Dutch Oven Kielbasa and Peppers
Smoked sausage browned with onions and peppers, then stewed in canned pineapple and its juice.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 11 oz
- cal / oz
- 56
- protein
- 24 g
- serves
- 6, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 45 min
- total time
- 60 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
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Kielbasa or smoked sausage | 2 lb | fully cooked, so timing is forgiving |
|---|---|---|
| Onions | 2 | |
| Bell peppers | 3 | |
| Canned pineapple chunks | 1 medium can | do not drain |
| Cooking oil | 2 tbsp |
Method
- Cut the sausage into 1-inch chunks. Cut the onions and peppers into strips about 3/4 inch wide.
- Set the 12-inch dutch oven over coals at about 375°F for frying. Add the oil.
- Cook the onions and peppers until the onion turns clear, five to eight minutes, stirring so nothing sticks.
- Add the sausage and cook a few minutes more to pick up some color.
- Pour in the whole can of pineapple, juice included. Stir once.
- Rake coals to hold about 350°F, lid on, and stew 35 minutes. Check at 20 to be sure the bottom is not scorching.
Fully cooked smoked sausage is the reason this works over uneven coals. Nothing here has to reach a safe temperature, so a fire that runs hot or cool only changes how fast the vegetables give up their water. The 35-minute stew is about melding, not doneness.
The pineapple juice is the only liquid, and that is deliberate. It carries acid and sugar into the rendered sausage fat, which is what turns a pan of sausage and peppers into something with a sauce. Drain the can and you get a dry skillet dish instead. If you are packing this without a cooler, dried peppers and shelf-stable summer sausage do the same job with a cup of added water.
Packing
Sausage and vegetables ride in the cooler. Cut everything at home into one zip bag each and you skip the cutting board in camp. The pineapple can and oil live in the food bin.
Variations
- Swap in shelf-stable summer sausage and a bag of dried bell peppers to drop the cooler entirely; add a cup of water with the pineapple to rehydrate.
- A spoonful of mustard or a shake of red pepper flakes cuts the sweetness.
- Serve over instant rice cooked in a second pot if you need to stretch it further.
https://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/recipe/dutch_kielbasa-200.asp