Ernie's Dutch Oven Cooking

Lasagna ***

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
8 oz grated mozarella chees
2 1/3 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 lasagna noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup hot water
1 1/2 tsp oregano
3 eggs

Preheat Dutch oven. Brown ground beef and when done, put beef into a large mixing bowl. Add spaghetti sauce to beef and mix together. In another bowl put parmesan, mozerella (not all of it -- save some for top), cottage or ricotta cheese, eggs and oregano and mix well.

Layer ingredients in dutch oven as follows: cover bottom with a few lasagna noodles (about 4). Then spread 1/3 of meat mixture over noodles and 1/2 of cheese mixture over the meat mixture. Repeat and layer again. Place remaining mozzarella chees on top. Pour the hot water all around the edges of the dutch oven. Put the lid on and bake for 1 hour or until done. Check frequently.

HINT: Cooking time can be reduced by pre-cooking and draining lasagna noodles


Enchilada Pie***

1 lb extra lean hamburger
1 med onions diced
1 4oz can diced green Ortega chilies
1 28 oz can La Palma red enchilada sauce
1 can of drained black olives
3 cups cooked pinto beans
8 oz of shredded cheese
8 oz of nonfat nonfat sour cream
12 corn tortillas
1 bunch chopped scallions.

Brown the meat with the onions, until the meat is no longer pink. Mix this with the chilies, sauce, olives, beans, cheese. Over lap six corn tortillas in the bottom of a 10 inch Dutch Oven. Spoon about one half of the sauce-meat-bean mixture over the tortillas. Add the remaining tortillas and top with the remaining mixture. Salt, if needed, may be added after serving. Cook until this is "bubbly" which is about 20-25 minutes. At home bake at 350 F. in the oven uncovered. In camp use moderate heat or about 8 charcoals on the bottom and about 12 on top. When done serve from the pot after spooning sour cream on top and sprinkling the scallions over all. This is Gooood!! This recipe is from Dick 2mules Wild, a member from the Northern Cailifornia coastal town of Arcata.


Homemade Baked Beans

4 c small white beans (or a mixture of great
northern and pinto beans)
soaked 12 to 24 hours

2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp dry mustard
1 c molasses, the darker the better
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 lb salt pork or fatty bacon
2 onions

Chop up onions and dice up salt pork or fatty bacon and place in bottom of a heavy pan, pour in soaked beans, mix pepper, dry mustard, molasses, ketchup together and pour onto beans, add enough water to JUST cover beans DO NOT STIR, cover pan and place in slow oven 250 for 6, yes I said six hours. Do NOT stir until the first 2 hours have passed, then stir every hour on the hour adding more water to just cover as needed. (during the last hour, uncover and allow beans to absorb excess liquid and thicken)
--------------------------
BAKED BEANS
SERVES 10