At our June meeting, Camp Cookin’, we shared some ideas for equipment and gadgets that make camping and cooking at camp fun and easy. We also talked about some special ways of camp cooking including Dutch oven meals. Here are some recipes that various members of SNCKC have found successful for camp cooking. Enjoy!
Lani and Diana
Dutch Oven cooking at McArthur Burney potluck (Gary Moon photo)
CHERRY CHOCOLATE SURPRISE CAKE
1 chocolate cake mix; prepared as directed
1 egg
1 (20 oz.) can cherry pie filling
3 Tbs. sugar
1 (8 oz.) brick cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
Pour prepared cake batter into a greased 12″ Dutch oven. Spoon cherry pie filling into clumps over cake batter. In a small mixing bowl cream together cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Drop by tablespoons over top of cake. Place lid on oven. Bake using 8-10 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 1 hour or until top center of cake springs back when touched. Serve warm with whip cream as topping. Serves: 10-12
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Cake Batter
4 Tbs. Butter
1 yellow cake mix
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pineapple juice
8 pineapple rings
1/3 cup water
8 maraschino cherries
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
Prepare Cake Topping: Melt butter in bottom of a 12″ Dutch oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter being careful not to touch the sugar once it has begun to dissolve into the butter. Carefully place pineapple rings on top of the brown sugar, 7 around the outside and 1 in the center. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.
Prepare Cake Batter: In a mixing bowl combine cake mix, pineapple juice, water, eggs and oil; mix well. Spoon cake batter carefully over the top of pineapple rings. Spread batter evenly to edges. Bake: Cover Dutch oven and bake using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 45 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes or so in the oven with the lid cracked.
Next run a rubber spatula around the inside edge of the oven to loosen the cake. To turn the cake out, first lay a piece of parchment paper across the top of the oven so it lays flat and replace the lid so that it holds the paper in place. Make sure you have an available lid stand resting on your table for the next step. Using gloved hands place one hand on the lid and the other hand under the oven and carefully lift and flip the oven over so the cake falls onto the lid. Rest the oven upside down on the lid stand and tap the bottom and sides of the oven lightly with your hand to make sure the cake didn’t stick. Then lift the oven off the lid. The cake will be resting on the parchment lined lid and can be cooled this way or slid off the lid using the parchment paper. Allow cake to cool slightly before service.
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Filling Sauce
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 (10.5 oz.) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 lg. yellow onion; quartered and thinly sliced
1 ¼ cup sour cream
4 cloves garlic; minced
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
½ cup chopped black olives
3 cloves garlic; minced
5 cups cooked chicken breast; shredded
½ cup cooked crumbled bacon
1 tsp. chili powder
1 ½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
12 (10″) flour tortillas
Topping
3 cups cheddar (longhorn) cheese; shredded
1 green onion; finely chopped
In a medium sized bowl combine all sauce ingredients and stir to mix well. Heat a 12″ Dutch oven using 16-18 briquettes on bottom until hot. To hot oven add olive oil, onion, garlic and olives; cook until onions are soft. Remove onions to a large mixing bowl. To the onions, add chicken, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, and 3/4 cup of the prepared sauce. Stir to mix. Wipe the Dutch oven clean then re-oil generously. Spoon 3/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the Dutch oven and spread evenly. Place tortillas (still in the sealed bag) in the sun to warm slightly until they become soft and flexible. Spoon 1/2 cup of the chicken filling down the center of each tortilla. Fold in the ends and roll up the tortillas. Place seam side down in the Dutch oven. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top and top with cheddar cheese and green onions. Cover and bake using 10 briquettes bottom and 16-18 briquettes top for 20 minutes. Serves: 6
CAMPING PORCUPINE MEATBALLS
1 ½ pounds ground beef
½ cup uncooked instant rice
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 eggs beaten
1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper
14½ ounce can stewed tomatoes
12-ounce bottle or can of beer
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons flour
¼ cup cold water
Add some more sass! Spice it up with more garlic, chipotle pepper hot sauce, cumin, cilantro, red pepper, your favorite salsa or sprinkle with pepper jack cheese when serving. Be brave with flavors! After all you’re staring down a bunch of “porcupettes.” That would be the word for baby porcupines. The results are only as tame as the cook!
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix the ground beef, rice, onion soup mix, eggs and chopped jalapeno pepper, in a bowl. Roll the beef mixture into 8 to 10 meatballs.
2. Combine tomatoes, beer, chili powder, garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar in a cooking pot. Heat to boiling over medium heat.
3. Place meatballs into hot tomato sauce carefully. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Lift out meatballs and if desired, thicken sauce with 3 tablespoons of flour mixed with a ¼ cup of cold water. Stir flour mixture into simmering sauce until desired consistency.
Oven Directions: Place meatballs in a greased square baking dish, 8X8X2 inches. Mix sauce ingredients; pour over meatballs. Cover with foil or lid and cook in 350° degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer to brown.
Crockpot Directions: Brown the meatballs in the oven for 15 minutes at 425° degrees before transferring them to the slow cooker. Cook in the sauce on high for about 2.5-3 hours. An easy meal to prepare in a camper or at home. Perfect with a salad and warm garlic bread.
Camping Directions: Bake the meatballs at home and freeze. At the end of the day, grab the meatballs from the cooler or camper fridge, using a camping stove stir into bubbling tomato sauce. Cook until hot to serve.
CHICKEN MUSHROOM AND SPINACH PASTA
2-3 cups Chicken, cooked
6-10 green onions, chopped and cooked
4-6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
10 oz pkg spinach tortellini, cooked and drained (Trader Joe’s has it)
8 oz pkg mushrooms, sautéed
One pkg spinach leaves, stems removed, sautéed
15 oz jar Alfredo sauce (I used Safeway’s Signature Select Four Cheese Alfredo pasta sauce)
Mix all together, heat and serve. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.
Sierra Nevada Canoe & Kayak Club 