An easy dish to make in your dutch oven, adapted from a 1848 recipe for trail soup. Something to hold on to while sitting outside and waiting for the steaks to finish.

Chop or fine dice bacon, one onion per four diners. Add to hot dutch oven and render, stirring occasionally.

Medium dice your potatoes, I generally go with one bigger Yukon Gold per person, if it’s more cream and less chunk you desire go with Russet. Add to dutch oven. Add water to just cover the potatoes. Add salt, pepper, and one garlic clove per 4 potatoes. Cover dutch oven and place over coals. Cook until potatoes are cooked but not mushy (usually 10, 12 minutes after your dutch oven is hot).

Reserve half of the potato chunks, mash the rest with a potato masher or remove and push through tamis or ricer. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the chunks back. Season to taste.

Finish with butter and/or a dab of cream, serve garnished with dill, a pinch of nutmeg, a tasty darker beer, and dutch oven baked sourdough corn bread (Recipe).