How to Make Delicious Dutch Oven Veggie Frittata

We love pulling off eggs to order on the river (eggs benedict, anyone?), but without a crew of guides working together to make it happen, a big camp breakfast can easily turn into an all morning affair depending on how big your group is. Add this delicious Dutch oven veggie frittata recipe to your repertoire, however, and you’ll not only have a comforting camp breakfast, but you might even get to relax with your cup of coffee while it bakes. Our guides used a mix of peppers, onions, tomato and feta for this recipe, but feel free to make it your own by using your favorite veggies, cheese or even pre-cooked ham, bacon, etc. for an even more filling meal.

Dutch Oven Camping Breakfast: Veggie Frittata

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
6 cherry tomatoes
½ green pepper
½ red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
8 eggs
1/2 cup half and half (or whole milk)
1 cup feta cheese

Optional garnish:
1 avocado
2 roma tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves

Serves: 6-8 people

Getting started

You’ll need a 6-quart (12″) Dutch oven with feet, tongs, measuring cup, mixing bowl, whisk, pair of thick gloves or oven mitt, bag of charcoal, lighter, a charcoal chimney starter and a fire pan or aluminum foil. If you don’t have a charcoal chimney starter, you can light the coals in a campfire ring or alternate fire-safe area.

Directions:

1) Light approximately 25 coals (for baking, you’ll generally need two times as many coals as the diameter of your Dutch oven).

2) Prep vegetables. Mince the garlic, then dice onions, peppers and tomatoes and set aside. To simplify morning prep in camp, this can be done in advance at home and stored in your cooler until needed.

3) Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat. (This can also be done in your Dutch oven, but you will need to prep an additional 15 coals to use for sautéing.)

4) Once your skillet (or Dutch oven) is preheated, add the onion, garlic, peppers and dried spices. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until veggies are slightly tender. Then, add diced tomatoes, and heat through. Drain any excess liquid from the veggies and set aside.

5) In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and half and half together. Add salt and pepper and whisk again. Set aside.

6) Once your coals are ready, use tongs to carefully place 8 coals in a circle (reserving 3 for the center) on a fire pan or piece of foil in a wide-open area. Set your Dutch oven on top of the coals to preheat.

7) Once heated, melt butter in the Dutch oven and coat the bottom. Add the sauteed veggies, sprinkle in the feta, and pour in the egg mixture. Then, cover with the lid and place 15-17 coals evenly over the top. Bake until the frittata is set (approximately 15 minutes).

9) Remove the frittata from the coals and top with avocado, sliced roma tomatoes and ribbons of fresh basil just before serving. Serve warm.

Dutch Oven Cooking Tips

The art of cooking in an Dutch oven can take some practice to perfect, and often will require some fine-tuning in the field. To help you out, we’ve put together a few Dutch oven cooking pro tips so your next camping meal will not only be easy, but delicious too.