbs. sugar
1 pkg. onion soup mix

Place chicken in your dutch oven.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.  Bake at 350° for 1 hour.  Serves 6.

Sorry, I had to leave before this was finished so I couldn't get a picture. I'm lucky I even got to taste it! :)

The Review

This was good.  Its simple, but with such a mix of tangy and sweet.  The onion soup adds a really nice flavor.  My kids ate almost every bite.  They mercifully saved my 1/2 a piece of chicken--the little piggies!  I'll be making this again.  This would also make a good camping meal.  If I had one complaint it would be that the sauce was too thin.  But even thats not a big deal. Grade B+.

Day 251: Easy Chicken and Potato Bake

Here is recipe #2 today.  Now I'm caught up from being sick!  This recipe is one that was brought to a church dutch oven social a few weeks ago. 

Easy Chicken and Potato Bake
12" dutch oven

4 chicken breasts cut into chunks
6-8 potatoes, peeled and sliced
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
seasoned salt
parsley
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a dutch oven.  Season with seasoned salt and parsley.  Layer the potatoes and carrots.  Heavily season with seasoned salt, pepper and parsley.  In a bowl, mix the soup, milk and sour cream.  Spread on top of potatoes and carrots.  Bake at 350° for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until chicken is cooked and potatoes are tender.  Serves 6-8.

The Finished Product

Sorry, my camera's batteries were dead and before I could charge them my family ate it all. 

The Review

This was really good.  It would be a great camping meal.  When you make this, use a lot of seasoned salt.  It really makes this good.  My family loved this, and there weren't any leftovers!  We gave this a B+.

Day 234: Mom's Meatballs

I don't know what it is about meatballs.  All the recipes are pretty similar, but none of them taste the same.  I never get tired of them.  My kids love them, especially my 2 year old.  I always know she'll eat them.  Its weird.  This is another recipe I've had forever and not made in almost as long.  It was time to try it again.

Mom's Meatballs
12" dutch oven

1 lb. ground beef
2-3 carrots, shredded
1 large potato, shredded (raw)
1 yellow onion, grated
1 egg
1/2 c. bread crumbs
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 c. sour cream
1 can milk
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Mix meatball ingredients together. Roll into meatballs and put them in your dutch oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350° using 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom. Mix sauce ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl and mix with a whisk until creamy. After meatballs are browned, pour sauce evenly over the meatballs and place back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes (or until sides are hot and bubbly). Serve over rice.

The Finished Product

The Review

These were yummy!  I loved the red pepper flakes, they gave it a really nice kick.  Even the sauce was good, and I don't care much for canned cream soup.  The veggies in these were good too.  There was almost as many veggies as there was meat.  Its a great way to sneak in veggies for my kids.  These were also quick.  I had them done start to finish in about 40 minutes.  These would be really good for camping.  These get a B.

Day 232: Creamy Chicken Noodle Bake

This is a recipe I've had forever.  I ran across it the other day while I was organizing my recipe files.  I've changed it over the years to suit our tastes.  It originally had a cracker crumb topping, but we found we like it better with cheese on top.  This is a fast and easy weeknight meal.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Bake

12" dutch oven

3 cups. cooked chicken, cut up into bite size pieces

2 - cans cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz cans)

1 1/4 c. milk

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. oregano

1 - 10-oz. pkg. frozen peas

1 - 12 oz - package wide egg noodles, (cooked al dente)(I use no yolk dumplings)

2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

In a large bowl, mix together cut up chicken, soup, milk, melted butter and peas. Add cooked noodles & 1 cup cheese; stir to coat. Transfer to your dutch oven. Top with the additional 1 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serves 8.

The Finished Product

The Review

This would be another good camping meal.  It is quick and easy and pretty tasty.  I normally try not to use much cream soup, but its good in this.  I like how simple this recipe is and I always have the ingredients on hand if I get short on time.  We gave this a B.

Day 231: Bobby Deen's Favorite Goulash

As you probably guessed, this is a Paula Deen recipe.  I love her recipes and I use them often.  I love that they are the ultimate in comfort foods.  Most of them are also simple and delicious!

Bobby Deen's Favorite Goulash
12" dutch oven

1/2 tablespoon Paula Deen’s House Seasoning (recipe below)
3 tablespoon soy sauce
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
3 cups water
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large onion, chopped
2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 tablespoon Paula Deen’s Seasoned Salt
2 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked (I used rotini)
1 - cup frozen mixed veggies or frozen corn  (I used an entire 1 lb. bag and it wasn't to much)

In a Dutch oven over a full spread of coals, saute the ground beef until no pink remains. Break up the meat while sauteing. Spoon off any grease. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and saute until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, along with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, House Seasoning, and seasoned salt. Stir well. If adding mixed veggies or corn add them now. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. I put about 6 coals on top at this point.  Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from heat, remove the bay leaves, and allow the mixture to sit about 15 minutes more before serving. Serves an army-probably 10-12 adults.  You'll want to cut it in half for smaller groups!

Paula's House Seasoning:

1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

The Finished Product

 

 
The Review
 
Growing up, my mom used to make goulash.  It was very simple and could be made in about 15 minutes.  I really didn't like it.  Mom's didn't have a lot of flavor.  So I was hesitant to try this recipe.  But I have to say, this is the best goulash I've ever had!  It was perfectly seasoned and totally delicious.  My 15 year old son, Colton,  was praying for leftovers so he could take it to school and have it for lunch.  My kids scarfed it down.  It did take a little while to make, but it was mostly cooking time, not prep time, so this is a great weeknight or camping meal.  Even my goulash hating hubby liked it.  I gave it an A, my hubby gave it a B, so we will meet in the middle and go with an A-.

Day 223: Curried Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Happy birthday to me!  Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday dear me, happy birthday to me!  Yep, its my special day.  I'm 39 today, 1 more year before I hit the first stage of being old.  I'm lucky enough to get to share my birthday with my daughter Brinlee who turns 8 today.  She was the best birthday present ever!  I get to spend today renewing my drivers license (since I've put off doing it for 3 months and now it expires today) and pulling apart my shower that is experiencing the effects of old age and has exploding pipes.  Is that what I get to look forward to?  Exploding pipes?  Yeah, not going to think about that today!

Since I was dealing with shower issues yesterday, I had to have a quick and easy dinner last night.  I've only used curry a couple of times.  I've stayed away from it because I thought it would be to spicy for my kids.  But au contraire, they love it.  I was intrigued by this shepherd's pie curry and a little bit nervous, but it got a good review, so I gave it a try. This is from a Taste of Home magazine.

Curried Chicken Shepherd's Pie
10" dutch oven

1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup 2% milk
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups mashed potatoes (with added milk and butter)
1/4 teaspoon paprika

In a 10" dutch oven, saute onion and celery in 1 tablespoon butter until tender over a full spread of coals. Add frozen vegetables and remaining butter; cook 2 minutes longer.

Stir in flour and curry powder until blended; gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Add the chicken, parsley, salt and pepper.

Top with potatoes; sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Use 1 1/2 rings of coals on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Yield: 4 servings.

The Finished Product
 
 

 

 
The Review
 
I was really surprised by how good this was.  My hubby, my pickiest eater, had 2 plates.  All my kids loved it and there were no leftovers.  That smells like a successful meal to me.  This would be a good camping meal because its really easy.  Its the perfect weeknight meal.  I'll be making this again.  Grade B+.

Day 195: Hamburger Roll Ups

Good morning!  I have a busy day ahead, so this will be a quick post!  I found this recipe here. 

Hamburger Roll Ups
12" dutch oven

Filling

1 lb ground beef
1 medium grated onion chopped
1 carrot, grated (or more if desired)
1 stick of celery sliced fairly small
1 whole green pepper diced
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 milk

Brown beef with onion in your dutch oven over a full spread of coals. Mix in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually add milk stirring constantly, boiling one minute. Combine beef and onion mixture with carrots, celery and green pepper.  Remove from pot and set aside.  Wipe your dutch oven with a paper towel to remove any bits of beef and vegetables.

Make a biscuit dough using 2 cups flour or prepared biscuit mixture (recipe below). Roll biscuit dough into 18"x9" rectangle. Spread hamburger filling over dough. Roll up beginning at widest side. Seal edges. Slice 1 1/2" thick.

Place slices in your dutch oven, close together for soft sides, apart for crusty sides. Bake 15-20 minutes in hot oven, 450 degrees or until brown.  Use 2 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.
 
Serve with cream of mushroom soup heated and thinned with some milk.

Biscuits

1 1/4 cups white flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp soda
3/4 cup fat-free milk

Place all dry ingredients into a food processor. While mixing dry ingredients slowly add the olive oil. Mix until it looks like meal. Transfer to your mixer and follow directions for buttermilk biscuits above. Using olive oil makes a denser dough. If you want your biscuits flaky you will need to use shortening.

The Finished Product

 

 

The Review

 

These were surprisingly good and very easy to make.  We did these for lunch and my kids thought they were really fun.  Brandee had 8 of them.  I was out of carrots and the celery was limp, so I used shredded potato, zucchini and yellow squash, but you could easily use whatever veggies you have on hand.  We topped them with a cream of mushroom soup gravy.  These would be a great camping or weeknight meal.  Even my hubby liked them.  We give these a B+. 

Day 176: Chicken Broccoli Curry

Whew!  Sorry I didn't get this posted yesterday.  I ended up having no time at all!  Thanks for being patient.  I found this recipe here.  It looked like an easy and yummy dinner.  My kids all like broccoli, even the baby, so I figured they would all eat it.

Chicken Broccoli Curry
12" dutch oven

3 cups (or two 10-oz pkgs) broccoli spears (I used a California blend of veggies)
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 10-oz can cream of chicken soup
1 10-oz can cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise (use ‘reduced fat’ at your own risk...)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 Tbs lemon juice
1-2 cups bread cubes
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1 Tbs dried minced onion (or 2-3 Tbs fresh minced)
2 Tbs dried parsley flakes
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Cook broccoli until barely done, drain well. I did this in my 12" oven with a full spread of coals then drained off the water.  Sprinkle broccoli with diced chicken.

Combine butter, celery, and onion in an 8" or 10" dutch oven and saute until tender. I used a full spread of coals.  Add parsley and pepper. Stir in bread cubes till combined. Set aside.

Combine soups, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry powder. Heat through until bubbly (I did this in the same 10" oven that I sauteed the veggies in).  Pour over chicken and broccoli.

Top with bread crumb mixture.

Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes, or until hot and bubbling.  I used 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with grated cheese.  Cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

The Finished Product

The Review

This was surprisingly good.  I really didn't expect to love this.  My kids ate every bit and one child even scraped the DO to get the rest.  That doesn't happen very often.  The curry powder gave it a really nice flavor.  It was also really easy.  I could have made it a 1 pot meal without much trouble.  I would have sauteed the veggies first, set them aside.  Then boiled the broccoli and drained it, added the soup mixture and heated it in the pot with the broccoli, mix in the chicken, top with crumbs and bake.  It would be an easy camping meal.  I'll be making this one again.  Grade A-.

Day 147: Mexican Lasagna

I have used the Dinwidde ring method for 2 days now, and I have to say I really like it.  I kind of count coals just to make sure I'm not starting way to many.  I can tell you I use 34 Kingsford coals to get my 12" oven to 350*.  I've checked out every Internet site that has anything to say about it so I can be sure to use it properly.  Its great because I don't have to have a chart to tell my how many coals to use.  I use anywhere between 1 and 2 1/2 rings.  Is is just so simple!  If I had known about this method for figuring heat from the beginning, I wouldn't have had nearly as many heat problems.  I'll do a post on how to use this method next week!  On to today's recipe.

Have you ever had one of those days where you look at the clock, realize you have to leave in an hour and you have no idea what to make for dinner?  Then you make something you really aren't in the mood for just because its fast and easy.  That was yesterday.  I can't believe I made 3 different kinds of lasagna in one week.  Good thing my hubby was working and my kids don't complain...much.  I found this recipe written in the back of one of my menu/grocery list notebooks. 

Mexican Lasagna
12" dutch oven

1 Lb. ground beef
1/2 onion chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce
16 oz. Cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 pound grated Mozzarella cheese
1/2 pound grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 package corn tortillas (about 12 tortillas)

Brown hamburger and onion in your DO and drain well.  I put as many coals as I could underneath my oven.
Combine with the spaghetti sauce. In large bowl combine beaten egg, and all the cheeses. Save a little of the Mozzarella and cheddar for the topping.  Remove all the sauce into a bowl, except enough to just cover the bottom of your oven.  Put a layer of the tortilla shells on the bottom of your DO. Tear them to fill in all the spaces. Then add a layer of sauce and a layer of cheese. Repeat several times ending with the sauce and a topping of the grated cheese. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Use 14 coals on top and 10 on the bottom or 1-1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Top with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and chopped olives as desired.

The Finished Product

 

It doesn't look any different than regular lasagna, but there are tortillas in there--I promise!

 

The Review
 
This was just okay.  It filled the empty spots in our bellies, but it isn't something I'm likely to make again.  I have to say, the corn tortillas did give it a "Mexican food" flavor.  Now if I was camping, this would probably taste really good.  It is super easy and can be done in 1 pot.  Add a bag of tortilla chips and you have a meal.  I'll have to give this recipe 2 grades.  As a meal at home it gets a C+.  As a camping meal I have give it a B+ because everything tastes better in the great outdoors.

Day 140: Skillet Tacos

Last night I used Kingsford charcoal for the first time since about February.  I'd forgotten how tiny the briquettes are.  I've been using Sam's Choice from Walmart, and they are about double the size of Kingsford.  So I did a skillet meal, since I'm always gone Thursday nights.  I used 24 briquettes under my 12" oven.  It could have been that I was impatient and in a hurry, but it seemed to take forever to get the ground beef sizzling. 

Now I know that in theory all briquettes should be about the same, but learning to use a different brand of briquettes is like learning to use a new oven.  The new one may heat up slower, it might have hot spots in different places or the temperatures may be just a little different that the old oven you used forever.  You just have to adapt a little bit and learn how to make the new one cook just right.  Does that make any sense?  : P

Today's recipe came from Real Mom Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs.  It is a super easy and quick one pot meal.

Taco Skillet
12" dutch oven

1 pound ground beef
1 small red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
10 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1-inch pieces (I use my pizza cutter to do this)
1 bottle (8 ounces) taco sauce (I used El Pato jalapeno tomato sauce)
1-1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

In your DO, cook beef and onion over 20-24 coals until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Rinse frozen corn in a colander with warm water and drain.
Add the drained corn, taco sauce, and 1 cup cheese to meat until well mixed.
Mix in tortilla pieces and heat through.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serves 5-6

The Finished Product

The Review

In all fairness, this was good.  I just isn't a dish that meets my standard for an everyday meal.  We're really not casserole people even though I make them fairly often just because they're quick and easy. However, this would be a great camping meal.  Its made in one pot-quick and easy- just like you want when you're roughing it.  It has good flavor and you could top it with salsa, sour cream or anything you like.  So as an everyday meal, I give this a C, but as a camping meal I have to say B+.

Day 132: Apple Dumplings

I'm in a hurry to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather we are finally having.  I have a room full of plants that are desperate to be planted, and I can't wait to plant them.  The garden beckons! 
I really should have saved this recipe for fall when apples are in season, but these dumplings looked too delicious to pass up.  This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman.

Apple Dumplings
12" dutch oven

2 whole Granny Smith Apples
2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
2 sticks Butter
1-½ cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon, To Taste
1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 12"  buttered dutch oven.
In an 8" or 10" DO, melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. You will only need a few coals for this, I used 8, since you only need to melt the butter, not cook the mixture.  Add vanilla and stir, you want the mixture lumpy and grainy, so just barely stir.  Pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees, using 10 coals on the bottom and 14 on top, for 40 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.  Serves 8.

The Finished Product

The Review

Oh, they were sweet.  They were gooey. They were delicious.  They were easy.  They were perfect.  They need to be made regularly.  Really, they do.  These were so easy, they would be a great camping dessert.  I might have spent 10 minutes putting them together, and it took a lot less time than that to devour them.  They are really rich, so ice cream is a must.  I will be making these again!  Grade A.