Garlic Bread Casserole

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This easy recipe for Garlic Bread Casserole is one to try the next time you need a new recipe and something that is super easy. Texas toast garlic bread topped with a hearty meat sauce and tons of cheese.

When it comes to making an easy weeknight dinner, this delicious garlic bread pizza bake style recipe is one that has become a family favorite for me.

Garlic Bread Casserole Recipe

I can’t think of eating spaghetti and meat sauce without garlic bread. So why not combine them?

If you’re looking for healthy dinners or cheap meal ideas, then you have to try this one. The best part?

There are only 5 ingredients in this delicious recipe. You can make it with things that you already have in your pantry.

If you love Italian food, especially Italian casseroles, check out my dump and bake meatball casserole recipe, lasagna casserole, crockpot pizza casserole, and my extra cheesy baked spaghetti casserole.

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Ingredients Needed

• Garlic bread – I personally like Cole’s frozen, but you can also use any box of texas toast. You might need 10 to 12 thick slices depending on the shape of the dish. 
• Ground beef – Lean ground beef works best, but you can use Italian sausage if you want more spice. 
• Onion – For this recipe, try and use a yellow onion. If you can’t find one, a white onion works as well. 
• Pasta sauce- Don’t like spaghetti sauce? Swap with any kind of tomato sauce, including marinara sauce or pizza sauce. 
• Mozzarella cheese – This can be replaced with any Italian blend cheeses if you can’t find mozzarella.

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How to Make Garlic Bread Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13 dish with nonstick spray.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat to medium-high heat, cook ground beef and onions. Saute until beef is no longer pink and onions are soft.
3. Drain excess oil. Pour in pasta sauce and stir.

4. Line a 9×13 casserole dish with a single layer of slices of cheesy garlic bread.
5. Pour ground beef and sauce mixture on top of garlic toast.

6. Top with shredded cheese. Place in hot oven and bake covered for 10 minutes.
7. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh parsley.

For the full recipe and detailed baking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

Serving Suggestions

Buttery garlic bread pairs as a side with a number of different dishes. My favorites are spaghetti with meat sauce or a meatballs. A vegetable based soup or a crunchy, healthy salad.

For topping this casserole, I personally like to mix it up by adding parmesan cheese and a touch of Italian seasoning.

My secret ingredient, which is pepperoni slices, can turn this into a pepperoni pizza casserole recipe made with a garlic bread base.

If you like a crunch on top of your casserole, cover with a butter mixture of bread crumbs or Ritz crackers. 

Do I need to thaw the frozen garlic bread before using?

I recommend doing so, but the choice is up to you. Personally, I like to lay my garlic bread slices out on a baking sheet and pop them into the oven for a few minutes.

This creates a delicious, crispy bottom for your casserole so I personally would encourage you to do it.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Make this casserole ahead of time and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Make a few changes to maximize baking with a few tips.

Create the ground beef, onion, and sauce mixture, but set aside in a large bowl in the fridge.

When you’re ready to cook, place your garlic bread in the bottom of the casserole dish before topping with ground beef mixture.

Pop in the oven and cook until heated thoroughly, and until you have a melted cheese layer.

Can I freeze it?

This perfect cheese-filled dish can be kept as a freezer meal and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Assemble your casserole according to the direction, stopping right before you would normally place this into the oven. If you want, you can also leave off the layer of cheese and only top right before baking. 

When you’re ready to make your casserole, follow the full instructions for baking that are listed in the recipe card.

This may take a little longer than listed to be completely warmed, so make sure that it is heated thoroughly before serving.

Tips for the Best Casserole

• To make cleaning up easy, line the bottom of a baking dish with aluminum foil before you place bread into the pan.
• Try making this dish in a large dutch oven for extra crispy edges and melty cheese – this is a popular choice for making different types of bread.
• Not a big fan of garlic bread? Try using balls of pizza dough! Each ball of dough can be cooked ahead of time and then used to line the pan in the same way you would with the garlic bread.
• One popular variation on this recipe is using meatballs instead of ground beef, and making a meatball sub casserole, rather than serving it sloppy joes style.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, pin this to your favorite casserole Pinterest board and share it on your favorite social media channels!

This delicious recipe is the perfect mix of garlicky toast, tomato sauce, tender ground beef, and a cheesy topping. I’ve been obsessed with this meal since the first time that I cooked it for my family because it’s extremely easy to make, so it’s perfect for those busy weeknights. I highly recommend making this recipe the next time that you know you want a hearty meal without taking a ton of time to make it.

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