Scout's Large Groups Cookbook Paperback – Illustrated, March 20, 2012

I'm a Scout leader and working with the youth planning out meals for this year's camps and outings. I previously bought and enjoyed the Conners' Dutch Oven cookbook. I bought this book as an additional source of recipes. Some of the introductory information is the same in both books. This Large Groups version adds additional information concerning large group cooking and expands to include additional options beyond only using Dutch ovens. I'll include an overview of the contents.The book starts with a good overview briefly touching on fire and camp safety. I enjoyed these sections and found the information useful to review. There's a chapter covering basic skills for a large group Chef, followed by a large group cooking tutorial.The bulk of the book is the recipes. The recipes are organized by meal. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and then Side Dishes, Breads, Snacks and Deserts, and Drinks. Each Recipe includes a handy rating called "Challenge Scale" with most rated easy, a few moderate and some difficult to provide room to grow your cooking skills. I also like that the required equipment is included for each recipe, including which size Dutch Oven to use, other bowls required and even baggies for marinating. The number of coals and how to use them is also included on each recipe.I use the book as a purchasing guide (when buying the ingredients), and in camp as a cooking guide. I'll make a copy of the individual recipe we are making and have it there for the boys to use when preparing and cooking the meal. With the coal counts and directions right there with each recipe it's easier to use than books which show a cooking temperature and require looking up coal counts in tables.This book has completely different recipes than included in their Dutch Oven cookbook, which helps me greatly by expanding my options. There's plenty of great recipes I'm excited to use. We are headed out soon for another over-night camp and I'll be giving a couple of these recipes the taste test. One more nice aspect to the book is that along with the recipes, they have included comments from the providers of the recipes which include history and awards won with that particular recipe. Here's a quote for you to hunt for which recipe it might be associated with: "Due to its infallible winning ability, it's been officially banned from the District Camporee" I enjoy these touches and find it provides a nice feel when reading the book, much like a family recipe book for fellow Scouters to share.5 stars for a very useful book, I'm looking for to many wonderful meals based on these recipes!

The authors lay out exactly what the scouts need. A shopping list in the margin and step by step instructions with no distracting commentary. The recipes are tasty and creative, going beyond the basic, easy stuff that the boys fall back on when uninspired. They also avoid calling for a major raid on mom's spice cabinet before the outing like many Dutch over recipes found elsewhere. The cooking methods vary from no-cook through stove-top to Dutch Oven and in or over an open fire. If you're looking for recipes for any group campout where you have 5 or more people to feed you'll find great ideas and inspiration here.

This is one of the best books I've ever used. It is visually appealing from layout and design. It is very user friendly - as it is divided by categories that are logical and make sense. Of course, the recipes are easy, delicious, and spot on for scouts and their families. If you have a scout that needs to meet requirements, this cookbook will take a lot of the stress, concern, and planning away! Job well done!

I like to volunteer to be the grub master for the adults in our troop so I was looking for something to use to expand my ideas on what to cook for when camping as the same thing gets alittle tiring after a while. I was pleasantly excited to see some new ideas and anixous to try!

Great recipes

When they say " The Conners' "Wrote the book(s)" on Dutch Oven cooking, they really meant it. Tim and Christine are the real thing, and this cookbook is the real thing. Great, simple, and most of all GOOD recipe's. It is a mainstay in the RV for when we Dutch Oven cook.

It is always a challenge to plan and execute big group meals---especially in Scouting, as these must often be concocted with minimal accessories. I found the material to be useful and some of the prep ideas will be used immediately.

the book is well layed out and easy to use with ingredients on one side and cooking instruction on the other. the book is very colorful and contains a lot of good receipes that my scouts will use on future camp outs i highly recomend it to other leaders for the boys to use on campouts instead of hot dogs and hamburger helper for weekender.