No-Boil Stack and Bake Lasagna in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
An easy, stack-and-bake, no-boil Lasagna Recipe Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Tag: beer
But-and-Ben Pie 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.
Easy Dump-and-Bake Spanish Rice and Chicken Casserole Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Easy Dump-and-Bake Spanish Rice and Chicken Casserole Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Let me cover some of the details of this recipe. First of all, we are basically creating a rice casserole of sorts and not a soup. There are other options out there than Knoor Spanish Rice including Knorr Mexican Rice. I am using this name brand for simplicity, and I know it works well.
The first thing to consider is how much liquid to put in this dish so it’s not soupy. When I was in the trial-and-error stage of writing this recipe, I would drain many of the canned ingredients and I used more broth. The problems that were presented was a mushy or soupy dish and also the hassle of trying to drain stuff at the fireside. I wanted EASY! And I wanted DELCIOUS! And this is the recipe that works.
Word to the Wise
I mentioned that you could use other pre-packaged rice mixtures including Knorr’s Mexican Rice. WATCH THE LIQUID REQUIREMENTS!! Note that the Knorr Spanish rice calls for 2 cups of liquid per package where as the Knorr Mexican Rice calls for ONLY 1 ¾ cup of liquid. That’s 14 ounces of liquid (considering we’re using two packages) versus the 16 ounces of liquid for the Spanish Rice version.
Granted, there is no liquid measurements above that calls for 14, 16, 28, or 32 ounces. Much of the liquid that this recipe needs will come from the liquid in the beans, tomatoes, and olives.
Long story short: Watch the liquid requirements of the pre-packaged rice you have purchased and guesstimate how much you will need. Lean on more rather than less…but not too much more.
SALT!
Also: Pre-Packaged Taco Seasoning vs Beer & Iron’s Homemade Taco Seasoning
There’s salt in the brined chicken, the broth, beans, olives, and tomatoes. There is over 500mg of sodium per serving in the Knorr Spanish Rice. And, this is all okay. I’m also a registered nurse and know that watching the sodium is something we should do. For me, I will use pre-packaged taco seasoning in a pinch but I find the dish comes out a bit too salty. I prefer just to pre-prepare my own homemade taco seasoning AND LEAVE OUT THE SALT. You can find that recipe here:
https://beerandiron.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
All you must do here (to be awesome) is to mix these ingredients together, store them in a small zipper bag, and dump them in when it’s time.
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
This is the same exact recipe I used in my taco seasoning, but I have omitted the salt.
To Pre-Tenderize and Brine the Chicken or Not?
I do. I don’t like those hard-to-chew chunks of chicken. Most of the time, I tenderize and brine the chicken breast and pack it to camp. Here is the link to how we tenderize and brine chicken:
Webpage: https://beerandiron.com/chicken-breast-tenderize-beer-brine-cook-perfectly-tender/
Video: https://youtu.be/wX_kYQ8nOrM
Briquettes
We will need about 25-30 briquettes for this dish to bake. At the end of the cook, we will be broiling the dish to toast the top of the casserole. By the time we get to the broiling stage, most of the briquettes will be burned down a bit. I usually fill my charcoal chimney full of briquettes to have the extras in the end for the final broil.
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.
Ingredients:
2 Packages of Knorr Spanish Rice
12-ounce Beer (lager that is not too hoppy)
12 ounces of Chicken Broth
15oz Can of Black Beans
15-16 Ounces Fire-Roasted Chopped or Diced Tomatoes
2.25oz Can of Sliced Black Olives
1-2 Bunches of Chopped Green Onions (the white parts)
2-3 Large Chicken Breasts
Package of Low-Sodium Taco Seasoning
OR
Beer & Iron’s Homemade Taco Seasoning without Salt
Toppings:
2 Cups of Shredded Cheese
Panko Crumbs
1 Diced Green Bell Pepper
1 Diced Red Bell Pepper
Green Onion Chives (the green parts)
Beer & Iron’s Homemade Taco Seasoning:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. I would leave this out of the seasoning to keep the dish from becoming too salty.
A note on the Green Onions: Use the “bulb” parts (or the white parts) of the onions in the recipe. Use the “tops” or the green chives as a garnish. If you’re wondering about the “middle,” I do to! Just use what you think is green as a garnish and what you think is white as an in-the-dish ingredient. You can’t mess this up; trust me.
A note on the Knorr Brand Spanish Rice. I have worked with this recipe to get the liquid down just right and Knorr Brand Spanish Rice works well with this recipe and the “liquid” ingredients. You can use what ever rice you would like and even just plain, old-fashion rice. But, unless you use Knorr Brand Spanish Rice, you will need to (NEED TO) modify the liquid amount.
This would not be hard to do a all. Once the dish has cooked for 30-minutes and before adding the toppings, all you have to do is a taste test for consistency. If the rice needs more liquid, then add more beer, broth, or even water.
Just…don’t add too much liquid initially if you are unsure. Liquid is like salt…it’s easer to add later rather than to balance after the fact.
Instructions
When you are ready to cook:
Step 1: Add your 2 Packages of Knoor Spanish Rice to the Dutch oven.
Step 2: Add 12 ounces of beer to the rice.
Step 3: Add 12 ounces of chicken broth or stock. I use the empty beer can/bottle to measure my broth. Just fill the empty 12-ounce can or bottle up and add the liquid to the pot. Don’t over-fill your beer-can / beer-bottle measuring.
Step 4: Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, and olives to the watery mixture. Don’t drain any of the ingredients. Add the chopped green onions. Add the taco seasoning. Mix well.
Step 5: Add the cut pieces of chicken to the pot.
The tenderized and brined chicken breast should be pat-dry. Cut the chicken up in bite-sized pieces and add to the watery mixture in the Dutch oven.
To make life easy at camp: Tenderize, Brine, and then Cut up your Chicken at home and pack the pre-prepared chicken to camp. All you’ll have to do is add the chicken to the pot. This will alleviate the need to cut up the chicken in camp and all that goes with that process.
If you decide not to pre-prepare your chicken, you could just use chicken straight from the grocery store’s package. I suggest using scissors to cut up the chicken over the pot if you go this route.
Try to get everything evened out as you add the chicken. You want the chicken to be evenly distributed. Make sure none of the ingredients are stuck to the sides of the pot and above the liquid line.
Step 6: Place the lid over the pot and start the bake.
We’re shooting for 350°F / 175°C. Place 7-8 briquettes on the bottom and 15-17 on the top.
Bake for 15 minutes and then turn the pot.
Bake for another 15 minutes and check. Most if not all the liquid should be absorbed. If you want, check the rice for doneness. If you feel it needs more time or liquid, add what you feel it needs and continue.
Chef Tip: During the bake is a good time to shred the cheese and dice the bell peppers.
Step 7: Once the rice is cooked, remove the lid and keep it nearby on a lid stand or another clean surface. Over the top of the entire dish, add the two cups of cheese. Then, top with a generous amount of Panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the diced green and red bell peppers.
Step 8: Return the lid to the pot. Remove the bottom heat and place all the briquettes on the top of the Dutch oven. Really heat that lid up to toast the cheese, panko crumbs, and peppers.
This may take 5 minutes to 15 minutes or more. Keep an eagle eye out and make sure not to burn the recipe.
Summary
And, that’s it! It’s really easy. Start at home by tenderizing, brining, and packaging up your chicken. Measure out your homemade taco seasoning. Other than the chicken, there’s nothing that needs to be refrigerated on the way and at camp.
I enjoy this recipe with sour cream and a sliced avocado.
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
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
Easy Dump-and-Bake Spanish Rice and Chicken Casserole Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Start at home by tenderizing, brining, and packaging up your chicken. Measure out your homemade taco seasoning. Other than the chicken, there’s nothing that needs to be refrigerated on the way and at camp. I enjoy this recipe with sour cream and a sliced avocado.
Ingredients
Main Dump-and-Bake Ingredients
- 2 Packages of Knorr Spanish Rice
- 12 ounce Beer – lager that is not too hoppy
- 12 ounces Chicken Broth
- 15 oz Can of Black Beans
- 15 Ounces Fire-Roasted Chopped or Diced Tomatoes
- 2.25 oz Sliced Black Olives
- 1-2 Bunches of Chopped Green Onions – white parts (the bulbs)
- 2 Large Chicken Breasts
- 1 Beer & Iron’s Homemade Taco Seasoning – or a Package of Low-Sodium Taco Seasoning
Beer & Iron’s Homemade Taco Seasoning (without the salt)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Toppings / Garnish
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheese
- Panko Crumbs – handful or two
- 1 Green Bell Pepper – diced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper – diced
- Green Onion Chives – green parts
Instructions
- Add your 2 Packages of Knoor Spanish Rice to the Dutch oven.
- Add 12 ounces of beer to the rice.
- Add 12 ounces of chicken broth or stock.
- Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, and olives to the watery mixture. Don’t drain any of the ingredients. Add the chopped green onions. Add the taco seasoning. Mix well.
- Add the cut pieces of chicken to the pot. – Tenderize, Brine, and then Cut up your Chicken at home and pack the pre-prepared chicken to camp.
- Try to get everything evened out as you add the chicken. You want the chicken to be evenly distributed. Make sure none of the ingredients are stuck to the sides of the pot and above the liquid line.
- Place the lid over the pot and start the bake.
- We’re shooting for 350°F / 175°C. Place 7-8 briquettes on the bottom and 15-17 on the top.
- Bake for 15 minutes and then turn the pot.
- Bake for another 15 minutes and check. Most if not all the liquid should be absorbed. If you want, check the rice for doneness. If you feel it needs more time or liquid, add what you feel it needs and continue.
- Once the rice is cooked, remove the lid and keep it nearby on a lid stand or another clean surface. Over the top of the entire dish, add the two cups of cheese. Top with a generous amount of Panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the diced green and red bell peppers.
- Return the lid to the pot. Remove the bottom heat and place all the briquettes on the top of the Dutch oven. Really heat that lid up to toast the cheese, panko crumbs, and peppers.
- This may take 5 minutes to 15 minutes or more. Keep an eagle eye out and make sure not to burn the recipe.
- Once the top is toasted and the bell peppers are soft and cooked, the dish is done. ENJOY!!
Notes
First of all, we are basically creating a rice casserole of sorts and not a soup. There are other options out there than Knoor Spanish Rice including Knorr Mexican Rice. I am using this name brand for simplicity, and I know it works well.
The first thing to consider is how much liquid to put in this dish so it’s not soupy. When I was in the trial-and-error stage of writing this recipe, I would drain many of the canned ingredients and I used more broth. The problems that were presented was a mushy or soupy dish and also the hassle of trying to drain stuff at the fireside. I wanted EASY! And I wanted DELCIOUS! And this is the recipe that works.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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
Cobblery, fluffy, berry-ey, buttery, and lemony. Yes lemony. You’ll love the lemon liveliness of this Beer Berry Bake Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Chicken Marbella Recipe – Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Chicken Marbella Recipe
The recipe was first published in The Silver Palate cookbook back in the late 70s or early 80s. The original author of this recipe was inspired by Spanish cuisine…maybe with a bit of North African as well. We’ll just consider it to be a multicultural dish. There’s a town in Southern Spain called Marbella.
Though I create this recipe often during the year in my home kitchen, I wanted to figure out a way to create this recipe in camp AND WITH BEER. I love camp recipes where I can pre-prepare many of the ingredients at home and pack them ready-to-go for cooking in camp. And here’s why: A lot of cast iron campers cook a lot of heat-and-go, pre-processed foods in their Dutch ovens. Many are looking to reduce the amount of in-camp preparation that is required for a from-scratch recipe. A recipe like this one is a pre-prepared recipe that can be packed into camp but is STILL a from-scratch recipe.
I do have recipes that uses processed foods such as tater tots, can of cream soups, and salsa. But I want most of my recipes to be from-scratch with these pre-processed foods being in-addition-to.
We are going to prepare and mix all our marinade ingredients. Then, we’ll store the chicken in a zipper bag of the marinade. In camp, we’ll brown our chicken. All the other ingredients (less the oil and brown sugar) ARE IN THE MARINADE!
Basically: Brown the chicken, dump in the marinade, and cook to doneness!
The Cast Iron
The recipe below considers the use of a 12-inch deep or 12-inch regular (shallow) Dutch oven. I use anywhere from 24-40 briquettes to sear and sauté. Then I bake this dish accordingly:
10-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 4 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 20-21 Briquettes – 14 on the top and 6-7 under the Dutch oven.
12-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 6 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 24 Briquettes – 16 on the top and 8 under the Dutch oven.
14-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 6-8 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 28 Briquettes – 18 on the top and 10 under the Dutch oven.
I would include 16-inch instructions but y’all with a 16-inch pot know what to do…well…what the heck:
16-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 8-10 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 32 Briquettes – 20-21 on the top and 11-12 under the Dutch oven.
And, if you are looking for dinner for two:
8-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 2 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 16 Briquettes – 10 on the top and 6 under the Dutch oven.
Adjusting the accordingly. However, I would not alter the ingredients from this recipe if you are preparing this meal in a 10-, 12-, or 14-inch Dutch oven. I may would only suggest using 8 ounces of beer instead of 12-oucnes if you are baking in the 10-inch Dutch oven.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
When preparing for this recipe at home, you will need all the hand-dandy stuff a moderately well-equipped kitchen has.
- One-Gallon Zipper Bag
- Small Zipper Bag to store the Brown Sugar to Camp
- Cutting Board and a Knife
- Garlic Press
- Can Opener
In Camp, I would suggest:
- Tray for prepping the chicken
- Paper Towels to Dab the Chicken Dry
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
Ingredients:
- 4-8 ounces of Prunes, chopped
- 8-12 ounces of Beer
- 3.5 ounces of Capers with Liquid
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
- 4-5 ounces Olives, Sliced or Halved and drained
- 3.5 ounces of Capers with Liquid
- 6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 6 Chicken thighs (or a combination of legs and thighs), Skin on and bone in
- 1-2 Tablespoons of oil
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar per piece of chicken.
The Prunes
I’ve found that most packs of prunes are about 8 ounces. I usually use the whole bag. If you don’t want to use that much, just use a cup of the chopped prunes. But, then again, what’s a cup of chopped prunes? You could get that whole 8 ounces in a cup if you really wanted to.
I use all 8 ounces.
If you are unsure, use 1 cup of chopped prunes. But, if you are like me on a camping trip…with a recipe meal plan that is sure to fill-up and slow-up your internal plumbing, a good dose of prunes in camp will do you good. And…you won’t even know you’re eating prunes. In case you didn’t know, not only am I a crackpot for the black pot, I am a Registered Nurse. Prunes are a go-to in times when we need a little help “clearing out the camp site.”
The Beer
Using the whole 12-ounces of beer will create more of a “watery” consistency to the final dish. The chicken will give up its broth and so will the other ingredients. And…that’s A-OK! I usually enjoy this recipe over rice or couscous. Sometimes, mashed potatoes. The sweetness of the recipe would go GREAT with some baked-then-mashed sweet potatoes or yams.
So, the beer does not need to be too hoppy (it does not need to be a bitter beer). I’d stick with a nice, sweeter porter or lager. An easy-drinker (for most).
Instructions
This is a Pack-and-Go Recipe
You will not believe how easy this one is to make. The ingredients need to marinate for a day or two. And, that’s perfect. All the cutting, chopping, mincing, mixing, and stuff will all be done at home, packaged up in one zipper bag, and hauled to camp.
Pre-Prepare at Home:
Step 1: Trim your chicken thighs a bit. We need the skin, but we don’t need all that much skin.
Step 2: Roughly chop the prunes. You could leave them whole, but I don’t. I coarsely chop the prunes into smaller pieces.
Step 3: Place the 6 (+/-) chicken thighs into the gallon-sized zipper bag.
Step 4: Prepare the Marinade – Add to the zipper bag of chicken. The chopped prunes, olives, 12 ounces of beer, the capers with the liquid, minced garlic, oregano, and the salt. Basically, add everything but the oil and brown sugar to that zipper bag. Mix the ingredients well. Cover the chicken with the marinade.
You could prepare the marinade in a side bowl, mix, and then pour in the bag with the chicken. Or, you could just add each ingredient into the bag of chicken then mix around in the bag. It’s all good…either way.
Step 5: Let the chicken rest in the marinade for a day or two in the cooler, ice chest, or refrigerator. If you are keeping the chicken stored in a container with other non-meat items, consider double-bagging the chicken.
In Camp and Ready to Cook. This recipe will end up being baked. We’ll need at least 24 briquettes to bake this recipe in the 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Step 6: Set 24-40 briquettes to fire. Set the cast iron Dutch oven near by to warm as the briquettes fire up.
Step 7: While the briquettes are heating up, remove the chicken from the marinade and set on a paper towel-lined tray or other clean surface with the skin side up.
Chef Tip: I suggest using a paper towel lining to let the excess moisture wick away from the bone side of the chicken. The brown sugar will be added to the skin side and do a good job “soaking” up any excess moisture.
Chef Tip: When you remove the chicken from the marinade, some of the prunes, garlic, and olives may piggy-back along. Some of these ingredients are okay. Don’t let too many tag along. We really only want the chicken in the pot while we are searing the chicken in the hot cast iron.
Step 8: Add about a teaspoon of brown sugar per piece of chicken but only on the skin side.
Step 9: Once the briquettes are done and ready, set the camp cast iron Dutch oven over a bed of hot charcoal briquettes and really heat that cast iron up to a wicked hot temperature.
Step 10: Add the oil to the pot and let it get very hot. You’ll see whips of smoke from the oil’s surface. Perfect. We need a hot pot that will sear that chicken very well. Six pieces of chicken to the 12-inch Dutch oven will really cool that pot down fast.
We need a really hot pot to get a good sear on so many pieces of chicken.
Step 11: Add the chicken to the pot skin side down. The brown sugar will likely have drawn some of the moisture from the chicken and have “stuck” to the chicken skin. Some of the sugar may fall off during transfer. Don’t worry about it; it’s okay.
You could sear in batches. Sear 3 pieces of the chicken on both sides and then the other three. I just do all six and let the broth steam off. If you find that your chicken “boiled” during your first attempt at this recipe, you may not have had the heat hot enough. No worries. It’ll still be delicious. But, next time consider searing in batches of three.
Step 12: Once the skin side is seared and browned, flip each piece over and sear the bone side of the chicken thighs. When both sides are browned, turn each piece skin-side-up.
Step 13: Once the chicken is seared and browned, remove the pot from the heat. Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the pot and over that chicken. Spread evenly over the chicken and between the pieces of chicken.
Step 14: Place the lid back on the pot and add 16-18 hot briquettes to the top. Place a ring of 8-10 hot briquettes to the bottom. Let the meal cook until the chicken reached 165°F / 75°C degrees at the bone and the juices flow clear.
Summary
And the recipe is now yours!
If you want to enjoy this recipe with some baked or mashed sweet potatoes or yams, follow the Beer and Iron Baked Sweet Taters in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. If you bake them just right, the skins will fall off easily. Then all you have to do is toss in a bit of butter and a bit of milk and mash away. Add a good bit of the mashed sweet potatoes to the bowl or plate, ladle over some of the juices and other goodies, then top with a chicken thigh or two.
This recipe also goes well over rice, couscous, or even some white mashed potatoes…those Yukon Golds are on the sweet side.
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
Chicken Marbella – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Prepare and mix all our marinade ingredients. Then, store the chicken in the zipper bag with the marinade for 1-3 days. In camp, brown the chicken. Then, add all of the other ingredients.Basically: Brown the chicken, dump in the marinade, and cook to doneness!
Equipment
- One-Gallon Zipper Bag
- Small Zipper Bag to store the Brown Sugar to Camp
- Cutting Board and a Knife
- Garlic Press
- Can Opener
- Tray for prepping the chicken
- Paper Towels to Dab the Chicken Dry
Ingredients
- 4-8 ounces Prunes chopped
- 8-12 ounces Beer
- 3.5 ounces Capers with Liquid
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
- 4-5 ounces Olives Sliced or Halved and drained
- 6 Cloves of Garlic Minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 6 Chicken thighs or a combination of legs and thighs, Skin on and bone in
- 1-2 Tablespoons Oil
- 1 teaspoon Brown sugar per piece of chicken. OPTIONAL
Instructions
Pre-Prepare at Home:
- Trim your chicken thighs a bit. We need the skin, but we don’t need all that much skin.
- Roughly chop the prunes. You could leave them whole, but I don’t. I coarsely chop the prunes into smaller pieces.
- Place the 6 (+/-) chicken thighs into the gallon-sized zipper bag.
- Prepare the Marinade – Add to the zipper bag of chicken. The chopped prunes, olives, 12 ounces of beer, the capers with the liquid, minced garlic, oregano, and the salt. Basically, add everything but the oil and brown sugar to that zipper bag. Mix the ingredients well. Cover the chicken with the marinade.
- Let the chicken rest in the marinade for a day or two in the cooler, ice chest, or refrigerator. If you are keeping the chicken stored in a container with other non-meat items, consider double-bagging the chicken.
In Camp and Ready to Cook. This recipe will end up being baked. We’ll need at least 24 briquettes to bake this recipe in the 12-inchcamp cast iron Dutch oven.
- Set 24-40 briquettes to fire. Set the cast iron Dutch oven near by to warm as the briquettes fire up.
- While the briquettes are heating up, remove the chicken from the marinade and set on a paper towel-lined tray or other clean surface with the skin side up.
- Add about a teaspoon of brown sugar per piece of chicken but only on the skin side.
- Once the briquettes are done and ready, set the camp cast iron Dutch oven over a bed of hot charcoal briquettes and really heat that cast iron up to a wicked hot temperature.
- Add the oil to the pot and let it get very hot. You’ll see whips of smoke from the oil’s surface. Perfect. We need a hot pot that will sear that chicken very well. Six pieces of chicken to the 12-inch Dutch oven will really cool that pot down fast. We need a really hot pot to get a good sear on so many pieces of chicken.
- Add the chicken to the pot skin side down. The brown sugar will likely have drawn some of the moisture from the chicken and have “stuck” to the chicken skin. Some of the sugar may fall off during transfer. Don’t worry about it; it’s okay.
- Once the skin side is seared and browned, flip each piece over and sear the bone side of the chicken thighs. When both sides are browned, turn each piece skin-side-up.
- Once the chicken is seared and browned, remove the pot from the heat. Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the pot and over that chicken. Spread evenly over the chicken and between the pieces of chicken.
- Place the lid back on the pot and add 16-18 hot briquettes to the top. Place a ring of 8-10 hot briquettes to the bottom. Let the meal cook until the chicken reached 165°F / 75°C degrees at the bone and the juices flow clear.
Notes
Chef Tip: I suggest using a paper towel lining to let the excess moisture wick away from the bone side of the chicken. The brown sugar will be added to the skin side and do a good job “soaking” up any excess moisture.
Chef Tip: When you remove the chicken from the marinade, some of the prunes, garlic, and olives may piggy-back along. Some of these ingredients are okay. Don’t let too many tag along. We really only want the chicken in the pot while we are searing the chicken in the hot cast iron.
You could sear in batches. Sear 3 pieces of the chicken on both sides and then the other three. I just do all six and let the broth steam off. If you find that your chicken “boiled” during your first attempt at this recipe, you may not have had the heat hot enough. No worries. It’ll still be delicious. But, next time consider searing in batches of three.
If you want to enjoy this recipe with some baked or mashed sweet potatoes or yams, follow the Beer and Iron Baked Sweet Taters in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. If you bake them just right, the skins will fall off easily. Then all you have to do is toss in a bit of butter and a bit of milk and mash away. Add a good bit of the mashed sweet potatoes to the bowl or plate, ladle over some of the juices and other goodies, then top with a chicken thigh or two.
This recipe also goes well over rice, couscous, or even some white mashed potatoes…those Yukon Golds are on the sweet side.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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
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
Low-and-Slow Cheesy White Chicken Chili in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
This recipe is how you show off your cast iron skills at meal preparation for your family. This is a great Sunday-at-home, all-day-cook, low-and-slow, baby-it’s-cold-outside meal that is easy-easy-easy and will taste like you’ve been…well…cooking it all day.
LINKS TO RELATED RECIPES:
Cast Iron Cream and Beer Cornbread Recipe
Beer Brined Coffee Crusted Pork Roast
I prepare this recipe when the opportunity presents itself. It’s one of my yardarm to yardarm cooks and what I call the Buddy Cook. Let me explain. I love a good low-and-slow cooked pork or beef roast. If I have a roast that I am going to cook in my oven for 6-7 hours, why not cook another, easy-to-make recipe at the same time? After all, it costs the same to cook food in one 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven as it does if there are TWO pots in that oven.
You could create this same recipe in a crock pot. But, you know what…and I can’t put my finger on it…but it does taste different coming out of that cast iron.
We’re going to chop a few ingredients, open a few cans, layer out ingredients, cover that pot and put it in the oven for the next 6-7 hours. Then, we’ll pull it from the oven, shred out chicken, and let it simmer and thicken a bit before we mix in some cheese and serve.
I usually use that simmering time to take care of the food (usually a roast) that I prepared in my other Dutch oven.
My oven is big enough to hold two 5-quart cast iron Dutch ovens or one 5-quart and a 7-quart cast iron Dutch ovens.
The beer to use is a lager-style brew. A Mexican lager is perfect. I found one from Bombastic Brewing with salt and lime. Bombastic is a local brewer here in Idaho and you may not be able to find this same beer. And, that’s okay. Any good Mexican Lager or even many other beers will work perfectly in this recipe. I’d avoid your IPAs, porters, and stouts. Stick with something crips and clean…any easy-drinker should work well.
The Cast Iron
This chili recipe will work perfectly in a 5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven. And, most home ovens will handle two 5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Ovens at the same time. Many will accommodate a 5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven and a 7-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven at the same time.
Here’s how we Low-and-Slow a roast: https://beerandiron.com/low-and-slow-roast/
Truth be known, I’d likely not cook this recipe by itself and all alone in that oven. I’d cook just perfect in a crock pot (speaking truth). But, there’s no reason to Buddy Cook when cooking in an oven all day long. Unless we’re cooking something in our 9-quart cast iron Dutch oven, I will buddy cook every time.
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Equipment
Cheese Shredder
Colander to drain and rinse the beans
Cutting board for the peppers, onions, and cilantro or the parsley.
Knife
Whisk
Ingredients
Fresh Stuff
2 or 3 Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Small Purple Onion (a yellow or white is A-OK)
2-4 Minced Cloves of Garlic
2 Poblano Chili Pepper (could substitute bell peppers but those Poblano chilis hold up much better during the long cooking time)
Canned Stuff
1 4-ounce cans of Fire-Roasted Diced Green Chilies (or one 7-ounce can; I prefer mild)
1 Cup of Green Salsa Verde
2 Cans (or 3 cups of home prepared) White Beans
Seasonings
1 teaspoon of Cumin
1 teaspoon of Oregano
½ teaspoon of Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon of Onion Powder
To Thicken
⅓ Cup of White Flour (Optional)
Before Serving
1-2 Cups of Shredded White Cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese folded in.
To Garnish
Chopped Cilantro or Parsley
Lime
Avocado
Cornbread
Time To Cook
Preparation
First, preheat your oven to 200°F or about 93°C. Then prepare all of your ingredients.
Step 1: Dice up the one onion and mince up the 2-4 cloves of garlic.
Step 2: Chop or dice up the 2 Poblano Chili Peppers
Step 3: Rinse and drain the white beans. You can use 2 cans of white beans or use 3 cups of home-prepared white beans. I usually make a plain-Jane batch of beans the day before to have on hand for this recipe and for other uses as well.
Step 4: Prepare the cans of green chili peppers. Just open and set aside.
Step 5: Measure out 1 Cup of Green Salsa Verde.
Step 6: Measure out all of the seasonings and blend together well. Don’t worry about the flour at this point. We’ll talk about the flour in a bit.
Layer the Ingredients
Get out your 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven. There’s no searing or sauteing in this recipe. We will set this up in layers.
Step 7: In the bottom of the 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven, place a layer of onions with the garlic.
Step 8: Add a layer of the Poblano Chili Peppers
Step 9: Add a layer of the drained white beans.
Step 10: Evenly as possible (perfection is not essential), spread out the seasonings on top of the beans.
Step 11: Lay the chicken on top of what we’ve layered thus far. Just lay the chicken breast out flat. Don’t press it down and under the ingredients. Add the chicken with a gentle push to set it flat.
Step 12: Pour over 12-ounces of a Mexican Lager to the pot. You may think you don’t have enough liquid in that pot. Trust me on this one; it’ll seem to liquid-ey by the time you pull it form the oven.
Step 13: Add a layer of the canned chili peppers. The chicken is rounded and expect the chili peppers to kinda slide to the sides.
Step 14: Add the cup of Salsa Verde on top of all the ingredients.
Cook the Chili
Step 15: Cover the pot. Place the full Dutch oven into the preheated 200°F or about 93°C for the next 6-7 hours.
Now, we are going to pull the chili from the oven and place it on the stove top to simmer.
Step 16: After 6-7 hours. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and place it on the stove top on low heat to continue simmering. It’s going to seem a bit “watery.” Hang on…we’ll tend to that in a bit.
Step 17: Check for saltiness. I usually find that the salt in my canned ingredients provide enough satiness. Nonetheless, this is a good time to check for saltiness and add some if you think it needs it.
Step 18: Pull the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board or a larger bowl (expect it to break apart as you are pulling it from the pot). Using two forks, shred the chicken completely. You could chop it, but I like to shred the chicken. Leave a few larger pieces of chicken in there.
Step 19: Before you return the chicken to the pot, ask yourself if the remaining liquid seems a bit too liquid-ey. If so, add ⅓ cup of white flour to thicken things up.
Step 20: Then, return the chicken to the pot. And just let it simmer until dinner time (given your dinner time is within the next 30-45 minutes or so).
Serve the Chili
Prepare the avocados, cheese, and other goodies for dinner as you let the pot simmer and thicken.
Step 21: Fold in 1-2 cups of white shredded cheese into the chili after you take it off the heat and you are ready to start serving. Don’t mix the cheese in; just fold the cheese into the chili.
Time to eat!
Serve this chili with some wedges of avocado and topped with a bit of cilantro or parsley. Squeeze a bit of lime on the top for a bit of a zing to your meal.
I love a nice, big piece of cornbread with my chicken chili.
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.
And that’s it yall, Low-and-slow Cheesy White Chicken Chili in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe. If you are going to cook a roast low and slow and there’s room for this chicken chili or maybe another roast, you might as well cook them together.
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.
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Low-and-Slow Cheesy White Chicken Chili in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
I prepare this recipe when the opportunity presents itself. It’s one of my yardarm to yardarm cooks and what I call the Buddy Cook. The BUDDY COOK: I love a good low-and-slow cooked pork or beef roast. If I have a roast that I am going to cook in my oven for 6-7 hours, why not cook another, easy-to-make recipe at the same time? After all, it costs the same to cook food in one 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven as it does if there are TWO pots in that oven.You could create this same recipe in a crock pot. But, you know what…and I can’t put my finger on it…but it does taste different coming out of that cast iron. We’re going to chop a few ingredients, open a few cans, layer out ingredients, cover that pot and put it in the oven for the next 6-7 hours. Then, we’ll pull it from the oven, shred out chicken, and let it simmer and thicken a bit before we mix in some cheese and serve.
Equipment
- Cheese Shredder
- Colander – to drain and rinse the beans
- Cutting Board – for the peppers, onions, and cilantro or the parsley.
- Knife
- Whisk
Ingredients
Fresh Stuff
- 2-3 Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 Small Purple Onion – a yellow or white is A-OK
- 2-4 Minced Cloves of Garlic
- 2 Poblano Chili Pepper – could substitute bell peppers but those Poblano chilies hold up much better during the long cooking time
Canned Stuff
- 2 Cans 4-ounce cans of Fire-Roasted Diced Green Chilis – or one 7-ounce can; I prefer mild
- 1 Cup Green Salsa Verde
- 2 Cans White Beans – or 3 cups of home prepared White Beans
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
To Thicken
- ⅓ Cup White Flour Optional
Before Serving
- 1-2 Cups Shredded White Cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese
To Garnish
- Chopped Cilantro or Parsley
- Lime
- Avocado
- Cornbread
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 200°F or about 93°C. Then prepare all of your ingredients.
- Dice up the one onion and mince up the 2-4 cloves of garlic.
- Chop or dice up the 2 Poblano Chili Peppers
- Rinse and drain the white beans.
- Prepare the cans of green chili peppers. Just open and set aside.
- Measure out 1 Cup of Green Salsa Verde.
- Measure out all of the seasonings and blend together well.
- Get out your 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven. There’s no searing or sauteing in this recipe. We will set this up in layers.
- In the bottom of the Dutch oven, place a layer of onions with the garlic.
- Add a layer of the Poblano Chili Peppers
- Add a layer of the drained white beans.
- Spread out the seasonings on top of the beans.
- Lay the chicken on top of what we’ve layered thus far. Just lay the chicken breast out flat.
- Pour over 12-ounces of a Mexican Lager to the pot.
- Add a layer of the canned chili peppers.
- Add the cup of Salsa Verde on top of all the ingredients.
- Cover the pot. Place the full Dutch oven into the preheated 200°F or about 93°C for the next 6-7 hours.
- After 6-7 hours in the oven, pull the chili from the oven and place it on the stove top to simmer on low heat.
- Check for saltiness.
- Pull the chicken from the pot and shred the chicken completely. Leave a few larger pieces of chicken in there.
- Before you return the chicken to the pot, add ⅓ cup of white flour to thicken things up (optional)
- Then, return the chicken to the pot. And just let it simmer until dinner time (given your dinner time is within the next 30-45 minutes or so).
- Prepare the avocados, cheese, and other goodies for dinner as you let the pot simmer and thicken.
- Before serving, fold in 1-2 cups of white shredded cheese into the chili after you take it off the heat.
Notes
Serve this chili with some wedges of avocado and topped with a bit of cilantro or parsley. Squeeze a bit of lime on the top for a bit of a zing to your meal.
I love a nice, big piece of cornbread with my chicken chili.
And that’s it yall, Low-and-slow Cheesy White Chicken Chili in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe. If you are going to cook a roast low and slow and there’s room for this chicken chili or maybe another roast, you might as well cook them together.
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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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.
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