Easy Dump-and-Bake Spanish Rice and Chicken Casserole Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
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.
Tag: beer
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.
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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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beerandironrecipes/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jcMjHBuZ7C0x2TnssetrG
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.
Equipment
- 1 Microplane (Zester/Grater)
- 2 Measuring Spoons: 1 Teaspoon and 1 Tablespoon
- 3 Measuring Cups ½ Cup, ¼ Cup, and 1 Cup
- 1 Mixing Bowl large enough for 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of milk
- 1 Mixing Spatula
- 2 Gallon Zipper Bags
Ingredients
The Wet Ingredients
- 4 Cups Blackberries Fresh or Frozen
- ½ Cup Sugar
- ¼ Cup Beer
- 1-2 Teaspoons Lemon Zest
The Dry Ingredients
- 2 Cups White Flour
- 1 ½ Cups Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Pack To Camp Ingredients
- 2 Cups Milk
- 8 Tablespoons Butter
Instructions
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!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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.
Slumgullion Recipe – Pure Comfort Food Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
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.
Easy Beer Bread Rolls – Bread Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
Easy Beer Bread Rolls – Bread Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
You can use either a 12-Inch Deep Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven OR a 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet in your Home’s Oven.
I am going to use a bread maker in this recipe. I know that most camp sites and areas where we take our Dutch ovens don’t have power to work that bread maker. But hang with me on this one. I find myself creating this recipe so often on outings because this recipe just works for so many outing situations.
This recipe is one of those that I prepare half at home and the other half in camp. I’ll set this up before leaving for camp and bake the rolls when we have got there and set everything up and are ready for lunch or dinner.
This recipe is one I usually prepare for the FIRST MEAL AT CAMP. It’s one of the easiest, quickest cooks with the least clean up and makes a perfect first meal of many.
Other times we are going out for a day trip and will stop along the way to cook. These rolls add such a fine touch to any meal…AND…they work GREAT AS HAMBURGER BUNS!!
Our normal pattern when creating these rolls for camp is to:
- Set the ingredients in the bread maker on the dough cycle while we load the vehicle for our trip.
- Once the dough is ready, we remove the dough and cut it into individual dough rounds.
- We form the rolls and put them in the bottom of our buttered camp cast iron Dutch oven.
- Pack them in the vehicle and let them rise as we drive to camp or explore the countryside.
- When we stop and are ready to cook, we set up the fire and bake them.
And YES, you can make this bread in camp and without a bread maker (an advanced recipe for another day).
I think this recipe is one of the best ways to learn how to bake bread in a camp cast iron Dutch oven…one of the BEST ways for sure! It gives you a feel for how the bread bakes and responds to the placement of the charcoal briquettes and the time it bakes. It’ll show you how bread bakes in deep Dutches versus shallow Dutches.
It’s just a great, all-around recipe with an amazing addition to any meal.
This article does contain affiliate links.
The Cast Iron
12-Inch DEEP Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3SIdEd5)
Or
12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet (home baked rolls) (https://amzn.to/40zTGDo)
I bake these rolls…as well as most of my baked bread in camp…in a DEEP camp cast iron Dutch oven. The deep versions “lift” the heat from the top of the oven a bit higher and not so close to the tops of the rolls. This allows for more even baking.
The other reason is: bread rises. And though it is less-than-likely your rolls will rise to meet the underside of your oven’s lid, it’s possible.
If you don’t have a deep camp cast iron Dutch oven, no worries. My suggestion is to reduce the top heat by about 6-8 briquettes. Even with the reduction, you may still end up with some darker tops. And…really and truly…no worries!
If you want to bake these rolls at home, then grab a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Butter it up like you would if you were baking in that camp Dutch oven. After they have risen, bake them at 400°F – 205°C for 20-30 minutes or until they have browned to your preference.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
Equipment
12-Inch Deep Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3SIdEd5)
Measuring Cup
Teaspoon Measuring Spoon
Tablespoon Measuring Spoon
Knife or Dough Cutter/Scraper (https://amzn.to/40FGvkb)
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
3 Cups Flour
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Yeast
1+ teaspoon Salt
Wet Ingredients:
1 Cup Beer
2-4 Tablespoons Oil
Other Ingredients:
2 Tablespoon of Butter (for the inside of the Dutch oven and NOT to be added in the bread ingredients).
Instructions
Set Up
Step 1: Add the Dry Ingredients: flour, sugar, yeast, and salt to the bread maker’s basket and turn the machine to the dough cycle.
Step 2: Measure your beer and make sure you are not measuring foam. Let the beer settle and ensure you have a cup of beer.
Step 3: Turn on the bread machine and let the dry ingredients start mixing.
Step 4: Pour in the beer and then the oil.
Chef Tip: Not all cups of flour are created equal. If the cups of flour were on the “heavy” side, you may need to add more beer to the forming dough. What does the ball of dough look like as it is being kneaded by the bread machine? Do you need to add any beer? If you have a 12-ounce can or bottle that you removed the cup of beer from, use some of the remaining 4-ounces but only a tablespoon at a time. It’ll go from too dry to too wet if you add just a tablespoon too much.
Step 5: Pull out about two tablespoons of butter and place it in the bottom of the 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven to warm to room temperature. About 5-10 minutes before the dough cycle is done on the bread machine, smear the soft-room temperature butter all upon the insides of that Dutch oven and up the sides (the rolls will rise higher).
BUTTER IS THE KEY TO NON-STICK ROLLS: Smearing butter (BUTTER and not oil or grease) all upon the bottom and sides of that cast iron Dutch oven.
Step 6: Once the bread machine is done, remove the dough from the bread machine basket and lay it on a lightly floured surface.
Step 7: Stretch the dough out and into a long, French-bread like loaf about as big around as a normal man’s forearm.
Step 8: Cut the dough into 2-inch to 3-inch sections. No need to be perfect here; not at all. Some rolls may be bigger; some may be smaller. No worries.
Step 9: Lay each cut, section on the floured surface and form a ball by pulling the edges to the center and pinching it closed.
Step 10: Turn the formed round dough over to where the pinched section is the bottom and place the small ball of dough into the deep cast iron Dutch oven.
Step 11: Continue to form the rolls and place them in the Dutch oven and evenly space with room for them to rise in the Dutch oven.
Step 12: Let them rise in the Dutch oven as you travel to camp or the picnic area.
Ready to Bake
Step 13: When you are ready to bake your rolls, set 24 briquettes to fire. When they are red hot and ready, place 8 briquettes in a wide circle just about equal to the diameter of the bottom of the Dutch oven but not right under the Dutch oven.
Step 14: Evenly cover the top of the Dutch oven with the other 16 briquettes and let the rolls bake for about 10 minutes.
Step 15: After 10 minutes, turn the lid ⅓ of a turn in one direction and the whole pot ⅓ of a turn in the other direction. If you “take a peek,” you will see some light toasting of the tops of the rolls.
Step 16: After another 10 minutes, they are likely done or very close to being done. Take a peek (only a peek) at the rolls. Is the bottom toasting? “Seeing” the bottom of the rolls is not really possible. But, what do the edges near the cast iron pot’s edge look like? This is where this recipe will help teach you how to bake bread. We really can’t “see” if our bottoms are burning or not cooking as fast as the tops. We get a “feel” for how the rolls are “looking.”
Chef Tip: How do the bottoms of the rolls look? “Study” the way they look. If they look perfect, then your bottom briquette arrangement is perfect. Do the same thing every time from now on. Too light? Next time make a tighter circle of briquettes. Too dark? Next time spread the circle out a little wider.
Also, does it seem the tops are cooking faster than the bottoms? This is common if you are baking in a shallow cast iron Dutch oven; the briquette-covered lid is “closer” to the top of the rolls and sometimes the tops will cook faster than the bottoms.
Step 17: When the rolls “look” done, remove the briquettes from the top of the Dutch oven and then remove the oven from the bottom heat.
Chef Tip: That cast iron is HOT! Those rolls will continue to cook in that pot and may “toast” a bit more if you don’t plan to eat them right away. Leaving the lid off and covering them with a dry dish towel is perfect.
Chef Tip: If you are not planning to eat the rolls right away and are leaving them in a covered, cast iron Dutch oven, they may create condensation in that pot while they rest. This is a no-go! That dry dish towel is perfect for this as well.
If you really want to know if your bread is baked all the way through, you could use a temperature probe to check one of the roll centers. Though raw bread dough is not like raw meat, I still don’t want doughy rolls.
Bread is baked when the internal temperature is 190°F / 88°C. And, sometimes I may pull the pot from the fire when the bread has reached 180°F / 82°C and let it keep baking from the residual heat of that cast iron Dutch oven.
Chef Tip: If you feel your bottoms not cooking during the bake, move the bottom briquette circle in closer (smaller circle and more “under” the pot).
And there you go! BREAD IN CAMP.
Summary
This same recipe works perfect at home too and when using a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
If you want to bake these rolls at home, then grab a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Butter it up like you would if you were baking in that camp Dutch oven. After they have risen, bake them at 400°F – 205°C for 20-30 minutes or until they have browned to your preference.
And, if you just want to bake a loaf of bread, leave the dough all in one large, rounded loaf and add it to the buttered cast iron Dutch oven and port it to camp…almost like a very large roll.
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.
And that’s it y’all. This is one of my go-to recipes to teach others about how to bake bread in camp.
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/
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Easy Beer Rolls – Bread Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
This recipe is one of those that I prepare half at home and the other half in camp. I’ll set this up before leaving for camp and bake the rolls when we have got there and set everything up and are ready for lunch or dinner.
Equipment
- 12-Inch Deep Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- Measuring Cup
- Teaspoon Measuring Spoon
- Tablespoon measuring spoon
- Knife or Dough Cutter/Scraper
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 Cups Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt Rounded Teaspoon
Wet Ingredients
- 1 Cup Beer
- 2-4 Tablespoons Oil
Other Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoon Butter for the inside of the Dutch oven and NOT to be added in the bread ingredients.
Instructions
Set Up
- Add the Dry Ingredients: flour, sugar, yeast, and salt to the bread maker’s basket and turn the machine to the dough cycle.
- Measure your beer and make sure you are not measuring foam. Let the beer settle and ensure you have a cup of beer.
- Turn on the bread machine and let the dry ingredients start mixing.
- Pour in the beer and then the oil.
- Pull out about two tablespoons of butter and place it in the bottom of the 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven to warm to room temperature. About 5-10 minutes before the dough cycle is done on the bread machine, smear the soft-room temperature butter all upon the insides of that Dutch oven and up the sides (the rolls will rise higher).
Form the Rolls
- Once the bread machine is done, remove the dough from the bread machine basket and lay it on a lightly floured surface.
- Stretch the dough out and into a long, French-bread like loaf about as big around as a normal man’s forearm.
- Cut the dough into 2-inch sections. No need to be perfect here; not at all. Some rolls may be bigger; some may be smaller. No worries.
- Lay each cut, section on the floured surface and form a ball by pulling the edges to the center and pinching it closed.
- Turn the formed round dough over to where the pinched section is the bottom and place the small ball of dough into the deep cast iron Dutch oven.
- Continue to form the rolls and place them in the Dutch oven and evenly space with room for them to rise in the Dutch oven.
- Let them rise in the Dutch oven as you travel to camp or the picnic area.
Ready to Bake
- When you are ready to bake your rolls, set 24 briquettes to fire. When they are red hot and ready, place 8 briquettes in a wide circle just about equal to the diameter of the bottom of the Dutch oven but not right under the Dutch oven.
- Evenly cover the top of the Dutch oven with the other 16 briquettes and let the rolls bake for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, turn the lid ⅓ of a turn in one direction and the whole pot ⅓ of a turn in the other direction. If you “take a peek,” you will see some light toasting of the tops of the rolls.
- After another 10 minutes, they are likely done or very close to being done. Take a peek (only a peek) at the rolls.
- When the rolls “look” done, remove the briquettes from the top of the Dutch oven and then remove the oven from the bottom heat.
Notes
And there you go! BREAD IN CAMP.
Bread is baked when the internal temperature is 190°F / 88°C. And, sometimes I may pull the pot from the fire when the bread has reached 180°F / 82°C and let it keep baking from the residual heat of that cast iron Dutch oven.
This same recipe works perfect at home too and when using a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
If you want to bake these rolls at home, then grab a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Butter it up like you would if you were baking in that camp Dutch oven. After they have risen, bake them at 400°F – 205°C for 20-30 minutes or until they have browned to your preference.
If you want to bake these rolls at home, then grab a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Butter it up like you would if you were baking in that camp Dutch oven. After they have risen, bake them at 400°F – 205°C for 20-30 minutes or until they have browned to your preference.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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
This is a quick and Enchilada Recipe made with Beer and Iron’s Enchilada Sauce and a Low-and-Slow Coffee-Crusted Pork Roast.
Easy Chunk Pumpkin and Beer Chili Recipe in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Easy Beer and Chunk Pumpkin Chili Recipe Cooked in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
Pumpkin-ey but not too pumpkin-ey. Real Pumpkin Chunks brined and flavored with a seasonal pumpkin beer. An easy-to-create family-pleaser.
This recipe article contains affiliate links.
For this recipe, I am using my Lodge 7-quart cast iron Dutch oven. In the video, I wanted to show you the steps without being pressed for space. You should be A-OK to cook this recipe in a 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven.
Lodge 7-quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/3PWOch7
Lodge 5-quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/3tAoiZ5
5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven:
Either Seasoned Cast Iron: https://amzn.to/3LqTlfZ
Or Enameled Cast Iron: https://amzn.to/3RlHe7H
Supplies You May Need
- Cutting Board
- Larger Zipper Bag https://amzn.to/3Q8V3FC
- Meat Chopper: https://amzn.to/3PZ9zOD
- Large Vegetable Y Peeler: https://amzn.to/48Vvzmh
- Cutting Board for Cutting the Pumpkin
- Large Knife for Cutting off the Steam End
- Smaller Knife for Cutting the Crescent Cuts
- Wooden Wok Shovels or Spoons
- Wooden Spatula
Ingredients
For the chili:
Small pie pumpkin that weighs about 2 Pounds (we’ll need 1 ½ pounds of prepared pumpkin for this recipe) – We will only add as much pumpkin as our pot will hold.
1 Pound of Italian or other ground Sausage
1 Pound of ground beef
1 large onion, diced
4-8 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 Poblano Chilies (Anaheim Peppers or Green Bell Peppers work well too – mix it up if you like).
2 Cans of black beans, drained and rinsed.
1 Can of fire roasted tomatoes
3-4 (12-ounce) cans or bottles pumpkin beer (or amber ale or lager)
Seasoning
2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper (as always…pepper to taste).
2 Tablespoons Dark Cocoa Powder (NOT SWEET).
Optional
OPTIONAL: ¼ Cup of White Flour (don’t add this to the seasoning)
Salt to taste (don’t add this to the seasoning)
Is The Chili Spicy?
This recipe will create a very mild chili. And, I know good and well how most folks “follow” a chili recipe: as a guide. Yep, I do too. You will likely “dress” this chili up good and fine and just like you like it. Ain’t no worries there.
My wife doesn’t like spicy and I only “kinda” like spicy. Some of y’all like spicy to the point of being painful. And, that’s okay.
A few things to keep in mind here:
There are two ingredients that make this pumpkin chili…well…a pumpkin chili.
- The pumpkin you add.
- And the beer you use.
The Pumpkin
More pumpkin doesn’t always make it “more better.” A pound and a half of pumpkin should do this chili very well. Try a pound and a half first, and if the chili is not pumpkin-ey enough for you, then add more next time. If the chili is too pumpkin-ey, then add less next time.
Truth be known, pumpkin is a pretty bland fruit. Pumpkin usually “needs” something else to bring out the flavor of the pumpkin like cinnamon or nutmeg. We don’t add cinnamon or nutmeg to our pumpkin chili because we use a pumpkin beer (to brine the prepared pumpkin as well as add the beer to the chili). Some of the ingredients of a pumpkin beer are pumpkin pie spice, whole cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Specific cinnamon sticks are added to many brews as well.
We “flavor” our pumpkin by first brining the prepared pumpkin in a pumpkin beer.
I suggest finding a 2-pound pumpkin to use in this recipe. The prepared pumpkin pieces will weigh less.
I’ve found that the smaller the pie pumpkin, the thinner the pumpkin’s flesh. If you get a bigger pie pumpkin and end up with extra pieces, that’s better than not having enough. Wasteful? Well…maybe. But then let me direct you to the carved pumpkin decoration that lights the paths to many trick-or-treat-er’s dooms (and many poor carved pumpkins with the shriveled-up face still on the porch on Thanksgiving Day).
You can use a larger carving-type pumpkin if you like. I prefer the pie pumpkin; they have more flavor (as pumpkin flavor goes). But, fear not! We are going to brine these pumpkin pieces and help “coach out” the pumpkin flavor. We want our pumpkin to be pumpkin-ey but not too pumpkin-ey.
The Pumpkin Beer
Also, a consideration if your pumpkin chili gets too pumpkin-ey…it may not be the pumpkin, it may be the pumpkin beer. Likewise, if your chili is not pumpkin-ey enough, it may be the particular pumpkin beer you selected.
Not all pumpkin beers are created equal. Some pumpkin beers may be more pumpkin-ey than another and some are a bit sweet. Enjoy one of those pumpkin beers before you make your chili with it. While you are enjoying a glass of that fermented barley and pumpkin pop, ask yourself, “would this be a good pumpkin beer for my chili?”
If you are worried about the chili turning out too pumpkin-ey, then add only one pumpkin beer to the recipe. Substitute the 2nd beer with beef or chicken broth or stock.
Preparation and Steps to this Recipe
Let’s Cook This Chili!
Step 1: Peel and chop your pumpkin. My friend, this is a chore and a half. But, real pumpkin chunks makes for a much better chili than does a can of pumpkin puree. Goal: 1 ½ pounds of prepared pumpkin chunks (give or take).
Step 2: Brine the pumpkin chunks for 4-24 hours.
Here is the brine recipe we use here at Beer and Iron: 12 ounces of beer to one tablespoon of salt.
Take 1-2 pumpkin beers and pour them in a zipper bag. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt (1 tablespoon to 12-ounces of beer). Once the foam has subsided and you are sure the salt has dissolved, add the prepared pumpkin pieces to the bag of brine. Then, store this in the refrigerator for the next 4-24 hours. Drain the brine from the bag; discard the brine.
If you are ready to start cooking your chili, place the brined and drained pumpkin pieces in a bowl lined with a few paper towels or a colander to drain.
If you are going to cook later, add a few paper towels to the bag with the brined pumpkin pieces and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook your chili.
Chef Tip: Leave two 12-ounce cans/bottles of pumpkin beer out and let the beers reach room temperature. This is optional, but suggested. I don’t like to pour refrigerated liquids into my hot pot. We’ll be adding about 2 pumpkin beers to this recipe later.
When you start cooking this recipe, have one of the beers open and nearby. We’ll use this beer when we add the seasoning.
Chef Tip: While you are preparing the ingredients, my suggestion is to take you 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven and place it in a hot (400°F / 200°C or hotter) oven. Let that pot heat up and get fry-ready.
Step 3: Cut and prepare your onions, garlic, and peppers. Keep the onions and garlic together and the peppers separate from the onions and garlic.
Step 4: Open both cans of black beans. Drain and rinse them. Have them at the ready.
Step 5: Open your can of fire roasted tomatoes. Just leave the can there and have it at the ready.
Step 6: Prepare your seasonings. Have them measured and mixed. We’ll be adding the seasoning during a “hot” moment and will not have time to measure each one out when we get to that step.
Step 7: Open both your beef and sausage packages. Have them at the ready. We’ll cook the sausage first, remove the sausage, and then cook the beef. We will need to drain both after they are pre-cooked. Have something set up to receive the sausage first and to let it drain and soak up the excess grease. Then have something set up to receive the cooked beef to allow it to drain. I suggest separate draining receptacles.
Step 8: Using your 5-quart or 7-quart cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high or high heat, sear the pork sausage. Once the sausage is seared and cooked, set it aside to drain. There is an expected “amount” of pork fat / grease that should remain in that pot. We’ll use that to brown our ground beef.
Chef Tip: I like chunks of meat in my pumpkin chili. When I cook my pork sausage, I usually flatten-it-out in the pot and just let it cook like a large sausage patty. When one side is seared and that nice and toasted Maillard Reaction going, I flip it over (often the turning causes it to break apart into smaller pieces) and “toast” the other side. Once both sides are seared, I “kinda” break it up into chunks. I do the same thing with the beef.
Step 9: Add the pound of ground beef to the hot pot and cook it in the residual pork fat / grease left in the pot from when we cooked our pork sausage. Once the beef is seared and cooked, set it aside to drain.
Step 10: There should be some grease / fat left in that pot. If not, add just a enough to sauté the onions and the garlic. Add the onions and the garlic to the pot and sear until translucent(ish).
Step 11: Add the peppers and sauté a bit; maybe a couple or three minutes.
Step 12: Turn the heat to low or remove the pot from the heat.
Step 13: Return the beef and pork to the pot.
Step 14: Add the can of tomatoes to the pot. We add these here for a bit of moisture. This will make it easier to add our dry seasonings to the pot without it getting all lumpy and gummy.
Step 15: Now, add all of the seasonings to the pot. The seasoning will coat the vegetables and other ingredients.
Step 16: Add the Prepared Pumpkin Chunks and mix again. Do not add the brine to the chili; the brine should have been discarded.
Step 17: Before you add your beer to the mixture, “level off” the ingredients. We need a flat and leveled (not packed) surface.
Step 18: Add just enough pumpkin beer and just enough to bring the liquid level up to the top of the leveled ingredients. Turn the heat to low and let the chili start to simmer. NOTE: You can substitute the pumpkin beer for a broth or even a non-pumpkin beer variety.
Step 19: After the chili starts to simmer and bubble, check for thickness and saltiness. If you feel the chili is too thin, add the ¼ cup of flour. If you feel it needs salt, salt to taste.
Step 20: Let the chili simmer until the pumpkin chunks are soft and ready to eat. The longer the chili simmers, the softer the pumpkin chunks will get and eventually to the point of mixing into the chili (the chunks will essentially dissolve).
And that’s about it. You’ve made yourself a pot of stick-to-your-ribs chili right there.
Summary
This recipe goes very well with some cornbread or even some rice. Garnish the chili with colorful pepper rings and green onions.
Careful…this may turn out to be a seasonal favorite at your home.
Y’all enjoy this one!
My name is Sulae and I love to share the magic that comes out of my black pots and pans. You all keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those frosted glasses of fermented barley pop. We’ll see you all next time on BeerAndIron.com.
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Easy Beer and Chunk Pumpkin Beer Chili Recipe
Pumpkin-ey but not too pumpkin-ey. Real Pumpkin Chunks brined and flavored with a seasonal pumpkin beer. An easy-to-create family-pleaser.
Equipment
- 1 5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven (or 7-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven)
- 1 Wooden Sauté Spoon
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Can Opener
- 1 Vegetable / Fruit Peeler – (Heavy duty if possible)
- 1-2 Strainers / Drainer – (To let the brown meat drain and to drain and rinse the black beans)
Ingredients
Chili Seasoning Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder – (Makes a milder chili – add more or less to taste)
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 2 Tablespoons Dark Coco Powder – (Not Sweet)
The Chili Ingredients
- 2 Pound Pie Pumpkin – (1 ½ Pound Prepared Pumpkin)
- 2 Cans Pumpkin Beer – (3-4 Cans / Bottles Pumpkin Beer – 1-2 for the brine and 2 for the chili)
- 1 Large Onion Diced or Chopped
- 4-8 Cloves of Garlic Minced
- 3 Anaheim Peppers Diced or Chopped (1-2 Green Bell Peppers are good substitutes).
- 2 Cans of Black Beans Drained and Rinsed
- 1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Optional
- ¼ Cup White Flour – (to thicken the chili if needed)
- Salt to Taste
The Brine
- 1-2 12-Ounce Cans or Bottles of Pumpkin Beer – 1 Tablespoon of Salt per 12-ounces of beer
- 1-2 Tablespoons Salt
Instructions
Brine For 4-24 Hours (OPTIONAL)
- Peel and chop your pumpkin.
- Brine the pumpkin chunks for 4-24 hours. (Brine: 24 ounces Beer to 2 tablespoons Salt – This Step is Optional)
Prepare the Ingredients for the Chili
- Cut and prepare your onions, garlic, and peppers. Keep the onions and garlic together and the peppers separate from the onions and garlic.
- Open both cans of black beans. Drain and rinse. Keep them at the ready.
- Open the can of fire roasted tomatoes. Do not drain.
- Prepare your seasonings. Have them measured and mixed.
- Open both your beef and sausage packages
Cook the Pumpkin Chili
- Heat your 7-quart or 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven over a medium high to a high heat.
- Sear and brown the pork sausage. Set it aside to drain. Leave some of the pork fat / grease to brown our ground beef.
- Add the pound of ground beef to the hot pot and cook it in the residual pork fat / grease. Once the beef is seared and cooked, set it aside to drain.
- There should be some grease / fat left in that pot. If not, add just a enough to sauté the onions and the garlic. Add the onions and the garlic to the pot and sear until translucent(ish) and the pot is deglazed.
- Add the peppers and sauté a bit; maybe a couple or three minutes.
- Turn the heat to low or remove the pot from the heat.
- Return the beef and pork to the pot.
- Add the can of tomatoes.
- Add all of the seasonings to the pot and mix together.
- Add the Prepared Pumpkin Chunks and mix again (don’t add the brine to the chili; the brine should have been discarded).
- Level off all the ingredients in the pot.
- Add just enough pumpkin beer and just enough to bring the liquid level up to the top of the leveled ingredients. Turn the heat to low and let the chili start to simmer.
- After the chili starts to simmer and bubble, check for thickness and saltiness. If you feel the chili is too thin, add the ¼ cup of flour. If you feel it needs salt, salt to taste.
- Let the chili simmer until the pumpkin chunks are soft and ready to eat. The longer the chili simmers, the softer the pumpkin chunks will get and eventually to the point of mixing into the chili (the chunks will essentially dissolve).
Notes
This recipe will create a very mild chili. And, I know good and well how most folks “follow” a chili recipe: as a guide. Yep, I do too. You will likely “dress” this chili up good and fine and just like you like it. Ain’t no worries there.
You can substitute chicken/beef stock or broth for some or all the beer.
Chef Tip: Leave two 12-ounce cans/bottles of pumpkin beer out and let the beers reach room temperature. This is optional, but suggested. I don’t like to pour refrigerated liquids into my hot pot. We’ll be adding about 2 pumpkin beers to this recipe later.
When you start cooking this recipe, have one of the beers open and nearby. We’ll use this beer when we add the seasoning.
Chef Tip: While you are preparing the ingredients, my suggestion is to take your cast iron Dutch oven and place it in a hot (400°F / 200°C or hotter) oven. Let that pot heat up and get fry-ready.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Cantina Jack Chicken Recipe in a Cast Iron Camp 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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