Dutch Oven Beef Stroganoff
Ground beef, noodles, and mushrooms cooked down in one pot over coals.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 9 oz
- cal / oz
- 69
- protein
- 32 g
- serves
- 5, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 30 min
- total time
- 40 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Dutch oven
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Lean ground beef | 1 lb | brown it at home and carry it cold to save 15 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Mushrooms | 4 oz | sliced before you leave |
| Garlic | 2 cloves | minced, or 1 tsp jarred |
| Salt and pepper | 1 tsp total | |
| Egg noodles | 1 package (12 oz) | |
| Beef stock | 1 liter | carton, or 1 liter water plus 4 tsp bouillon |
| Condensed cream of mushroom soup | 1 can | |
| Parsley | a handful | fresh or a spoonful of dried |
Method
- Set the Dutch oven over a bed of coals or a low fire. Brown the beef, breaking it apart as it goes, then pour off the fat.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms give up their water and go soft.
- Pour in the stock and add the noodles. Bring it to a boil, then pull most of the coals so it holds a simmer.
- Stir every couple of minutes. Noodles sink and scorch on a cast iron bottom if you leave them alone. Cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Take it off the heat and stir in the soup until no white streaks remain.
- Let it sit five minutes. It thickens as it cools. Scatter parsley over the top.
This cooks the noodles directly in the stock instead of boiling them separately and draining. That means one pot, no strainer, and the starch the noodles shed stays in the pan doing the thickening. The condensed soup goes in last, off the heat, because it will scorch on cast iron if it sits over coals.
Heat control matters more than timing. A Dutch oven holds heat long after you pull it off the fire, so cook the noodles a touch shy and let the residual heat finish them while it rests. Browning the beef at home cuts the camp work down to about twenty minutes.
Packing
Beef, mushrooms, and the soup can ride in the cooler. Noodles, stock carton, and seasoning go in the dry bin. If you brown the beef at home, cool it fully before it goes in the cooler.
Variations
- Bouillon and water instead of a stock carton saves a liter of dead weight in the bin.
- A splash of Worcestershire or a spoonful of mustard powder cuts the richness.
- Swap the ground beef for a can of roast beef if the cooler is already full.
https://campfirefoodie.com/dutch-oven-beef-stoganoff-recipe