Three Cheese Lasagna Dip

This ultra cheesy Lasagna Dip is an irresistible party appetizer featuring layers of ricotta cheese, ground beef, marinara sauce, and gooey mozzarella cheese.

Craveable Lasagna Dip

Garlic bread stick being dunked into a pan of lasagna dip.

The start of football season always triggers a need in my brain for hot, cheesy dips.

It must be some kind of Pavlovโ€™s programming that happened in my youth. When the football is on, I need to be consuming melty, saucy cheese.

When I was in high school, it was always this 3 ingredient Crock Pot Queso Dip, a recipe so easy even my inept teenage self could make it.

Since then, weโ€™ve expanded our dip repertoire with Skillet Bread and Spinach Artichoke Dip, Hot Crab Dip, and Layered Taco Dip.

But of course, today weโ€™re here to talk about the new dip in town, this extra cheesy Lasagna Dip!

So, imagine you can get all the flavors of a comforting meat lasagna, but with only 20 minutes of prep! Thatโ€™s this recipe. We think this easy lasagna dip will be the star of all your fall (or any season!) gatherings!

Hot baked lasagna dip in a glass pie dish with garlic bread dippers on the side.

Hereโ€™s Why Youโ€™ll Love Lasagna Dip

  • 20 minutes prep– After browning the ground beef, this just requires a bit of quick layering before being tossed in the oven to bake!
  • Make ahead friendly– The dip can be prepared in advance and baked whenever youโ€™re ready.
  • A crowd pleaser– Donโ€™t be surprised if your guests linger by the counter to keep sneaking spoonfuls of this dip. Itโ€™s a fan favorite!

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for a lasagna dip in small bowls on a wood background.
  • Onion– Chopped small, the onion adds a nice flavor, but shouldnโ€™t be noticeable to those who might be onion-averse (*cough* My kids! *cough).
  • Ground beef– You can use lean ground beef or whatever you have on hand.
  • Ricotta cheese– I make my traditional lasagna with cottage cheese, but the texture of ricotta works a bit better in this dip.
  • Marinara sauce– Use whatever brand of marinara or pasta sauce you prefer.
  • Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese– Of course weโ€™re doubling up on the cheese here! Itโ€™s the NeighborFood way!

How to Make Lasagna Dip

  1. Prep. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9 inch deep dish pie plate or 9 inch square casserole dish.
  2. Brown the beef. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and ground beef and cook until browned, 7-9 minutes. Add garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess grease, then set aside.
  3. Layer. Spread ricotta evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread cooked onion beef mixture on top of ricotta.
  4. Layer ยฝ the tomato sauce followed by ยฝ the mozzarella over the beef, then repeat.
  5. Top with cheese. Grate about ยผ-ยฝ cup Parmesan cheese over the last mozzarella layer. Sprinkle evenly with dried Italian herbs.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Remove, sprinkle with fresh basil, and serve warm with crackers, chips, garlic bread, or breadsticks.

Make Ahead And Storage Instructions

If youโ€™d like to make the lasagna ahead of time, follow all the instructions, but stop before baking. Cover the pan and refrigerate until youโ€™re ready to bake. Uncover then bake as usual.

Store leftover lasagna dip, covered, in the fridge. The dip will last for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Spoon pulling a scoopful of lasagna dip from a dish, with strings of cheese trailing behind it.

FAQS

Can I make lasagna dip vegetarian?

Yes! Simply omit the ground beef completely, and the lasagna dip will be vegetarian.

Can I make this lasagna dip gluten free?

Yes! This lasagna dip is naturally gluten free! Make sure you check the ingredients on the pasta sauce to be sure it’s gluten free.

What do I serve with lasagna dip?

This is the perfect dip for so many carby favorites. Some of our favorites are Triscuits, garlic pita chips, and melba toast.

Itโ€™s also FANTASTIC with breadsticks or garlic bread (we ate it for dinner this way!).

The dipper you see in these pictures is Guy Fieriโ€™s garlic bread, which turned out amazing.

Slice of garlic bread dipped into lasagna dip.

More Ways to Get Your Lasagna Fix

Garlic bread stick being dunked into a pan of lasagna dip.

Three Cheese Lasagna Dip

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

This layered lasagna dip is made with ricotta cheese, ground beef, marinara, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses to create a gooey, saucy dip that's perfect for gatherings.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil, to coat
  • ยผ cup diced onion
  • ยฝ lb. ground beef
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 15 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
  • 16 oz. (2 cups) marinara sauce
  • 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ยฝ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ยฝ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
  • Fresh basil
  • Garlic bread, crackers, or chips, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 inch deep dish pie plate or square pan.
  2. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and ground beef and cook until beef is well browned and no pink remains. Add the garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If there is excess grease at the bottom of the pan, drain it off.
  3. Spread ricotta evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread cooked onion and beef mixture on top of ricotta.
  4. Layer ½ the tomato sauce followed by ½ the mozzarella over the beef mixture, then repeat.
  5. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the last mozzarella layer. Sprinkle evenly with dried Italian herbs.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Remove, sprinkle with fresh basil, and serve warm with crackers, garlic bread, or bread sticks.

Notes

This dip is easy to make ahead of time! Follow the instructions through step 5, then cover and refrigerate. Bake according to directions whenever you're ready.

Leftover lasagna dip should be stored, covered, in the fridge, and will last for 4-5 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 504mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 15g

Please note nutritional information for my recipes is calculated by a third party service and provided as a courtesy to my readers. For the most accurate calculation, I always recommend running the numbers yourself with the specific products you use.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review, or head over to Instagram and share a photo! Tag your projects with #neighborfoodies!

83 Comments

  1. Has anyone ever made and cooked, then frozen leftovers? I’m looking on recommendations on how to thaw and reheat it. It was extra for the last party so I just froze it in the glass pie plate I made it in. But I have no idea how I should go about reheating for today’s potluck. Suggestions?

  2. That dip looks delicious. I would use the grater to grate cheese for my homemade pizzas. Thanks for having this contest.

  3. First, I would use them to make some cupcakes that I am delivering to a shower this weekend: lemon raspberry. Then I’d use them to smoosch some garlic for Korean-style shortribs. Finally, I’d use them to make cinnamon and chocolate shavings to flavor some coffee! The uses are endless!!

  4. I’d be using that sucker for lots and lots of lime and lemon zest…roasted veggie season is coming you know!

  5. Since I grated off part of my thumb & most of my manicure last week with a box grater, I’m definitely ready for something like these!

  6. I pack a lunch for my husband and oldest son everyday, and it’s nice to change things up and give them things in different forms. My son loves eating carrots when they are shredded. Thank you

  7. I would use them to help make delicious British goodies — ever since I came to the US, I only crave my native cuisine more. ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. What I’d make?!? The possibilities are endless! I would use the zester for my strawberry cream pie, the grater for my awesome $15 grilled cheese and of course there is my alfredo pizza which is always a huge hit!

  9. I would make burritos and all types of pinterest recipes that call for the special blocks of cheese! I always have to use a potato peeler to grate my cheese!

  10. Oh I would use it for cheese to either make some Cheese Fries or Nachos for game day! It’s all about football in our house right now!

  11. I NEVER buy already grated cheeses so this would be awesome for my family’s favorite homemade mac and cheese!

  12. The REAL question is what WOULDN’T I use these for!?! I use a box grater almost daily… grating a lot of cheese, or vegetables for dinner. Having single graters would make life that much easier, and especially easy to clean!! ๐Ÿ™‚ And a good parm grated over a homemade spaghetti sauce would probably be the first thing I would use a Microplane grater for!

  13. I’m making this for my next tailgate party! That melted cheese just looks so delicious. I think I’d have to invest in some sort of cabinet lock if I won this, as an alternative to my box grater would mean I’d be putting cheese on EVERYTHING.

  14. This looks delicious–an ingenious dip that is the best of 2 worlds. Love the microplane graters, too. I sure would appreciate having them! Thanks for the opportunity.

  15. Whoa!! The picture of that dip just rocked my socks off! Can hardly wait to make this and share with my family. The giveaway looks amazing as well!

  16. It’s always the gooey, melted cheese–you had me hooked at “three cheese” — oh, lasagna dip, that’s nice too, but three cheese!!! I need to make this dip.

  17. I have so been wanting to get myself a microplane grater! I didn’t even know there were different kinds! I’m a horrible citrus zester–and no wonder! I need one of those microplanes ๐Ÿ˜‰

  18. This dip looks amazing! And I agree, girl- it’s alllll about the cheese, every time. I’m so excited for football season to really kick off.
    Microplanes are a MUST in our kitchen. I only use the box grater when we have gargantuan amounts of cheese to shred, say for sauce. But everything else gets the treatment of the microplane. Great giveaway!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.