My all time favorite summer activity is camping with the family. The smell of the outdoors along with the sound of bugs chirping, squeaking, and buzzing, is soothing for anyone who loves camping under the stars. One of the most enjoyable parts of camping is the food; there is nothing that compares. Here’s my favorite campfire recipe, and if you have children, they’ll love helping you make the breadsticks.
What You Will Need Before Getting Started
I love making things simple, so I try to bring along the least amount of supplies possible. My first choice for a camp dinner is a one-pot beef and veggie meal, along with a side of breadsticks, prepared on sticks! All you will need from home for this meal is a 6 quart cast iron camp Dutch oven, some charcoal or wood, campfire appliances, and the food.
INGREDIENTS
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MEAT:
2 lbs beef chuck roast (boneless)
8 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper[/one_half]
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VEGETABLES:
3 cups of chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion sliced in wedges
20 cherry tomatoes
½ lb fresh okra, sliced in inch thick pieces
3 ears corn, cut into thirds
½ lb of fresh green beans, cut in half
½ lb baby carrots
½ lb zucchini, cut into chunks
½ lb red potatoes, cut into 1 inch squares[/one_half_last]
PREPARATION: (3 hours cook time)
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Two Days Prior to Camping Trip Dinner
- Place meat ingredients in a Ziploc bag and chill.
- Place zucchini, carrots, okra, and green beans in a Ziploc bag; and onion, corn and tomatoes in another. Chill both bags but don’t chill potatoes.[/one_half]
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At Camp
- Build a fire and get some hot coals or burn 50 charcoal briquets for about 15 minutes. This recipe calls for top and bottom cooking so use half the coals to set the Dutch oven on, and the other half to place on top of the lid while cooking.
- Put the Dutch oven on the hot coals and add the butter. Add roast and brown for 10 minutes on one side, then turn it over, add 2 cups of chicken broth and cover. Organize half of the hot coals on top of the lid. Cook for one hour, adding wood or briquets to the fire when needed for extra heat. If there is too much heat, remove some of the top coals (on the lid).
- Remove the top coals, turn the meat, add the remaining broth, potatoes, and vegetable bag with the tomatoes. Cover and cook another hour, after arranging the coals on top of the lid once more.
- Turn the meat again and add the vegetable bag with zucchini. Cover and cook an additional half hour, or until the meat is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste from there.
Bread Sticks on a Stick
To make things simple, like I do, use a container of store bought breadstick dough.
- Breadstick dough
- Butter
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Find a heavy duty stick that will hold the weight of the raw dough. Open the dough and spread it out over a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Start at the tip of the stick and wrap the dough around, spiraling down. The ends will need to be pinched in order to hold the dough in place.
- Rotate the dough over the fire for as long as it takes to meet your preference.
- Once cooked, add butter, garlic, and salt to taste and indulge.
