Smoked Turkey & Biscuits

March 14, 2010: The snow has finally melted, and Matt and Erin can begin Dutch Oven cooking again.

We have had snow on the ground since the first week in December. So, not only did it snow a lot this past year, but it stayed and stayed. Just last weekend, there was still a lot of snow on the ground and it was pretty cold. Then, in the past week, we've gotten warmer weather and rain which has dissolved those snow piles quite rapidly. Finally, spring seems to be on its way, and we are more than ready to start our outdoor cooking.

To start things off for 2010, we made a great camping friendly recipe (few ingredients & easy to prepare). For all you foodies out there, this recipe is certainly not gourmet, challenging, or fancy, but it was GOOD! In addition to Dutch Oven cooking, Matt enjoys smoking various meats, and this recipe uses some smoked turkey breast in place of plain old chicken in a traditional "Chicken & Biscuits" recipe.

Smoked Turkey & Biscuits
10" Dutch Oven
21 coals (14 on top, 7 on bottom) plus extras

3 cups cooked smoked turkey breast, cubed (or cooked chicken, cubed)
2 cups California style frozen vegetales, thawed
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 of a soup can of milk
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tube of 8 "jumbo" flaky biscuits

In a large bowl, we combined the smoked turkey, vegetagbles, soup, and milk. Season with salt and pepper. The great thing about using some home smoked turkey, is that the rub on the outside of the turkey breast also seasoned the filling. If you don't have access to smoked turkey or chicken, it might be worth experimenting with different spices (paprika, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, etc.) being added to the sauce with unseasoned turkey. Next, pour the filling into a buttered 10" Dutch oven.

Cook with 14 coals on top, 7 on bottom for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, place the biscuits on top of the filling, and cook 15 more minutes. We rotated the bottom of the D.O. a quarter turn clockwise and the top a quarter turn counter clockwise every 10 minutes to prevent hot spots.

Also, because it was a chilly day, we ended up needing to add 4 more coals on the top after adding the biscuits. It was a great start to a great D.O. season!