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Last weekend we spent three glorious days on top of Loft Mountain in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. The weather was perfect and we finally got a chance to try out our new pop-up camper we bought last October. It was great! We grilled steaks, corn on the cob, and made this wonderful, hearty, filling breakfast casserole in a Lodge Dutch Oven.
This Dutch Oven was made to be used on a charcoal fire. The instruction booklet explains in great detail how many charcoals go on top, how many on bottom, etc. You can make pizza, cakes, cobblers and this fantastic breakfast casserole with a few easy steps.
First brown the sausage or bacon and remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the remaining drippings in the dutch oven and saute onions until softened.
Add diced potatoes, or if you want to be like me, add two packages of Simply Potatoes with Onions and stir until the potatoes are crispy on the edges.
Add the cooked sausage on top of the potatoes, and pour a dozen scrambled eggs. Add a little salt and pepper and diced cheddar cheese.
Then put the lid on and add 16 or so hot charcoals. You can move the charcoals around after about 15 minutes to encourage even baking. Cook the casserole for 25 minutes and serve.
While the casserole is cooking get a nice cup of coffee and your camera and relax while breakfast bakes on the fire.
Our son Patrick and his fiance Callie (and my grand-dog Peyton) came with us on this trip! We were so happy they came. They are such fun!
They were anxious to play with their new tent because this is where they will spend their honeymoon while backpacking and camping in the Acadia Mountains of Maine this October. They’re putting on the rain fly which also provides a covered, protected area in front to put packs, shoes and other gear.
They are such good sports when we asked to take pictures 🙂 It must be love!
Peyton behaved so much better than my two nutty Jack Russells which might explain why we have no pictures of them!
Anyway – after 25 minutes breakfast was ready. This was so filling and satisfying in a good way. We even warmed some up for breakfast the next day and it was still great. This is a keeper and will be a staple on our trips.
The ground around our campsite was covered with fiddle ferns. Bunnies were running in and out of cover tormenting the dogs 🙂
Did you know there is one black bear for each square mile of the Shenandoah Park? Food cannot be kept in your tent or camper and must be locked in bear proof metal boxes, hoisted in the air in trees or locked in the car. We didn’t see any bears this trip but saw so many deer and rabbits, birds and other wildlife. It was so fun. The blackberries are everywhere but not yet ripe on this cool mountain top.
After the great breakfast we burned it off hiking on the Appalachian Trail. The engaged couple is getting all their gear ready for the trip to Maine for their honeymoon 🙂 This was a good shake down trip.
4 more months and I get a wonderful, beautiful new daughter-in-law! Can’t wait to camp with them all again.
Check out the view from the Appalachian trail. Absolutely perfect day! I could live like this.
Pin to your favorite Camping Board!
Mountain Man Breakfast Casserole
Yield: 8 people
Course: Breakfast, Camping
A hearty and delicious way to start a day of camping, hiking and enjoying the outdoors. Sausage, onions, potatoes, cheese and eggs are cooked to perfection over hot coals in our favorite Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork sausage
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 packages Simply Potatoes, hash browns or diced
- 1 cup diced cheddar cheese
- 1 dozen eggs, whisked
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the sausage in a cast iron Dutch Oven over a hot coal fire. Remove and drain the sausage on paper towels.
- Sauté the onion in the remaining drippings until tender. Add the potatoes and stir until crispy and lightly browned. Spread the potatoes evenly on the bottom and top with sausage, eggs and cheese. Place the lid on top and add 16 hot coals to the lid.
- Bake for 25 minutes until the eggs are set. Serve!
Recipe Notes
Adapted from a recipe by Lodge Cookware
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
Nutrition
Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 182IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 1mg
Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend.
Tricia
Desiree
Hi, I was wondering approximately how many servings this makes.
Tricia Buice
Hi Desiree. This will serve 6 to 8, depending on how hungry your campers are! Enjoy
Kim
Can this be put in the oven, and if so what temperature and how long. Alot of us don’t have a camper, wish I did!
Tricia Buice
Hi Kim! We sold our camper and miss it sooo much. Can’t wait to buy another one and get on the road again. Anyway 🙂 Yes you can bake this in the oven. Use a deep 13×9-inch baking pan, lightly greased. Bake in a 350F preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. As the sausage is pre-cooked you only need to bake the casserole until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted. Start with everything in a skillet then layer in the casserole pan. Bake and enjoy!
Charles
I’m going to try my dutch oven for the first time any tips
Tricia Buice
Hi Charles! You are going to love cooking in your Dutch oven. As stated in my recipe for Dublin Coddle, you have to babysit the pot, always adding more hot coals, etc. It’s a wonderful tool and perfect for stews, soups, casseroles and just about anything. I haven’t had great results with cakes, but desserts like cobbler work very well. Refer to the cookbook that came with the Dutch oven to understand how many coals you need to obtain certain temperatures. Good luck and enjoy!
Va.
Where does one get such a cool, but specialized Dutch Oven? (Ive seen “Lodge” ones on Amazon, but I dont think any specified for charcoal cooking?)
And are the eggs HARD set after 25 min, or soft? (Dont like soft :P) Really great site – thanks!
Tricia Buice
Good morning VA! We have a Lodge Dutch Oven that has three legs specifically made to put over hot coals. Here is a link: https://www.lodgemfg.com/camp-ovens-and-grills/12-inch-6-quart-camp-dutch-oven.asp It comes in many sizes and at the moment I’m not sure which one we have. It’s packed in the camper 🙁 The eggs are set like scrambled eggs – not runny. The casserole comes out fully set and if made at home in an oven proof pan, you can cut it into squares like quiche. Hope that helps! We LOVE this casserole and have made it for years, indoors and outdoors both. Check out the Lodge website to see the full list of Dutch Ovens. Happy camping!
Va.
I never said thank you! So excited to try this out at the end of this month!
Tricia Buice
Thank you! Where are you going camping? We love Loft Mountain in Shenandoah. Have a great time!
Tricia Buice
Sorry – forgot to mention – we also have the “lid lifter” which is fairly cheap but makes such a difference when lifting a hot, heavy lid with charcoals on top. Enjoy!
marilynr
I am really interested in trying to make this dish. Are the eggs cooked before you put them in the skillet?
Tricia Buice
Hi Marilyn – no need to cook the eggs first – scramble and pour them in! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and for commenting.
Anonymous
I showed the breakfast dutch oven picture to Kiely….he insists next time you are to call him before going on the next campout. Looks like ya'll are enjoying the camper and cooking gear. Enjoy!<br />David
Angie's Recipes
Looks like you had some fun time with your son and his fiance! <br /><br />I might give it a second thought on camping 😉
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen
Yum! Even though I couldn't (OK, I COULD, but "wouldn't" sounds so obnoxious) eat it, I can appreciate what a good, mountain WOMAN breakfast looks like. :)<br /><br />Love the pics. I maintain that I would love to go on vacation with you and Blog Dad so that I can be the star of my own papparazo photo shoot ALL THE TIME. [Narcissistic? Maybe.]<br /><br />Also. It would just be
Kari Lindsay
Looks like a blast, so fun to spend time with family! I haven't camped in years, but if I do I'm getting me a dutch oven!
The Slow Roasted Italian
How fantastic. You almost (ALMOST) made me want to go camping. I would love to cook out and roast marshmallows, hike, bike… And go back to a hotel (or a fabulous trailer).<br /><br />That cookware rocks though!
Big Dude
Looks like a fun weekend in the cool mountains. I love breakfast and believe nothing is better than breakfast cooked outside over an open fire.
Blond Duck
Can I just skip the camping and eat the breakfast? 🙂
Jessica | Cajunlicious
What a fun way to cook and your trip looks like so much fun!
Sue/the view from great island
What a great post—I loved all of it. You have a lovely family, and that part of the country is so beautiful. My Dad lives in North Carolina half the year; we've visited often, and driven down along the Appalachian Trail. I am in awe of your campfire cooking skills!
Mary
It sounds like you all had a good time and your breakfast sounds terrific. You have a lovely family. Have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen
What a lovely post! looks like you guys had a ton of fun and the breakfast looks wonderful!<br />Mary x
Mary
Your trip sounds like so much fun! Love that dutch oven too. I'm getting even more excited for our camping trip next week! I can hardly wait.
Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow
Oh, Tricia, Patrick and Callie are so cute!! And, Peyton with his mountain hiking gear, too! How fun to enjoy camping with them!<br /><br />That Dutch Oven thing is BIG in Texas… there is a whole "group" thing that goes on every month at the state park and they are happy to teach about it. I always want to go just to sample the goodies!! 😉 This breakfast casserole looks like it