One of my favorite parts of camping...

I've talked about how I like to cook in my Dutch ovens? And I'm always trying new things...Well, this past winter Al and I went to the RV show in a larger town close to us and I bought a new, bigger Dutch oven!!! It's a Lodge and it is awesome! The man who sold it to me owns the local outdoor store in our town. He told me if I bought a Dutch oven he'd share his favorite recipe with me. He did and a couple of weekends ago was the first time I was able to try it.

Oh my goodness! It has to be my new all time favorite Dutch Oven recipes!! Yum, yum, yum!! Did I say yum??

I thought I'd share it since it doesn't have to be made in a Dutch oven; it can be made in a regular oven, too. There's just something about a campfire that adds to it.

Here goes, try it and see if it becomes one of your favs too!!!

Cheesy Chicken Italian-o

1	lb. bacon	1/4	cup honey
8	chicken breasts; cut into chunks	2	tsp. ground oregano
3	cloves garlic; minced	2	tsp. basil
1	large yellow onion; sliced	1 1/2	tsp. parsley
6	large tomatoes; diced	1	tsp. salt
1	red bell pepper; cut into chunks	1	tsp. ground black pepper
1	green bell pepper; cut into chunks	3	cups Mozzarella cheese; grated
1	cup mushrooms; sliced	3	cups Cheddar cheese; grated
(1)	10 3/4 oz. can tomato puree	1/2	cup Parmesan cheese; grated
1/4	cup balsamic vinegar

Heat a 12" Dutch oven using 20-22 briquettes bottom. Slice bacon into 1" strips then add to hot oven and fry until brown. Remove bacon from oven. Remove and reserve all but 2 Tbs. of the bacon grease from the oven. Add chicken and garlic to oven and cook, turning frequently, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. Remove chicken from oven and add reserved bacon grease. Line the bottom of the oven with onion slices then put chicken on top of the onion. Add tomatoes, red and green bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cover and bake using 12 briquettes bottom and 12-14 briquettes top for 30 minutes.

In a large measuring cup make a sauce with the tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, honey, oregano, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix well. Sprinkle bacon over top of cooked vegetables then pour sauce over vegetables. Cover and bake another 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheeses over the top. Replace lid and let sit for 15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Serves: 16