If you love quick and easy dinners AND using up leftovers this cheesy recipe is just for you!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- 30 minute cook time means it's a perfect weeknight dinner idea
- The simple recipe is easy to toss together
- Use your favorite pasta sauce—homemade, leftover, or from a jar
I'm always searching for cheap meal ideas that the whole family will look forward to, and this garlic bread casserole is one of 'em!
It takes everyone's favorite side dish (slices of cheesy garlic bread) and turns it into a deliciously fun dinner—what's not to love about that?
It's the perfect way to use up leftover garlic bread, too!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Spread the baguette slices with garlic butter.
- Bake until toasty. Meanwhile cook the ground beef and mix with pasta sauce.
- Spread the garlic bread with the sauce mixture.
- Top with Mozzarella and bake.
🥫 Storage
Garlic bread casserole is a family favorite, and usually, everyone wants second helpings. However, if you have some leftovers, here's how to store them.
Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or portion leftovers into another airtight container. Refrigerate and consume within three days.
For longer storage, seal the casserole leftovers in a freezer-safe container. They'll last for about one month. Let thaw in the fridge before rewarming.
I prefer to reheat the garlic bread casserole in the oven until it's warmed through. However, you can use the microwave if you need to—the bread is usually just a tad soggier this way, though.
📖 Variations
- Instead of ground beef, feel free to use ground turkey, sausage, or pork. Or, omit the meat for a vegetarian option.
- If your family likes meatball subs, swap the ground meat for mini meatballs from the freezer section! Heat them according to the directions, then add them to this casserole and bake.
- Don't prefer marinara? That's fine—use your fave meat sauce instead. However, you may choose to omit the recipe's ground beef in that case.
- To cut prep time, use any type of buttery garlic bread you prefer. Have a box of Texas toast getting old in your freezer? That'll do the job!
- If you'd prefer, you can cut the baguette slices into large, bite-size pieces. It's a bit easier to eat this way, especially for kids!
- Transform this into a pepperoni pizza casserole recipe by adding pepperoni slices before baking. Feel free to add other "pizza" toppings too, such as olives, mushrooms, onions, and/or diced bell peppers.
- Don't forget to garnish with red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, or basil leaves, and maybe a little extra cheese!
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: I like to use the easy melt, creamy mozzarella cheese (made with cream cheese) for extra ooey-gooey deliciousness!
- Feel free to use stale bread. Don't use anything that's gone rock-hard, but if your baguettes are getting a bit old, there's nothing like a delicious garlic butter mixture and layers of cheese to perk them back up!
- Use medium-high heat to brown the beef without drying it out. The beef will cook more evenly in a large skillet—use the largest you have!
- Let the garlic butter mixture sit at room temperature for a bit to make it easier to spread.
- Out of non-stick cooking spray? Wipe the dish down with some olive oil.
- If your casserole dish is extra full, place it on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven. This will catch any tomato sauce that spills as the melty cheese bubbles up!
- If you like your cheese to get a little brown on top, broil it for the last few minutes of baking time. However, watch it closely—the broiler is powerful and cheese can burn in an instant!
👩🍳 FAQs
My favorite garlic butter is made with Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, and, of course, garlic and butter. It's a compound, or "fancy," butter spread that's great on bread, stirred into pasta, as a dipper for appetizers, and more!
You can! In this case, I recommend making small balls of pizza dough with your hands and placing them on top of the meat sauce (rather than under) so that it cooks properly.
Sure! We love to enjoy it along with a fresh green salad and some Italian dressing. It's a delicious spin on a classic family dinner, and one of those main dishes you'll want to eat over and over!
📚 Related recipes
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- Grab your favorite marinara sauce and get ready to enjoy Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole—beefy, cheesy, and a great freezer meal, too!
- A delicious recipe with little prep, Southern Chicken Spaghetti is creamy and satisfying—you won't miss the spaghetti sauce, I promise!
🍽️ Serve with...
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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📞 The last word
Y'all, I can't tell you how much I love a super easy casserole. This one is the best because technically you can use up leftovers if you have them.
I've even been known to add a layer of leftover spaghetti or use leftover meatballs. Always delicious!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Garlic Bread Casserole
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 baguette, sliced thickly – you may need 2
- ½ cup garlic butter, you may need more, use prepared from the store or homemade (recipe is on restless chipotle)
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded from a block or use Kraft creamy melt.
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F..
- Spray a 13x9 inch pan with no-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Spread the bread slices with garlic butter and bake at 400F for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 375F.
- Layer in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
- Saute the ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat until completely browned.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and drain any excess grease.
- Stir the pasta sauce into the meat.
- Spread the meat and sauce mixture over the garlic bread.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella on top.
- Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.
Notes
- I like to use the creamy melt mozzarella cheese (made with cream cheese) for extra ooey-gooey deliciousness!
- Feel free to use stale bread. Don't use anything that's gone rock-hard, but if your baguettes are getting a bit old, there's nothing like a delicious garlic butter mixture and layers of cheese to perk them back up!
- Use medium-high heat to brown the beef without drying it out. The beef will cook more evenly in a large skillet—use the largest you have!
- If your casserole dish is extra full, place it on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven. This will catch any tomato sauce that spills as the melty cheese bubbles up!
- If you like your cheese to get a little brown on top, broil it for the last few minutes of baking time. However, watch it closely—the broiler is powerful and cheese can burn in an instant!
Sara Lindeman
This is one of simplest meal ideas ever! Quick, easy and delicious!!