Pioneer Woman's "Best Baked Beans Ever"

Original recipe from The Pioneer Woman

8 slices bacon, halved
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
1/2 medium green pepper, cut into small dice
3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans (We used 3 15 oz. cans)
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon
We also added 8 pieces of cooked crumbled bacon into the beans

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

I think every family has their "family favorite" baked bean recipe. Not me, I like 'em all! This had more of a smoky flavor to it then my other baked bean recipe I have. It truly tasted like cowboy dutch oven baked beans that were made after a long hard day herding cattle. Yum!

Dutch Oven Stew

1 lb. stew meat
5 potatoes, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cans green beans (also add the juice)
1 can corn (also add the juice)
Large can of chopped tomato's
Large can on tomato soup or two reg. cans of tomato soup
Salt & Pepper to taste
oil

In the dutch oven saute the celery, onion, and stew meat in a few tablespoons of oil. Cook until celery and onions are tender. "Dump" the rest of the ingredients into the dutch oven. Add coals on top and around the dutch over and cook until potatoes and carrots are cooked (and make sure the meat is also cooked thoroughly). If you think you need a little more liquid, you can add milk or water.

Hunter's Dutch Oven Taters

8 carrots, peeled and sliced
8 potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 onion, chopped
10 peices of bacon
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbls. butter
vegetable oil to grease dutch oven with

Hunter figured two carrots and two potatoes per person be a good amount to use. First he oiled the dutch oven with vegetable oil. Then he added the butter to the dutch oven. Next he peeled and sliced the potatoes and carrots. Then, he cut up the bacon using a pair of kitchen scissors. Lastly he chopped the onion fine (which I would have done differently, I would have just cut them up in rings.) Salt and pepper to taste. Add all the ingredients to the dutch oven. Cook over hot coals with parent supervision. Stir well, and often. Oh, and one last thing..he like to eat them with ketchup.

Hunter needed to cook an outdoor meal to pass off a requirement for scouts. We thought he better do this soon before it snows! Hunter did a WONDERFUL job. He did everything himself, from preparing the ingredients, to starting the fire, stirring, and clean up. Great job Hunt! They were AWESOME!

Dad's Peach Cobbler

1 box yellow cake mix
2 small cans peaches, don't drain the peaches
1 can (plus about a quarter of a can) orange soda pop (fanta, Sunkist etc)
1 cube butter
Minute Tapioca

Preheat oven to 350. Place the peaches with the juice in a 9 x 13' pan. Lightly sprinkle tapioca over the peaches, (I don't know how much to tell you, it will thicken up the peach juice). Add the dry cake mix. Add 1 can plus about 1/4 of another can of pop. Cut butter into Tablespoon size pieces and layer all over the top of the cake. Bake for about 45min-1 hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream, or cold whipping cream. Enjoy!

I remember my dad making this in the dutch oven when we would go to the cabin. I could smell this a mile away.

I'm not sure how long it will need to cook. Just be in the kitchen doing other things while it cooks. I think we cooked ours for about and hour. Maybe a little less. Remember the inside will be a little gooey. It's best to let it sit and thicken a few minutes. We really enjoy eating it the next day after it has REALLY thicken up. And don't forget the cream!

Also, if you don't have orange soda, you can also use 7-up or sprite

Remember...this is a wonderful and EASY recipe to do in the dutch oven.