Cheesy Garlic Bread Lasagna Skillet (Printable version)

Layered skillet dish combining garlic bread cubes with lasagna flavors, baked until golden and cheesy.

# What You'll Need:

→ Garlic Bread Cubes

01 - 1 large baguette or Italian loaf, cut into 2-inch cubes
02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Lasagna Filling

06 - 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
07 - 1 small onion, diced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 24 fluid ounces marinara sauce
10 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
14 - 1 large egg
15 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and salt. Add bread cubes and toss until evenly coated. Set aside.
02 - Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and diced onion, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes until beef is browned and onion is softened. Drain excess fat from the skillet.
03 - Stir in minced garlic, marinara sauce, dried oregano, black pepper, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
04 - In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, and grated Parmesan cheese, mixing until smooth.
05 - Remove half of the meat sauce from the skillet and set aside. Layer half of the garlic bread cubes over the remaining sauce in the skillet. Dollop half of the ricotta mixture over the bread cubes and sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
06 - Spoon the reserved meat sauce over the cheese layer. Add remaining bread cubes, followed by remaining ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese.
07 - Cover skillet loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbling and the top is golden brown.
08 - Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like cheating: You get all the comfort of lasagna with the buttery, garlicky crunch that makes people think you've been cooking all day.
  • Everything happens in one skillet: No assembly line of pans, no lasagna noodles to boil, just pure, efficient deliciousness.
02 -
  • Drain your meat properly or regret it: Excess fat will make the bottom layer soggy and separate the layers into an oily mess—a quick drain makes all the difference between a cohesive dish and a puddle.
  • Don't skip the 10-minute rest: I learned this the hard way by serving it immediately; the layers slide into each other and you lose that beautiful structure you worked to build.
03 -
  • Room-temperature ricotta mixes more smoothly than cold, so pull it out of the fridge while you're browning the meat.
  • Toast your bread cubes in a dry skillet for 2 minutes before tossing with garlic butter if they're day-old—it wakes them up and prevents them from absorbing too much liquid.
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