Meaty Dutch Oven Lasagna

I started making this Dutch Oven Lasagna recipe outdoors on camping trips. Lasagna is not something many people associate with camping.  But with a Dutch Oven, you can cook just about anything over a fire.  None of the Lasagna recipes I found in my cast iron cookbooks were done quite the way I like it, though.  This is my Dutch Oven recipe for lasagna, based on a number of different lasagna recipes, as well as my wife’s method of making it in the oven.  And it includes notes specific to preparing it in a Dutch Oven over a fire or with charcoal. If you want to enjoy lasagna while camping, you are in the right place. This is also a great way to make a great lasagna in the kitchen, either with an enamel oven, or bare iron. It cooked slow and even, and the flavor of this baked dish is amazing.

Dutch Oven Meaty Lasagna

Bob

A meat lover's lasagna, slow cooked in your Dutch Oven.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 6

Calories 1126 kcal

Equipment

• 1 12" Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb hamburger
• 1 lb ground italian sausage
• 1 lb Lasagna Pasta 1 box
• 32 oz Spaghetti Sauce or Marinara 1 large jar. Can use 2 24 oz jars if you want more sauce in your recipe
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 12 oz ricotta cheese Some people use Cottage Cheese instead of Ricotta
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 egg optional, to mix with the cheese

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• Brown the hamburger and sausage in a heated skillet, or your Dutch Oven. This can be done ahead of time at home to simplify preparation at the campsite. If you are doing it ahead of time, let the meat cool and pack in a ziplock back and freeze, or store in the refrigerator.
• Lightly oil your Dutch Oven. Optionally, a dutch oven liner can be used.
• Optionally, you can mix the egg in with your ricotta cheese. If you want to do this, you may be able to do this ahead of time at home and repackage the cheese/egg mixture and keep it cold until you use it. I don't normally use the egg.
• Put some sauce on the bottom of the dutch oven, then start layering the noodles (uncooked), meat, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and sauce.  Save some mozzarella cheese for the top.
• You need to get creative to put the uncooked noodles in a round dutch oven. Break off corners to fit against the round sides, break some in half, etc. Do your best, and once it's all layered and cooked you won't know the difference.
• Slowly pour the water over the top. To make cleanup just a little easier, you can pour the 3/4 cup of water into the sauce jar and shake it up, then pour that on the lasagna to get every bit of the sauce.
• Top with the last of your mozzarella cheese, and the parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.
• Remove the lid and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of the Lasagna, and bake for 10 more minutes.
• Let the lasagna rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

To cook with charcoal, put 10 briquettes under the dutch oven and 13 on the lid, then cook for 45 minutes.  I have learned over time, my Camp Chef dutch oven needs a pretty good bed of coals under it, such as a single layer that is under the whole oven and a similar number on the top.  It usually needs a lot more heat than a recipe calls for.  So until you get the hang of how many coals your oven needs just keep an eye on things, checking occasionally.  See our charcoal temperature reference for more information.

This recipe also works in a large crockpot if you want to do it at home someday, but I leave out most of the water, just putting a little in the sauce jars to clean them out some and dumping that in the crockpot. I then cook it on low for about 4 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 1126kcalCarbohydrates: 106gProtein: 58gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 177mgSodium: 2311mgPotassium: 1089mgFiber: 6gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1581IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 765mgIron: 7mg

Keyword hamburger, lasagna, mozzarella, sausage, tomato sauce

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