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Items needed: Dutch oven #12 (8 quart), charcoal briquettes, aluminum foil, lid lifter, heavy gloves. 2 pounds ground beef, 1 medium to large onion, 1 Green Bell pepper, 5 medium sized potatoes peeled and cubed (see alternative to peeling and cubing below), 1 cup chopped celery, 1 clove garlic, Two 28oz cans of baked beans with brown sugar. Serves about 8. Rice can be added to extend the portions to feed more people.
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To do: Start charcoal fire. Use about 40 briquettes. (This is usually a good time to have the scouts' practice their fire making skills.) While the charcoal is heating, chop the garlic, celery, and onion. Do not chop the onion too fine. Just in about 1/4 inch cubes. Cut the celery in bite size pieces and dice the garlic. Put all of these chopped items into a bowl on the side. Open the bean cans so you can add when needed. It is best to peel and cube the potatoes before starting the fire, or have help to get done in time. You can also scrub the potatoes. Leave the potato skins on, but cut them into 1/2 inch cubes. (Leaving the skins on adds to the nutrition and saves in preparation time.)
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When the charcoal fire is going strongly (about 20 minutes), put 20 briquettes on a firm surface. If it's rained, snowed, or the ground is wet, put down aluminum foil (shiny side up). Use a large enough strip to hold the briquettes and the Dutch oven. Put the Dutch oven over the 20 briquettes. Add the hamburger and cook until browned.
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After the meat is browned, pour off any extra grease. Add the garlic, celery, onions, and potatoes. Add the two 28oz cans of beans with the juices from the cans. Mix well, put on the Dutch oven lid and place the oven on the charcoal briquettes. I also add about 1 tbsp. of a garlic salt seasoning at this time to add to the flavor. Use the remaining briquettes on the lid.
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Hold a Scoutmaster conference, tell jokes, or whatever for 20 minutes. Invite several hungry people to "check out" the progress. Make sure they are where the aroma can hit them as you lift the lid and "check out" the Dutch oven. Use the lid lifter to remove the lid being careful not to have any ashes fall into the Dutch oven. The contents should be in a slow boil at this time. The meal is done, (usually in about 45 minutes) when the potatoes are done. You can test the potatoes with a fork. (When the fork slides in easily, the potatoes are done.) Otherwise, give the contents a good stir and replace the lid. Take briquettes from underneath the Dutch oven if the ingredients are boiling to rapidly.
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After the potatoes are done, take lid off, dump the briquette ashes, put lid back on and take over to Scoutmaster Patrol area. At the Scoutmaster area, call "Dinner's on!" and start serving.
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This meal can be served over rice to stretch it to cover more people. The dutch oven can be kept warm so the meal can be dished out as needed. French bread goes well with this meal.
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Of course, clean up the charcoal fire. Clean and re-season the Dutch oven. Since you've done all this hard work to make the dinner and others have gotten fat eating it, I feel they should volunteer for clean up duty. After dinner, look forward to a nice night around the campfire and a warm sleeping bag.
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© 1998, 2001, 2009 by Glenn A. Dickey. Permission is granted for use by any scouting or 4-H group as long as no fee is charged.
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