Made in a single pot over the campfire, this cheesy beef and sausage Dutch oven lasagna is incredible cool weather camping food and ideal for feeding a crowd.
When the weather starts turning a little cooler, but camping season is still going strong, this hearty lasagna is the perfect meal to enjoy at the end of a busy day. Made with layers of beef, Italian sausage, noodles, and cheese, it's just like your favorite lasagna at home, but is made entirely in your cast iron Dutch oven over the fire.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Lasagna noodles--You want oven-ready (no-boil) lasagna noodles for this recipe.
- Italian sausage--I love the flavor of ground beef and sausage together in lasagna. The sausage adds some fat and spice to the dish. Depending on your preference, you can use mild or hot Italian sausage for the recipe.
- Ground beef--I recommend using lean ground beef (85/15), which will give you a little bit of fat for flavor but won't leave the finished lasagna swimming in grease.
- Marinara--Use your favorite store-bought or homemade marinara sauce here. We love Rao's Marinara, but any type will work.
- Mozzarella--It's best if you can use freshly grated cheese for your lasagna, but I know you're camping, so if you want to use the pre-shredded stuff here, go for it. It doesn't melt quite as well as the block cheese, but you'll be too busy devouring the lasagna to notice. Do use full-fat cheese for the best flavor.
How to Make Lasagna in a Dutch Oven
1. Brown the ground beef and sausage.
2. Stir in the onion and cook until softened.
3. Mix the ricotta, egg, and Parmesan cheese together and season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir the marinara into the meat mixture. Scoop it into a large bowl.
5. Layer the sauce, noodles, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella in the Dutch oven, making 4 layers.
6. Cover the Dutch oven with coals and set it in a bed of coals. Cook until the lasagna is tender and the cheese is melted.
FAQs
This recipe was written for a 6-to-8-quart Dutch oven, and it makes a large lasagna, which will feed 6 to 8 people.
When your Dutch oven lasagna is cooked, the cheese should be melted on top and you should see some sauce bubbling around the side. Carefully remove the lid and stick a knife deep into the center of the lasagna. There should be no resistance from the noodles, and when you remove the knife, the blade should feel hot.
This is a hearty meal all on its own, but feel free to add in a caesar salad and campfire garlic bread on the side.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- You will need to replace your coals or embers at least once during the cooking process. Coals will typically last for about 30 minutes. Be sure to have a new chimney of coals going, or more wood burning down to embers when you begin cooking.
- Since you're cooking in a Dutch oven outside, the cooking time can vary due to outside temperature and wind. If you're cooking on a very windy day, try to protect the Dutch oven with a barrier, such as a tarp.
- Let your campfire lasagna cool for at least 10 minutes after removing from the heat before cutting in to it. This will help it to set and will make slicing easier.
- Remove leftovers from the Dutch oven and store in a sealed container in your cooler or fridge for up to 3 days.
More Dutch Oven Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Campfire Dutch Oven Lasagna
Equipment
- Charcoal or hot embers
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) lean ground beef
- 8 ounces (227 g) Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 medium onion chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (16-oz | 454-g) container ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 (24-oz) jar marinara sauce
- 16 oven-ready (no-boil) lasagna noodles
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Prepare a fire and let it cook down to hot coals. If you'll be using charcoal for the Dutch oven, start a chimney of 24 coals.
- Set the Dutch oven over hot coals or low flame and add the ground beef and sausage. Cook, stirring frequently, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat into small pieces, until browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 10 minutes.
- While the onion is cooking, stir the ricotta, egg, and Parmesan together in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir the marinara sauce into the cooked meat mixture. Scoop out most of the sauce into a large bowl, leaving a thin layer on the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Arrange a layer of noodles over the sauce. You'll need to break some of the noodles to make everything fit, but it's fine to puzzle together small pieces as you go.
- Spread ⅓ of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then dollop ¼ of the sauce on top of that. Cover with ½ cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering two more times.
- Finish with a layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and set it on top of 8 coals. Place 16 coals on the lid and let it cook, replacing the coals as needed. Cook until the noodles are tender, the sauce is bubbling, and the cheese is melted, about 50 minutes.
- Remove from the fire and let rest at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Replacing coals--You will need to replace your coals or embers at least once during the cooking process. Coals will typically last for about 30 minutes. Be sure to have a new chimney of coals going, or more wood burning down to embers when you begin cooking.
- Let it rest--Let your campfire lasagna cool for at least 10 minutes after removing from the heat before cutting in to it. This will help it to set and will make slicing easier.
- Storing leftovers--Remove leftovers from the Dutch oven and store in a sealed container in your cooler or fridge for up to 3 days.
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