Raspberry Baked Brie

     I treated myself to a pint of fresh raspberries the other day and when I saw this recipe I knew exactly what I was going to do with the few left in the bottom of the container.  This Raspberry Baked Brie is nothing short of sublime.  Made with a few basic ingredients and Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, it's so easy, a child could make it.  The only thing I would suggest is pressing the two pieces of dough on wax paper, it does tend to stick from the warmth of your hands.  You also need to line your dutch oven with parchment, I think it would be a challenge lifting out the soft, hot dough with a spatula.  This baked perfectly in my 8 inch oven with 8 coals around the base of the oven, 12 around the rim of the lid and 2 in the center.  After 15 minutes I removed the center coals and moved them to the outside to prevent it from burning, it was golden brown in 30 minutes.  You could easily make this in your 10 inch oven, better yet, try baking 2 in your 12 inch  oven, it's so good you'll be wanting one for yourself and one for the rest of your guests. 

Raspberry Baked Brie
1 8 oz. can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 7-8 oz. round Brie cheese
1 Tblsp seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup fresh raspberries (do not use frozen)
1 egg, beaten
Assorted crackers or French bread slices

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Unroll dough; separate crosswise into two sections.
     Press each section into 6-inch square, firmly pressing perforations to seal.
     Place cheese on center of one dough square; top with jam and raspberries.
     Cut small shapes from each corner of remaining dough square, one inch from center of square; set cutouts aside.
     Place square on top of cheese round.
     Press dough evenly around cheese, folding bottom edges over top edges; press to seal completely.
     Place in parchment lined oven.
     Arrange dough cutouts on top; brush with beaten egg.
     Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
     Lift from dutch oven; place on serving plate.
     Cool 10 minutes, serve warm with crackers.

Spread Brie with jam then cover with raspberries

Transfer dough covered Brie to parchment lined oven
then brush with beaten egg

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes

Let cool for 10 minutes

Serve warm with crackers and French bread

Amish Baked Oatmeal

      Oh boy, when I saw this recipe for Amish Baked Oatmeal from Food.com I could hardly wait until morning to give it a try.  What better way to start the day than with a bowl of warm, baked oatmeal topped with fresh fruit and milk?  We can thank the Amish for another hearty recipe that will stay by you all day.  It took no time at all to mix and only 20 minutes to cook.  In my 10 inch oven it baked with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and 20 on the lid.  When I smelled the aroma of fresh baked oatmeal cookies, I knew it was ready.  Perfect for cool fall mornings, try doctoring it up with dried cranberries and raisins.  Kids will wolf this down, if you don't mind splurging on the sugar, it's really a healthy, nutritious and delicious treat.

Amish Baked Oatmeal
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup white OR brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter OR margarine
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven.
     In medium bowl combine egg, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and sugar; whisk until well combined.
     Stir in oatmeal, salt and baking powder.
     Spoon evenly into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
     Spoon immediately into a bowl.
     Top with warm milk, fresh fruit or brown sugar if desired.
     Makes 4 servings.

Spread oatmeal mixture in prepared dutch oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until
brown around edges

Nothing like cookies and milk for breakfast

Savory Chicken Cobbler

     This recipe for Savory Chicken Cobbler from the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee bakes buttery bread cubes over a layer of creamy chicken.  Mix the topping and filling in separate bowls before you begin cooking and the casserole will easily come together.  In my 10 inch dutch oven I started out sauteing the mushrooms and onions over a full compliment of coals.  Once they had softened I moved the bottom coals to a ring of 10 around the base of the oven.  After I added the rest of the ingredients it baked for 25 minutes with 20-22 briquettes on the lid.  Substitute leftover biscuits for the bread cubes but be sure to give this rich, savory cobbler a try.

Loveless Savory Chicken Cobbler
1 stick butter, divided
4 cups cubed leftover bread or biscuits
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tblsp chopped fresh parsley OR 1 tsp dried
1 medium onion, diced
1 8 oz. package fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup diced jarred oven roasted red peppers
1 cup milk
1 10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3 cups cooked chicken, cut or pulled into bite sized pieces

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Melt 6 Tblsp butter and toss with cubed bread or biscuits, Parmesan and parsley; reserve.
     In medium bowl whisk soup and milk until well combined; stir in chicken and red pepper.
     Saute mushrooms and onions in remaining 2 Tblsp butter over a full spread of coals until softened and browned.
     Move coals to a ring around base of oven.
     Add chicken mixture to mushrooms and onions, stir until well combined.
     Top with bread cubes.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.
     Makes 4 servings.

Saute mushrooms and onions in butter over a
full compliment of coals

Stir in chicken mixture

Top with bread cubes

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes

I know you'll like this

Baked Bratwurst with Onions and Fingerling Potatoes

     We're having a new refrigerator delivered this week, to simplify the move I have been on a mission to clean out and cook the food from the old freezer.  I had a package of Johnsonville Bratwurst and was thinking of an easy way to prepare them in my dutch oven.  Of course everyone knows the best way to cook them is to simmer them in beer then throw them on the grill, but you can also bake them with potatoes and onions in your dutch oven and they come out tender, juicy and full of flavor. In my 10 inch dutch oven I tossed them with fingerling potatoes and sliced onions then cooked them in a hot oven for one hour.  They baked with 10 coals around the bottom and 24-26 on the lid.  I got side tracked while they were cooking but would suggest giving them a stir halfway through cooking time.  An easy one pot dinner with very little prep work, slice up some hearty brown bread and enjoy! 

Baked Bratwurst with Onions and Fingerling Potatoes
4-6 uncooked bratwurst
4-6 fingerling or small new potatoes with the skin on
2 large onions, sliced
1 Tblsp olive oil
1 Tblsp spicy brown mustard

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Combine olive oil and mustard in small bowl; mix well.
     Place bratwurst and potatoes in prepared oven, cover evenly with onions.
     Pour mustard mixture over all, toss lightly until coated.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes, stirring halfway, or until bratwurst are brown and potatoes are tender.

Toss brats, onions and potatoes with mustard and olive oil

Bake in a hot oven for 50-60 minutes

An easy cool weather supper

Australian Cheese, Garlic and Chive Damper

     Damper is an Australian traditional non-yeast bread often cooked in camp ovens.  This recipe comes from an article written by Margaret E. Walker in Outback Camping via food.com.  It is similar to a biscuit dough but shaped into a single loaf and cut into slices.  Very simple to make and almost foolproof to bake in your dutch oven, it is easy to see why dampers are so popular.  In my 10 inch dutch oven this baked with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and the lid completely covered with 24-26 coals.  In 25 minutes the damper was golden brown and cooked all the way through.  Tangy and moist with a crispy, cheesy crust, this is a basic but wonderful bread for any time of the day.

Australian Cheese, Garlic and Chive Damper
2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tblsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
3 Tblsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 Tblsp chives, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Sift flour and salt together in large bowl.
     Using fingers, rub in the chopped butter until it is the consistency of breadcrumbs.
     Add Cheddar, 2 Tblsp Parmesan, garlic and chives; mix well.
     Combine milk and water.
     Make a well in flour and pour in all of the liquid, reserving 1 Tblsp for the glaze.
     Mix quickly into a soft dough, using a fork or hands.
     Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly.
     Press into a round, place in prepared dutch oven.
     Glaze with remaining milk and water mixture and sprinkle with 1 Tblsp Parmesan.
     Bake at 425 minutes for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown.
     Serve sliced with butter or olive oil.
     Individual dampers can also be shaped and baked for the same time and temperature.

Shape dough into a round loaf then sprinkle with Parmesan

Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes

The boys came running to the smell of a warm damper fresh
out of the oven

An Outback classic

Key Lime Pie Cinnamon Rolls

     In the time it takes you to zest a couple of limes and whack open a tube of Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls you can make these out of this world delicious Key Lime Pie Cinnamon Rolls.  Another convenient recipe, all you have to do is unroll the dough, sprinkle with the filling, reroll and bake.  Also, cutting the rolls with a serrated knife helps to hold them together.  I actually found a bag of key limes in my grocery store but you could substitute regular limes and they would be equally good.  In my 10 inch dutch oven they baked for 20 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and 22 on the lid.  Make a double batch if you can, these are so tasty everyone will be lined up for seconds.
 
Key Lime Pie Cinnamon Rolls
1 can Pillsbury Grands Flaky Supreme refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs, separated
1 Tblsp grated Key Lime peel
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 Tblsp Key Lime juice
(Key Limes can be substituted with regular limes)

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Remove dough from can; do not separate dough into rolls. 
     Reserve icing.
     Carefully unroll cinnamon roll dough on waxed paper.
     Sprinkle dough evenly with 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs, lime peel, and white chips; lightly press chips into dough.
     Reroll dough; using serrated knife, separate into 5 rolls.
     Place, cut side up, in prepared dutch oven.
     Bake 17-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes.
     Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine reserved icing and lime juice; stir until well blended.
     Drizzle icing over warm rolls.
     Sprinkle tops with remaining graham cracker crumbs.  Serve warm.

Unroll dough from package then sprinkle with
chips, crumbs and zest

Reroll dough, cut into rolls then place in oven

Bake for 17-20 minutes at 350 degrees

Drizzle with lime flavored glaze and devour while warm

     

Polenta Pie With Cheese and Tomato Sauce

     Here's another nifty little recipe adapted from a June 2006 issue of Gourmet magazine.  This Polenta Pie with Cheese and Tomato Sauce is another good camping dinner, all you need is a tube of unrefrigerated, precooked polenta, a jar of chunky spaghetti sauce and some grated cheese.  Cut the polenta into quarter inch slices and layer with the sauce and cheese like a lasagna.  I bought the polenta from Trader Joe's, a one pound package is only $1.99 and produced about 18 slices, just the right amount for my 8 inch oven.  You can double and triple the recipe depending on how many people you want to feed and don't be afraid to add any leftovers you may have on hand.  Grilled or sauteed vegetables, fresh herbs or cooked sausage and ground beef would also be terrific sprinkled between the layers. In my 8 inch oven, it baked with 8 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and 14 on the lid.  After 20 minutes I added the top layer of cheese and left it to cook for another 5 minutes to melt and brown.  With so few ingredients I was wonderfully surprised by how creamy and good this was.  Economical too, the whole meal was under five dollars, simple, affordable and definitely something I'll try again.

Polenta Pie With Cheese and Tomato Sauce
1 16 to 18 oz. ready-made plain polenta roll (plastic wrapped)
1 1/2 cups chunky pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tblsp grated Parmesan cheese

     Lightly oil 8 inch dutch oven.
     Cut polenta roll crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices.
     Line bottom of dutch oven with half of the slices, overlapping slightly.
     Spread 3/4 cup pasta sauce over polenta slices.
     Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
     Cover with another layer of polenta then the remaining 3/4 cup of pasta sauce.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and polenta is cooked through.
     Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 
     Cover and cook for 5 more minutes or until cheese has melted and browned.
     Let pie stand for 15 minutes to firm up and cool.
     Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish.

Layer polenta slices with pasta sauce and cheese

Bake for 20 minutes then top with cheese

Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese has melted

Surprisingly good for something so easy

Charles Gibson's Enchilada Casserole

     To me, a good camping recipe requires few ingredients and better yet ones that require little, if any, refrigeration.  If you're lucky enough to have access to a fridge then the sky's the limit but otherwise I look for items that will hold up well in a cooler.  This recipe for Charles Gibson's Enchilada Casserole is the number one most requested recipe from Good Morning America and I can definitely see why.  A great casserole for dutch oven cooking, an excellent recipe for camping and will appeal to campers of all ages.  I'm not even sure they sell Doritos in a 13 oz. bag, I could only find the 11.5 oz. size.  The casserole baked for 20 minutes in my 10 inch oven with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and 22 on the lid.  Plop the sour cream down in spoonfuls before spreading, it only takes a few minutes for the cheese to melt after you add the topping.   I used the Nacho Cheese variety but with all the new flavors on the market you could really give it a twist.  A fun recipe and a 5 star outdoor dinner, be sure to bookmark this one for your next camping trip.
    
Charles Gibson's Enchilada Casserole
1 13 oz. package Doritos, save 2 cups for casserole topping
(If you can't find 13 oz. bags, the 11.5 oz. size is fine)
2 Tblsp grated or chopped onion
1 10 oz. can chili with beans
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Topping
2 cups Doritos
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups sour cream

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Reserve 2 cups of Doritos from bag for topping.
     Crumble remaining 6 cups Doritos into a large mixing bowl.
     Add the onion, chili, enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and 1 1/2 cups Cheddar.
     Stir with a rubber spatula to combine; pour mixture into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted and mixture is bubbling.
     Remove lid from dutch oven.
     Spread sour cream over the top of the casserole with large spoon or spatula.
     Top with remaining 2 cups of uncrushed Doritos; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese.
     Cover with lid and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.
     Makes 4-6 servings.

Spread cheese and chip mixture in well oiled dutch oven

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees

Top with sour cream, reserved whole Doritos and cheese

Bake for 5 minutes more or until cheese has melted

An easy, crispy, cheesy, camping recipe

Cookie Fruit Cobbler

     Here's another three ingredient camping recipe from Nestle's that was incredibly easy to make and amazingly good.  All you need is a can opener and a mixing bowl to make this chocolaty, crumbly cobbler.  I baked it in my 10 inch dutch oven with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom, 12 briquettes in a ring around outside of the lid and 6 in the center.  In 25 minutes it was brown and bubbling.  This would bake equally well in your 12 inch oven.  Also, if you can't find Nestle's, any prepackaged, refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough will do the trick.  Choose your favorite pie filling and get ready for a warm, filling dessert to enjoy around your crackling campfire.

Cookie Fruit Cobbler
2 21 oz. cans cherry, peach, blueberry or apple pie filling
1 16.5 oz. package Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough
1 cup quick OR old fashioned oats

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven; line with parchment paper if desired.
     Spoon pie filling evenly into prepared dutch oven.
     Crumble cookie dough into medium bowl.  Add oats; mix well.
     Sprinkle dough over filling.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is deep golden brown.
     Serve warm or at room temperature.

Combine oatmeal and cookie dough with your fingers and
sprinkle over filling

Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees or until topping is golden brown

Like a giant, warm, Toll House oatmeal cookie on
sweet cherry pie filling

Bacon Breadstick Foccacia

      Life has been getting in the way of dutch oven cooking lately, family obligations and a camping trip to Acadia National Park have taken me away from my computer and my cookbooks.  Before I left for Maine I was searching for some super easy, few ingredients required, camping recipes.  This Bacon Breadstick Foccacia from Pillsbury requires only an egg, a tube of breadstick dough and a package of precooked bacon.  Similar to the Easy Bacon Cinnamon Rolls, all you have to do is wind the bacon and dough loosely in a spiral and let the coals work their magic.  Pillsbury also recommends using string cheese with pepperoni and garnishing with sliced kalamata olives.  You really don't have to line your oven with parchment paper but I'm all for making life easier in the great outdoors.  Be sure to pinch the edges of the dough together well and the beaten egg helps hold the rings together.  Mine baked for 25 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and 28 on the lid.  Crispy, warm and flavored with bacon drippings, eat it as a pull apart bread or cut it into wedges but be sure to give this shortcut foccacia a try.  Spread it with a little peanut butter while it's still warm if you really want to send it over the top. 

Bacon Breadstick Foccacia
1 11 oz. can Pillsbury refrigerated breadsticks (12 breadsticks)
10-12 slices packaged precooked bacon (from 2.1 oz. package)
1 egg, beaten
1 slice packaged precooked bacon, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley OR 1/4 tsp dried

     Lightly spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Unroll dough; separate into 12 strips.
     Starting at center of dutch oven, coil bacon slices with dough strips into a loose spiral, pinching ends together securely as strips are added.
     Drizzle or brush beaten egg over dough, using all of egg to fill crevices.
     Sprinkle with chopped bacon and parsley.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown.
     Cut into wedges; serve warm.

Coil breadsticks loosely with bacon

Brush with beaten egg and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes

So good and made for campfire cooking