Cheesy Garlic Bread Lasagna Skillet (Printable)

Classic lasagna flavors meet garlic bread in this cheesy cast-iron skillet layered with meat sauce and three cheeses.

# What You Need:

→ Garlic Bread

01 - 1 large loaf Italian bread (approximately 14 oz), cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Meat Sauce

06 - 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
07 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 can (15 fluid ounces) crushed tomatoes
10 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Cheese Mixture

15 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
16 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
17 - 1 large egg
18 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, optional
19 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Additional Cheese

20 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

# How-To:

01 - Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
02 - In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with melted butter, minced garlic, parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until evenly coated. Set aside.
03 - Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned. Drain excess fat if needed.
04 - Add chopped onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
05 - Mix in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat.
06 - In a small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, chopped basil if using, and black pepper.
07 - Layer half the garlic bread cubes in the skillet over the meat sauce, then dollop half the ricotta mixture, sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Repeat with remaining bread, ricotta, and mozzarella.
08 - Cover skillet loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden.
10 - Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra parsley or basil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours on it, but your actual hands-on time is barely twenty minutes.
  • Cast iron gives you that restaurant-quality golden crust on the bread cubes that no regular baking dish can match.
  • Everyone at the table gets meat, cheese, and that impossible-to-resist garlicky bread texture in every single bite.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time; those ten minutes let the cheese set enough that you can actually scoop out portions instead of serving it as a delicious pile.
  • If your skillet isn't well-seasoned or non-stick enough, spray it lightly with cooking oil before you add the meat sauce, or you'll spend twenty minutes scraping.
03 -
  • Toast your bread cubes in a separate skillet with the butter and garlic first if you want them extra crispy—just toss them at the 15-minute mark so they don't burn.
  • Don't drain the ground beef completely; a little fat carries flavor and keeps everything moist as it bakes.
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