Looking for a hearty casserole that’s sure to please the whole family? Then you’re going to love this Meatball Parmesan recipe!
Call it a meatball casserole or meatball bake, the end result is the same – a saucy dish of tender and moist homemade meatballs, nestled in marinara sauce and topped with grated melted parmesan cheese!
Serve your Meatball Parmesan over freshly made pasta or al dente spaghetti for a quick and delicious dinner. Or, add a scoop to hoagie buns for moreish meatball subs that the kids will rave about.
This dish of parmesan meatballs can be made in less than 30 minutes! It stores beautifully as a freezer meal in casserole form for those busy days ahead. Use store-bought marinara sauce or make your own tomato sauce by following this Marinara Sauce Recipe.
What do I Need for this Recipe?
🍜 Ingredients:
- 3 cups marinara sauce (½ recipe Marinara Sauce)
- 12 large meatballs (1 recipe Turkey Meatballs)
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper for garnish
- Fresh Italian parsley, fresh basil, and/or oregano for garnish
Optional Garnish:
Fresh herbs or additional grated Parmesan or Romano cheeses can be sprinkled over the top of your finished meatball parmesan. You can also serve with crostini or crusty toasted French bread.
Variations and Substitutions:
- Turn this dish into a casserole by cooking the meatballs and parmesan in a standard 9×13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle on some crumbled breadcrumbs for a delicious casserole topping.
- We have kept this easy recipe low carb by adding only marinara sauce and cheese to the Italian meatballs. If you’re less concerned about adding carbs, mix some breadcrumbs (about ½ cup) with melted butter (1-2 tablespoons) and sprinkle this over the top of the cheese before baking. The crispy topping adds even more of an authentic flavor.
- Make this dish extra saucy and cheesy by simply increasing the ingredients. Likewise, reduce the sauce and cheese if you like.
- You can make use of jarred marinara sauce or make your own from scratch. Boost the flavor of a jarred sauce by simmering some minced garlic and/or Italian seasoning in the sauce before adding the meatballs.
- If you don’t have parmesan cheese, make use of gruyere cheese instead.
- Instead of ground turkey, use ground beef, ground pork, or other ground meat. Sometimes, I like to combine meats as well.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Prepare meatballs. You can use our Turkey meatballs or beef/pork meatball recipe. You can also use frozen meatballs.
Step 1: Spread the marinara sauce in a large skillet (or in an oven-proof baking dish). Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat.
Step 2: Nestle the meatballs into the sauce in a single layer. If you are using larger meatballs, you can fit about 12 in a standard skillet. Adjust the number of meatballs depending on their size and the size baking dish you’d like to use. There is lots of flexibility with this recipe. Frozen meatballs do not need to be thawed ahead of time. Bring the meatballs to a simmer and cook until the meatballs are heated through (this will take longer if they are frozen).
Step 3: Cover the meatballs and sauce with cheese. We like a nice, thick layer of cheese, but you can add however much you’d like.
Step 4: Place the skillet into a 400°F oven and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and turning golden brown and the sauce is bubbling up around the edges of the pan.
You can add a Pro Tip within the step by steps if there is something pertinent to the step you just described.
Step 5: When your Meatball Parmesan skillet is hot and cooked, remove from the oven and garnish with any freshly chopped herbs you’d like.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Scoop hot meatballs and sauce from the skillet and serve over crusty bread or hot pasta.
This Meatball Parmesan recipe is essentially a meatball parmesan casserole or meatball parmesan bake. It’s super delicious and incredibly easy. It involves one-skillet cooking and baking, ideal for a busy mid-week dinner with minimal mess and cleanup required.
Once completely cool, store any leftover Meatball Parmesan in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, start by defrosting it in the refrigerator overnight. Then, heat it back up in the oven till hot throughout by placing the leftovers in a casserole dish with additional grated cheese over the top and an aluminum foil covering. Reheat till the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Then, allow the casserole to broil for a few minutes before serving.
Since this is quite a hearty dish by itself, you could serve it alongside a fresh green salad as a low-carb option.
Other options include serving Meatball Parmesan over a helping of spaghetti pasta or noodles, over some garlic bread or French bread, or in a hoagie bun as a delicious meatball sub!
Yes, you can! It actually makes a great freezer meal. Prepare your meatballs and sauce and place them in a freezer-safe casserole dish with grated cheese over the top. Then wrap the dish in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze.
When you’re ready to serve this dish to the family, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then heat it in the oven, covering the casserole with foil and baking for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling up and the cheese has melted.
With a few minutes to go before removing your Meatball Parmesan from the oven, set your oven to the broil setting, uncover the casserole dish and allow the cheese to brown.
- Instead of making this Meatball Parmesan in a cast iron skillet pan, you could also make it in a casserole dish which may be particularly helpful if you anticipate needing to store leftovers or are intending on making it as a freezer meal. You’ll need to double the meatball recipe and cheese if you use a standard 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Add more or less of the sauce and cheese according to your preferences.
- You can make use of jarred marinara sauce or you can make your own hearty marinara sauce by following my Best Marinara Sauce recipe. I do recommend adding in some extra herbs if you opt to use jarred sauce instead.
- You can easily substitute provolone or gruyere cheeses for the parmesan and it’ll still taste just as good.
- Add a small amount of table salt and pepper to the top of the cheese for a good boost of seasoning. I think it brings out the flavors of the dish more but is optional.
- Using an ice cream scoop will help to form even-sized meatballs with the meat mixture.
MORE ITALIAN-INSPIRED RECIPES TO TRY
Meatball Parmesan
Ingredients
- 3 cups marinara sauce ½ recipe Marinara Sauce
- 12 large meatballs 1 recipe Turkey Meatballs
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper for garnish
- Fresh Italian parsley basil, and/or oregano for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Prepare meatballs and marinara sauce.
- Heat marinara in a medium oven-proof skillet.
- Nestle meatballs down into the sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Spoon some of the marinara sauce up over the meatballs.
- Sprinkle with a teaspoon or two of freshly minced herbs if desired.
- Spread grated cheeses over the top of the meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place skillet in the oven and bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. (Turn on the broiler for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese a bit if desired).
- Garnish with freshly snipped herbs and serve immediately.
Notes
- Prepare as a freezer meal by combining meatballs and sauce and layering in an oven-safe casserole dish. Cover with grated cheese. Wrap in one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes until sauce is bubbling up, meatballs are heated through, and cheese is melted. Uncover and broil to brown the cheese on top.
- Serve over spaghetti, other pasta, toasted French bread, or in a hoagie bun as a meatball sub.
- This can also be made in a casserole dish. Double the meatball recipe and the cheese and prepare in a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Sauce and cheese amounts can be varied as much or as little as you’d like for personal taste. You could also use provolone or gruyere cheeses.
- Adding a little salt and pepper to the top of the cheese really adds some seasoning. It’s optional, of course.
- For a super-fast meal, use jarred marinara sauce and frozen meatballs. Simmer the frozen meatballs in the sauce until heated and then continue with the recipe instructions. If using jarred sauce, feel free to add herbs and seasonings to the sauce while it simmers.
Nutrition
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