Yesterday was a day of laundry, a stop for grocery’s and a drive. We got back early to the campsite as I had decided I was going to try to make lasagna in the Dutch Oven and it turned out great! I made up my sauce and assembled it inside the camper – easier that way. Sometimes at home I make a sauce from scratch but here in the camper I use a jar of marina and a can of chopped tomatoes, about a teaspoon of mixed Italian herbs dried. I use Italian sausage also. The noodles I use are the ones that do not have to be boiled before you use them. To make clean up easy I use dutch oven liners that I bought on line in a package of about 10 or so.
All assembled – not as pretty as it can be and had to break some noodles and slices of mozzarella to fit in the circle pan usually I use a rectangular baking dish at home.
Now I had some questions about how do you use a dutch oven – I tried to take photos as I went to show.
First you get your charcoal started – I forgot to get a photo of that. Then when it is beginning to gray you put a circle of charcoal on the ground or the surface you are using.
Put your pan on top of it.
Then with tongs pick up the charcoal one piece at a time and put about 18 to 20 on top of the oven making them kind of uniformly covering the surface of the top of the oven
Ready to go – for cookies I turn the top and bottom in opposite directions about 5 minutes to bake uniform in color so no burn spots come about. For lasagna I thought about every 15 minutes would do the trick for about 45 to 60 minutes. It was done in 45 minutes. Take a peak now and then but not too often or heat escapes.
While the baking is going on I sit back and relax with my kindle and some ice tea.
Done and bubbly – a few almost too brown spots but not bad – it turned out just like at home in the oven. You can either leave it in the oven too cool off a little by taking the lid off and move off of the coals or you can transfer it carefully to a cookie sheet which is what I did so I could bring it to the table.
Hope this helps those that wonder how you do this method of cooking. Some say when camping they wouldn’t be bothered with much cooking and be eating a lot of hot dogs and hamburgers, granola bars and peanut butter sandwiches – I would agree if I didn’t do this often and because this is a two month trip in the camper that would get kind of old and boring. I do work with a small kitchen but I like to experiment a little bit and have some interesting meals.
I have never done any dutch oven cooking. I do use my cast iron skillets on the grill in the summer instead of heating up the oven. I think this would be fun to do while sitting around the campsite!
It’s a real knack to be able to cook in a Dutch Oven. Good for you for making so many wonderful things! Someday I would like to experiment more, too.
The lasagna looks yummy 🙂 I love my dutch oven and I use all cast iron skillets all the time. I know it is much easier not to have to wash the dutch oven, but if it is seasoned properly it’s very easy to clean, and I personally like the taste better without a liner. But it definitely is easier just to toss the dirty liner and not have to wash anything. I’ve never tried using charcoal with mine. We always just put ours over the campfire. But then you have to really watch it and turn it often. I’ll have to try the charcoal method sometime.
Your Lasagna looks every bit a good as what I would make at home. I always make mine with the oven ready noodles and I used premade spaghetti sauce adding onion, mushrooms peppers and ground beef. My cheese layers are Mozarella and Ricotta with an egg to help it set. I made a huge batch the other day so I have had one to eat that night and another one for a couple of weeks from now when I will have a busy day. I always let mine sit for about 10-15 minutes or so before I cut it so that it will not be too runny. PS did I ever tell you my favorite recipe for muffins Now is the one you posted a long time ago. the Weight watchers recipe with oatmeal and apple sauce. I change it up with difference fruits and spices but we all love it.
Love that you enjoy cooking even on vaca.. but I agree fast foods get old after a bit… so it is nice to have a broad selection.. esp after just grocery shopping.. all your ingredients were fresh that way too! I like the darker parts on cheese! lol Loving your trip! Kathi
Amazing, that lasagna! It looks yummy, and, as you say, just like home. I guess it does get a little old, just BBQing and eating sandwiches. I would be inclined to cook soup and stew probably but not be as brave as you – baking. This winter I am going to try making artisan bread in a Dutch oven – in the regular oven, though. There’s a lady at our farmer’s market that sells it, and it is wonderful.
Your photos are wonderful. I’m reading backwards and did enjoy the moose! We have them in Vermont of course but don’t see them all that often, more in the fall and spring. They are a bit of a nuisance on hte interstate and can really do some damage to cars, not to mention big rigs.