This Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread recipe is the perfect pairing of the classic multi-part Italian meal, combined into one delicious complete dish! Made with simple ingredients, it is so easy to create these crispy boats of garlic bread that hold a spaghetti and meat sauce filling, bubbling with melted cheese as it bakes into the ultimate finger food!
Spaghetti Baked In A Bread Boat
My family loves a traditional spaghetti dinner served with a side of garlic bread. Why eat the two separately when you can skip a step and eat them both in one bite? That’s why this Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread recipe makes mealtime so much fun and practically mess-less because you can eat it without a fork!
The bread itself is soft and easy to bite into, but bakes to a crispy, garlicky bread boat crust; it’s the perfect vehicle for a pile of spaghetti tossed with zesty meat sauce and topped with gooey melted cheese. While I do love to spin my spaghetti, this recipe may be the cleanest way to eat a carb-laden classic and the easiest way to taste all the flavors of Italian comfort food, in one delicious mouthful!
Why We Love This Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread Recipe
- Easy to make using simple ingredients.
- Family-friendly meal that is fun to eat.
- Delicious garlic bread and spaghetti baked into one handheld easy-to-bite dish!
- Portable bread boat makes it convenient to pack and eat anywhere!
- Great for dinner, appetizer, potlucks, tailgating, or for your next Italian bistro night.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Loaf of frozen garlic bread – Using a sturdy bread is essential to this recipe! You need bread that can hold its own underneath the weight of the spaghetti and sauce.
NOTE: You can use a fresh loaf of French bread – see FAQ below - Thin spaghetti: Cook your spaghetti according to package directions. (I use spaghetti for this recipe but you can easily use whatever pasta you have in your pantry. Spaghetti holds its shape and fills the garlic bread bowl really nicely. You also want to use pasta that stays in place.)
- Mozzarella cheese
- Crushed tomatoes
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Olive oil
- Garlic, minced
- Italian seasoning
- Dried basil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
Note: You can use a jarred sauce – see FAQ below.
Substitutions and Additions
- Toppings: Toppings aren’t just for cheese! You can try adding pepperoni, ham, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, mushrooms, sausage, meatballs, or your other favorites. Have fun customizing!
- Choose Your Cheese: For the melty cheese topping on this recipe, I use mozzarella, but you can use any Italian cheese you like. Try provolone, taleggio, or a velvety smooth burrata.
- Bake It In A Bread Bowl: Scoop and fill your kaiser roll with spaghetti goodness! It will be delicious when brushed with garlic butter and loaded with spaghetti, meat sauce, and mozzarella cheese, then baked to a golden brown!
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Skillet
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowls and measuring tools
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
This Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread recipe is the perfect pairing of the classic spaghetti and garlic bread meal, combined into one delicious complete dish! Why eat the two separately when you can have both in one, easy-to-eat, delicious handheld bite?
- Cook onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, dried basil, salt, black and red pepper in olive oil in hot skillet.
- Add the ground beef, cook, and drain excess grease.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the meat and simmer.
- Cut thawed garlic bread in half, both lengthwise and widthwise, to create 4 equal sized portions and place on prepared baking sheet garlic/butter side up.
- Cut a rounded slit about ¼ inch from the sides of the bread.
Pro Tip: Make sure you do not go all the way through the bread. You are creating a border to hold the spaghetti and sauce in the bread boat! - Press down the center of the garlic bread to create your garlic bread boat. Evenly fill each garlic bread boat with spaghetti and sauce.
Pro Tip: It is easiest to use the bottom of a large soup spoon. - Combine cooked and drained spaghetti noodles with prepared meat sauce.
- Top each bread boat with mozzarella cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
Pro Tip: If you want your cheese a little more golden, you can turn on your broiler for 2-3 minutes. - Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips
- These spaghetti stuffed garlic breads should be served hot.
- Using a sturdy bread is essential to this recipe! You need bread that can hold its own underneath the weight of the spaghetti and sauce.
- I use spaghetti for this recipe but you can easily use whatever pasta you have in your pantry. Spaghetti holds its shape and fills the garlic bread bowl really nicely. You also want to use pasta that stays in place.
- If you add the spaghetti and sauce to the bread boat too early, the sauce will get absorbed by the bread and change the texture. You will lose the crunchy sides of the garlic bread.
- If you want to make a 2nd loaf of spaghetti stuffed garlic bread later in the week, I would suggest keeping the bread and spaghetti separate from each other until you are ready to bake them together.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Leftover spaghetti stuffed garlic bread can be stored in a covered container and refrigerated for 1-2 days. Any longer than that and your bread will get soggy.
- To Freeze: While I don’t recommend freezing this dish, it can be frozen for up to 2 months if you store the components separately. See FAQs below.
- To Reheat: Reheat the spaghetti stuffed garlic bread on a baking sheet, in a 350 degree oven, for 15 minutes or until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, this recipe does not freeze well. I don’t like the textural changes that occur when pasta is frozen–it gets mushy. However, it’s perfectly safe to freeze and will store for up to 2 months in the freezer. If you decide to freeze it, freeze the components separately so the garlic bread doesn’t absorb the moisture in the spaghetti and becomes soggy. To thaw, let your components sit in the fridge overnight. Then combine, bake, and indulge!
This recipe creates a very filling, rich dinner so I like to balance it with something light. A simple green salad or steamed veggie will be delicious alongside a pasta, bread, and cheese meal like this one.
You can prepare your sauce ahead of time and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator until you are ready to boil your noodles and prepare your garlic bread. You can freeze any remaining sauce, in a freezer-safe container, for up to 2 months. You will need to thaw your sauce prior to assembling your spaghetti stuffed garlic bread.
If you do not wish to make your sauce from scratch you can cook your ground beef and then add 2 (24-ounce) jars of your favorite jarred marinara sauce. You will omit the addition of the onions, garlic, and spices and follow all of the other directions.
If you wish to use a loaf of fresh french bread instead of a frozen garlic bread loaf, you will need to cut it in half lengthwise, then into 4 equal portions. Follow the same steps to create your garlic boat. You will also need to combine 4 tablespoons of melted butter with 1 teaspoon garlic powder and brush the inside of your bread with the garlic butter before filling the bread boats with spaghetti.
You can easily double the servings for this recipe. You will need a second loaf of garlic bread, a second 8oz. block of mozzarella cheese and you will need to cook the entire 1 lb. box of thin spaghetti noodles. This recipe makes plenty of sauce so there is no need to double any of the sauce ingredients.
Other Easy Pasta Recipes
- One Pot Pasta (no boiling pasta required!)
- Everything Bagel Pasta
- Baked Feta Pasta
- One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Creamy Beef and Shells
- Baked Spaghetti
Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf of frozen garlic bread thawed
- 8 ounce (½ of a 1 lb. box) thin spaghetti cooked according to package directions
- 8 ounce block mozzarella cheese shred
- 56 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- 1 cup onion small diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large skillet, on medium-high heat, place the olive oil. Once it is hot add the onions, garlic, italian seasoning, dried basil, salt, black and red pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Once the onions and spices have started to soften, add the ground beef and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease from the cooked beef.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the cooked beef and turn the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a piece of aluminum foil onto a large baking sheet and set aside.
- While the sauce is simmering, remove your garlic bread from the package and allow it to thaw completely. Once thawed, cut your bread in half so that you have 4 equal sized portions. Place the pieces of garlic bread onto the prepared baking sheet garlic/butter side up.
- With a sharp knife, carefully cut a slit (following the shape of the bread) about ¼ inch from the sides of the bread. **Make sure you do not go all the way through the bread. You are wanting to create a border to hold the spaghetti and sauce in the bread boat**
- With the bottom of a large soup spoon, press down the center part of the garlic bread making sure to leave your ¼ inch border you created with your knife cut. *You should have created a garlic bread boat*
- In a large bowl add your, cooked & drained, thin spaghetti noodles with 4 cups of your sauce. Combine them so that all of your spaghetti noodles are coated with sauce.
- Divide your sauce coated noodles into 4 equal amounts and fill your garlic bread boats with the spaghetti. Make sure to keep your spaghetti neatly piled onto the garlic bread.
- Top each of your spaghetti filled garlic boats with a ¼ of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden. **If you want your cheese a little more golden, than you can turn on your broiler for 2-3 minutes or until desired doneness**
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Leftover spaghetti stuffed garlic bread can be stored in a covered container and refrigerated for 1-2 days. Any longer than that and your bread will get soggy.
- To Freeze: While I don’t recommend freezing this dish, it can be frozen for up to 2 months if you store the components separately. See FAQs below.
- To Reheat: Reheat the spaghetti stuffed garlic bread on a baking sheet, in a 350* oven, for 15 minutes or until warmed through.
- These spaghetti stuffed garlic breads should be served hot.
- Using a sturdy bread is essential to this recipe! You need bread that can hold its own underneath the weight of the spaghetti and sauce.
- I use spaghetti for this recipe but you can easily use whatever pasta you have in your pantry. Spaghetti holds its shape and fills the garlic bread bowl really nicely. You also want to use pasta that stays in place.
- If you add the spaghetti and sauce to the bread boat too early, the sauce will get absorbed by the bread and change the texture. You will lose the crunchy sides of the garlic bread.
- If you want to make a 2nd loaf of spaghetti stuffed garlic bread later in the week, I would suggest keeping the bread and spaghetti separate from each other until you are ready to bake them together.
