Campfire Lasagna
We spent the weekend camping with family at a State Park near my parents’ house and what a blast! The kids had so much fun playing outdoors, fishing, and exploring nature and the adults were able to have some relaxation time too. Time spent outdoors and around the campfire is truly some of the best time!
Now to be honest, it was a little more Glamping and a little less camping, but when you have small kids…anything that makes life easier is hard to deny. We rented cabins at beautiful Union Grove State Park and they had running water and bathrooms and came fully furnished (except for linens). While Evie is still sleeping in a pack n’play, tent camping is hard to do and we don’t have our own camper so this was a perfect solution! (Huge shout out to my SIL for organizing it!!)
We went hiking and found hickory nuts, toads, skipped rocks and even saw a waterfall. Talk about a neat-ture experience! Not to mention, we were able to roast marshmallows for smores, hotdogs, and cook so many things over the fire. My SIL and I even attempted some gourmet campfire cooking with a cast iron dutch oven and some trusty help from the google. If you are looking for a great meal to cook outdoors, you should really try this campfire lasagna!
Actually I learned so many things about cooking over a campfire…first of all, did you know they make parchment paper liners for cast iron dutch ovens? Also there is a chart with the exact number of coals to place on top of the dutch oven to acheive the exact temperature in which to cook your food. For example, our lasagna required 18 coals on top of the dutch oven in order to cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, and needed a half turn after 10 minutes for even baking.
For this recipe you only need one small to medium size bowl for mixing the ricotta, egg and Parmesan so it doesn’t require an entire kitchen of supplies. Easy prep and easy clean-up are a must when you’re cooking outside. Also, as I’ve mentioned before I can’t eat meat so this recipe is both delicious and meat-free. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! Xoxo, Erin
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
people
|
- 15 oz ricotta (whole-milk)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 egg
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 4 cups marinara or spaghetti sauce
- 12 container oven ready or "no-boil" lasagna noodles approx. 12 noodles
- 16-24 oz shredded mozzarella, gouda, Asiago, parmesan, or non-smoked provolone cheese (I vary the type of cheese I use, but stick to "Italian" type cheeses)
Ingredients
|
|
- Mix ricotta, Italian seasoning, egg and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl.
- Add approx. 1/2 cup sauce and 1/2 cup water to the bottom of a 12" Dutch oven. Tip: Use Lodge parchment paper Dutch oven liners and spray or drizzle with small amount of oil to keep the food from sticking. Top with 3 noodles (break if necessary) Then pour 1 cup sauce over the noodles, followed by a layer of the ricotta mixture, spreading out as you go. Sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Repeat the layers 3 times following the pattern: noodles, sauce, ricotta mixture, and shredded cheese.
- Top with sauce, remaining shredded cheese, and grated parmesan. Cover with the lid.
- Prepare coals or campfire cooking by making a hole large enough for the Dutch oven to fit inside in the center of a medium-high heat, without the coals touching it directly. Place the Dutch oven in the hole and cover the lid with approx. 16-18 coals (equivalent to a 400 degree heat). Cook for 25 minutes, rotating the pot 1/2 turn after 10 minutes and 1/4 turn 20 minutes. Remove coals from lid and remove the Dutch oven from fire. Let sit, covered for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the lid (so that any coal ash does not fall into your food) and serve. Enjoy!