Ice House Meals with Cooking Constraints

[Getanet]

I know threads like this have been posted in the past, but I always find them fun. Particularly for those of us who spend as much time planning the meals as we do the fishing.

So here’s the deal, renting a 2-man sleeper on URL in January. The sleeper has a gas range, but no oven. Since space will be limited, I plan to only bring a frying pan and a Dutch Oven. Anyone have any great recommendations for meals? The keys will be great tasting food, limited ingredients and “one-pot meal” type of cooking. Making ahead, freezing and reheating in the Dutch Oven is an option, so lets hear it!

[outdoors247]

One of my favorite Dutch Oven recipes is Chicken and Dumplings. You can prepare a lot of it before the trip so its pretty basic on the lake. I cut up all the vegetables and bag them up. I also cook the chicken and pull it apart and bag that too. When you get to the lake all you have to do is combine the veggies, meat and other ingredients and simmer. After it's simmered for awhile just add the dumpling mixture and cook until it has risen to your likings. It's a hit with most of the people I have done this with.

[DonBo]

You can make most any meal you want, then seal them in a vacuum sealer to be thrown into boiling water later. This is how we make all our meals on extended hunting trips. No pan clean up either.

Enchiladas, turkey and gravy, soups, spaghetti are some of my favorites.

[pushbutton]

^^^What he said^^^

The only thing I would do with the dutch oven is to boil water in it. Actually would leave it at home and bring something lighter. You don't even have to be that creative. We do a lot of meat, taters and gravy, soups, stews, potato bakes.....it just seems right for a fish house. But if you want to have a little more fun....yes, love the enchiladas with separate sides of rice and beans. Fresh walleye alfredo is awesome. Omelets. Heck you can even reheat bacon in a bag...no its not as good..... but its bacon.... with no cleanup. Suppose pancakes or waffles wouldn't do well in a bag, but we make those ahead of time too, leave them outside frozen and reheat them as well ...in the fry pan. Again no mess.

[Getanet]

Good idea about the vacuum sealer guys. Hadn't really thought about the clean-up part of the equation.

As far as the Dutch Oven goes, part of reason I was thinking about it was to use it for a fish fry (hopefully). Thought it would help keep down some of the oil splatter.

I was thinking pancakes for breakfast too. Was going to buy a jug of "shake-n-pour" pancake batter so we didn't have to deal with a separate bowl for mixing the batter, but making them ahead of time might be the way to go.

But now that I think about it, vacuum sealing some sausage gravy for biscuits and gravy would hit the spot!

[harvey lee]

I seal a lot of food and take it along, easy to make and next to zero clean up.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

I once stayed in a house without an oven, just a stovetop. An easy meal is fully cooked brats, heated up in a pan with some water/beer. Doesn't get much easier than that.

I've also put some kraut and water in a frying pan and added a kielbasa. Yum.

If the shack has electrical with a generator, a crockpot is a must. I make a lot of crockpot meals in my house due to the ease. I use a disposable crockpot liner so I have zero cleanup.

Head into West Wind for at least one meal

[Alagnak]

One word- grill. No clean up and lots of things with built in handles so no plates- brats, burgers, pre smoked ribs, chick legs, kabobs, sandwiches, anything in foil, anything on a skewer. Prep at home or inside and step out to a table or tailgate to take care of biz. If in a perm its not like you don't have time to prep a little,it's not like you need to pack light. I've never seen it too cold to grill.

[Kyle]

Two words: CAN COOKER

[Walleyehooker]

Bringing pre froze meals is real easy and good and like mentioned very easy cleanup. Lots of other options to. Its going to be cold so pasta,soups and stews are pretty easy and good. There are even some really good one pot easy to make stuff in the freezer section of the stores these days and even some boxed stuff.

[NAMASafetyDirector]

Another easy suggestion is the propane crock pot/slow cooker they sell at kbelas. They work awesome and you can do just about anything! Soup,chili, kraut-n-brats,hotdish,sloppy joes...you get the picture! Bring the slow cooker and a couple 1lb. Tanks and your good to go for the weekend.

[NAMASafetyDirector]

Check that: Kbelas doesnt carry them any more but they are still available. Coleman makes them!

[JP Z]

I'm sure you could do something along these lines in the Dutch. You wouldn't have to grill the brats.

http://www.weber.com/recipes/pork/beer-brats-with-sauerkraut-onions-and-jalapenos