---

By now, some of you may realize I have a habit of heading to the Florida Keys a few times a year. Most years we head there for what I have come to call Florida KeysGiving.

We started going to the Keys for Thanksgiving during the COVID-19 pandemic, because we figured we couldn’t see our family or friends, and the cottages where we stay (White Gate Court in Islamorada) allowed for isolation.

That year hooked us and most years since, we’ve been back.

This year was the year I learned how to make grilled lasagna.

Yes, you read that right. On the propane grill. Here’s how that came to be.

If you visit the Florida Keys often, you probably understand that, with little exception, it costs less (and generally tastes better) to make your meals as opposed to dining out. Exceptions include Chef Michael’s and several wonderful restaurants in Key West. But by and large, I’m far happier making my own food, the occasional burger or fish sandwich at Robbie’s notwithstanding.

This year, I planned for the trip determined not to stop at a grocery store the entire eight days. I made lists. I shopped. I prepped. I packed.

Trader Joe’s brined spatchcocked turkey breast? Check.
Trader Joe’s ham? Check.

ALDI gluten-free dressing? Sure, why not.

Gravy for the turkey? Throw that in, too.

Pumpkin pie filling? Crust? Yup.

Lasagna macaroni? Ricotta? Mozzarella? Tomato gravy? Bread for garlic bread? All ready to go.

Now, White Gate Court has a wonderful setup. Each kitchen has a cooktop, microwave, full-size fridge, a toaster, and a coffeemaker. Each cottage also has a propane grill right outside the front door, and if we want to grill over charcoal, there’s a larger grill by the Tiki hut on the water.

To make the pie and the lasagna, I opted to pack my toaster oven. The pie shell fit no problem, and I bought a small lasagna pan with dimensions that should have worked.

Careful readers will note the use of the word “should” in that last sentence.

The eating plan for the week involved making the lasagna Monday and snacking off it all week long (if you have never eaten lasagna for breakfast, you’re missing out). But there was a small problem: While the dimensions of the pan indicated it would fit inside the toaster oven, the small handles on the pan made it only slightly too big. We’re talking millimeters here.

---

I took a deep breath and tried again.

The laws of space and time did not change.

The more it became apparent the pan wouldn’t fit, the more I needed to taste that lasagna. Not making it was not an option. Thanksgiving lasagna gets made every year we don’t celebrate a Florida KeysGiving, and I was tired of not making it when we went to the Keys.

In my determination to have gooey strings off cheese dripping off my fork, I eyed the grill. Was it possible?

Friends, the internet said it was.

And there’s not really a recipe that’s any different. The only thing I changed from making it in a traditional oven was that I lined our metal vegetable grill basket with foil and made sure the foil was oiled, and I cooked it covered. Then I shut the grill lid to create an oven environment, and after about 30 minutes or so, it was ready.

---

I don’t know that it will ever replace my traditionally cooked lasagna, but I will tweak this recipe on our home grill as I get ready for KeysGiving 2026.

After all, it’s never too early for lasagna.