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: Camp Recipe
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.
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
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
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.
Cantina Jack Chicken Recipe in a Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
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.
Grab your 12-Inch Deep Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven and ¡vamos a empezar esta fiesta! (let’s get this party started!).
Let me get this out up front. This is really a super easy recipe. Create this recipe once and then you’ll forever and ever create this recipe from memory. It’s just that easy.
This recipe article contains affiliate links.
For this recipe, I am using the deep 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven. We use a second 10-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven as a “warming pot” and to roll the chicken in the cornflakes. I am using a third 8-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven for melting my butter.
You will need your 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven for the recipe but the other two Dutch ovens are optional. Use what you have. No worries.
12-Inch Deep Cast Iron Dutch Oven with the Notch (Camp Chef’s Version: https://amzn.to/3F2ej15
Lodge’s Version: https://amzn.to/3ZJODzH
10-Inch Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/3PJHQS1
8-Inch Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/3rAxjkb
Or a Skillet like this: https://amzn.to/3rDKjp7
NOTE: You don’t have to use a Dutch Oven with a Temperature Probe Notch, any Deep 12-Inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven will Work. If you are using a regular Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven, cut the vegetable ingredient amounts in half. If you are using a 10-Inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven, cut both the vegetable ingredients and the number of chicken breasts in half.
Supplies You May Need
Tenderizing and Pre-Preparing the Chicken
- Cutting Board
- Needle Tenderizer (https://amzn.to/46E8zX6)
- Tenderizing Mallet
- Larger Zipper Bag (https://amzn.to/3Q8V3FC)
- Paper Towels
- Drying / Cooling Rack (Optional – https://amzn.to/3ZHiyZn)
Prepare the Vegetables
- Colander or Strainer to let the Vegetables Drain
- Bowl to Catch the Liquid from the Vegetables
- Spoon or Rubber Spatula to Stir the Vegetables
- Parchment Paper to Cover the Vegetables (I use Parchment Paper in Other Parts of the Recipe as Well).
Cut the Cheese
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Parchment Paper to Wrap the Cheese
- Bowl or other Container to Store the Cheese
For the Cornflakes
- Gallon-Sized Zipper Bag
- Rolling Pin (Optional)
- A Container that is Large Enough to Hold the Crushed Cornflakes and Room to Allow for Rolling the Chicken in the Crushed Cornflakes
Cooking the Chicken
- The Temperature Probe – Meat Thermometer
- Charcoal Briquette Chimney
- Tongs to Manipulate the Briquettes
- Wind Screen (Optional)
- Cooking Surface (Optional) – I use an Upside Down Garbage Can Lid
Shredding the Cheese
- Cutting Board (I am going to cook this cheese and am going to use the same cutting board)
- Cheese Shredder
- Parchment Paper to Wrap the Shredded Cheese
- Bowl or Container to Store the Shredded Cheese (I just use the same one I used for the Pepper Jack Cheese Logs)
Pepper Rings / Rounds
- Knife
- Cutting Board
Also
- Lid Stand
- Lid Lifter
- Leather Gloves
- Serving spoons
To better understand the ingredients, let’s take a quick look at the way this recipe is “stacked.” First, we are going to tenderize and brine our chicken at home and pack it up for easy-does-it in camp.
In camp, we’re going to prepare everything and get it all set up.
Third, we’re going to pre cook our chicken a bit.
Fourth, we’ll add the vegetables (remember the reference to “base ingredients”) and the cheese.
Fifth, well…there ain’t no fifth. Fifth is: We gonna EAT!
For the Chicken:
6-8 Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts (Tenderized and Brined): https://beerandiron.com/how-to-tenderize-chicken-breasts/
1-2 oz Beer and Iron’s Taco Seasoning (Store-Bought Packets are about 1 oz): https://beerandiron.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
16 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese (or Monterey Jack Cheese for a Mild Version)
½ Gallon Zipper Bag of Cornflakes (Crushed)
8 Tablespoons of Melted Butter
The Vegetables / The Base Ingredients:
32-34 oz Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (Regular if you can not find Fire Roasted)
4-6 oz Sliced Black Olives (Drained)
14-15 oz Diced Green Chilies (Somewhat Drained)
22 oz. Mexican Style Corn (Drained)
30 oz Black Beans (Drained)
Garnish:
1/2 cup green onions; sliced or maybe even some rounds cut from a nice spicy pepper like a jalapeno. I used Jalapeno and Red Fresno Chili Peppers in the video.
Preparation and Steps to this Recipe
You can 100% create this recipe at camp. There’s nothing that says you can’t. Me? I am going to do some pre-prepping at home and then have everything ready for cooking at camp. The recipe will be presented in two parts:
- Home Pre-Preparation Steps
- At Camp Cooking Steps
Home Pre-Preparation
Step 1: Tenderize and Brine 6-8 Chicken Breast Halves. You’ll tenderize these a bit more than normal. They really need to be thinner than you’d normally prepare a chicken breast. Get it down to about ¼ inch. A bit thicker is okay.
How to Tenderize Chicken Breast: https://beerandiron.com/2022/12/how-to-tenderize-chicken-breasts
How to Brine Meat: https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken
NOTE: Only brine tenderized chicken breast meat for about one hour. Then, remove from the brine and pat dry.
Step 2: After pouring out the used brine from the zipper bag, place a few paper towels in the zipper bag and place the chicken back into the zipper bag with the paper towels. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.
Step 3: Gather together the cans of:
- Diced Green Chilies
- Sliced Black Olives
- Mexican Style Corn
- Black Beans
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
You’ll need to make sure you have your can opener and the strainer. A bowl to drain everything in is suggested.
Step 4: Add your cornflakes to a zipper bag and crunch up to a coarse “meal” like consistency. Don’t crush back to a cornmeal and don’t leave them in big flakes. Somewhere in between is perfect. You will store these in the same zipper bag.
Step 5: Gather your cheese, knife to cut the cheese, and the cheese shredder. You can use a bit of parchment or a paper plate to shred the cheese over.
My suggestion is to use the block cheese and prepare the cheese at camp. When we roll the cheese in the chicken, the packaged cheese sticks may make sense but you’ll be doing the V-8 Head Bonk if you do. And, use the block for shredding too. The anti-caking stuff they put on shredded cheese…well…you’ll see what I am talking about when you try the packaged shredded stuff (everyone I teach this recipe to tries the pre-shredded and swears off the stuff after that…at least for this recipe).
Step 6: Bring your butter. We’re going to use this to “moisten” the chicken before we roll the chicken breast in the crushed cornflakes.
I will often bring my 8-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven and put the butter in the pot with about 2-4 briquettes under the little Dutch until the butter is just perfect.
Step 7: Slice the green onions and or your peppers. We’ll use these to garnish our meal when it’s time to eat.
Okay. Check everything.
In an ice chest, we will have our chicken tenderized and brined and stored with the paper towels in the zipper bag and in the ice chest. We have our cheese and our butter in the ice chest too. A small container or zipper bag holds our green onions that have been “doubled bagged.”
In another container, we’ll have our canned Diced Green Chilies, Sliced Black Olives, Mexican Style Corn, Black Beans, and Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. Your homemade taco seasoning or a packet or two of store-bought taco seasoning is there as well.
At Camp – Time to Cook
We’re presenting this recipe in a deep 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven. It’ll be baked in two parts. First, we’ll cook the chicken until it’s almost done. Then, we’ll add the base ingredients and finish the recipe to bring the chicken to 165°F / 75°C.
Here’s the article/video on how to Heat the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://beerandiron.com/2023/04/how-to-heat-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven
Step 1: Set 26-30 charcoal briquettes to fire.
Step 2: Slowly melt 8 tablespoons of butter. We use the 8-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven for this. You can set the butter in a metal container and keep it near the charcoal that is being prepped. Don’t heat the butter to a cooking temperature; you just want it melted to a liquid.
Step 3: On a cutting board or a piece of parchment paper, Lay out one of the tenderized and flattened chicken breasts. Dust one side with some of the taco seasoning almost like a dry rub. Dust with discretion; a little goes a long way.
Step 4: Set the crushed cornflakes out and have them ready to roll the chicken breast in.
Step 5: Baton cut the cheese (in long, stick-like cuts). Add the cut cheese sticks to the chicken and roll the thinned chicken breast over the cheese where the cheese is wrapped in the rolled chicken.
Step 6: Keep your hand on the rolled chicken and then coat the chicken in the butter. Now, roll the chicken in the crushed cornflakes. Secure the chicken with two or three toothpicks (if you forget your toothpicks, consider using some fresh and thin twig pieces from a branch of a tree or bush [make sure that tree or bush ain’t poisonous…seems like a no-brainer but…]).
Chef Tip: Roll one chicken breast up at a time.
Chef Tip: Use the same number of toothpicks for each chicken breast. This way you will remember how many toothpicks to remove later. DON’T FORGET one of those toothpicks in the chicken breast when you serve (in a few steps we will remove them).
Chef Tip: There’ll be some cornflakes left. We save these for the time being to add a few more to the recipe a few steps from now.
Step 7: Place each prepared chicken breast roll in the bottom of the cast iron camp Dutch oven one-at-a-time and until all the pieces are prepared and set with the toothpicks pointing up.
Step 8: Cover the camp Dutch oven. Place 8 hot charcoal briquettes under the Dutch oven (as the Heating the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven video shows) and place 16 hot charcoal briquettes on the top. If you have a windshield (see this article and video), then secure the windshield around the Dutch oven.
Heating the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://beerandiron.com/how-to-heat-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven/
Turn the pot and lid 1/3rd turn every 10 minutes.
If you are using a temperature probe, move the briquettes about every 10 minutes or so.
Let the chicken cook until the temperature of the chicken is about 125°F / 50°C to about 145°F / 63°C. Remember, we are going to add more ingredients and let the chicken continue cooking. We will eventually get it to the 165°F / 75°C point.
Chef Tip: How are your charcoal briquettes doing? Do you need to set more to fire to finish baking this dish? We still need to heat the base ingredients, melt the cheese, and finish cooking the chicken.
Step 9: While the chicken is cooking, prepare your base ingredients: Set a colander over a bowl or other receptacle to receive the liquids as we open each can and drain by pouring the contents into the colander:
- Can Diced Green Chilies
- Sliced Black Olives
- Can Black Beans
- Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- Can Mexican Style Corn (I save the corn for last because the liquid is “watery” and helps with the draining)
Just pour them all in the colander and, using the rubber / silicone spatula, move things about and mix well. Most of the liquid should drain away to the bowl below the colander. Set aside for later.
Step 10: Shred the rest of the cheese and keep the cheese in a separate container separate from the base ingredients. Set aside for later.
NOTE: These next steps go rather quickly.
Step 11: Once the chicken has reached about 125°F / 50°C to about 145°F / 63°C, remove the lid and place it on a lid stand (the briquettes can remain where they are). Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside (take care that we don’t lose our cornflake crust).
REMOVE THE TOOTHPICKS – the chicken is now firm and will hold its form. Remove each toothpick and make sure you have them all out.
Chef Tip: Sometimes there’ll be an excessive amount of oil (cheese and butter) left in the pot after you remove the chicken. This can be (per your preference) completely or partially wiped out and discarded.
Step 12: Dump all of the base ingredients from the colander into the bottom of the Dutch oven. Then, using the tongs, replace the chicken to the top of the base ingredients (not submerged but resting on top).
Step 13: Here, you can add a few more cornflakes from earlier. Go easy…more is not better.
Step 14: Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the chicken. Return the lid and cover the pot. Do you need a fresh set of hot charcoal briquettes? This is a good time to add a fresh set. You could even add a few extra on the top to toast the cheese.
Step 15: When the chicken has reached 165°F / 75°C, it’s time to eat! Garnish with the green onions. No resting time needed. Just serve and enjoy.
Summary
This recipe goes very well with some cornbread or even some Mexican rice (both cooked in separate Dutch ovens). I love to take the rolled-up chicken and use a white bread roll to make a sandwich. There’s some prep and some steps to accomplish this meal and the end result will be well worth it!
We usually cut these chicken rolls in half and use each chicken roll as 2 servings.
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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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 cornflake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Needle Tenderizer
- Tenderizing Mallet
- Larger Zipper Bag
- Paper Towels
- Drying Rack (Optional) (Optional)
- 12-Inch Deep Cast Iron Dutch Oven with the Notch
- 10-Inch Cast Iron Dutch Oven (Optional)
- 8-Inch Cast Iron Dutch Oven (Optional)
- Colander or Strainer to let the Vegetables Drain
- Bowl to Catch the Liquid from the Vegetables
- Spoon or Rubber Spatula to Stir the Vegetables
- Parchment Paper to Cover the Vegetables (I use Parchment Paper in Other Parts of the Recipe as Well).
- Cheese Shredder
- Parchment Paper to Wrap the Cheese
- Bowl or other Container to Store the Cheese
- Gallon-Sized Zipper Bag For the Cornflakes
- Rolling Pin (Optional) (Optional)
- The Temperature Probe – Meat Thermometer
- Charcoal Briquette Chimney
- Tongs to Manipulate the Briquettes
- Wind Screen (Optional) (Optional)
- Lid Stand
- Lid Lifter
- Leather Gloves (Optional)
- Serving spoons
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 6-8 Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts (Tenderized and Brined)
- 1-2 Ounces Beer and Iron’s Taco Seasoning Store-Bought Packets are about 1 oz
- ½ Gallon Crushed Cornflakes ½ Gallon Zipper Bag of Cornflakes (Crushed)
- 16 Ounces Pepper Jack Cheese (or Monterey Jack Cheese for a Mild Version)
- 8 Tablespoons Melted Butter
The Vegetables / The Base Ingredients:
- 32-34 Ounces Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (Regular if you can not find Fire Roasted)
- 4-6 Ounces Sliced Black Olives Drained
- 14-15 Ounces Diced Green Chiles Somewhat Drained
- 22 Ounces Mexican Style Corn Drained
- 30 Ounces 30 oz Black Beans Drained
Garnish:
- 1/2 Cup Green Onions Optional
- Slices Jalapeno Pepper Optional
Instructions
Home Pre-Preparation
- Tenderize and Brine 6-8 Chicken Breast Halves. You’ll tenderize these a bit more than normal. They really need to be thinner than you’d normally prepare a chicken breast. Get it down to about ¼ inch. A bit thicker is okay.
- Brine the tenderized chicken breast meat for about one hour. Then, remove from the brine and pat dry. (Brine: 24 ounces of beer and 2 Tablespoons Salt)
- After pouring out the used brine from the zipper bag, place a few paper towels in the zipper bag and place the chicken back into the zipper bag with the paper towels. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.
- Add your cornflakes to a gallon zipper bag and crush to a coarse “meal” like consistency. Don’t crush back to a cornmeal and don’t leave them in big flakes. Somewhere in between is perfect. Leave them in the zipper bag (this could be done in camp)
At Camp – Time to Cook
- Set 26-30 charcoal briquettes to fire.
- Slowly melt 8 tablespoons of butter. Just melt to the point you can still touch the butter.
- Lay out one of the tenderized and flattened chicken breasts. Dust one side with some of the taco seasoning.
- Set the crushed cornflakes out and have them ready to roll the chicken breast in.
- Baton cut the cheese (in long, stick-like cuts). Add the cut cheese sticks to the chicken and roll the thinned chicken breast over the cheese where the cheese is wrapped in the rolled chicken.
- Keep your hand on the rolled chicken and then coat the chicken in the butter. Now, roll the chicken in the crushed cornflakes. Secure the chicken with two or three toothpicks
- Place each prepared chicken breast roll in the bottom of the cast iron camp Dutch oven one-at-a-time and until all the pieces are prepared and set with the toothpicks pointing up
- Cover the camp Dutch oven. Place 8 hot charcoal briquettes under the Dutch oven and place 16 hot charcoal briquettes on the top.
- Turn the pot and lid 1/3rd turn every 10 minutes. If you are using a temperature probe, move the briquettes about every 10 minutes or so.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare your base ingredients: Set a colander over a bowl or other receptacle to receive the liquids as we open each can of vegetables and drain by pouring the contents into the colander
- Shred the rest of the cheese and keep the cheese in a separate container separate from the base ingredients. Set aside for later.
- Once the chicken has reached about 125°F / 50°C to about 145°F / 63°C, remove the lid and place it on a lid stand (the briquettes can remain where they are). Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside (take care that we don’t lose our cornflake crust).
- Dump all of the base ingredients from the colander into the bottom of the Dutch oven. Then, using the tongs, replace the chicken to the top of the base ingredients (not submerged but resting on top).
- Here, you can add a few more cornflakes from earlier. Go easy…more is not better.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the chicken. Return the lid and cover the pot. Do you need a fresh set of hot charcoal briquettes? This is a good time to add a fresh set. You could even add a few extra on the top to toast the cheese.
- When the chicken has reached 165°F / 75°C, it’s time to eat! Garnish with the green onions. No resting time needed. Just serve and enjoy.
Notes
This recipe goes very well with some cornbread or even some Mexican rice (both cooked in separate Dutch ovens). I love to take the rolled up chicken and use a white bread roll to make a sandwich. There’s some prep and some steps to accomplish and the end result will be well worth it!
We usually cut these chicken rolls in half and use each chicken roll as 2 servings.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Baked Chicken and Beer Rice Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
From Fire-to-Plate, I’ll show you how to create this recipe using either Chicken Breast, Bone-in / Skin-on Chicken Thighs, or Skinless / Boneless Chicken Thighs…in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven!
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