Simple Gourmet Camping Food with a Dutch Oven

Camping can test your resources and presents an opportunity to try new things and have new experiences.  Many people who go camping rely on premade foods, hot dogs or freeze dried food for meals.  As a result, camping is synonymous with bad food.  However, there is a way to eat great, even gourmet, food while camping and it's through a Dutch oven. 

Dutch ovens are simply a type of cast iron pot that is used while camping to cook.  You can use them over an open frame hanging from a tripod, but the most common way to cook with them is to bury the oven in hot coals.  This makes the food cook evenly. You can also use them on specially made tables that make them more like cooking on a grill. 

You can cook pretty much anything in a Dutch oven.  It is a great way to make your favorite homemade dishes while out camping.  One of the most popular Dutch oven dishes is cobbler.  Dutch ovens are absolutely perfect for cobbler and the whole family will love it.  The secret to good Dutch oven food is all about quality, much like cooking at home so if you want your food to be the best it can be, use the best ingredients when preparing it. Some other dutch oven camping favorites include; pizza, chilli beans and just about any type of stew you can cook in a regular oven.

Take good care of your Dutch oven while camping and prior to leaving.  Cast iron is very susceptible to rust, so you'll want to season it before you leave home.  Rub it with vegetable oil or shortening then heat the cast iron pan upside down in an oven, with a sheet of foil on the bottom to catch drips. Once done, let the pan slowly cool to room temperature.

Aluminum Dutch ovens are now available as an alternative to the cast iron. These are easier to care for and a lot lighter which is making them gain popularity with camping crowds.

If you do decide to go with an aluminum Dutch oven for your camping trip, try and pick recipes that were written specifically for the aluminum variety as it is a different cooking experience altogether. For one thing, it is easier to burn food when cooking with the aluminum Dutch ovens.  This is important because, in a camping context with so much going on and in unfamiliar settings, it is easy to get distracted while camping.  Nothing ruins a camping trip faster than burnt food.

Just in case, bring some easy backup food in case anything goes wrong with your Dutch oven cooking and give it a test run at home to make sure you've got it all figured out.