Cheesy Meatball Casserole

Cheesy Meatball Casserole with homemade meatballs and covered with melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect on its own, with noodles or in subs!

Pasta recipes such as Baked Ziti and this Cheesy Meatball Casserole are always a hit at dinnertime. Check out other Dinner Recipes for more Italian classics.

CHEESY MEATBALL CASSEROLE

This cheesy meatball casserole ticks off all of the yummy requirements needed to please everyone in the family.  Yes, it’s cheesy goodness but the meatballs are really the star of this dish. They’re moist and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. 

One thing you can do to help out future you is make a double batch of Meatballs and freeze the other half. It helps on those nights that you haven’t figured out what to make for dinner and now everyone is starving. No need to panic in that moment, you’ll be one step closer to getting this casserole in the oven.

You can even go one step further and make your own Marinara Sauce. Not only is it super easy to make, it’s more cost effective than buying a premium store bought brand. The flavor is outstanding and worth just the little bit of effort it takes. The recipe yields about 4 cups so you’ll have some left over to use for another dish. 

HOW TO MAKE CHEESY MEATBALL CASSEROLE

• Marinara sauce: Use a good homemade sauce or pick a good store-bought sauce. Good marinara sauce often goes on sale, so you can stock up for when you want to make this later.
• Cheese: Be generous with the cheese, we want it to be enough to both melt and to brown on top.
• Baking: If your baking pan is broiler safe, you can skip the five minutes of baking at 425 degrees by just turning on the broiler and quickly browning the cheese.

Create a free account to Save Recipes

Email addressSign Up Now

MORE DELICIOUS CASSEROLE RECIPES

Tater Tot Casserole

Easy Chicken Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

Can I use frozen meatballs for this casserole?

Yes, you can use (fully cooked) frozen meatballs for this casserole recipe, just make sure that they are completely thawed before using.

Can this casserole be made ahead of time?

Assemble the casserole and cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking. You can even freeze this after baking. I like to portion it out into single servings and store in small freezer safe storage bags for an easy grab for lunch or dinner. 

Can this casserole be made in a crockpot?

This casserole recipe is easily adaptable to a slow cooker. Follow the instructions but instead of layering into a baking dish, simply layer them into a crockpot instead. Cook on low for 6 hours.

VARIATIONS ON CHEESY MEATBALL CASSEROLE

• Veggies: Add in cooked broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or any other vegetable your family enjoys.
• Meatballs: The meatballs are made from ground beef but you could swap for a ground pork sausage or chicken. Try using turkey meat for a healthier option.

EASY SIDE DISH RECIPES:

Baked Mac and Cheese

Roasted Broccoli

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

HOW TO SERVE AND STORE

• Serve: This casserole shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
• Store: Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
• Freeze: Once completely cooled, store the casserole in a freezer safe storage bag or container and keep in the frozen for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the oven.

5 from 8 votes

Print

Cheesy Meatball Casserole

Cheesy Meatball Casserole with homemade meatballs and covered with melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect on its own, with noodles or in subs!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Cheesy Meatball Casserole

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 431 kcal

Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

• 3 slices bread
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup yellow onion , minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
• 2 large large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 24 ounces marinara sauce
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese , shredded

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In the bowl of your stand mixer add the milk to the slices of bread.

3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a pan and add the minced yellow onions.

4. Cook them on medium low until translucent but not browned.
5. Remove from heat and let cool.
6. In your bowl with the milk soaked bread add the rest of the meatball ingredients including the cooked onions.
7. Mix it on low until the bread is broken apart and the meat is combined with the ingredients (using the stand mixer and not your hands helps keep the mixture cold and tender).
8. Using a meatballer/ice cream scoop or your hands scoop them into balls about the size of a ping pong ball.

9. Melt the remaining butter in the pan and cook the meatballs on medium high on all sides for around 2-3 minutes, getting a good sear on all sides, then remove from heat and set aside.

10. Coat the bottom of a baking dish with a thin layer of marinara sauce. Place the meatballs evenly into the baking dish and pour the remaining marinara sauce over the top.

11. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the baking dish.

12. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 18-20 minutes.

13. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees, uncover the baking dish, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Cheesy Meatball Casserole

Amount Per Serving

Calories 431 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 160mg53%

Sodium 929mg40%

Potassium 711mg20%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 32g64%

Vitamin A 741IU15%

Vitamin C 7mg8%

Calcium 206mg21%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.