Teardrop City 2018 Dutch Oven Cooking

Once again we headed to Teardrop City 2018 located in Max Meadows, Virginia at the Fort Chiswell RV Park. It was held July 25-29 and I taught a Dutch Oven Cooking Class. It was popular enough during the Teardrop City 2016 event that Eric asked if I would do it again this year. I willingly signed up to do it again. I share those recipes with you now and hope that you enjoy them as much as I do. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find out what cookware etc. that I use.

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Dutch Oven Cooking 2018

Roast Chicken

4 chicken legs or thighs                                         Olive oil

Dry ranch dressing mix                                         3-4 Carrots, peeled and sliced into ½” pieces

1-2 Potatoes , cut into 1” pieces                            1  Onion, sliced into ½” thick wedges

3 cloves garlic                                                          Salt

Any other root vegetables such as parsnips and turnips may also be added.

Place onion in a bowl with a drizzle of oil and mix. Add a sprinkle of ranch dressing seasoning and place in the center of a 2 qt. dutch oven. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and place around the sides of the dutch oven to the outside of the onion. Rub oil on chicken and sprinkle with ranch seasoning and salt. Place chicken on top of onion and bake at 425 degrees for about 1 to 1 ½ hrs. Until chicken juices run clear.  Serves 2.

8inch oven- 17 top coals and 5 bottom coals.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

3 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded & minced                    3 Cups Mexican shredded cheese

12 oz. Bacon cooked crisp & chopped                     ½ teaspoon Salt

8 oz. Cream cheese                                                    Black pepper to taste

8 oz. Sour cream or Greek yogurt
(Itend to use Greek Yogurt)                                     1 onion, chopped fine

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil                                Hot Sauce, several drops if desired

In a 2 quart dutch oven, saute onion in oil. Add the remaining ingredients except for a bit of bacon and pepper which you will use as a garnish. Heat to 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes and stir every few minutes to prevent sticking and burning. When melted and well mixed, add the garnish. Serve with vegetables or corn tortillas.

8 inch oven- 12 top coals and 4 bottom coals.

Dutch Oven Cooking Demo

Hello everyone!  I hope you are finding ways to beat the heatwave we have been having across the country over the last week. We were able to join other teardroppers last week for Teardrop City 2016 which was held at Fort Chiswell RV park in Max Meadows, VA. It was hot during the day but it cooled off nicely at night. It was nice to be in higher elevations to beat the heat. If you have never been to a Teardrop City event, I highly recommend going. The next one will be held in 2018. Just join the Tearjerkers website to find out about all upcoming Tearjerker events. It's a free website so go check things out. Just click on the Tearjerker logo to get into the sight.

I volunteered to do a Dutch Oven (D.O.) cooking demonstration during the Teardrop City event and will share some recipes with you. I consider D.O. cooking outdoors as an extension of my kitchen and adapt my everyday recipes to fit my different size ovens.  For teardrop camping I usually use a two quart D.O. for most meals. This will serve two to four people quite nicely.

 Here are the attendees of the D.O. demo. They braved the heat to hear what I had to say. Thanks go out to all of those who attended! As promised, here are the other recipes for the food cooked during this demonstration.

I hope you try these recipes on your next camping excursion!

Ham and Noodle Casserole

1 1/2 cup diced ham
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup carrot cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
6 ounces frozen cut green beans
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup - 10 1/2 ounces
1/2 cup water or milk
3/4 cup uncooked medium egg noodles (1/4 inch wide by 1 1/2 inches long)
1/2 cup crushed potato chips
Place ten hot charcoal briquettes under a two quart dutch oven. Add fat to the bottom of the pan and place lid on the oven. When the oil is hot (after about five minutes), place the ham, onion and carrot in pan and cook until vegetables are tender. Keep the lid on the pan and remove only to add ingredients. Add the beans, tarragon, soup, liquid and noodles to the pot and stir until you have a creamy consistency. Place about 9 coals on the top of the lid and cook until noodles are done. Leave the coals on the bottom too. After about twenty minutes. Stir and sprinkle with crushed potato chips once sauce is thickened.
Serves 3 to 4

Pearl's Apple Pie Breakfast

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can jumbo size flaky buttermilk refrigerator biscuits
1 can apple pie filling
Place butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small pan and heat until butter is melted and set a side to cool.  Line a nine inch spring form pan with parchment paper so that paper comes about one inch up the side of the pan. Cut biscuits into quarters and place evenly across the bottom of the pan. Stir the butter mixture well and pour evenly over the biscuits. Spread the pie filling over the butter mixture and place in a prewarmed twelve inch dutch oven. Prewarm the oven by placing 7 coals on the bottom and 18 coals on the lid about five minutes before adding the spring form pan to the oven.  Bake for 40-45 minutes. Halfway through the cooking process, turn the lid 1/4 turn clockwise and the oven base 1/4 turn counterclockwise. This dish is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and is not doughy although there will be pie filling on the toothpick. The biscuit that peaks out on top of the pie filling should also brown nicely.

In a small bowl, use a fork and mix together:
2 tablespoons softened butter
4 ounces cream cheese
Slowly add
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Spread over the warm pie.