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 250: Braided Herb-Cheese Bread

Good morning everyone!  Thank you all for your kind comments and emails, I'm feeling much better now.  I appreciate all of you!
This bread recipe is one that I've wanted to try forever, but never gotten around to.  It comes from a church cookbook so I knew it would be good. 

Braided Herb-Cheese Bread
14" dutch oven

1 Tbs. yeast
3 Tbs. sugar
1 egg
3 1/2-4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups milk, scalded and cooled to 115-120°
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, seasoning and yeast; mix well.  Make a well in the flour mixture and add the egg and warm milk.  Mix well.  Add the shredded cheese.  Mix well and add the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.  Knead no longer than 6 minutes.  Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl, turning once.  cover and let rise in a warm place until double.  Punch down and divide into 3 equal balls.  Cover and let rise 10 minutes.  Roll each portion into a 12-15 inch long rope.  Join all 3 ropes at one end, pinching together tightly.  Braid and place in a well greased dutch oven.  Cover and let rise until double.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven, brush with 3 Tbs. melted butter and dust with 1 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese and dry parsley mixed together. 

The Finished Product

I got side tracked and let mine rise to long, so it doesn't look to great, but it tasted fantastic!

The Review

Now I really wonder why I waited so long to try this bread.  It tasted and smelled wonderful!  It was also soft and moist.  There wasn't even a crumb left over.  This recipe is a keeper!  Grade A.

I have to apologize to everyone today.  I spent yesterday in bed as sick as I've ever been.  Between the migraine headache and the sick stomach I could hardly stand.  So my dutch oven streak is broken.  :(  I couldn't cook anything yesterday.  But I'm feeling better now, so tomorrow I'll give you 2 recipes.  I hope you all have a wonderful day and I'll be back tomorrow!

Day 249: Cheeseburger Buns

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend!  The last weekend of summer always makes me sad.  I really hate winter!  :)  I hate even thinking about winter!  The really sad thing about summer ending is that I finally learn to dutch oven cook and we don't go camping one time.  How pathetic.  And sad.  And really disappointing.  Oh well, there's always next year.
I do have some good news to tell you though!  A few months ago I did a magazine interview with a writer from Airstream Life magazine.  He was doing an article on dutch oven cooking and he interviewed me and Jack Wallace from IDOS.  I was definitely in good company there.  I've been lucky to meet Jack several times and he is a fantastic DO cook and person.  If you're interested in reading the article, you'll find the online version of the magazine here.
On to today's recipe.  My hubby had to work late last night so I wanted to do something fun and different for the kids, so I came up with this recipe.

Cheeseburger Buns
12" dutch oven

2 (1/4 oz.) pkgs. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
1 1/2  lbs. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
8 slices American cheese, quartered  (I used shredded cheddar because I don't think American counts as cheese)

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add milk, sugar, shortening, egg, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.  Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
In a dutch oven, cook the beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in tomato sauce.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Punch dough down; divide into 16 pieces.  Gently roll out and stretch each piece into a 5 inch circle.   Top each circle with 3 Tbs. meat and 2 pieces of cheese.  Bring dough over filling and pinch edges to seal.
Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes.  Bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Use 2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serve warm.  Makes 16 sandwiches.

The Finished Product

The Review

I was instructed by my kids to make these everyday.  I doubled this recipe and there wasn't even 1 sandwich left over.  The kids ate like it was their last meal.  I thought they were okay, but lets face it, this is kid food.  And my kids gave these an A.

Day 248: Plum Streusel Kuchen

For the first time in several years my plum tree is absolutely loaded with fruit.  Usually a late frost will kill everything or the wind blows the all off the tree.  The only problem with having several bushels of plums is what to do with them.  Most get eaten fresh, some made into jam, and now some will get made into this cake.  I've already made this a couple of times, and it never lasts long.  Its a very simple recipe and I wasn't sure how it would taste since there aren't any spices in this at all, not even salt.  We were all pleasantly surprised.  I found this one in a Taste of Home magazine (again!)

Plum Streusel Kuchen
12" dutch oven

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbs. shortening
1 egg
1 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
6 fresh plums, halved and sliced

Topping

2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbs. cold butter
2 Tbs. heavy cream (I used half and half)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and baking powder;  cut in shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  In another bowl, beat the egg and cream; add to the crumb mixture, tossing gently with a fork until mixture forms a ball.  Press into a well greased dutch oven and arrange the plums over the crust.
For the topping, in a bowl , combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Add cream, mixing gently with a fork until moist crumbs form.  Sprinkle over plums.  Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned.  Serves 12.

The Finished Product

The Review

This was really yummy!  Like I said, it has no spices at all, and I was very tempted to add some cinnamon or allspice or nutmeg, but I'm glad I didn't.  This recipe really showcases the wonderful taste of the plums and it would be a shame to ruin that with too many spices.  I'll probably make this everyday until the plums are gone!  :)  It is also really beautiful.  The color of the plums is pretty against the white cake.  This ones a keeper!  Grade A.