Garlic bread casserole 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.
½cupgarlic butteryou may need more, use prepared from the store or homemade (recipe is on restless chipotle)
1 ½poundslean ground beef
24ouncesmarinara sauce
2cupsMozzarella cheeseshredded from a block or use Kraft creamy melt.
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
Storage: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.To Reheat: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.Tips:
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!