Meatball Casserole is a hearty, cheesy, crowd-pleasing dish that’s easy to make and perfect for weeknights or potlucks.
🍲 What It Is
Tender meatballs baked in rich marinara sauce, topped with melted cheese—sometimes layered with pasta or served on its own.
🧄 Classic Meatball Casserole (Easy Version)
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs cooked meatballs (beef, turkey, or Italian-style)
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 12 oz cooked pasta (penne or rigatoni) – optional
- Fresh basil or parsley for garnish
🔥 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- If using pasta, mix cooked pasta with marinara sauce in a baking dish.
- Add meatballs evenly over the top.
- Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Top with mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake 20–25 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Garnish with fresh herbs before serving.
🧀 Variations
- Low-Carb: Skip pasta and serve over zucchini noodles.
- Creamy Version: Stir ½ cup ricotta into the sauce.
- Spicy: Add crushed red pepper flakes.
- Garlic Bread Topping: Add toasted garlic breadcrumbs for crunch.
🍽 Serve With
- Garlic bread
- Caesar salad
- Roasted vegetables
Rich, saucy, cheesy, and comforting—this dish tastes like a baked spaghetti-meets-meatball sub in casserole form.
If you’d like, I can also provide a homemade meatball recipe from scratch.
