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Dutch Oven Lasagna

Dutch oven lasagna with bubbly melted cheese gets built in layers, then cooked on campfire coals for a golden, gooey top. This campfire lasagna uses uncooked noodles and a ricotta-meets-mozzarella filling for a hearty, crowd-friendly camping pasta bake.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
resting 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 735
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef
Spaghetti sauce
  • 1 can (24 oz) spaghetti sauce
Ricotta cheese filling
  • 1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Mozzarella topping
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Use for topping and layering.
Lasagna noodles
  • 9 lasagna noodles Uncooked.
Cooking spray
  • 1 Cooking spray For greasing the Dutch oven.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the meat sauce
  1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, then stir it into the spaghetti sauce until fully combined.
  2. Simmer the meat sauce briefly, just to warm through and help it coat the meat evenly.
Make the ricotta cheese mixture
  1. Mix ricotta cheese with 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, egg, and Italian seasoning until thick and evenly combined.
Assemble the Dutch oven lasagna
  1. Spray the Dutch oven with cooking spray, then spread a thin layer of meat sauce over the bottom.
  2. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (break to fit), then spread half the ricotta mixture and half the remaining meat sauce over the noodles.
  3. Repeat with another layer of 3 noodles, the rest of the ricotta mixture, and the rest of the meat sauce.
  4. Top with the final 3 noodles, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the surface.
Campfire cook and rest
  1. Cover the Dutch oven and place it on campfire coals, adding coals on the lid for 45–50 minutes until the cheese is melted and the top is golden and bubbly.
  2. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving so the layers set.

Notes

Pro tip: If your campfire coals are uneven, rotate the Dutch oven once during the 45–50 minute bake for more even browning. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3–4 days; reheat until steaming. Freezing is yes—freeze individual portions up to 2–3 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating. For a lighter option, use part-skim ricotta and reduced-fat mozzarella (texture stays similar, with a slightly less rich melt).