Baking in a cast iron skillet

Joanne

Adventurer
Hi all,

Just because you don't want to haul a Dutch Oven around with you doesn't mean that you can't enjoy fresh biscuits or cinnamon rolls in the morning. A friend and I recently spent a week camping outside of Tonopah and we wanted to keep our weight down. My skillet was the only piece of cast iron I brought. I used a claw hammer to lift the lid and a small shovel to move the coals around.


I found three flat rocks to hold the skillet just above the coals.
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On went the lid and some coals added to the top so they would bake.
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Once I started smelling them, I took a peek and was happy with the results. Just to the right of the skillet
you will notice that the bottom coals were actually in a ring with no coals in the center. That way you
won't burn the bottom of the biscuits.
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Once the biscuits were done, I fried up the bacon and eggs. Cooking outdoors doesn't have to require a lot of equipment.
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As with all things, practice makes perfect. Give it a couple of tries at home before heading out. You'll be rewarded with some great food.

Joanne
 

FJR Colorado

Explorer
I sometimes use a cast iron skillet at home to make a deep dish pizza...

It comes out about 100 times better than the ones in Chicago that cost $50....
 

SDDiver5

Expedition Leader
If anyone else has some campfire recipes for a skillet please put them up here. I have a very old, very broken in skillet from my grandma and I use it all the time. I'd love to take it out.

FJR- any tips? Ive wanted to try that for a long time!
 

Beamer pilot

Explorer
Good thread Joanne, hopefully we'll get some unusual recipes.
We only use cast iron even at home.
If I think of it I will post a pic of my full set.
Cheers:chef::chef::chef::chef:
 

Herbie

Rendezvous Conspirator
I was about to say I needed to get a lid for my skillet, but then I remembered how smart Lodge is. I'm betting the lid from my 10" oven will fit my 10" skillet, and the same for the 12" models. Need to check this when I get home.
 

FJR Colorado

Explorer
FJR- any tips? Ive wanted to try that for a long time!

Yes, indeed.

You can use just about any crust or make your own. The pizza crust from the refrigerated dough section works fine and would be real handy for camp use.

Spray the skillet with canola oil. Form the dough so it goes up about 2/3 up the side of the skillet. Layer cheese first on the very bottom. Then a thin sauce layer...

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Then just start building it up with layers of cheese, sauce, meats and veggies...

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Some stuff to consider for layering: mozzarella, provolone, asiago, parmesan, pepperoni, prosciutto, salami, Canadian bacon, diced roma tomatoes, roasted red peppers, black olives, hungry yet?

Nice final layer of cheese and some of those diced romas. Into the oven at 350 for about 45 min to an hour...

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Eat and enjoy...

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Joanne

Adventurer
My weight will skyrocket if I will eat fresh biscuits every morning… ;)

I thought about revising that line after I posted it. Then I figured someone would get a laugh out of it. Yeah, biscuits don't help keep down the weight... but they sure are yummy! :)

Joanne
 

Joanne

Adventurer
I was about to say I needed to get a lid for my skillet, but then I remembered how smart Lodge is. I'm betting the lid from my 10" oven will fit my 10" skillet, and the same for the 12" models. Need to check this when I get home.

I just checked my 10" and 12" skillets and the corresponding DO lids fit. The nice thing about that of course is that the DO lid has the lip to keep the coals from falling off and the ash out of the food. Good thought!

Joanne
 

Joanne

Adventurer
Here's a quick recipe that I usually make in a Dutch Oven that would work just fine in a skillet. It's not as much cooking as it is assembling and heating. I cook everything ahead of time so it's quick from the cooler to the plate after a long day of adventure. A bag of salad mix and some dressing as a starter, and you have a nice Italian meal.

Skillet Baked Penne Pasta

Precook the pasta. Rinse well. Cool. Put in a zip-lock bag.
Cook together ground beef & sausage, with garlic, oregano, and onions. Cool. Put in a zip-lock bag.
Purchase a bottle of your favorite pasta sauce. (I like Classico Spicy Red Pepper)
One bag of pre-shredded Italian cheese mix

Mix the pasta and meat together in the skillet
Pour on the pasta sauce, mixing gently
Heat with top and bottom coals
When the sauce starts to bubble, add the cheese and put the lid back on for a few minutes until the cheese melts
Scoop out and serve hot.

Garlic Toast

I make this before I do the pasta. Once made, wrap in aluminum foil to keep hot. Put the aluminum packet on the lid of the skillet about half way though doing the pasta. That will keep the garlic toast nice and warm.

Preheat the skillet so it's nice and hot
Cut sandwich rolls in half
Smear on butter
Sprinkle well with garlic powder
Place face down in the skillet
Cook until golden brown
Wrap in aluminum foil to keep hot.


While this isn't a culinary masterpiece like some of the folks here do :chef:, it is quick, easy, and filling. It's especially nice when the weather turns cold.
 

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