Cheesy Garlic Bread Lasagna Skillet (Printable)

A satisfying skillet dish layering garlic bread cubes with classic lasagna flavors, ricotta, and three cheeses baked until bubbly.

# 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 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

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - In a large bowl, combine melted butter, minced garlic, parsley, and salt. Toss bread cubes until evenly coated and set aside.
03 - 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.
04 - Stir in minced garlic, marinara sauce, oregano, black pepper, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
05 - In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, egg, and Parmesan cheese, mixing until smooth.
06 - Remove half of the meat sauce from the skillet and set aside in a bowl.
07 - Layer half of the garlic bread cubes over the remaining sauce in the skillet. Dollop half of the ricotta mixture over the bread cubes, then sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
08 - Spoon the reserved meat sauce over the cheese layer.
09 - Layer remaining bread cubes, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella cheese.
10 - Cover skillet loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
11 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until cheese bubbles and top achieves golden color.
12 - Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's lasagna without the fussy layering or the awkward slicing that leaves you with crumbling corners.
  • The garlic bread cubes get golden and crispy on the edges while staying tender inside, giving you texture in every bite.
  • Everything happens in one pan, which means fewer dishes and more time actually enjoying what you made.
02 -
  • Do not skip draining the fat from the browned meat—excess grease makes the whole dish feel heavy and greasy instead of rich.
  • The ricotta mixture needs that egg to hold it together; without it you'll just have pockets of runny cheese.
  • Cast-iron is ideal because it browns the bottom bread layer beautifully, but a regular 9x13-inch baking dish works fine too.
03 -
  • Cut your bread cubes roughly the same size so they cook evenly—too big and the inside stays chewy, too small and they disappear into the sauce.
  • Don't skip cooling the skillet for those 10 minutes before serving; it lets the layers set so each scoop actually holds together instead of collapsing into sauce.
Go Back