Baking in a cast iron skillet
- Thread starter Joanne
- Start date
screwball48
Explorer
FYI, was in Pigeon Forge TN over the last few days and there was a coupon for a cosmetic blem 10.25" skillet for $4.95. To qualify all you had to do was buy $10.00 in merchandise.
Scott B.
SE Expedition Society
Nachos
We went camping in Tennessee over Memorial Day weekend, and, of course, cooked in the cast iron.
For dinner, we made nachos. Now, at home, we assemble everything in the pan, then put it in the oven and bake/broil it. Since we did not have an oven, we altered the assembly method. We cooked the meat and onions as usual. Once cooked, we added the cheese, covered the pan, and "baked" it. The filling was then put on tortilla chips, salsa added - then, Mmmmmmm......
The only real difference was the tortilla chips did not get baked with the filling. Still tasted great, however!
We went camping in Tennessee over Memorial Day weekend, and, of course, cooked in the cast iron.
For dinner, we made nachos. Now, at home, we assemble everything in the pan, then put it in the oven and bake/broil it. Since we did not have an oven, we altered the assembly method. We cooked the meat and onions as usual. Once cooked, we added the cheese, covered the pan, and "baked" it. The filling was then put on tortilla chips, salsa added - then, Mmmmmmm......
The only real difference was the tortilla chips did not get baked with the filling. Still tasted great, however!
Honu
lost on the mainland
You ever try putting your lid on the burner get it super hot then put on the pan ?
Seems to work good enough to melt cheese etc...
Seems to work good enough to melt cheese etc...
We went camping in Tennessee over Memorial Day weekend, and, of course, cooked in the cast iron.
For dinner, we made nachos. Now, at home, we assemble everything in the pan, then put it in the oven and bake/broil it. Since we did not have an oven, we altered the assembly method. We cooked the meat and onions as usual. Once cooked, we added the cheese, covered the pan, and "baked" it. The filling was then put on tortilla chips, salsa added - then, Mmmmmmm......
The only real difference was the tortilla chips did not get baked with the filling. Still tasted great, however!
View attachment 228467
Scott B.
SE Expedition Society
This was the first time I used the lid on a campstove.
That is a good idea, I will try it next time.
Joanne
Adventurer
Great point! I always preheat my lids any time I'm doing bread, biscuits, rolls, or any other dish that would normally call for a preheated oven. It really helps the 'oven spring'.
Joanne
Honu
lost on the mainland
On a side note starting to figure out my camp chef oven dome thingy on a propane stove to do breads etc... Using my anodized aluminum ovens which I am loving
Finding for breads rolls etc... no lids is working for me (meaning no lids with the camp chef dome on)
Using some crumpled tin foil in the bottom of the dutch oven to give a small air gap get the breads away from the bottom of the burner has stopped all bottom burn things like cinnamon rolls and monkey bread of course with the sugar burn easy
dutch oven dome has been a nice option to be able to cook %100 on propane here and still do great bread rolls
Even cheating using pop tube cinnamon rolls in the morning is handy and fun and yummy
Burnt a lot of bottoms and had a lot of undone tops figuring the dome and aluminum thing
The preheat lid does not work on the aluminum but no worries since the outcome is the same
With burn bans so common here it's a great option
Finding for breads rolls etc... no lids is working for me
(meaning no lids with the camp chef dome on)Using some crumpled tin foil in the bottom of the dutch oven to give a small air gap get the breads away from the bottom of the burner has stopped all bottom burn things like cinnamon rolls and monkey bread of course with the sugar burn easy
dutch oven dome has been a nice option to be able to cook %100 on propane here and still do great bread rolls
Even cheating using pop tube cinnamon rolls in the morning is handy and fun and yummy
Burnt a lot of bottoms and had a lot of undone tops figuring the dome and aluminum thing
The preheat lid does not work on the aluminum but no worries since the outcome is the same
With burn bans so common here it's a great option
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spressomon
Expedition Leader
For DO baking sans traditional coals...using a plumbers/chef's torch on the lid and stove flame on the bottom, is a decent substitute. Longer cooking sessions gets tedious* but for quick breads and appetizers it works very well.
*without beer
Also I use a simple metal trivet in the bottom of the DO to help buffer the direct bottom side heat...
Good thread Joanne
*without beer
Also I use a simple metal trivet in the bottom of the DO to help buffer the direct bottom side heat...
Good thread Joanne
Last edited:
Honu
lost on the mainland
I tried the torch thing with the SP torch yeah tedious pain for sure works better on the cast iron for sure than the aluminum
the dome lid once I figured out the bottom heat isolation works great set it forget it
used it a bunch at home with one of those drop in probe thermometers so I could check where I was
while cast iron thread I don't use cast iron camping anymore and just the anodized aluminum no rust worries less weight easier cleaning
yeah tedious pain for sure works better on the cast iron for sure than the aluminum the dome lid once I figured out the bottom heat isolation works great set it forget it
used it a bunch at home with one of those drop in probe thermometers so I could check where I was
while cast iron thread I don't use cast iron camping anymore and just the anodized aluminum
no rust worries less weight easier cleaning
Joanne
Adventurer
I tried the torch thing with the SP torch
the dome lid once I figured out the bottom heat isolation works great set it forget it
used it a bunch at home with one of those drop in probe thermometers so I could check where I was
while cast iron thread I don't use cast iron camping anymore and just the anodized aluminum
Thanks for sharing the info on the Camp Chef dome. Like you, the fire bans push us to other methods and techniques. I had started with the no-lid technique, but had not figured out the bottom burning issue. I tried the defuser but it wasn't enough. The foil technique sounds great.
No issues from me about aluminum ovens. Sharing recipes and techniques is what it's about. Great food out camping!
Joanne
Honu
lost on the mainland
to expand the dome info
I tried a few things for the bottom burning issue
so my final setup for my camp chef dome and I have done this successful on both camp chef burners at home and my partner steel camping
1) that steel heat diffuser plate they have on the burner
2) for my 10 inch that has no legs a way to rise it so I use that riser thing they have my 12 inch with legs is OK
3) inside the pot aluminum foil coiled up to about 3/4 inch thick I just squeeze it together so looks like a snake and wound to look like a old fashioned burner coil then aluminum foil to hold whatever I am cooking kinda like a dish or steamer plate down then foil to cook in
the aluminum steamer plate thing with holes in it basically steamer insert you can see the edge of it under the cinamon rolls
where it comes in handy things like monkey bread to have a smooth bottom so the caramelization is smooth on the bottom and I put it over my foil coil
some things I tried
two diffuser plates did not work
tried one diffuser then the riser then another diffuser and put my oven on it did not work
just that aluminum disc inside the pot again was closer but got burnt on bottom
my thinking is the bottom no matter what with breads just gets to bloody hot and needs some insulation after the pot !
the foil thing I make once and reuse the whole trip
I have thought a few things like get some soft brass tubing and make a coil and leave in there and a few other things like those veggies steamers that open like a flower ? but foil is cheap and I can control the size and I have it on hand all the time
one thing I am going to do next week in testing is putting my 10 inch inside my 12 inch with a small riser in my 12 kinda like doing double boiler on a stove that way I get the full depth of the 10 inch for some things when I need it
and Joanne thanks for the great site love looking through getting ideas to try from all the folks can post up some dome info now I have figured it out seems to be a huge lack of good info on these still
I tried a few things for the bottom burning issue
so my final setup for my camp chef dome and I have done this successful on both camp chef burners at home and my partner steel camping
1) that steel heat diffuser plate they have on the burner
2) for my 10 inch that has no legs a way to rise it so I use that riser thing they have my 12 inch with legs is OK
3) inside the pot aluminum foil coiled up to about 3/4 inch thick I just squeeze it together so looks like a snake and wound to look like a old fashioned burner coil then aluminum foil to hold whatever I am cooking kinda like a dish or steamer plate down then foil to cook in
the aluminum steamer plate thing with holes in it basically steamer insert you can see the edge of it under the cinamon rolls
where it comes in handy things like monkey bread to have a smooth bottom so the caramelization is smooth on the bottom and I put it over my foil coil
some things I tried
two diffuser plates did not work
tried one diffuser then the riser then another diffuser and put my oven on it did not work
just that aluminum disc inside the pot again was closer but got burnt on bottom
my thinking is the bottom no matter what with breads just gets to bloody hot and needs some insulation after the pot !
the foil thing I make once and reuse the whole trip
I have thought a few things like get some soft brass tubing and make a coil and leave in there and a few other things like those veggies steamers that open like a flower ? but foil is cheap and I can control the size and I have it on hand all the time
one thing I am going to do next week in testing is putting my 10 inch inside my 12 inch with a small riser in my 12 kinda like doing double boiler on a stove that way I get the full depth of the 10 inch for some things when I need it
and Joanne thanks for the great site love looking through getting ideas to try from all the folks can post up some dome info now I have figured it out seems to be a huge lack of good info on these still
FJR Colorado
Explorer
I generally use cast iron over an open flame and coals. I have cooked everything from bacon and eggs to stuffed london broil in a skillet with a lid. Figured out by accident that my lid from the DO worked with the skillet. Unless I'm camping with a large group the DO stays home.
One of my favorite tricks is cooking beef stew in either the skillet or DO, dense veggies like potatoes or carrots hold up fine cooking in the stew, peppers, squash, and green beans and other veggies have a tendency to turn to mush. To solve this put your tender veggies in some aluminum foil and put inside for the last hour of cooking. Unwrap and dump them into the stew 5 minutes before serving. Give it a good turn of the spoon. No more smushed veggies in the stew.
One of my favorite tricks is cooking beef stew in either the skillet or DO, dense veggies like potatoes or carrots hold up fine cooking in the stew, peppers, squash, and green beans and other veggies have a tendency to turn to mush. To solve this put your tender veggies in some aluminum foil and put inside for the last hour of cooking. Unwrap and dump them into the stew 5 minutes before serving. Give it a good turn of the spoon. No more smushed veggies in the stew.