For camping recipes, we’re focusing on eating the prickly pear pads (aka nopales or nopalitos). That’s what goes in this cactus casserole. While you can harvest your own (be sure of the regulations on public lands) and prepare them yourself, it’s definitely a thorny proposition for the newbie. We recommend you buy the de-spined pads at a farmer’s market or grocery store – or buy napolitos in a jar at the Mexican grocery. For this recipe, we used the canned variety  with good results. We just recommend draining and rinsing them well in clean cold water, then drying them on some paper towels for a few minutes.

This is American desert comfort food – good as it gets. You can heat this up with more spice and adding some chilies if you like … tone it down and make it vegetarian by removing the chorizo … whatever sounds good to you. This recipe – like all of the best ones – are merely starting points. Enjoy.

Light Up Your Next Camping Supper with Dutch Oven Cactus Casserole

 

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Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Dutch Oven Cactus Casserole

Cuisine: American Camp Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 small jar (16-ounces) napoles
• 2 Tbs. cooking oil
• ½ pound mild or medium chorizo sausage
• ½ medium yellow onion – diced
• 2 cloves garlic – minced
• 2 cups sour cream
• 3 cups white rice – cooked
• 2 Tbs. chili powder (freshest and strongest you can find)
• 1 pound Monterrey Jack cheese – shredded
• salt and black pepper to taste
• hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. small jar (16-ounces) napoles
2. Tbs. cooking oil
3. ½ pound mild or medium chorizo sausage
4. ½ medium yellow onion – diced
5. cloves garlic – minced
6. cups sour cream
7. cups white rice – cooked
8. Tbs. chili powder (freshest and strongest you can find)
9. pound Monterrey Jack cheese – shredded
10. salt and black pepper to taste
11. hot sauce (optional)

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