Highfalutin Cordon Bleu Meatloaf Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
An easy, stack-and-bake, Cordon Bleu Meatloaf Recipe Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Tag: recipe
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
But-and-Ben Pie Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
But-and-Ben Pie – Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
A But and Ben Pie is like Cottage Pie and similar to Shepherd’s Pie. Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Surprise Ingredients.
How did I come up with the But and Ben Pie Recipe? First a bit of history:
But and Ben (or butt and ben) is a simple style for a two-roomed cottage. The But-and-Ben has its origins in Scotland. The Scots would call their homes “bouten binnen” or outside and inside. The outer room was the kitchen and the inner room was the area they “lived” and likely not an area shared with visitors. The But and Ben was a cottage (simply speaking).
With that bit of history, I named this recipe But-and-Ben Pie. I just couldn’t really name it “Shepherd’s Pie;” I am using beef and not Lamb. And, Cottage Pie…well…that’s what inspired this recipe. But, I couldn’t figure out a good, easy way to incorporate the mashed potatoes for the topping of this recipe. And, that’s not to mention all the other ingredients…it would only be a “hint” of Cottage Pie; not really a Cottage Pie recipe.
Scotland and potatoes? No, I don’t think of potatoes when I think of Scotland either. When I think of potatoes, I think of Ireland…and Idaho. Scotland is not as famous for potatoes but then again… Potatoes were first cultivated in Scotland around the early to mid 1700s. They became so dependent on the potato that in “1845, the blight came. The following year, the crop failed completely. Famine spread through the Highlands, the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. It could have caused devastation equal to that seen in Ireland, but aid was given by landowners, the Free Church and, eventually, the government.” https://blog.historicenvironment.scot/2017/12/scottish-food-history/
I love Cottage Pie and I love Shepherd’s Pie. And I so wanted to create a version of one of these recipes that I could prepare in the camp cast iron Dutch oven without having to either bring mashed potatoes out there with me or having to do all the steps necessary to have prepared mashed potatoes in camp.
Then…it dawned on me…TATER TOTS. Who doesn’t love tater tots?? Tell everyone in camp we’re having peas and carrots for dinner and they’ll be calling for hot dogs. Tell everyone you’re making a dish with hamburger and tots, and…well…are we sure a 12-inch Dutch is big enough?
This is camp food. There ain’t no calories in camp food.
A word on peas and carrots versus mixed vegetables
Mixed vegetables usually have green beans. And, while green beans work very well in this recipe, they do take longer to cook. If you are using mixed vegetables with green beans, you will need to make sure the green beans are done before adding the toppings.
Likewise, many packages of mixed vegetables have corn as an ingredient. Corn will add a bit of sweetness to this recipe. That sweetness is not altogether undesirable; it’s rather a nice change to the flavor of this recipe. Nonetheless, this is just a heads up regarding the beans and corn if you decide to use mixed vegetables in this recipe.
The Cast Iron
This recipe will do very well in a 12-inch DEEP camp cast iron Dutch oven. A 10-inch may work but I’d suggest a deep 10-inch Dutch oven.
If you are using a shallow or regular 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven, your broiling times will be different. With a shallow Dutch, remember: less is more. Less briquettes on the top will allow for more cooking time of the tater tots and let them toast slower. Too much heat will cause the tots to toast too fast with the centers likely not cooking through.
Ingredients
Meat Ingredients
1 Slice of a Thick-Cut Smoky Bacon Strip
2 Pounds of Ground Beef
1 Higher Fat Percentage and 1 Lower Fat Percentage
Onions
1 Yellow Onion (chopped or diced)
3-6 Cloves of Minced Garlic
Vegetables
2 12-ounce Bags of Peas and Carrots
1 10-ounce Bag of Cauliflower Rice
Sauce Mixture
1-ounce Beef or Brown Gravy Mix
12 Ounces of Beer
3 Tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce
1/3rd Cup of White Flour
2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
3 Ounces of Tomato Paste
Herb Mixture
2 Teaspoons of Dry Rosemary
2 Teaspoons of Dry Thyme
1-2 Tablespoons of Smoked Paprika
2 Teaspoons of Salt (to taste)
2 Teaspoons of Pepper (to taste)
Toppings
28 Ounces Frozen Tater Tots
2 Cups Shredded Cheese
On-the-Plate
Onion Chives
Sour cream
This recipe may seem to be ingredient-heavy…and yeah…it is but also isn’t. Eleven of the twenty-two ingredients are for the sauce and herb mixture. Many can be mixed and prepared at home and ported to camp and “wait” until you are ready to cook.
Instructions
Step 1: Chop the onions, garlic, and chives. Baton cut your bacon and keep it at the ready.
Step 2: Mix the Herbs and Spices
2 tsp salt (to taste)
2 tsp pepper (to taste)
2 tsp dry rosemary
2 tsp dry thyme
Step 3: Create the Sauce
1 oz package of brown or beef gravy mix
1/3rd cup of white flour
1-2 Tbsp smoked paprika
12-ounces of beer
3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 ounces of tomato paste
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
Use a whisk to blend all of the Sauce ingredients. Let the sauce rest under a towel or other cover to keep the bugs out of the sauce.
Don’t fret about getting the tomato paste and the Dijon mustard measurements just right. Just use a regular spoon to scoop out ½ of the tomato paste from a 6-ounce can and just a couple of spoonful of the Dijon will work A-OK.
Step 4: Over a very high heat (24-30 briquettes or the equivalent), add the bacon batons and render the fat. If you are using oil instead of bacon, add a tablespoon or two of oil to the pot and let it heat up.
Step 5: Brown your beef but don’t cook it all the way. Just let it brown. Leave the juices and fat in the pot. Dab up any excess oil if your meats produce too much.
Step 6: Move the browning beef to one side of the Dutch oven. Use the oil and broth from the browning beef to sauté the onions and garlic.
Step 7: Once the onions and garlic are to your liking, add the herbs to the pot and stir up everything very well. Level out the ingredients over the surface of the Dutch oven’s bottom.
Step 8: Add the two bags of peas and carrots and the cauliflower rice to the top of the ingredients already in the Dutch oven. Then add the sauce mixture. Let it sit for a bit and then stir everything up very well. Smooth out the ingredients.
Step 9: Return the lid to the pot and set your heat for a goal temperature of 350°F / 175°C. Place 8 briquettes under the Dutch oven and 16 briquettes on the lid. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Step 10: After 15-20 minutes of bake-time, pull the lid from the pot and stir the ingredients to rotate them all about. Level off the ingredients. Return the lid to the pot and bake for another 15 minutes.
Step 11: After a total of 30-35 minutes of bake time, test the peas and carrots for doneness. If the peas and carrots are done, then move to step 12. If you are using mixed vegetables with green beans, use the green beans’ texture as a test of doneness.
Step 12: After leveling off the ingredients, add your toppings of tater tots and cheese. You can add the cheese before the tater tots (my favorite way). Or, you can add the cheese to the top of the tater tots. It’s up to you.
Step 13: After all the toppings are in place, return the lid to the pot and remove the bottom heat. Load that lid up with 24-30 hot briquettes and broil for about 10 minutes. Then take a peek. Keep broiling and checking until the cheese or the tots are toasted and cooked to your liking.
Note: If you are using a shallow or regular 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven, your broiling times will be different. With a shallow Dutch, remember: less is more. Less briquettes on the top will allow for more cooking time of the tater tots and let them toast slower. Too much heat will cause the tots to toast too fast with the centers likely not cooking through.
Summary
And the recipe is yours to try! Serve this with sour cream and your chopped onion chives.
This is one of my favorite meals to cook. It does seem ingredient-heavy…but then again…we’re creating a full meal here. Meat, vegetables, and beer. Yes. Beer. Beer is loaded with B Vitamins. Well, loaded compared to what? Na. We won’t get into that. But, I can say that there is more B6 in beer than a McDonald’s hamburger! (tongue-in-cheek).
“Beer has vitamins A, D, E, K and C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, biotin, magnesium, ion, sodium, zinc, selenium, chloride, silica, sodium, magnesium, copper and manganese.” (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10020662)
https://scot.us/tastes-of-scotland-cottage-pie/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_potato
https://blog.historicenvironment.scot/2017/12/scottish-food-history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/But_and_ben
https://www.livestrong.com/article/263290-list-of-vitamins-in-beer/
https://www.eatthismuch.com/calories/mcdonalds-hamburger-5053
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
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But-and-Ben Pie – Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
I love Cottage Pie and I love Shepherd’s Pie. And I so wanted to create a version of one of these recipes that I could prepare in the camp cast iron Dutch oven without having to either bring mashed potatoes out there with me or having to do all the steps necessary to have prepared mashed potatoes in camp.
Ingredients
Meat Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Ground Beef – one pound of a higher fat content.
- 1 Slice Thick Cut Smoky Bacon – Optional – Baton this bacon. 1-2 Tablespoons of oil to substitute.
Onion Ingredients
- 1 Onion – Chopped or Diced
- 3-5 Cloves Garlic Diced
Vegetables
- 2 12oz Bags of Peas and Carrots
- 1 10oz Bag of Cauliflower Rice
Sauce Mixture
- 1 1oz Package of Beef or Brown Gravy Powder Mix
- 12 ounces Beer – lager that is not too hoppy
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- ⅓ Cup White Flower
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 3 ounces Tomato Paste
Herb Mixture
- 1-2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Dry Rosemary
- 2 teaspoon Dry Thyme
- 2 teaspoon Pepper (to taste)
- 2 teaspoon Salt (to taste)
Toppings
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheese
- 28 Ounces Frozen Tater Tots – diced
On The Plate
- 1 Bunch Green Onion Chives – green parts
- 1 Dolup Sour Cream
Instructions
- Chop the onions, garlic, and chives. Baton cut your bacon and keep it at the ready.
- Mix the Herbs and Spices. Keep at the ready.
- Create the Sauce – Blend the sauce mixture with a whisk. Keep at the ready.
- Over a very high heat (24-30 briquettes or the equivalent), add the bacon batons and render the fat. If you are using oil instead of bacon, add a tablespoon or two of oil to the pot and let it heat up.
- Brown your beef but don’t cook it all the way. Just let it brown. Leave the juices and fat in the pot. Dab up any excess oil if your meats produce too much.
- Move the browning beef to one side of the Dutch oven. Use the oil and broth from the browning beef to sauté the onions and garlic.
- Once the onions and garlic are to your liking, add the herbs to the pot and stir up everything very well. Level out the ingredients over the surface of the Dutch oven’s bottom.
- Add the two bags of peas and carrots and the cauliflower rice to the top of the ingredients already in the Dutch oven. Then add the sauce mixture. Let it sit for a bit and then stir everything up very well. Smooth out the ingredients.
- Return the lid to the pot and set your heat for a goal temperature of 350°F / 175°C. Place 8 briquettes under the Dutch oven and 16 briquettes on the lid. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- After 15-20 minutes of bake-time, pull the lid from the pot and stir the ingredients to rotate them all about. Level off the ingredients. Return the lid to the pot and bake for another 15 minutes.
- After a total of 30-35 minutes of bake time, test the peas and carrots for doneness. If the peas and carrots are done, then move to step 12. If you are using mixed vegetables with green beans, use the green beans’ texture as a test of doneness.
- After leveling off the ingredients, add your toppings of tater tots and cheese. You can add the cheese before the tater tots (my favorite way). Or, you can add the cheese to the top of the tater tots. It’s up to you.
- After all the toppings are in place, return the lid to the pot and remove the bottom heat. Load that lid up with 24-30 hot briquettes and broil for about 10 minutes. Then take a peek. Keep broiling and checking until the cheese or the tots are toasted and cooked to your liking.
- Once the top is toasted and the tater tots are soft and cooked, the dish is done. ENJOY!!
Notes
And the recipe is yours to try! Serve this with sour cream and your chopped onion chives.
This is one of my favorite meals to cook. It does seem ingredient-heavy…but then again…we’re creating a full meal here. Meat, vegetables, and beer. Yes. Beer. Beer is loaded with B Vitamins. Well, loaded compared to what? Na. We won’t get into that. But, I can say that there is more B6 in beer than a McDonald’s hamburger! (tongue-in-cheek).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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.
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
Sausage and Tots Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe – Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Some folks like to get everything out and ready before they start the fire. Others like to get everything ready while the fire is heating up. It’s up to you. Me? I like to get everything out and ready before I light the fire. First, I don’t like racing the briquettes. That’s when I feel like the briquettes are hot and ready but my ingredients are not. Second, I kind of like to enjoy my coffee there while I watch the charcoal briquettes burn and heat up. On a colder morning, I enjoy a good warming-up in front of that charcoal chimney.
The Sausage: You don’t have to use a whole pound of sausage. And, you don’t have to use breakfast sausage; Italian sausage works good too. AND, you could use ground beef. AND! You could mix the different sausages and meats.
The Tater Tots: I have to be honest, I am not a big fan of using processed foods in my recipes. But, at the same time, I am a big fan of “easy.” Sometimes, “easy” ain’t so good. But, sometimes “easy” is VERY GOOD! This is one of those kinds of “easy.”
Frozen or thawed? The tots can be frozen when you put them in…but…it’ll take longer. Likewise, we really don’t want them to be completely thawed and at room temperature. Here’s the consideration: We have brought them to camp in our cooler or ice chest and they will have thawed some by the time we get there or by the time we are ready to use them. And, we pulled them out and opened the bag before we lit the fire. They will thaw a bit more. Yes, they will still be cold and hard. It’s okay. They will cook in that pot…no worries.
Another option would be to use about 2 pounds of baked potatoes that have been cooled and shredded up with a cheese shredder. If you go this route, you will need to consider the salt content. The dish may need a bit of salt added over those shredded potatoes when you add them to the top of the dish as the tater tot substitute.
Another tip if you are using shredded baked potato is to create a bit of a hash brown from the potatoes before adding them to the top of the recipe (see Step 17).
I suggest baking the potatoes the evening before and keeping the cooled potatoes in the ice chest or cooler. Or, baking the potatoes at home and packing them with you to camp. The skin? I would just leave it there on the potato. Mamma always said, “you eat that skin; that’s where all the vitamins are.” I don’t know about where the vitamins are but it’s A-OK to leave the skin on those baked potatoes and just shred them up.
A note about using baked potatoes: You will need to adjust for the salt…but…as always: Salt to taste. Here’s an article I have on the Salt-to-Taste copout (tongue in cheek): https://beerandiron.com/salt-to-taste.
First, set everything up and have it at the ready including your tools and utensils. It’s inevitable that you’ll be looking for the one thing when it’s time.
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)
- Cutting Board and a Knife for the Meat; to keep the cut bacon pieces and to store the large sausage patty
- Cutting Board and a Knife for the Onions and to store the shredded cheese
- Cheese Shredder
- Wooden Spatula
- Wooden Wok Shovel or a Spoon (optional)
- Paper Towels
- Bowl and Fork to Scramble the Eggs with the Milk and Pepper
- Meat Chopper (optional)
- Fork to scramble the eggs
- Bowl for the eggs and milk
- Scissors (if you prefer to cut the onions and bacon without a cutting board and knife).
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:
4 Slices of Bacon
1 Pound / 450g of Breakfast Sausage
1-2 Bunches of Green Onions (chopped with the green chives separated from the white bulb bottoms)
2½ Cups of Grated Cheddar Cheese (divide out ½ -1 cup for the last steps).
2 Cups of Milk (any fat)
4 Large Eggs
½ teaspoon of Pepper
Salt to Taste
2 lbs. Tater Tots, Frozen
Instructions
Step 1: In a bowl, crack the four eggs, add the milk and pepper, and scramble very well.
Step 2: Open the Sausage and create a large flat patty-like shape, almost like a large disk of sausage.
Step 3: Cut the bacon perpendicular and into small strips. Just make a little pile of bacon pieces near the sausage.
Step 4: Cut the green onions. Start at the green, chive ends and make thin cuts all the way towards the transition area. When you reach the white bulb area, cut the white area and keep it separated from the green chives. Don’t over-think this step…a little more of green with white or white with green…it’s all good.
Step 5: Open the pack of tater-tots and have them nearby.
Right now, we have our egg mixture ready, the sausage is ready, and bacon is prepared, our green onions are chopped, and the tots are at the ready. Come on baby, light the fire!
Step 6: Set 24-30 or more charcoal briquettes to fire in the charcoal chimney.
Step 7: While the fire is heating, place your 12-Inch cast iron camp Dutch oven near the charcoal chimney to pre-heat / pre-warm.
Now, let’s cook!
Step 8: Once the briquettes are ready, place the 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven over 24-30 or more charcoal briquettes to heat up very hot.
Step 9: Add the bacon to the hot Dutch oven and cook until crispy. When the bacon is done, scoop the small pieces out, and set them aside (maybe on a paper towel to catch the excess oil). This is where you will find the wok shovel to be invaluable. Use the wooden spatula to scoop the bacon bits into the wok shovel and set them aside.
Step 10: Let the bacon fat in the hot 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven get very, very hot. Then add the large, patty-like shape of breakfast sausage to the hot pot. We want to brown and caramelize the sausage on one side and then the other BEFORE we break it up.
Add the sausage in one large chunk. Don’t (yet) mix or break up the sausage. Let the sausage sear and brown a bit on one side. Then, flip the large patty over and brown the other side. This WILL add a layer of flavor that does make a difference.
Step 11: Once the sausage has browned nicely, break up the sausage and cook thoroughly. There may be quite a bit of fat and oil produced during this process. That’s okay. If there is quite a bit of liquid fat in the pot, move the sausage to one side of the pot and use a few paper towels to soak up the excess grease.
Leave about 2-3 tablespoons of fat in the pot for sautéing. If you need more oil, add some butter or oil to the pot and let it heat.
Chef Tip: Most of the time when cooking in camp, the Dutch oven sits on slightly unlevel ground and things will “pool” to one side of the pot. PERFECT! Move the browned sausage to the “uphill” side of the pot and then let the fat drain “downhill.”
Chef Tip: That greasy paper towel makes for a great fire starter. Chunk it or save it for the next fire.
Step 12: Add the white bulb parts of the green onions to the pot and mix with the sausage. Sauté until the onions are soft and ready.
Step 13: Pull the pot from the fire so we can put our dish together without the fear of burning stuff.
Step 14: Spread the sausage and onions out evenly over the bottom of the Dutch oven.
Step 15: Add 1-2 cups of cheese to the top of the sausage. I usually don’t measure the cheese; I usually use a couple of handfuls of cheese and just make a nice layer there above the sausage. DO NOT mix or stir in the cheese with the sausage.
Step 16: Pour in the egg mixture and evenly over the cheese-covered sausage. Careful here and go slowly. Pouring the egg in too fast will “wash away” the ingredients that are already in the pot. Pour slow and in a circular motion. DO NOT stir the pot.
Step 17: Add the tater tots to the top of everything. Use your hand. If you pour in the tater tots from the bag, the weight of the tots will “push” the ingredients aside. Use your hand and add a few at a time. “Sprinkle” them on the top. Some will sink; that’s okay. DO NOT mix in the tater tots. Just let them sit on the top.
If you are using shredded baked potatoes, grab a handful at a time and cover the mixture with the shredded potatoes. Then, decide if you’d like some salt. If so, sprinkle a bit on the top of the potatoes.
Step 18: Return the lid to the pot. From the pile of briquettes we have already, transfer 16-18 hot charcoal briquettes evenly on the lid.
Step 19: Set 8-10 hot charcoal briquettes in a circle about the size of the diameter of the bottom of the Dutch oven and set the Dutch oven over these 8-10 briquettes.
Step 20: Turn the pot in 10-15 minutes. Rotate the lid in one direction 1/3 of a turn. And then, turn the whole pot 1/3 of a turn in the other direction. Do this 2-3 times.
Step 21: After 30 minutes, use a fork to sneak out a tot. Give it a taste test. Is it done? Does it need more time? Are the eggs done? You may need to bake for another 15 minutes.
Step 22: When the tots are fully warmed and the egg is fully cooked, remove the pot from the fire. Remove the lid and set aside on a lid stand. Place the remaining bits of cheese on the top (1/2 – 1 Cup), sprinkle the cut green onion chives over the top, and evenly spread out the bacon bits we cooked earlier. Put the lid back on the pot.
Step 23: Place all the hot briquettes you have on the top of the lid of the Dutch oven (remove all heat from the bottom of the Dutch oven). If you have a few extra, you can add them as well. We are now BROILING the ingredients to really toast the tots and cheese. Let the cheese melt and toast for about 5-10 minutes. Check after 5 minutes to make sure you don’t burn it.
Step 24: Once the cheese is melted and the dish is ready, it’s time for breakfast!!
I use a wooden spoon or a wok shovel to cut and scoop out from the pot and directly into the bowl. ENJOY!
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
Sausage and Tots Easy Breakfast Casserole
A layered breakfast casserole that is very easy to prepare in camp and bake in your 12-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Equipment
- Cutting Board for the Meat
- Cutting Board for the Onions
- Cheese Shredder
- Wooden Spatula
- Wooden Wok Shovel or a Spoon (optional)
- Paper Towels
- Bowl – to Scramble the Eggs with the Milk and Pepper
- Meat Chopper (optional) (optional)
- Fork to scramble the eggs – to scramble the eggs
- Scissors – if you prefer to cut the onions and bacon without a cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 4 Slices Bacon
- 1 Pound Breakfast Sausage
- 1-2 Bunches of Green Onions – chopped with the green chives separated from the white bulb bottoms
- 2½ Cups Grated Cheddar Cheese – divide out ½ -1 cup for the last steps.
- 2 Cups Milk – any fat percentage
- 4 Large Eggs
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- Salt to Taste
- 2 lbs. Tater Tots – Frozen
Instructions
- In a bowl, crack the four eggs, add the milk and pepper, and scramble very well.
- Open the Sausage and create a large flat patty-like shape, almost like a large disk of sausage.
- Cut the bacon perpendicular and into small strips.
- Cut the green onions. Keep the “green” chive parts and the “white” bulb parts separate.
- Set 24-30 or more charcoal briquettes to fire in the charcoal chimney.
- Once the briquettes are ready, place the 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven over 24-30 or more charcoal briquettes to heat up very hot.
- Add the bacon to the hot Dutch oven and cook until crispy. When the bacon is done, scoop the small pieces out, and set them aside.
- Add the large, patty-like shape of breakfast sausage to the hot pot. Brown and caramelize the sausage on one side and then the other BEFORE breaking it up. Once the sausage has browned nicely, break up the sausage and cook thoroughly.
- Remove the excess oil from the pot and leave about 2-3 tablespoons of fat in the pot for sautéing the onions. If you need more oil, add some butter or oil to the pot and let it heat.
- Add the bulb parts (white parts) of the green onions to the pot and mix with the sausage. Sauté until the onions are soft and ready.
- Spread the sausage and onions out evenly over the bottom of the Dutch oven and layer 1-2 cups of cheese to the top of the sausage.
- Pour in the egg mixture and evenly over the cheese-covered sausage. Pour slow and in a circular motion. DO NOT stir the pot.
- Add the tater tots to the top of everything. Use your hand and add a few at a time. Just layer them on the top.
- Return the lid to the pot and place 16-18 hot charcoal briquettes evenly on the lid. Then, set the Dutch oven over a circle of 8-10 hot charcoal briquettes under the Dutch oven and set the Dutch oven over these 8-10 briquettes.
- Turn the pot in 10-15 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, use a fork to sample a tater tot for a doneness-taste-test. You may need to bake for another 15 minutes.
- When the tots are fully warmed and the egg is fully cooked, remove the lid and place the remaining cheese on the top (1/2 – 1 Cup), sprinkle the cut green onion chives over the top, and evenly spread out the bacon bits. Put the lid back on the pot.
- Place all the hot briquettes you have on the top of the lid of the Dutch oven to broil the ingredients (remove all heat from the bottom of the Dutch oven). Let the cheese melt and toast for about 5-10 minutes. Check after 5 minutes to make sure you don’t burn it.
Notes
The Sausage: You don’t have to use a whole pound of sausage. And, you don’t have to use breakfast sausage; Italian sausage works good too. AND, you could use ground beef. AND! You could mix the different sausages and meats.
The Tater Tots: I have to be honest, I am not a big fan of using processed foods in my recipes. But, at the same time, I am a big fan of “easy.” Sometimes, “easy” ain’t so good. But, sometimes “easy” is VERY GOOD! This is one of those kinds of “easy.”
Frozen or thawed? The tots can be frozen when you put them in…but…it’ll take longer. Likewise, we really don’t want them to be completely thawed and at room temperature. Here’s the consideration: We have brough them to camp in our cooler or ice chest and they will have thawed some by the time we get there or by the time we are ready to use them. And, we pulled them out and opened the bag before we lit the fire. They will thaw a bit more. Yes, they will still be cold and hard. It’s okay. They will cook in that pot…no worries.
Another option would be to use about 2 pounds of baked potatoes that have been cooled and shredded up with a cheese shredder. If you go this route, you will need to consider the salt content. The dish may need a bit of salt added over those shredded potatoes when you add them to the top of the dish as the tater tot substitute.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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
Easiest pack-up-and-go recipes. A deep, dark chicken recipe with prunes, capers, and olives in a nice beer marinade.
Tenderize, Beer-Brine, and Cook the Easiest and Best Tasting Chicken Breast
This guide on how to prepare chicken breast will take you from package to plate. There are no rules here and any part of this guide could be used in creating other recipes. Often, we will tenderize, brine, and prepare the chicken for other recipes than those that call for whole chicken breasts.
Sometimes we will cut up the chicken for soups, stews, and even Chicken Satay and kabobs.
My goal with this recipe is to both offer a complete guide as well as be a resource for many other recipes that use chicken breast meat as an ingredient. Each step of this recipe can be considered a stand-alone section.
PART 1 – HOW TO TENDERIZE THE CHICKEN BREAST
You will need three things here (affiliate links):
- Cutting Board: https://amzn.to/3u7rUCp
- Needle Tenderizer: https://amzn.to/3ueg619
- Tenderizing Mallet: https://amzn.to/3vU1HI0
I use red cutting boards for meats. The cutting board will take a lot of abuse during this process. You will want one that SITS FLAT AGAINST THE COUNTERTOP. Some have little legs or elevations to them. The pounding will cause them to bounce.
The needle tenderizer should have a “springboard.” The one in the link above has a round disk that is spring activated. When the needles penetrate the meat, the little springboard “pushes” the meat back as you pull the needle tenderizer back from the meat. Even with the little springboard, the meat will want to stick to the device. Needle tenderizers without that little springboard are frustrating to use. Period.
The tenderizing mallet is used to “flatten” or “spread out” the chicken meat. I don’t use plastic wrap for this process. Many people do and that’s A-OK. This is not a debate-like issue; it’s just a preference.
Why Tenderize?
My grandfather, Pops as we all called him, would ask questions like, “Good morning Sulae! How’d that bed sleep?” Or daddy would get a new car, “Hey! That’s a fancy car! How’s it drive?” And, at dinner and on my sixth serving of bar-b-que ribs, “Hey Sulae! How’s them ribs eatin’?”
We all know the problem with plan old chicken breast: It don’t “eat good”…not at all. But, we also all know that it seems to be the most sought after pieces of the bunch that can be pulled from that bird. For me? I prefer chicken thighs…and as things go…my wife and son don’t care for the dark meat. Chicken breast and chicken thighs are both chicken, but they have different chicken “flavors” and textures. Chicken thighs are just easier to eat…plain and simple. I want my chicken breast to be as easy to eat as chicken thighs.
Tenderizing the chicken breast meat is the solution.
I’ve seen stores sell thin-sliced chicken breast meat and folks thin-slice the chicken at home. Thin-slicing does help create a piece of meat that will more evenly cook…but will still be tough.
Bottom line: Tenderizing the chicken breast before cooking is the way to go. It’s an extra step but really doesn’t take that long. The meal will be more enjoyable and the leftovers won’t be neglected to the point of spoiling and being tossed.
PART 2– HOW TO BEER-BRINE CHICKEN BREAST
Equipment you will need for this part (affiliate links):
- Large Bowl
- Zipper Bags (2.5-Gallon Size: https://amzn.to/498YEtD)
- Measuring Spoon
- Drying Rack (https://amzn.to/3OjNz0W) or Tray (https://amzn.to/3vWR6fy)
- Paper towels
Remember this ratio: 12:1. For every 12-ounces of beer, you will add 1-Tablespoon of salt. Believe it or not…SALT IS MORE IMPORTAINT THAN THE BEER.
I am a registered nurse…imagine that! And, I know that there is a “low sodium” movement. I’m okay with that…only…I don’t really watch my sodium all that much. I watch the 1000 other things that I feel are a real problem. Regardless of whatever we all think about salt, it’s salt that makes a brine a brine. You will need the salt to make the brine “work.”
With that being said, if you are looking to reduce your salt intake, then forego the brining. I suggest you tenderize and then cook your chicken.
YOUR CHICKEN WILL NOT TASTE AS SALTY AS THE BRINE.
I cannot taste “salty” for you. What do I mean? Salt tastes salty…but how salty something is depends in the one tasting the meal. Two people can sit down to have a meal. One may add salt feeling the meal is not salty enough. Another may not enjoy the same meal because he or she feels the meal is too salty.
For me…subjectively…this twelve to one (12:1) beer to salt ratio is perfect. The ONE HOUR limit I put on my time-in-the-brine is perfect as well. I’ll brine my tenderized chicken breast meat for only ONE HOUR and then pat dry the chicken breasts before storing or cooking.
In-The-Brine-Time
Normally, you’d brine a piece of meat for hours or days. This chicken meat has been tenderized and has been “opened up” to receive that brine more readily. If the chicken sits too long in the brine, it usually becomes too salty…for me.
If you are worried about too much salt or over-salting / over-brining the chicken breast for your and your family’s subjective taste preferences, consider a trial run using only two chicken breasts. I know. I know. If it comes out too salty or under-salted, the two chicken breasts may be ruined and wasted. Then again…so goes trying new recipes…I know I’ve been disappointed by the ingredients another person’s recipe called for. And the good news: When I modified that recipe, it worked perfectly. Same goes with this one.
If you are preparing this recipe for the first time: DON’T try it with a bunch of chicken; start with two or four chicken breasts and TRY IT FIRST to make sure you have your in-the-brine-time where you want it.
PART 3 – HOW TO COOK THE CHICKEN BREAST
FYI: You can forego the searing in oil and go straight to the oven as a bake…I’ll explain…
I am a proponent of Maillard Reaction. Cooking is chemistry…plain and simple…our kitchens are our in-house chemistry laboratory (and some of y’all are mad scientists). The Maillard Reaction happens when we sear our meat. A “chemical reaction” occurs “between amino acids and reducing sugars to create melanoidins.” Well, that’s what Wickipedia says anyway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction). I just know that whatever happens during pan searing or pan sautéing results in the food tasting more delicious (it’s why toasted bread tastes better than a plain-from-the-wrapper slice does).
I use oil to pan sear the chicken first. Then, after the chicken is toasted up really well, I finish the chicken in the oven on a grill pan. This allows for the excess broth AND oil to drain away from the chicken…and we don’t use too much oil either…about a tablespoon per chicken breast.
Too Much Oil! In the video, I inadvertently added too much oil for those first two chicken breasts and it seemed like they were being fried more than being pan seared. It’s okay to pour some of the oil off if you’ve added too much.
Too Little Oil! Too little oil causes problems too. The pan will dry out and the chicken will just burn.
This is why we pat dry and sear the chicken in batches.
Cast iron is the cookware of choice to get the Maillard Reaction…heck…it’s just the cookware of choice, right! To get that nice, seared crust, the meat’s immediate surface area must reach about 300°F / 148-150°C. That means the cast iron must be hotter than that to get the meat’s surface that temperature.
Now, meat will not sear if there is moisture at the surface. We need to sear the meat at a very hot temperature to keep the broth from flowing resulting in boiled meat.
Water boils at 212°F / 100°C. If water or the moisture from the chicken is bubbling around the surface of that chicken, then it’ll work like a radiator in the car. It’ll keep the chicken’s surface area at 212°F / 100°C and you’ll not reach the required 300°F / 150°C for the Maillard Reaction to occur.
This is the reason we pat-dry the chicken after brining the chicken and why we “flour” our chicken before we start cooking it. We dust the chicken with flour before we add it to that pan. We want the moisture in the chicken and not at the surface of the chicken (there’s a “but” in there I’ll cover later).
Will the chicken meat absorb some of the oil?
“Heck yeah!” – Napoleon Dynamite
If you are looking for chicken breast without oil, then “heck yeah,” there too! Just forego the pan searing and bake the chicken. Will the baked chicken taste as good as pan seared chicken that has been finished in the oven? The simple answer is, “No.” But, will it taste good? Again…“Heck yeah!”
Sauté / sear your chicken in batches. WHY? There is an eternal battle that has always existed between cast iron and the food. The hot cast iron tries to heat the food and the cooler food tries to cool the cast iron. It’s like warm water from the faucet; there’s no “warm” water coming from the hot water tank…it’s either hot or cold water. The two waters “mix” to create “warm” water. Too many chicken breasts in a single cast iron skillet or pot will cool the pot rather than the pot heating the chicken. The broth will flow and the chicken will boil.
How many chicken breasts can you sauté/sear at a time. Here’s my suggestion:
10.25-inch Skillet: 1-2 chicken breasts
12-inch Skillet: 2-3 chicken breasts
15-inch Skillet: 3-4 chicken breasts
I have a 17-inch skillet. The problem then becomes the size of your burner on the stove. The center of that very large skillet will be the area that’s the hottest. You may could fit 4-5 chicken breasts in that large 17-inch-er, but you’ll not get that sear you’re looking for.
Considering Camp Cast Iron Dutch Ovens:
Take the diameter of your oven and multiply that by two. That number tells you how many charcoal briquettes to place under your Dutch oven. I often will even add more than that number.
10-inch Camp Dutch Oven: 1-2 chicken breasts
12- inch Camp Dutch Oven: 2-3 chicken breasts
14-inch Camp Dutch Oven: 3-4 chicken breasts
16-inch Camp Dutch Oven: 3-5 chicken breasts (maybe)
Ready to Cook
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Add 1 cup of flour (white, wheat, almond, or your choice) to a large bowl.
Step 2: Add 1 tablespoon of oil for every 1 chicken breast you are going to add to that skillet at that time. Don’t consider all the chicken breasts batches you are planning. Only add 1 tablespoon to the skillet per chicken breast you are planning to sear per batch.
Step 3: Place a grill/griddle pan in the oven with the grill side up. Set the oven to 350°F /175°C.
Step 4: Bring that oil in the skillet to the smoke point. VERY HOT.
Step 5: While the oil is heating up, place the pat-dried chicken breast into the bowl of flour and dust both sides. Give them a dusting…no crusting.
Step 6: Add the appropriate number of chicken breasts to the skillet and let the meat sear on one side. You will start to see the chicken meat develop a “halo” of white-ish, cooked meat around the edges.
Step 7: Flip the chicken breast over and sear the other side.
Step 8: While the chicken is searing on the second side, prep the next batch of chicken breast in the flour.
Step 9: Transfer the seared, yet still under-cooked chicken breast to the grill side of the grill/griddle pan that is in the oven. You’ll hear a bit of a sizzle…Perfect!
Step 10: Start the next batch of chicken breasts and continue searing your largest pieces first with the smaller pieces going in last.
Step 11: After the last piece of chicken is in the oven, cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F / 73-75°C. I use a wired/wireless thermometer. When I pull the chicken out of the oven, I check each piece with an instant-read thermometer. Here are a couple of (affiliate) links to the ones I use:
ThermoPro TP07 Wireless Meat Thermometer: https://amzn.to/3OkKYUA
ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer: https://amzn.to/42iV4Ls
My advice: Watch the prices! I’ve bought the TP07 in November 2023 for $23.99. They are running (01/28/2024) $51.88 (USA). The same brand has a 2-temp and 4-temp options that are cheaper than this one.
EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA!
Sometimes I will make a dish that requires the whole chicken breast meat and add it to the dish before I place it in the oven. The chicken will finish cooking along with the rest of the recipe.
I do hope you learned something today. I have a few other recipes and videos that are related to this one:
https://beerandiron.com/beer-brined-chicken-piccata-beer-and-lemon-sauce/
https://beerandiron.com/basic-beer-brine-template-recipe/
https://beerandiron.com/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken/
https://beerandiron.com/beer-brined-coconut-kale-chicken/
https://beerandiron.com/cantina-jack-chicken-recipe-in-a-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven/
Thanks for visiting Beer and Iron. You all keep on enjoying your frosted glasses of that fermented barley pop and cooking on those cast iron beauties.
We’ll see y’all next time!
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.
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