Dutch oven pancakes

Pancakes in a Dutch oven? Yes, you read that right... almost. You don't make them in the Dutch oven, you make them on the lid. In addition to seasoning your oven with oil, you should be seasoning the underside of the lid. Flip the lid over, rest it on a bed of charcoal with some pieces of wood at the side to stabilize it, and voilà, you have a griddle for making pancakes, French toast, scrambled eggs, etc.



Required Ingredients:
pancake mix
water
butter or non-stick cooking spray

Directions:
Mix pancake mix and water according to the directions on the box and the number of people you will be serving. If the batter seems watery, add a little bit more pancake mix to thicken it.

Prepare an area for the charcoal and put some sticks or pieces of wood on the sides so that you have a stable base for your Dutch oven lid. Place the inverted lid on top of the charcoal so that the edges rest on the wood. Make sure you still have enough air flow underneath so that you don't choke out the charcoal from lack of oxygen. The cooking temperature and how long it takes to cook the food will depend on the number of coals you use. I used about 15 for my pancakes.

Put some butter or non-stick spray in the middle of the lid/griddle. (If butter doesn't melt easily, then you aren't ready to cook.) Spoon out a good-sized portion of pancake mix near the center of the lid. The lid is concave, so everything will naturally gravitate toward the center. When you see a lot of bubbles coming up through the pancakes, check to see if they are ready to flip. Use a nylon spatula (so you don't scratch up your lid) to flip them over. The second side should cook even quicker than the first.

It would probably be faster and easier to use a portable propane stove and a griddle to make pancakes on your campout, but don't be afraid to try new things. This is a very easy way to cook, and there wasn't much cleanup afterward.