Campfire and Dutch Oven Recipes

Traveling in an RV is great! For many, it brings ideas of staying in a beautiful forest with amazingly starlit skies, meditative hikes, and relaxing in chairs while taking in the scenery. In the middle of all of that is a cozy campfire in the evening. Having lived in an RV for almost five years myself, I can say that I have experienced the above scenario a number of times, save for the last bit, the campfire.

It is not often I see fellow long-term campers start up a fire in the fire ring just a few steps from their rig. Why is that? My opinion is that the RV is much too comfortable. We have all of the amenities of sticks and bricks homes and in some cases even more. There is no reason to go through the effort of starting a fire that is only going to be enjoyed for 20 minutes until someone decides the comfort of the RV is more fun.

I find that food is one of the few things that make a campfire worth building. So I have decided to share some campfire recipes that just might get you and your family out of the RV and into your lawn chairs.

Best Cooking Fire

There are numerous ways to build a fire. This article details five of them. The best method I have found for cooking is the pyramid or upside-down fire. This method has you stacking layers of wood from the biggest pieces at the bottom to the smallest pieces and kindling at the top. So instead of traditional fires that burn from the ground up, this one burns from the top down. It’s a great way to build a cooking fire because as it burns down, it creates lots of coals to cook with. This article gives a great step by step guide on how to make this type of fire.

Related Read: 4 Tips for Building an Amazing Campfire

Foil Packets

The easiest method to cook on fire is to use a foil packet. The concept is simple. Place everything you want to cook on a piece of foil, bring the ends together, and fold over. Then roll the other two ends in, as well. Here is a link with more detailed instructions.



Photo of a finished foil packet. Credit: www.dirtygourmet.com

These meals are easy to make and generally only require the food and aluminum foil. You can save on plates and eat some of them right out of the foil.

Tex-Mex Chicken Dinner

Ingredients (per packet)

• 1/2 cup frozen corn

• 1/2 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/4 cup salsa

• 1/4 teaspoon of taco seasoning

• 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese or cheddar cheese

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 chicken breast

• 1/2 lime

• sour cream

• mashed avocado

Directions

Adjust the portions to fit however many meals you want to make. Mix the corn, black beans, and taco seasoning in a bowl. Divide between the foil packets.

Salt and pepper the chicken breast, and lay it on top of the corn and beans. Top with salsa and cheese.

Squeeze the juice from half a lime onto everything, and toss the lime next to the chicken.

Fold the foil to make the packet as described above, and place on hot coals of a fire. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, and carefully turn the packet over every 10 minutes so it cooks evenly. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165° Fahrenheit before eating.

Top the chicken with sour cream and avocado. Enjoy.

Notes

This meal is easy to make as it really only requires one bowl to mix the corn and beans. If there are children present and they are old enough, they can be in charge of cooking their own meal which makes dinner fun and educational.

Related Read: RV Recipes: Grilling on the Go

Hawaiian French Sandwiches

This recipe is less of a foil packet but still wrapped in foil. It is great for a lunch or breakfast meal.

Ingredients

• 1 french loaf of bread (the long ones that you get fresh from the bakery section at the store)

• dijon honey mustard

• 8 to 10 pineapple slices

• 1 package of sliced ham

• 8 to 10 slices of cheddar or swiss cheese

Directions

Cut the french bread loaf in half to make a top and bottom of a giant sandwich.

Spread honey mustard on the bottom half.

Place ham on top of the mustard, and place slices of pineapple on top of the ham followed by the cheese.

Place on top of aluminum foil, and cut almost all the way through the loaf to make 2 to 3-inch sandwiches.

Wrap the whole loaf in tin foil, and place on hot coals of a campfire.

Turn every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes total.

Unwrap, pull apart sandwiches, and enjoy.

Dutch Oven Recipes

If you already have a dutch oven, then you may know how to use it already. If you don’t, here is a video that shows how to use them. If you are using a cast iron dutch oven, you won’t want to use any metal in it. However, if you are using an aluminum one, you can make cleanup easy by covering the inside with heavy duty aluminum foil. That way all you have to do is pull the foil out after using.

Boy Scout Peach Cobbler

I’ll tell you the truth, when it comes to anything that resembles a soup, stew, or complicated meal, I would most likely not cook it over coals and a fire. I would do it in my RV where it is easier. Desert, on the other hand, will get me outside. I have been known to start a campfire just for a s’more. This quick, easy peach cobbler might just get you out of the rig and next to a fire.

• 2 (30 oz.) cans sliced peaches, in syrup

• 1 package white or yellow cake mix

• ground cinnamon to taste

• 1/2 stick butter or margarine

Directions

Place dutch oven over hot coals of a fire or over charcoal briquettes.

Add the peaches, including syrup, into the oven.

Spread the dry cake mix over the top of the peaches, sprinkle cinnamon on, and cut the butter up and distribute over the cake mix.

Place the lid of the pot on, and cover the lid with hot coals or more charcoal.

Bake for 45 minutes or until done.

Spoon out into bowls and add ice cream on the side.

Dutch Oven Pancake Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 boxes of frozen pancakes

• 4 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups half and half or cream.

• 1 package cocktail-sized smoked link sausages

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• syrup

Directions

Oil your dutch oven, and separate the frozen pancakes so they can thaw a bit.

Chop the sausage into pieces.

Mix eggs and cream or half and half with a whisk.

Chop or break up the pancakes into large pieces and add them along with the sausage to the eggs. Toss to coat.

Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes; then pour into the oven.

Bake with coals underneath and on the lid for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Sprinkle the cheese on top and close the lid again for about 10 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown.

Take off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Cut into squares.

Top with syrup.

Conclusion

I hope that some of the recipes above have convinced you to head out of the RV and into the great outdoors to light a campfire. What are your favorite campfire recipes?