Go Back

Campfire Spaghetti Bake

Campfire spaghetti bake with Dutch oven pasta and a golden, bubbly cheese top. Hearty meat sauce coats tender spaghetti, then everything bakes hot and melty over campfire coals.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
rest 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 754
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Campfire spaghetti bake
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 24 oz spaghetti sauce
  • 1 lb spaghetti, cooked
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • cooking spray

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over a campfire until no longer pink, then drain excess fat.
  2. Keep the heat steady so the beef browns without burning on the outside.
Mix the spaghetti
  1. In a large mixing step, combine cooked spaghetti, browned beef, spaghetti sauce, half the mozzarella, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
  2. Spread everything together so every strand gets sauce.
Bake in the Dutch oven
  1. Spray the Dutch oven with cooking spray, then add the spaghetti mixture and level it into an even layer.
  2. Top with the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese so the surface turns golden.
  3. Cover the Dutch oven and place it on campfire coals, with additional coals on top of the lid to heat from both sides.
  4. Cook for 30-35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly with a golden, bubbling top.
Rest and serve
  1. Let the Dutch oven cool for 5 minutes before serving.
  2. Spoon out servings to show the bubbly cheese layer when the lid is lifted.

Notes

Pro tip: drain the beef well so the bake stays thick and doesn’t pool. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3-4 days in a covered container; reheat until hot throughout. Freezing is yes—freeze in portions up to 2 months and reheat from thawed. For a lighter option, use lean ground beef and part-skim mozzarella while keeping the baking time the same.