Layer Your Next Lasagna In Garlic Bread For A Dinnertime Twist

We can't argue that a classic lasagna bolognese recipe can be the reliable ticket to a satisfying dinner. Cheesy layers of noodles, sauce, and fillings yield bites of comfort that are difficult to replace. Yet even delicious tried-and-trues can be upgraded, and more can be more when it comes to addressing cravings. Our cheesy stuffed lasagna bread, for example, offers a culinary marriage that brings homemade garlic bread and your favorite lasagna recipes together. 

Whether you're planning a meatless Monday and have your heart set on vegan lasagna or prefer your recipes to be packed with meat, hollowing out pieces of garlic bread to use as a base to layer ingredients is the kind of effort that is guaranteed to be worth the wait. Instead of sopping up every last morsel on your dinner plate with a toasty piece of garlic bread, the bread itself will be the vessel for the cheeses, sauce, and seasoned vegetables you choose. These boats of deliciousness are ideal to offer diners as individual portion sizes or to slice and serve for a pre-game treat. If you want to go all out, you can add lasagna garlic knots to the spread to give revelers their choice of cheesy, garlicky goodness to fill their bellies and keep the dinner party hopping.

Not only can this comforting treat be customized to your liking, but we love the fact that you can be sinking your teeth into this cheesy dish in a little over 30 minutes. Once French bread has been hollowed out and coated with garlic butter, the stacks of lasagna noodles, sauce, and cheese can be packed to your satisfaction before being baked. Vegetarians may want to use spinach, plant-based proteins, and mushrooms to make their sauce, while more carnivorous diners can opt for shredded chicken, pork, or ground turkey.

The bread that you use to make the stuffed lasagna pieces can also be a platform for flavor experimentation, as pieces of crusty ciabatta, wheat, or sourdough can add unique tastes to your homemade creations. The cheese, too, can be modified according to your preferences. Though some may crave a creamy spread of ricotta on each piece, others may find that the decadent addition leaves little room for other ingredients. Play with combinations of Parmesan, smoked mozzarella, or provolone, or use a local cheese you picked up from the farmer's market.

This is a recipe that is difficult to screw up. As the cheese melts and the bread toasts in the oven, you can get to work preparing a simple side salad to serve with your meal — or simply get the napkins ready. Consider yourself warned: You may want to make more lasagna pieces than what you think you'll need. They tend to disappear quickly.