Chile Relleno Con Cerveza – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Casserole Version
Easy one-pot dinner meal with Pobalno Chilies, Ground Beef, and Cheese. A no-fail beauty in your 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Author: Sulae @ beerandiron.com
Sausage and Tots Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe – Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Easy one-pot breakfast casserole recipe cooked in a camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Beer Berry Cobbler Recipe – Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Beer Berry Cobbler Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
This is likely one of the easiest recipes you’ll prepare in your camp cast iron Dutch oven. It may be easy, easy, easy…but it’s delicious, delicious, delicious. It’s great in the summer with some vanilla ice cream. And it’s good in the winter too. Hey…you want to know what’s great about this recipe in the winter? If you have snow at camp, make some snow ice cream for this dessert.
This recipe will work great with most any fruit. Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and even peaches, apples, pears, and the like. I’ve even created this with fine-chopped rhubarb. I’ll present the recipe by using blackberries. But, I am sure you are already thinking of fruit you’ll be trying.
You can use either use fresh fruit or frozen fruit: but…you’ll need to let the frozen fruit thaw before you use it in this recipe. And, that’s okay. I usually buy the frozen fruit and use it in the ice chest or cooler as “ice” to keep other things cool like milk, butter, and the like. Like the ice in the ice chest or cooler, it’ll thaw fine and dandy.
The Cast Iron
This recipe will do very well in a 12-inch regular (shallow) camp cast iron Dutch oven. A 10-inch may work but I’d suggest a deep 10-inch Dutch oven.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
If you pre-prepare this recipe at home, you will only pack a mixing bowl, stirring spatula, and a 1-cup measuring cup with you to camp. All in all, you will need:
- Microplane (Zester/Grater) (https://amzn.to/3J1ff7I)
- Measuring Spoons: 1 Teaspoon and 1 Tablespoon
- Measuring Cups: ½ Cup, ¼ Cup, and 1 Cup
- Mixing Bowl large enough for 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of milk
- Mixing Spatula
- Two 1-Gallon Zipper Bags
I didn’t include the list of in-camp Dutch oven supplies you’ll need for cooking in your camp cast iron Dutch ovens. The tools I listed her are recipe-specific. If you’d like me to list a full list here to include the Dutch oven-specific needs, let me know and I’ll start doing that from now on.
Ingredients:
I am going to present this recipe with three ingredients groups:
- Wet Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients
- Ingredients You Will Pack to Camp
Though things like milk are considered “wet” and sugar is considered “dry,” keeping certain ingredients separate until ready to cook is important despite their “state of matter” (you Chemistry Geeks will get that).
A note on the beer choice:
First, here’s a link to the beer I used in the video from Bombastic Brewery: https://www.bombasticbrewing.com/
You may not be able to find this specific beer in your area. I’ve included some links to Bombastic’s site to give you an idea of the beer I like to use in this recipe.
Going with a darker, sweeter porter or stout is my preference. A citrusy beer or sour will work A-OK too but you’d need to consider the amount of lemon zest you will add. And, as always, a nice and light lager will work great. As a matter of fact, we will only be using ¼ cup of beer; you could just add the first ¼ cup of whatever beer you will be enjoying as you create this recipe.
A note on the lemon zest:
Zest is the outer colored part of the peel of citrus fruit and is used as flavoring. There’s a lot of lemony lemon in that lemon peel. I add much more than my suggested 1-2 teaspoons. I love the lemon flavor of this recipe when I add that much zest. My suggestion is to start out with only 1-2 teaspoons of lemon zest and see how you like it. Zest is like salt; more is not always better but that depends on the person enjoying the meal. It’s very subjective.
You will not need a microplane or a zester for this recipe. You could use the small side of a cheese grater or just peel the lemon and chop the peel very, very fine. My suggestion is to add a microplane or zester to your kitchen’s utensils. They are quite inexpensive, and you will find that it’s also pretty handy-dandy. Here’s a link:
We’ll start with two one-gallon zipper bags or two separate containers. In one bag, we will add all our dry ingredients. In the other, we will add our wet ingredients.
The Wet Ingredients:
- 4 Cups of Berries (Fresh or Frozen)
- ½ Cup of Sugar
- ¼ Cup of Beer
- 1-2 Teaspoons of Lemon Zest
The Dry Ingredients:
- 2 Cups of White Flour
- 1 ½ Cups of Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon of Salt
The Ingredients You Will Pack to Camp:
- 2 Cups of Milk
- 8 Tablespoons of Butter
Instructions
Steps to Create the Cobbler
My suggestion is to pre-prepare your ingredients and have them ready when it’s time to bake. It’s almost like having a homemade cake-in-a-box that is ready to go for easy baking in camp. The entire recipe can be prepared and created in camp if you like. I am going to present the recipe in two parts:
- Pre-Prepared Ingredients
- Ready to Bake
Pre-Prepare Your Ingredients
Step 1: Set out a 1-gallon zipper bag or other container and add all of the wet ingredients; mix thoroughly. Store in the ice chest, cooler, or refrigerator until ready to bake.
Chef’s Tip: Keep the zipper bag of wet ingredients either double-bagged or stored in a second container to reduce the risk of leakage or spillage in the ice chest or cooler.
Step 2: Set out a 1-gallon zipper bag or other container and add all of the dry ingredients; mix thoroughly. Store this until you are ready to bake.
Step 3: Pack the milk and butter in the ice chest or cooler until you are ready to bake.
Chef’s Tip: I just bring an unopened container of milk with me to camp. Two cups of milk is all we will need but having milk in camp is pretty okie-dokie come sun rise or even used as an ingredient to soups or stews.
Ready to Bake Steps
Step 4: Set 24-30 charcoal briquettes to fire. Let them heat until they are hot and ready.
Step 5: Set a 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven over 24-30 hot-and-ready charcoal briquettes.
Step 6: Add the stick of butter to the Dutch oven. We need this to be fry-ready. Careful!! DON’T BURN THE BUTTER.
Chef’s Tip: If you burn the butter…no worries. You brought an extra stick, right? Pull the Dutch oven from the fire and wipe out the burned butter. If you use some paper towels, these butter-soaked paper towels make great fire starter.
Step 7: As soon as you put the butter in the Dutch oven, mix the dry ingredients with 2 cups of milk. Use a mixing bowl to stir them together very well. This is our cobbler batter.
Step 8: Once the butter is hot and fry-ready, pour the batter into the Dutch oven and over the butter. It’ll be bubbling around the edges.
Chef’s Tip: Very hot and melted butter is the key here! That batter will start cooking as soon as it hits the butter. We want the batter to cook on the butter and not on the cast iron (in a manner of speaking). This is how we keep it from sticking.
Step 9: Once the batter is in the Dutch oven, add the wet ingredients to the top of the batter. DO NOT MIX the wet ingredients in with the batter; just evenly add, drop, or spread the berry mixture to the top of the batter.
Step 10: Return the lid to the Dutch oven and remove the Dutch oven from the hot charcoal briquettes. Add 16 hot briquettes to the top of the Dutch oven and set the Dutch oven over 8 hot briquettes. (24 total briquettes: 16 on the lid and 8 under the oven).
Step 11: Let this bake for 10-minutes. Then, turn the Dutch oven: Turn the lid 1/3rd turn in one direction and the whole pot 1/3rd of a turn in the other direction.
Step 12: Let this bake for another 10-minutes (20-minutes) total. Visually check the cobbler. We want our cobbler to be baked and “dry” but not “dry.” Cobblers have fruit; some bubbling is expected. The key here is to make sure the batter is baked. It should be spongy.
Chef’s Tip: This is a forgiving recipe. A little under-done or a little over-done…it’s going to be delicious.
Step 13: If you feel the cobbler needs more time, return the lid to the pot and give the pot another turn. Wait five minutes and check again. Do this every five minutes until the cobbler is done.
Summary
And the recipe is now yours!
This is a crowd-pleaser for sure. You’ll likely feed 4-6 people with this one.
Creating this recipe at home in a home Dutch oven is very doable as well. If you do bake this recipe at home and in your home’s oven, leave the lid off the Dutch oven while you bake.
CHEERS!
You all keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those glasses of that fermented barley pop.
We’ll see you next time.
Website: https://beerandiron.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beerandiron
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Beer Berry Cobbler Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
This recipe will work great with most any fruit. Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and even peaches, apples, pears, and the like. I’ve even created this with fine-chopped rhubarb. I’ll present the recipe by using blackberries. You can use either use fresh fruit or frozen fruit: but…you’ll need to let the frozen fruit thaw before you use it in this recipe. Though things like milk are considered “wet” and sugar is considered “dry,” keeping certain ingredients separate until ready to cook is important.If you pre-prepare this recipe at home, you will only pack a mixing bowl, stirring spatula, and a 1-cup measuring cup with you to camp.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Pre-Prepare at Home
- Set out a 1-gallon zipper bag or other container and add all of the wet ingredients; mix thoroughly. Store in the ice chest, cooler, or refrigerator until ready to bake.
- Set out a 1-gallon zipper bag or other container and add all of the dry ingredients; mix thoroughly. Store this until you are ready to bake.
- Pack the milk and butter in the ice chest or cooler until you are ready to bake.
In-Camp Bake Steps
- Set 24-30 charcoal briquettes to fire. Let them heat until they are hot and ready.
- Set a 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven over 24-30 hot-and-ready charcoal briquettes.
- Add the stick of butter to the Dutch oven. We need this to be fry-ready. Careful!! DON’T BURN THE BUTTER.
- As soon as you put the butter in the Dutch oven, mix the dry ingredients with 2 cups of milk. Use a mixing bowl to stir them together very well. This is our cobbler batter.
- Once the butter is hot and fry-ready, pour the batter into the Dutch oven and over the butter. It’ll be bubbling around the edges.
- Once the batter is in the Dutch oven, add the wet ingredients to the top of the batter. DO NOT MIX the wet ingredients in with the batter; just evenly add, drop, or spread the berry mixture to the top of the batter.
- Return the lid to the Dutch oven and remove the Dutch oven from the hot charcoal briquettes. Add 16 hot briquettes to the top of the Dutch oven and set the Dutch oven over 8 hot briquettes. (24 total briquettes: 16 on the lid and 8 under the oven).
- Let this bake for 10-minutes. Then, turn the Dutch oven: Turn the lid 1/3rd turn in one direction and the whole pot 1/3rd of a turn in the other direction.
- Let this bake for another 10-minutes (20-minutes) total. Visually check the cobbler.
- If you feel the cobbler needs more time, return the lid to the pot and give the pot another turn. Wait five minutes and check again. Do this every five minutes until the cobbler is done.
Notes
Once the cobber is baked, remove all of the briquettes from the top of the Dutch oven and from under the Dutch oven. Enjoy this dessert over ice cream or whipped cream.
This is likely one of the easiest recipes you’ll prepare in your camp cast iron Dutch oven. It may be easy, easy, easy…but it’s delicious, delicious, delicious. It’s great in the summer with some vanilla ice cream. And it’s good in the winter too. Hey…you want to know what’s great about this recipe in the winter? If you have snow at camp, make some snow ice cream for this dessert.
This is a crowd-pleaser for sure. You’ll likely feed 4-6 people with this one.
Creating this recipe at home in a home Dutch oven is very doable as well. If you do bake this recipe at home and in your home’s oven, leave the lid off the Dutch oven while you bake. CHEERS!
Creating this recipe at home in a home Dutch oven is very doable as well. If you do bake this recipe at home and in your home’s oven, leave the lid off the Dutch oven while you bake. CHEERS!
Chicken Marbella Recipe – Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Easiest pack-up-and-go recipes. A deep, dark chicken recipe with prunes, capers, and olives in a nice beer marinade.
Tenderize, Beer-Brine, and Cook the Easiest and Best Tasting Chicken Breast
How to Tenderize, Beer-Brine, and Cook the Perfect Chicken Breast 3-Part Complete Guide
Slumgullion Recipe – Pure Comfort Food Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Slumgullion Recipe
Also known as American Goulash or American Chop Suey
Y’all, this one is an easy one. We’re going to sauté, sear, and bake a meal of pure comfort food in our 12-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. We’ve been known to spoon out this meal and we’ve been known to just gather around that pot and eat that awesomeness straight out of that cast iron.
My son and I go on long bicycle rides in the great wild yonder. This is one of those recipes that I do enjoy making on the trail…YES, I do pack a cast iron Dutch oven with me on a bicycle from time to time. His goal is to explore and face the challenge…mine was to explore…and to take care of a few cats in their cradles. We’ve done trails in a day of 40 miles that were harder than our days of bicycling 100 miles. At the end of the trail, he’d be hungry, hungry, hungry! Toting that heavy pot on my bicycle along with all the ingredients was a struggle for sure but the reward is always worth the wait…rather the weight.
It’s a good thing I bring such fine fixings for a hungered young-un after those many miles on that bicycle. Having no food at the end of the trail would cause him to start wondering, “What would my old man taste like all Chop Suey-ed up in that pot?”
This recipe works well for the day trip or the overnight-er. I will keep the cheese, frozen peas and carrots, and the frozen corn stored together in one cooler/ice chest with the beer I plan to enjoy at camp. And either package up and keep the beef and bacon in doubled-up zipper bags in that same cooler. Or I’ll keep the meat in a separate cooler.
Ground beef does not really need any preparation. The bacon does. I don’t bring a separate cutting board or knife to camp just for the bacon. I will use a pair of scissors that we keep for meat preparation. And, while the pot is heating up, I will just cut little slivers of bacon into the pot.
The bacon is essentially my cooking oil for this recipe. I will first render the fat from the bacon and then sauté the onions and garlic in that fat followed by the ground beef. Oil or butter are good substitutes for bacon grease.
The Cast Iron
I am presenting this recipe in my 12-Inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. All you have to do is cut the recipe in half if you are cooking in a 10-Inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. As Lodge Dutch Ovens go, they create two sizes of the 12-Inch (affiliate links):
- The 6-Quart Regular or Shallow Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3l2Bq0l)
- The 8-Quart Deep Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/32bMEGZ).
Lodge also creates two sizes of their 10-Inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven:
- The 4-Quart Regular or Shallow Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/2YmviWY)
- The 5-Quart Deep Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3gkyMiT)
At first assumption, one may think that there’s not much difference in volume between the 6-quart and the 5-quart…trust me…there is. Don’t underestimate how much more the 8-quart can hold over the 5-quart or the 6-quart.
Following this recipe, you should be A-OK with the common 12-inch, 6-quart regular or shallow Dutch oven. When you are stirring the ingredients, some may end up falling out of the pot, but this is nothing to worry about.
The 12-inch, 8-quart deep Dutch oven will give you plenty of room to work in.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
There are many times where I just pack along all the ingredients, I need to prepare a meal and prep those ingredients right out there in camp. Then, there are times where I pre-prepare the ingredients at home. We’re doing it all in camp on this cook.
Before leaving for camp, I always go over an ingredients list and my supply list:
- Dutch Oven
- Lid Lifter
- Lid Stand
- Charcoal Chimney
- Leather/Insulated Grilling Gloves or Welding Gloves
- Longer Metal Tongs for Manipulating the Hot Briquettes
- Ash Shovel (Good for Scooping Hot Coals if Cooking in a Wood Fire)
- Charcoal Briquettes
- Lighter Fluid or Other to Aid in Getting the Fire Going
- “Clicker” (Long, Wand Lighter)
- Metal Tray, Baking Pan, or Other Metal Surface to Cook From (Optional)
- Cooking thermometers
- Can opener
- Straw Hand Brush (I use straw. It may burn (low risk) but it will not melt like plastic).
- Metal Bucket for Extinguishing Briquettes (and Old Dog Water Bowl is A-OK).
- Receptacle for Water (Washing, Extinguishing, Emergency)
- Fire Extinguisher
- Paper Towels
- Cooking Utensils
- Scraper for Cleaning Out
- Wash pan
- Recipes and Ingredients
- Cutting Board(s)
- Knife or Knives
- Plates or Cast Iron Fajita Skillets for Serving
- Serving Spoons, Forks, and Knives
- Wooden Spatula for Stirring and Scraping (Bring Two)
- Serving Spoon
- Left-Overs Containers
- Prep Table
- Garbage Receptacle
- Stool to Sit On
- Cooking Table
- Wind Shield
For this Recipe Specifically:
- Scissors for the Bacon
- Cheese Shredder
- Surface to Shred the Cheese
- Knife
- Cutting Board
Chef Tip: Pack 2-pounds of ground beef in a zipper bag. I suggest double-bagging the meat…just in case.
The first thing I do when I am cooking outdoors is set out everything I will need and have it “at the ready” for when I need it. Also, I will prepare all of my ingredients before I start cooking so I am not shuffling or struggling when the time comes. I want this to be easy, easy, easy. And, I want to be able to cook even with a beer “on board.”
We will start by frying and then baking this recipe. We have a 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven and will need about 24-30 briquettes and you’d be okay setting 40 to fire. Twenty-four is our magic number. But, we’re going to heat 30-40 briquettes. There’s a reason for this…stay tuned.
Ingredients:
Meat:
Bacon Fat from 2-4 Slices of Bacon or couple of Tablespoons of Oil.
2 Pounds of Leaner Ground Beef (we’re not going to drain our beef; what fat goes in, stays in).
Fresh:
1 Large Onion – Chopped
2-6 Cloves Garlic all Smashed and Minced
1 Large Chopped Up Green Bell Pepper (I Don’t Half This in my 10”)
12 Ounces of Fresh Sliced Mushrooms
Frozen:
12 Ounces Frozen Whole Kernel Corn (Optional)
12 Ounces Frozen Peas and Carrots
Canned:
2 Cans Cup Sliced Olives (Two 2.25 Ounce Cans)
2 Cans of Condensed Tomato Soup (Two 10.5 Ounce Cans)
Other:
2 12-ounce beers (Broth as a Substitute for All or Some of the Beer)
12-16 Ounces of Pasta (Shells or Elbow Noodles)
Seasonings:
2 Tablespoons Paprika
2 teaspoons Salt
And, For LAST:
1-3 Cups Grated Cheddar Cheese (Or Your Favorite)
Instructions
My online instructions usually go deep into the weeds to make sure all the small details are covered. The printable recipe below is more of a simple guide to help you create this recipe and works as a reminder to guide your memory in creating this recipe.
Step 1: Chop your onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Keep the onion and garlic together. Keep the bell pepper apart from the onion and garlic. I do this before I start my fire. It’s amazing how many times I have felt “rushed” seeing those briquettes red hot and ready and I am still cutting and chopping.
Step 2: Set 30-40 charcoal briquettes to fire in the charcoal chimney. I keep my cast iron Dutch oven nearby to “preheat” the oven before I put the real heat under it.
Step 3: I make sure my onions, garlic, peppers, and beef are ready to go. Get the bacon ready and the scissors handy. That way I can just clip off bits of the bacon to the hot pot and render my fat for sautéing. Oil will work A-OK instead of bacon!
Step 4: Once the briquettes are ready, place 24-30 (or more) briquettes under and around your 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven and preheat that dude to a wicked hot temperature.
Step 5: Hang the bacon over the pot and start snipping off pieces with the scissors and render the fat before adding and then sautéing the onions and garlic. You can use a tablespoon or two of oil instead of bacon if you prefer.
Step 6: Once your cooking oil/fat is ready, sauté the Onions and the Garlic for a few moments; just get them started but not all the way to doneness. Then move them to the sides of the pot to create an opening in the bottom of the pot to receive the ground beef.
Step 7: Take the ground beef and leave it “together” in the pot; don’t break it apart. We want that ground beef to sear and brown like a large hamburger patty. Let it brown on one side and then turn it over to sear the other side. Once you get a good sear, then break the beef up and finish browning all the ground beef.
Step 8: Now toss in the bell pepper and let them start cooking a bit. The steam will rise and the aroma will start to get the attention of others nearby. Cook for just a bit and let the peppers soften just so; they’ll finish cooking as we bake this dish.
Step 9: Pull the Dutch oven from the fire. Add all the ingredients except for the cheese; leave the cheese for the last and at the end of the cook. Stir it all up together (except the cheese).
Step 10: Return the lid to the pot. Set the fire up for baking. For the 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven, we need 24 briquettes. Place 8 briquettes under the Dutch oven in a circle around the diameter of the bottom of the oven. Set the remaining 16 briquettes on the top.
For the 10-inch cast iron Dutch oven, we need 20 briquettes. Place 8 briquettes under the Dutch oven in a circle around the diameter of the bottom of the oven. Set the remaining 12 briquettes on the top.
Chef tip: Briquette counting is really only a guide as to heating the camp cast iron Dutch oven. Use your good guess as to how many briquettes you need. There are so many factors that play into how large your briquettes are by the time you are at this point in any of your cooks.
- How long did they sit in the charcoal chimney as you prepared the ingredients?
- How long did steps 1-10 take?
- How windy was it? How windy is it?
- Did you let the dish boil too hard? The Slumgullion should only simmer and not at a rolling boil. You’ll lose too much moisture to steam.
Step 11: After 15-20 minutes, remove the lid to the lid stand. Stir all the ingredients. Pay attention to the pasta. Make sure to mix everything very well.
The pot should NOT be at a full rolling boil. It should only be simmering with those 8 briquettes under the pot.
Check the pasta. The pasta will be the tell-tale. The texture of the pasta will “tell you” 1) how much time the dish has to cook and 2) do you need to add any liquid to the pot. You will be the “judge” as to the time left and determine if you have enough liquid for the pasta to fully cook.
Focus on the pasta to know if your recipe has finished cooking.
If you feel the pasta needs more liquid and needs more time, then let it cook longer. Stir the pot first after 15-20 minutes. The next stir should occur in about 10-15 mintues. And the third stir should take place after another 10-15 minutes. My expectation is that the Slumgullion is done by the third stirring.
If the pasta is not done, ask yourself:
- Does it need more liquid? If so, add some.
- Does it need to cook longer?
It may not need liquid but may need to cook longer. If it needs more liquid, it usually needs to cook longer. At this point, you will stir about every 5-7 minutes. The Slumgullion is thick and if the bottom dries too much, it’ll start sticking and burning.
First Stir: 15-20 minutes
Second Stir: 10-15 minutes
Third Stir: 10-15 minutes
If it still needs more time:
All Other Stirs: 5-7 Minutes
We want perfectly cooked pasta and we want a nice, thick Slumgullion.
Chances are you’ll find that this recipe will cook just fine without having to add any liquid. Still, each time I prepare it, I make sure I check the pasta before I add the cheese at the end of the cook.
If your Slumgullion ends up a bit soupier than you were shooting for, I am going to be first to tell you that it’ll eat just fine and dandy. You’ll see…rather…you’ll taste. And, make note of this for the next time.
Step 12: Once the pasta is fully cooked, remove the pot from the bottom heat. Remove the lid and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the Slumgullion. Then, return the lid to the pot and move ALL OF THE HEAT TO THE TOP OF THE DUTCH OVEN. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to “sink” down into the Slumgullion.
Summary
You’ll feed about 6-8 folks from this pot of Slumgullion.
I am being VERY lean in my 6-8 servings though; my son and I ate the Slumgullion from that WHOLE 10” pot (and left NONE for breakfast).
My method of presenting recipes is to be very detailed on the web page articles. I also want to make sure I cover the challenges I encountered while writing these recipes; there’s no need for you to reinvent the wheel, yeah?
My suggestion is to read through the recipe here and be prepared for the challenges you may encounter. Planning, packing, driving, setting up, and cooking meals takes a lot of time. The groceries? They cost a lot of money. The only thing that makes it all worth it is the delicious meal we camp cast iron Dutch oven chefs create and all the happy faces sitting around that cooking fire. Cleaning up takes a long time too and is so much easier with full bellies from a delicious pot of food cooked in the great big wide world.
You all keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those glasses of that fermented barley pop.
We’ll see you next time.
Website: https://beerandiron.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beerandiron
Twitter now called “X”: https://twitter.com/IronRecipes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironrecipes/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beerandironrecipes/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jcMjHBuZ7C0x2TnssetrG
Slumgullion Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Also known as American Goulash or American Chop SueyThis one is an easy one. We’re going to sauté, sear, and bake a meal of pure comfort food in our 12-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. We’ve been known to spoon out this meal and we’ve been known to just gather around that pot and eat that awesomeness straight out of that cast iron.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Chop your onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Keep the onion and garlic together. Keep the bell pepper apart from the onion and garlic.
- Set 30-40 charcoal briquettes to fire in the charcoal chimney. I keep my cast iron Dutch oven nearby to “preheat” the oven before I put the real heat under it.
- Once the briquettes are ready, place 24-30 briquettes under your 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven and heat to a hot temperature.
- Cut the bacon up with the scissors and right into the hot Dutch Oven. Render the fat.
- Sauté the Onions and the Garlic for a few moments; just get them started but not all the way to doneness. Then move them to the sides of the pot to create an opening in the bottom of the pot to receive the ground beef.
- Add the ground beef; don’t break it apart. We want that ground beef to sear and brown like a large hamburger patty.
- Once the beef is browned, add the Bell Pepper and let them start cooking a bit.
- Once the bell peppers have been cooking a bit, pull the Dutch oven from the fire. Add all the ingredients except for the cheese. Stir it all up together (except the cheese).
- Return the lid to the pot. Set the fire up for baking. For the 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven, we need 24 briquettes. Place 8 briquettes under the Dutch oven in a circle around the diameter of the bottom of the oven. Set the remaining 16 briquettes on the top.
- After 15-20 minutes, stir all the ingredients well and make sure the pasta is being rotated. The pot should not be at a full rolling boil. It should only be simmering.
- After another 10-15 minutes, stir everything in the pot. Check the pasta. The pasta will be the tell-tale. The texture of the pasta will “tell you” 1) how much time the dish has to cook and 2) do you need to add any liquid to the pot. You will be the “judge” as to the time left and determine if you have enough liquid for the pasta to fully cook.
- If you feel the pasta needs more liquid and needs more time, then let it cook longer. Stir everything in the pot every 5-7 minutes (more frequently now that the dish thickened up).
- Once the pasta is fully cooked, remove the pot from the bottom heat. Remove the lid and sprinkle the cheese over top of the Slumgullion. Then, return the lid to the pot and move ALL OF THE HEAT TO THE TOP OF THE DUTCH OVEN. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to “sink” down into the Slumgullion Ingredients.
Notes
Focus on the pasta to know if your recipe has finished cooking.
If you feel the pasta needs more liquid and needs more time, then let it cook longer. It’s a balance. We want perfectly cooked pasta and we want a nice, thick Slumgullion.
Chances are you’ll find that this recipe of mine will cook just fine without having to add any liquid. Still, each time I prepare it, I make sure I check the pasta before I add the cheese at the end of the cook.
If your Slumgullion ends up a bit soupier than you were shooting for, I am going to be first to tell you that it’ll eat just fine and dandy. You’ll see…rather…you’ll taste. And, make note of this for the next time.
CHEERS!
Easy Beer Bread Rolls – Bread Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
And easy 6-Ingredient Bread Recipe that will help learn how bread bakes in a camp cast iron Dutch oven. Easy to bake in the home oven as well.
Cheesy White Chicken Chili Low-and-Slow in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
Cheese, chicken, and beans. A White Chili Recipe Baked Low-and-Slow in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven for a meal that will taste like you’ve been cooking all day long.
Let’s Make Enchiladas – Cast Iron Recipe
Beer and Iron’s “Let’s Make Enchiladas” Recipe
Need a great Enchilada Sauce? Here’s Sulae’s Red Enchilada Beer Sauce – Salsa De Cerveza Recipe: https://beerandiron.com/sulaes-red-enchilada-beer-sauce-salsa-de-cerveza
This is the recipe I use when I am making enchiladas with flour tortillas. When I use corn tortillas, I usually create a casserole-like dish that we all can scoop the goodness out and into our bowls.
For my enchiladas, I usually go with my ~14-Inch, BSR skillet (here’s the story behind that special skillet: https://beerandiron.com/rusty-cast-iron-on-a-cedar-fence-a-story/). I have also created this in my 12” Cast Iron skillet and everything fits but a bit more tightly. Smaller tortillas work well in the 12-inch and the 10-inch. I have made this in my 9” x 13” cast iron casserole pan, but have found that my larger skillet works perfectly. Lodge makes a 15-inch cast iron masterpiece that works very well with this recipe too…and it’ll allow for a bit more separation of the enchiladas (or the addition of one or two more). I am presenting this recipe as being prepared in my cast iron skillet rather than a casserole pan because more folks have a cast iron skillet rather than a cast iron casserole pan.
You’ll use about eight 8-inch flour tortillas in a 14-inch or a 9” x 13” cast iron pan. The number of enchiladas you’ll make is not limited to eight. The number depends on how much goodness you’ve packed into each tortilla and how tightly you’ve packed them…as well as the size of your pan.
There’s so many ways to create enchiladas. Consider this method to be the easy and quick template for your any-which-way-you-want-to method.
First, let’s cover a few tid-bits of information that will help you not only create these enchiladas but set you up for future enchilada creations.
This is my final recipe after many, many, many dinners of enchiladas. Have I gotten tired of eating enchiladas? ¡No way José!
The Meat
Some chefs have gotten used to saying “protein” when referring to the meat in an ingredient. I am just not there yet and will keep on calling it “meat.” Maybe that’s what they’ve always called meat…protein. Yes, meat is a protein but…well…heck y’all. I’ll stick with “meat.”
Really and truly, any meat will do. I will be creating these enchiladas from a coffee-crusted pork roast we low-and-slow’d in the oven this past weekend. I’ll often create a large roast for any number of quick and easy weeknight recipes. And why is that? Why do we need quick and easy recipes? Cause of work, right? Dang old job sucks the life out of a day and cuts the evening short. But, then again…there’s no food if there’s no job. Anyway, there is one thing worse than having a job…looking for a job.
If you want to learn how to create this coffee-crusted pork roast, here’s the link: https://beerandiron.com/beef-brined-coffee-crusted-pork-roast/
Again, any meat will work in this recipe. Meat from a whole, roasted chicken, chicken breast, meat from a roast beef, ground beef, ground turkey, left over Thanksgiving turkey, or just any other meat you’ve already got cooked or on hand.
For this recipe, we will start with a fully cooked, coffee-crusted pork roast.
The Cheese
I don’t believe I’ve ever met an Enchilada without its fair share of cheese. Hot and gooey cheese really brings this recipe to life. It’s easy enough to just open a bag of shredded cheese and use the pre-shredded goodness in and on your enchiladas.
Though I have no “beef” with cheese manufacturers in putting wood pulp in with the shredded cheese; that cellulose kinda messes up the ooey gooey, meltable awesomeness of the cheese. I am not one to oppose using bagged-up shredded cheese in or on any of my recipes (and often do). For the most part, I prefer shredding from a block of cheese.
Here’s the video on how to create Sulae’s Red Enchilada Beer Sauce – Salsa De Cerveza Recipe:
The Cast Iron
I worked on this recipe for a good long while and tried a few things to get it just right. My biggest challenge is creating this recipe with flour tortillas that do not turn out chewy AND don’t stick to my pan.
Sticking to the pan is an issue with flour tortillas…they are made from flour…flour tortillas stick to everything…including each other. I tried parchment paper in the bottom of my pan. That was a huge mess. I would avoid that.
I’ve seen others pre-fry the tortilla and this works perfectly. My biggest problem is the fat…sorry to say…I just don’t like how the tortilla soaks up that oil. Then that leaves me with a trade-off…they may not be oily and fatty, but they will be a bit more chewy and they may stick.
I add my freshly-rolled enchiladas to a very hot, oiled pan to “toast” and seal a bit to keep from sticking as they heat up and initially “sweat.” Flour tortillas stick!
You can manage the stickage by pre-frying or skilleting the flour tortillas before rolling them. However, if you fry them too crispy, they’ll break apart when you try to roll them. A good, in-the-middle crisping (just when they start to blister in the oil) of the flour tortillas is a good idea to keep them from sticking and being so chewy and troublesome to cut. If you do pre-fry your tortillas, you need to make sure they are under the oil completely and not being pan-fried or pan-toasted.
Or…to keep it simple…you can create this recipe by just using room-temperature flour tortillas, filling them, rolling them, and placing them in the pan, pot, or skillet. They may stick…they may not cut easily with a fork…they may fall apart when you serve them to the plate. They WILL be delicious all the same.
Me? I have come to rely on setting the freshly-rolled enchiladas to a very hot cast iron skillet. This “toasts” the flour tortilla and set it up NOT TO STICK! I want my meal to “stick to my ribs,” not to my cast iron.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
Equipment
Cheese Shredder
Colander to drain and rinse the black beans
Cutting board for the peppers, onions, and cilantro or the parsley.
Knife
Ingredients
8 Eight-Inch Flour Tortillas
About a pint or two of the Salsa De Cerveza (Enchilada Sauce).
2 Cans of Black Beans – Drained and Rinsed
2 Small 4-ounce Cans of Green Chilies (or one 7-ounce can – I like fire roasted)
1 ½ to 3 Pounds of Meat (We’ll be using Coffee-Crusted Pork)
3 Cups of Shredded Cheese (separated 1 cup and 2 cups).
1-2 Chopped Green Peppers (optional – separated half and half – we’ll add half to the filling and half to the top for color and flavor). I use either an Anaheim, Poblano, or a Green Bell Pepper. I will add the pepper pieces to the enchiladas themselves. And, THEY WILL NOT FULLY COOK. That’s what I enjoy.
½ Diced onion (optional)
Some finely chopped cilantro or parsley. My wife does not care for cilantro and we’ll use parsley in this enchilada recipe.
Sour Cream (optional)
With cooked meat and at-the-ready enchilada sauce, this recipe will be prepped and in the oven faster than Speedy Gonzalez running away from Sylvester.
Time To Cook
Preparation
Step 1: Take a cast iron skillet and place it in the oven at 450°F (about 235°C).
Step 2: Chop the meat into small pieces that will be easy to spread onto the tortilla and roll up. Add the meat to a large bowl capable of holding all of your ingredients and enough head space to allow for mixing.
Step 3: Open, drain, and rinse your black beans in the colander. Add them to the bowl of chopped meat.
Step 4: Open the 2 cans of green chilies to the bowl of meat and beans…liquid and all.
Step 5: Shred your cheese and separate out 1 cup and add the 1 cup of cheese to the meat, beans, and green chilis. Set 2 cups aside for your topping.
Step 6: Dice the ½ onion and chop the pepper(s). Add them to the bowl of the ingredients.
Step 7: Mix everything in the bowl together very well and set it nearby and handy for grabbing handfuls of the mixture to fill the tortillas and creating the enchiladas.
Step 8: Set out your flour tortillas and have them ready for rolling. Give them a once-over to make sure none of the tortillas are stuck together.
Mixing all of the ingredients is optional; you could just add one-by-one. I prefer to mix it all together and expect some leftovers to add to omelet for tomorrow’s breakfast, make a quick fold over soft taco for a snack or quick lunch, or whatever I decide.
Construction
Step 9: Remove the hot cast iron skillet from the oven and reduce the heat to 350°F / 175°C (don’t forget to turn the oven down). I put the skillet on the stove top and keep the heat under that skillet on about medium-low to low. Add a bit of butter or oil to the skillet.
Step 10: Stack your flour tortillas and make sure they all separate freely (you know how those things like to stick to each other in the package).
Step 12: Simply using your hand, place a bit of filling into the flour tortilla’s center in a line like the equator of the Earth (along the center diameter for you math folks). Don’t fill them too full…or too little. Roll one side up and over then the other side back over to secure(ish).
Step 13: Place the rolled enchilada folded side-down into the hot, oiled skillet. Then, roll another enchilada. Keep filling, rolling, and placing until your skillet or pan is full.
Step 14: Dress your enchiladas up with the enchilada sauce (how much is up to you and how much room you have). Pour the sauce down the middle of each rolled enchilada and let the sauce flow down the crevasses between each of the enchiladas. I like to leave the rolled edge ends of the tortillas showing.
Step 15: Add the other 2 cups of cheese to the top of everything. If you need more cheese…go for it. There’s never too much cheese. I like to add some of the chopped peppers to the top for color and flavor. A few onions would be nice too. It’s up to you.
Essentially, every ingredient is done and safe to eat. But, we want hot, cheesy, enchiladas.
I bake my enchiladas until the cheese is all melted and up to an internal temperature of about 145°F / 63°C. I have a wired/wireless meat thermometer I use to check the internal temperature (but the thermometer is not essential). I want them to be hot to the centers and not just rely on the melted cheese as an indicator of doneness. The cheese will melt and run long before the centers of the enchiladas are warm and ready for the plate.
An optional step is to broil or toast the cheese on the top just at the end of the bake.
Step 16: Once they are done, remove from the oven and add a bit of cilantro or chopped parsley. They’ll cool a bit and then be ready for serving.
Don’t forget the sour cream!!
ENJOY!!
On the plate, these will be cooler on the outside than the inside. Don’t burn your mouth!
Summary
If you’ve been following Beer and Iron for any time, you’ll see my pattern of creating recipes with (seemingly) lots of step numbers. I tend to break the simple steps down that most recipe authors include all in one step. There’s nothing wrong with that…it’s just a different way. I like to write recipes out in simple, one-and-a-time, and step-by-step instructions.
This recipe is easy enough to take to camp too. A SUPER EASY way to feed folks in the great outdoors. Each ingredient can be pre prepared and stored in the ice chest. Preparation of the cold ingredients and then into the pot over the hot coals. They’ll heat in a jiffy and the meal is ready in no time!
ENJOY!
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Beer and Iron’s “Let’s Make Enchiladas” Recipe
This is my final recipe after many, many, many dinners of enchiladas. Have I gotten tired of eating enchiladas? ¡No way José!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Preparation
- Take a cast iron skillet and place it in the oven at 450°F (about 235°C).
- Chop the meat into small pieces that will be easy to spread onto the tortilla and roll up. Add the meat to a large bowl capable of holding all of your ingredients and enough head space to allow for mixing.
- Open, drain, and rinse your black beans in the colander. Add them to the bowl of chopped meat.
- Open the 2 cans of green chilies to the bowl of meat and beans…liquid and all.
- Shred your cheese and separate out 1 cup and add the 1 cup of cheese to the meat, beans, and green chilis. Set 2 cups aside for your topping.
- Dice the ½ onion and chop the pepper(s). Add them to the bowl of the ingredients.
- Mix everything in the bowl together very well and set it nearby and handy for grabbing handfuls of the mixture to fill the tortillas and creating the enchiladas.
- Set out your flour tortillas and have them ready for rolling. Give them a once-over to make sure none of the tortillas are stuck together.
- Mixing all of the ingredients is optional; you could just add one-by-one. I prefer to mix it all together and expect some leftovers to add to omelet for tomorrow’s breakfast, make a quick fold over soft taco for a snack or quick lunch, or whatever I decide.
Construction
- Remove the hot cast iron skillet from the oven and reduce the heat to 350°F / 175°C (don’t forget to turn the oven down). I put the skillet on the stove top and keep the heat under that skillet on about medium-low to low. Add a bit of butter or oil to the skillet.
- Stack your flour tortillas and make sure they all separate freely (you know how those things like to stick to each other in the package).
- Simply using your hand, place a bit of filling into the flour tortilla’s center in a line like the equator of the Earth (along the center diameter for you math folks). Don’t fill them too full…or too little. Roll one side up and over then the other side back over to secure(ish).
- Place the rolled enchilada folded side-down into the hot, oiled skillet. Then, roll another enchilada. Keep filling, rolling, and placing until your skillet or pan is full.
- Dress your enchiladas up with the enchilada sauce (how much is up to you and how much room you have). Pour the sauce down the middle of each rolled enchilada and let the sauce flow down the crevasses between each of the enchiladas. I like to leave the rolled edge ends of the tortillas showing.
- Add the other 2 cups of cheese to the top of everything. If you need more cheese…go for it. There’s never too much cheese. I like to add some of the chopped peppers to the top for color and flavor. A few onions would be nice too. It’s up to you.
- Essentially, every ingredient is done and safe to eat. But, we want hot, cheesy, enchiladas.
- I bake my enchiladas until the cheese is all melted and up to an internal temperature of about 145°F / 63°C. I have a wired/wireless meat thermometer I use to check the internal temperature (but the thermometer is not essential). I want them to be hot to the centers and not just rely on the melted cheese as an indicator of doneness. The cheese will melt and run long before the centers of the enchiladas are warm and ready for the plate.
- An optional step is to broil or toast the cheese on the top just at the end of the bake.
- Once they are done, remove from the oven and add a bit of cilantro or chopped parsley. They’ll cool a bit and then be ready for serving.
Notes
On the plate, these will be cooler on the outside than the inside. Don’t burn your mouth!
Easy Chunk Pumpkin and Beer Chili Recipe in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Tenderized and Brined Chicken Breasts rolled and centered with Pepper Jack Cheese, buttered, and corn flake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. This is a crowd-pleaser for sure.
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