Dutch ovens are versatile, excellent over-the-campfire cookware tools that allow you to try many cooking styles like frying, roasting, boiling, and baking. One of the best foods to fry, roast, or bake in a Dutch oven is potatoes. Potatoes in a Dutch oven are tasty, comforting, and heavenly. If you are looking for basic Dutch oven potato recipes, look no farther than this guide.
In this guide is we will give you these dutch oven potatoe recipes.
- Dutch Oven fried potatoes,
- Dutch oven potatoes with bacon and cheese
- Scalloped ham and potatoes in a Dutch oven
- Potatoes supreme
First, we will cover a couple of the basics like the best potatoes to use and temperature control and at the end of this article you will find some useful tips for cooking potatoes in a dutch oven.
Clickable Table Of Contents
Best Potatoes to Use
Many traditional Dutch oven chefs like to use Idaho russet potatoes. These chefs suggest when you are cooking potatoes at a campout use about 10 lbs. of Idaho russet potatoes per Dutch oven recipe. You can also plan according to the appetites of your guests.
Red potatoes also cook up very nicely in a Dutch oven. Red potatoes are a bit sweeter than russets and hold their shape when cooked. You can also leave the skins of red potatoes intact when slicing or dicing them for recipes. Substitute red potatoes for russets if you want a change.
Yukon Gold Potatoes are fantastic when cooked in a Dutch oven. Yukon Gold potatoes have a tremendous crackly crunch when baked, and a creamy interior plus the flavor of the potato is slightly buttery. Yukon Gold is great if you want to boil them in a Dutch oven and then mash them up. You can also use Yukon Gold in any recipe calling for potatoes. These potatoes will give your potato dish a slightly golden color.
Temperature and Number of Coals or Briquettes
When you cook potatoes in a Dutch oven, you will need to watch the heat. You can cook your potato recipes over a campfire using a tripod, putting the Dutch oven directly over the hot coals in your campfire, but the way most Dutch oven chefs prefer to cook potatoes in a Dutch oven is to use coals – either the coals from a fire or charcoal briquettes. Using coals is the easiest way to control the heat.
A good rule of thumb when using coals or briquettes is:
12-inch Dutch oven uses 12-14 coals or briquettes on the top and about 8-10 coals or briquettes on the bottom.
14-inch Dutch oven uses 14-16 coals or briquettes on the top and about 10-12 coals or briquettes on the bottom of the Dutch oven.
16-inch Dutch oven uses 16-18 coals or briquettes on the top and about 14-16 coals or briquettes on the bottom.
You can also experiment with the number of coals you use for cooking potatoes in a Dutch oven. The trick, however, is to use more coals on the top of the dutch oven than on the bottom. Let the potatoes cook from the top down.
WATCH THE HEAT. Potatoes do burn quickly so you will need to check them every 5 minutes or so.
Recipes for Dutch Oven Potatoes
Dutch Oven Fried Potatoes
Ingredients
12 cubed potatoes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
¼ cup of vegetable oil
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp pepper
Preparation
Wash, peel, and cube the potatoes. Measure the salt, paprika, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese. Combine the Parmesan cheese and seasonings in a large plastic bag. Place cubed potatoes in the bag and shake until well coated.
Next, pour and heat to bubbling ¼ cup vegetable oil in a 14″ Dutch oven and pour in half of the potato mixture. (Adjust the vegetable oil and amount of potatoes depending on the size of the Dutch oven you are using.)
Cooking
When using a 14″ dutch oven, use 14-16 coals on the top and about 10-12 coals on the bottom of the oven.
Cook for 45-50 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Check the potatoes about 15 minutes into the cooking to make sure they are not burning.
Do the same with the other half of the potatoes. (If you are cooking for a large group, you might want to use two Dutch ovens. It’s a guarantee that campers won’t wait too long to eat this wonderful dish.)
Potatoes will be crispy, golden and the tastiest fried potatoes you have ever eaten. Use as a side dish with Swiss steak, Deer BBQ, roast, or even ribs or even eat alone. Beware, this potato recipe will get eaten very quickly, so have plenty ready in a Dutch oven.
Dutch Oven Potatoes with Bacon and Cheese
Ingredients
1 lb. Bacon
½ lb. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cans mushroom soup
2 large onions, quartered
8-10 sliced potatoes.
Preparation
Use a 14″ Dutch oven for this particular recipe.
Cut bacon into small pieces and brown in a Dutch oven. Add quartered onion to the bacon and bacon grease and cook until onion is clear.
Drain off most of the bacon grease but leave about 1/4 cup or so to use to cook potatoes. Layer sliced potatoes in the Dutch oven and salt and pepper to taste.
Open mushroom soup and whisk in a bowl until lumps are almost gone. Add soup to the potatoes in the Dutch oven.
Cooking
Cover and cook over medium heat until tender. Turn the potatoes every 15 to 20 minutes. Take the Dutch oven off the heat, place cheese on the top of the potatoes, place the lid back on the Dutch oven and let the cheese melt onto the potatoes.
When using a 14″ dutch oven, use 14-16 coals on the top of the oven and about 10-12 coals on the bottom of the oven. When coals begin to die out, check the food in the oven. Add more coals on the lid of the potatoes are not tender.
Eat and enjoy the taste of the outdoors that is better than any 5-star restaurant.
Scalloped Ham and Potatoes
Ingredients
1 can cream of mushroom soup
5 cups of sliced potatoes
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup of milk
½ cup chopped onion
2 cups cooked and cubed ham
Preparation
Mix soup and milk directly in the Dutch oven. Use a whisk to keep the mixture smooth. Add potatoes, ham, and onion. Dot the top with butter. Place the lid on the top, manage the coals and bake until potatoes are fork tender. Check your potatoes every 10 minutes to make sure they are not burning. When the potatoes are tender, top the potatoes with cheese, put the lid back on and cook until the cheese melts into the potatoes.
Cooking
When cooking this dish in a Dutch oven, watch your temperature carefully. Use a 14″ dutch oven with 14-16 coals on the top and about 10-12 coals on the bottom of the oven. When coals begin to die out, check the food in the oven. Add more coals on the lid if the potatoes are not tender.
Potatoes Supreme
Ingredients
6-8 shredded potatoes
1 large diced onion
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 large shredded carrots
Other veggies you love (zucchini, summer squash, cauliflower maybe corn or any other combination of veggies)
1-pint sour cream
Wash the potatoes and shred. Layer the shredded potatoes in the Dutch oven. Bake for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat.
Add sour cream and 2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Stir in veggies, sour cream, and cheese. Add more cheese on top and replace the lid. Let cheese melt in hot Dutch oven for about five minutes. No need to place coals on the bottom or top. The heat of the Dutch oven will melt the cheese and tenderize the veggies.
Eat with any meat dish you like, or just eat potatoes supreme on its own as a main dish. Scrumptious potatoes cooked in a Dutch oven are supreme.
Cooking
When cooking this dish in a Dutch oven, watch your temperature carefully. When using a 14″ dutch oven, use 14-16 coals on the top of the oven and about 10-12 coals on the bottom of the oven. When coals begin to die out, check the food in the oven. Add more coals on the lid of the potatoes are not tender.
Baked Potatoes in a Dutch Oven
Everyone’s favorite type of potato is a baked potato where you can add sour cream, butter, and any other condiments that you like. Baked potatoes in a dutch oven are one of the easiest recipes to master and will cause your campers to swoon.
Ingredients
7 Russet Potatoes (or how many people you are cooking for)
14-inch Dutch Oven
Olive oil
Coarse Salt
Aluminum Foil (if wanted)
Sour cream, butter, bacon, and chives for serving
Preparation
Apply a thin layer of olive oil to each potato
Sprinkle lightly with salt
Pierce potatoes with a fork several times for steam to escape
Place in Dutch oven
Dutch Oven Potato Cooking Tips
When baking potatoes in a Dutch oven, watch your temperature carefully. If you use a 14″ dutch oven, place 14-16 coals on the top and about 10-12 coals on the bottom of the oven. When coals begin to die out, use a fork to test if potatoes are done. Add more coals on the lid of the Dutch oven if the potatoes are not tender and ready.
Be careful when removing the potatoes from the Dutch oven. You don’t want to be playing the game “Hot Potato” with bare hands.
It is also recommended to cook potatoes in a Dutch oven just like you would in your home oven. Wash the potatoes thoroughly, salt, rub with butter or oil and wrap in tin foil. Place your foil-wrapped potatoes in a Dutch oven, put on the lid and pile on the coals.
You may need more coals to thoroughly bake potatoes are wrapped in foil. Check the potatoes about 15 minutes into the baking to see if they are getting tender. If not, add more coals to the top and bottom of the Dutch oven and continue cooking for at least 45 more minutes. Do keep checking, however, to make sure they don’t burn. Burned potatoes smell bad and taste worse.
Happy Cooking
Dutch oven recipes, ways to cook in a Dutch oven, and the food your cook is totally up to you. Cooking potatoes in a dutch oven is satisfying and easy as long as you prepare the heat. Place your hands about three inches over the spot and coals where you will be cooking. The amount of time you can hold your hand over the coals will determine the heat of the fire.
For example:
6-8 counts slow heat the temperature is about 250-350 degrees
4-5 counts moderate heat the temperature is about 350-450 degrees
2-3 counts hot heat the temperature is about 400-450 degrees
1 count or less very hot the temperature is about 450-500 degrees
Sounds like a primitive way to check the heat of your coals, but Dutch oven chefs swear by this method. If the heat is too high, cook down your coals. The best cooking temperature for Dutch oven cooking is about 350 degrees. Keep your coals about that temperature unless you need a higher heat to finish cooking.
Follow these hints to have a successful Dutch oven potato cooking experience.
If you take the lid off your Dutch oven and the potatoes and liquids are at a rolling boil, your fire is too hot. Remove some of the coals. If cooking potatoes, you will also be able to smell if the dish is burning. Again remove the coals or take the Dutch oven off the coals altogether.
On the other side, if the contents, when you are cooking potatoes and liquids, are not boiling after being on the fire for about twenty minutes, your fire is too low. You will need to add more coals.
If one side of your food is browning or cooking faster than the other side, you have hot spots. Rotate the oven one quarter turn to the left every 15 minutes until done.
Heat rises, and some foods like potatoes may only need to be cooked with bottom heat. However, if you are baking potatoes, you need both the bottom and top heat.
Watch your coals closely. Coals, especially wood coals, tend to burn out quickly and you will need to add more coals to the Dutch oven.
If the wind blows, it will cause coals to burn faster and hotter on one side. It is a good idea to set up a windbreak to keep the wind away from the Dutch oven coals. Do be sure to continually rotate the Dutch oven to prevent hotspots. You may also have to add more coals to get the desired heat if the wind blows out the coals. Open the lid and look for boiling food. This is the best way to test the heat.
Cast iron conducts heat very well so put most of the coals on the lid around the outside edge. Placing coals on the outside of the flanged lid will give you uniform browning when cooking potato dishes.
Ashes can build up on a charcoal briquette. Just knock the askes off by taping the briquette. If you are using wood coals, you won’t have this problem.
Make sure you keep the lid on tight and put it back on tight. Each time you open the lid, you lose heat, and the cooking time increases.
It’s okay to stack ovens. Stacking your Dutch ovens saves coals and space. Try not to go too high when you stack your Dutch ovens. About 3-4 is high enough. Place the largest Dutch oven on the bottom and stack according to inches.
Dutch oven cooking is a legacy for many families. It is a tradition to cook potatoes over a campfire using a Dutch oven for families who like to camp a bit on the rough side. Take charge of your heat, watch your food, and you will find that Dutch oven cooking is relatively easy. The cooking process is straightforward. Just put potatoes, seasonings, liquids, and cheese in the pot, stir it, and put the lid on. Try not to stir your potato dish too much; you might end up with mashed potatoes instead of sliced potatoes.
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