Although it had been a dying art, there has recently been a resurgence in Dutch oven cooking. Recipes can easily be found in many locations. Here are some of the best sources of Dutch oven recipes:

• Outdoor Cooking Magic
• Byron's Dutch Oven Recipes
• ScoutaRama.com
• Dutch Oven Cooking from ISU
• Dutch Oven Cooking
• The Complete Book of Dutch Oven Cooking
• The Outdoor Dutch Oven Cookbook

Your own set of recipes is another place to find sources for Dutch oven cooking. Recipes that are your favorites are usually easily adapted to the Dutch oven. You can use your Dutch oven to simmer, stew, boil, bake, steam, fry, roast, etc. See Dutch Oven Cooking Tips for tips that will help you use your recipes in your Dutch oven. Try your own recipes and see how great they taste in a Dutch oven.

If you have a favorite you would like to share, please send it to recipes@outdoorcookingmagic.com. We'll give you credit for the recipes we use, including a link to your website, if you have one. We will also collect recipes into an eBook. We have a goal to collect at least 500 Dutch oven recipes. If you share your recipe with us, we'll send you a copy of the eBook when it is finished.

Dutch oven outdoor cooking provides the opportunity to cook a wide variety of foods.  Dutch ovens are extremely versatile, and can be used for virtually every cooking need.  Dutch ovens can be used to boil, steam, fry, and bake, among other things.    They can be used to cook meat, soups, breads, desserts, and to create hot drinks.  With enough dutch ovens, you can create a multi-course, gourmet meal.

Dutch oven outdoor cooking requires coals.  These can come from a fire or charcoal.  Charcoal is probably a bit easier to use, since they will burn and heat more evenly.  Nevertheless, the smoke from the coals of a real fire can add some great flavoring to your dishes.  There is nothing like food cooked over a fire.

Dutch ovens may be used on the coals in a fire, or they may be stacked, one on top of another, with coals on the lid of one dutch oven, heating to the bottom of the dutch oven above.  You will sometimes see stacks of ovens using this technique.  This is handy when fire space is limited, but may require a few more coals to keep the heat going.

Dutch oven outdoor cooking is not difficult, but may require some practice and trial and error to get just right.  The hardest thing is the regulation of the heat.    Experience will help you judge whether the dutch oven is too hot or not hot enough.  Checking the food occasionally will help determine that. 

Be sure to check back here often for lots of dutch oven recipes for you to try.

Cooking with dutch ovens is lots of fun!