This weekend during a father-daughter campout, had some cobbler made in a Dutch Oven over coals...WOW!

Now I gotta have one. Anybody well-versed with these that can offer tips on brands, seasoning etc.?

I prefer the Lodge brand. They are a bit more money but you get what you pay for. You can season them yourself or buy them pre-seasoned. Mine seem to do better over a gas burner vs an electric one. (And over an open fire there is nothing better)

They are great. The next time the rodeo comes to town, they usually do something called a cowbow breakfast for the folks. Try to check it out. Good eats and you will learn a lot about how to cook with one.

Use Lodge and season by the directions. MMMM-Good.

I would second the LODGE brand. I have also found that the brand sold by CABELAS works very well. My wife is invited on EVERY campout that my Boy Scout Troop (I am the past Scoutmaster) takes. She is known as "The Dutch Oven Chef" for some of the things she has made. All of her dishes are made over a wood or charcoal fire. She says that using gas or electric is not real dutch oven cooking.
All I know is that she is a GREAT cook and the campouts she attends are the best attended (Scouts and Adults alike) activities we have.

It doesnt matter what brand of iron pot you get, they are all the same. It should come with directions to season it if it isnt already seasoned(generaly coat with cooking oil and then place in oven fore a while) If you are going to cook over electric or gas burner, then it isnt a dutch oven too me, it is cooking with a big pan.

The best way we have found to cook with is over charcoal, because it takes too long to make coals from burning wood.

Warnings:1 be carefull of how much heat(how much coals) you put on the bottom, most things cook better whith majority of heat ont he top(keeps it from burning)2 when you wash up dont use soap, scrub it clean and let it dry, this will keep it from sticking in the future.

We have cooked everything from cookies to cake and chickens in ours, and they work great and are tuns of fun, good luck.

matt

If you really want to see dutch oven cooking at it's finest, check out the chuckwagon cookoff in Ruidoso every October at the race track. Teams compete by cooking like they did on the 19TH century cattle drives. They dress the part and it takes you back in time. Also there is a ton of nformation on Google about the dutch oven and castiron cookware.

Martha Washington had her cast iron pots in her will to her son George Washington,and it was Lewis and Clarks most valuable item that they stated after their trip.I love mine.

I've done quite a bit of it. Do a roast with spuds, onions and carrots. You'll love it. Quick cobblers are great. I think about any kind will work but I've bought all Lodge. If you get one/some don't forget to get the tool for lifting the lid. The right one makes a big difference. A griddle works great for breakfasts.

I gotta agree about charcoal. Also, if you go on mountain hunting trips, you can starve to death trying to get enough heat to cook in the higher altitudes. Although I've quit camping and using them, I wouldn't sell them.

Remember the pot swinging under the wagon on Lonesome Dove?

I took everyone's advice and went with the Lodge. Bought the pre-seasoned one for convenience. Made a cobbler using charcoal, it was made-me-want-to-slap-my-momma good!

Here was the recipe I came up with/modified by talking to the guy who cooked one last weekend:

3 cans of pie filling (cherry)
1 and 1/2 boxes of yellow cake mix on top
lighly sprinkled root beer over the cake mix
butter pads spread evenly on cake mix

15 coals on bottom, 10 on top
cooked for 1hr 45 minutes

Thanks for the input folks.

MaggieTex has a incredible apple dumpling recipe for dutch outdoor cooking and its pretty easy. Dang I'm hungry now

this is easy...can be cooked in dutch oven or baking dish in reg oven...

Mt Dew Apple Dumplings

2 tubes of croissant rolls (8 ct)
2 apples(peeled, cored & cut into 8 slices)-(your choice but grannys are good or any baking apple)
cinnamon
sugar
2 sticks butter
1 & 1/2 cups suger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can of Mt Dew

Unroll each croissant & place an apple slice at the large end & roll. Place in baking dish or dutch oven that has been sprayed w/ non stick spray ( Butter flav Pam)seam down. Sprinkle w/ lil of the cinnamon & sugar. In a saucepan, melt the 2 sticks of butter with the 1 & 1/2 c sugar & 1 teaspoon cinnamon. When sauce is melted, sugar dissolved & bubbly, pour over rolled up croissants. Then pour Mt Dew all around the edges of the rolls, not to wash off the glaze. Bake @ 350 ( be sure to preheat if ur using reg oven) for about 40-45 min or until. Can serve hot w/ vanillia ice cream. ENJOY! sauce sorta makes a caramel sauce too

This sounds to easy to be good but, it is out of this world

bigjohn,
You cant bet a good dutch oven. Lining with alum. foil make the clean up a little easier. Spray Pam also helps season and treats the oven.
And dont overlook turning lid upside down and using as a griddle!! Biscuits or bacon in the bottom -eggs on top.
Here is a good site for all you will ever need:
http://www.macscouter.com/Cooking/DutchOven_Intro.html#4A

To your cobbler add some cinammon or /chocolate chip/ or nuts
Never thought about: lighly sprinkled root beer over the cake mix!! Sound good!

Try adding a can of pepsi to a dutch oven full of chicken-They will love it!

FYI about your coals and baking cobbler
BAKING:
Usually done with more heat from the top than from the bottom. Coals should be placed under the oven and on the lid at a 1 to 3 ratio, having more on the lid.
James (the old Woodbadger)
Have fun. James

Thanks for the input, good advice. I have done two cobblers so far, both were great. Gonna experiment with your ideas and others before I bust it out on the boys at the lease!

thanks again,

John

Always wanted one but didn't know which one to buy...

This past weekend at our (Fayette County) Wildlife Management Association event, I won one in a dollar raffle, not just any one, but a large Lodge!!

The recipes yall just listed will be put to use this weekend especially the cobbler. I have some frozen peeled peaches from Stonewall and they now have a new destiny to fill.

Chris

Sounds like a good plan. The pie fillers are OK, but are all sugar and little flavor. Add some fresh or frozen sliced peachs, apples, aprricot, cherries, blackberries, to pie filler. Makes it outstanding!

Made my Mt Dew Apple dumplings in the oven today..YUMMMMMMMMMY still good

the recipie is above this. my wife loves mt dew. i am gonna get her to make it.

Mt Dew Apple Dumplings

Sounds great. Got my mouth watering!! Think I will give it a shot next week.

Everytime I cook a dutch oven it tastes like cast iron. Help please.