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Campfire Spaghetti Bake

Campfire spaghetti bake is a Dutch oven pasta dinner with a golden, bubbly cheese top and hearty meat sauce. It’s layered with spaghetti and browned ground beef, then baked on campfire coals until the mozzarella melts.
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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
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meat sauce base
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 can (24 oz) spaghetti sauce
  • 1 lb spaghetti cooked
Cheese topping
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
For greasing
  • 1 Cooking spray

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown ground beef in a skillet over campfire until cooked through, then drain excess fat.
  2. Mix cooked spaghetti, beef, spaghetti sauce, half the mozzarella, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
Bake in the Dutch oven
  1. Spray Dutch oven with cooking spray and add the spaghetti mixture, spreading it into an even layer.
  2. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan so the surface bakes up golden and bubbly.
  3. Cover Dutch oven and place it on campfire coals with coals on top of the lid for even heat transfer.
  4. Cook for 30-35 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly, with a visibly set, lightly browned top.
Rest and serve
  1. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving so the bake sets up and slices/serves more cleanly.

Notes

Pro tip: for the most even melt, keep coals balanced—more on top helps the cheese brown without drying the spaghetti. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat covered in the oven or on the stovetop until hot. Freezing is yes: freeze portions up to 2 months and reheat from thawed until bubbly. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat mozzarella and a lean (90% or better) ground beef.