Lasagna Dip

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8 Servings

My family loves lasagna in all of its cheesy, saucy forms. We’ve adopted Kelli’s recipe for the most delicious layered lasagna as the gold standard, but there are weeks when we ladle lasagna soup from the slow cooker, dig into a sheet pan lasagna, or serve a rolled-up version. After eating so many variations on the theme, I realized that a skillet might be the best (and most fun) way to serve lasagna, and that the noodles might not actually be essential.

Ingredients

2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces lean ground beef or raw mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 teaspoon salt-free dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups marinara sauce, such as Rao’s
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
8 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella or Italian-blend cheese (about 2 cups), divided
Fresh basil leaves or parsley, for serving (optional)
Dried red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)
Crackers or sliced, toasted baguette for dipping

Instructions

Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium cast iron or over-safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 8 ounces lean ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt-free dried Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, breaking up the beef into small pieces, until cooked through and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 2 cups marinara sauce and bring to a rapid simmer. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Stir 2 ounces room-temperature cream cheese, 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, and 2 ounces of the shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup) together in a medium bowl until combined. Dollop heaping spoonfuls of the mixture evenly over the tomato mixture. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (1 1/2 cups).
Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese on top is melted, 13 to 15 minutes. Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves or parsley and dried red pepper flakes if desired. Serve with crackers or sliced baguette.