Go Back

Dutch Oven Lasagna

Dutch oven lasagna is a hearty, campfire-friendly layered pasta with a golden, melted cheese top. Cook it in a Dutch oven for easy outdoor cooking—bubbly sauce and stretchy mozzarella in every scoop.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
rest 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meat sauce layer
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 24 oz spaghetti sauce Use a 24 oz jar.
Ricotta filling
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese Use a 15 oz container.
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Divide: 1 cup in ricotta mix, rest for topping.
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Lasagna assembly
  • 9 lasagna noodles Uncooked; break to fit Dutch oven.
  • 1 cooking spray For coating the Dutch oven.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown the beef and season the sauce
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef until no longer pink, then stir in the spaghetti sauce to combine.
  2. Continue heating for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is hot and evenly mixed, then remove from heat so it’s ready for layering.
Mix the ricotta filling
  1. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, and Italian seasoning until smooth and evenly combined.
Layer the lasagna in the Dutch oven
  1. Spray the Dutch oven with cooking spray, then spread a thin layer of meat sauce over the bottom.
  2. Place 3 lasagna noodles (broken to fit) on top, then spread half the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles.
  3. Spoon on half the remaining meat sauce and spread it to cover the ricotta layer.
  4. Repeat the layers using 3 more noodles (broken to fit), the rest of the ricotta mixture, and the rest of the meat sauce.
  5. Top with the final 3 noodles (broken to fit) and spread the remaining sauce over them.
  6. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top for a melty, bubbly finish.
Campfire cook
  1. Cover the Dutch oven and place it on campfire coals with additional coals on the lid, cooking for 45-50 minutes until hot through and golden and bubbly on top.
Rest and serve
  1. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving so the layers set cleanly.

Notes

Pro tip: break the lasagna noodles so they fit snugly—tight layering helps prevent dry edges. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezing is yes—freeze baked portions up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until steaming. For a lighter swap, use part-skim ricotta and reduced-fat mozzarella while keeping the layering the same.