Do you and your family love pasta and meatballs? This cheesy meatball casserole recipe comes together easily with frozen meatballs, marinara sauce, and pasta. Easy with minimal prep making it perfect for busy weeknights!
If you love a simple baked pasta recipe, this easy meatball casserole is for you. Topped with mozzarella cheese, and made with store-bought frozen meatballs, marinara sauce and penne pasta, this casserole comes together in just minutes. The perfect meal for the whole family.
Why You’ll Love This Meatball Casserole
Meat, cheese, sauce and pasta- what’s not to love? Here are a few reasons why this meatball pasta bake takes the cake.
- Quick and easy – This casserole is on the dinner table in less than an hour. And there are only 10 minutes of real work involved.
- Flavorful – With only 4 ingredients, this meatball casserole really does pack a big flavor punch.
- Versatile – You can use your favorite pasts noodle, pasta sauce and add any special add-ins that your heart desires.
Simple Ingredients
Here’s a quick-reference check list of the common ingredients you’ll need for this family favorite recipe:
- Frozen meatballs – look for an Italian meatballs from the frozen foods section of your grocery store.
- Penne rigate pasta – penne works well for this recipe, however, you could substitute most other medium-sized pastas, like rotini, rigatoni, ziti or gemelli.
- Pasta sauce – a simple marinara sauce or tomato sauce works well for this recipe, however, feel free to choose a flavor that suits your tastes. If you like a robust sauce, add another 1-2 teaspoons of dry Italian seasoning or garlic powder or onion powder. Or to be a big hit, all of them.
- Water – water is needed to help the pasta bake and become tender.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – you can use either regular or part-skim mozzarella shredded cheese for this recipe. Next time I’ll do a mix of cheese and more cheese.
How to Make a Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
One of my favorite parts of this recipe is that it’s super quick and easy. check out exactly how to make it below.
- Add pasta and water. In a casserole dish or 9 x 13” pan coated with cooking spray, add the uncooked pasta, water and pasta sauce. Stir these together well.
- Defrost meatballs. In your microwave, using the defrost setting, defrost the meatballs. Once the meatballs are no longer frozen, add them to the pasta and sauce mixture. If they aren’t defrosted, they won’t have enough time to cook, but make sure they also aren’t hot, otherwise they won’t be juicy meatballs.
- Cover and bake. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the casserole. About half way through baking, stir the mixture to ensure the pasta and meatballs bake evenly.
- Top with cheese and bake. Add the shredded mozzarella cheese to the top of the casserole and bake until the cheese is completely melted and light golden brown.
- Enjoy. Serve with your favorite side salad or vegetables. And I like to add more cheese, specifically freshly shredded parmesan cheese and a fresh hand torn pieces of fresh basil from the garden.
Meatball Casserole Serving Suggestions
This baked pasta dish is fantastic served with your favorite green salad with Italian dressing. It can also be paired with fresh or frozen vegetables, like steamed broccoli, green beans or peas. And of course, garlic bread.
Here are a few recipes for inspiration:
- Pan Fried Broccolini
- Texas Roadhouse Rolls
- Garlic Parmesan Broccolini
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Sauteed Cabbage
Storage and Freezing
Storage: When refrigerated in an airtight container or large freezer bag, pasta and meatballs will keep for up to five days.
Freezing: You can also freeze this casserole. Check out my tips for how to freeze a casserole for the best method. Bemindful that pasta and cheese never defrosts or tastes as well as it does freshly cooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to brown meatballs before baking them?
When baking frozen meatballs, it is not necessary to sauté them before baking. Make sure the meatballs are thawed and no longer frozen before adding to the sauce.
How long do I bake meatball casserole?
Meatball casserole will need approximately 40-45 minutes at 425 degrees to bake.
When do I add cheese to a meatball casserole recipe?
To ensure the cheese doesn’t over-brown or burn before the pasta is done cooking, it is best to add the cheese the last 5-10 minutes of baking.
Can I use another meat?
You can, even though is a meatball casserole. Use any cooked meat you like as long as it is the same weight. Ground beef, ground turkey, sausage, chicken or anything else you’d like.
Can I make this in the slow cooker?
Sure! Get our your crockpot and follow the same instructions, but cook for an hour or so on low. Check periodically for the pasta to be al dente cooked and tender meatballs.
Is this a keto meatball casserole?
A keto meatball casserole is literally just meatballs, cheese and sauce. No pasta! If you make this, do not add extra water. It isn’t needed since you aren’t cooking pasta. The cooking time will be the same. You can also use zucchini noodles, but it won’t need the extra water either.
More Easy Recipes
We love casserole recipes, here are a few more!
- Original Honeycomb Pasta Recipe
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
- Chicken Piccata
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Garlic Parmesan Linguine
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Meatball Casserole
4.27 from 42 votes
Cheesy Meatball Casserole comes together w/ frozen meatballs, marinara sauce, and pasta. Minimal prep makes it the perfect weeknight dinner!
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 55 minutes mins
Servings: 6
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Ingredients
- 14-32 ounces bag of frozen meatballs
- 24 ounces jar of marinara sauce
- 1 pound box of penne pasta (16 ounces)
- 3 cups water
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese , shredded
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray a casserole dish or 9 x 13” pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large microwave safe bowl, add the frozen meatballs. Using the defrost setting, defrost the meatballs for 5-7 minutes or until completely thawed.
To the prepared baking dish or pan, add the uncooked pasta, pasta sauce and water. Using a rubber scraper, stir to combine. Add in the thawed meatballs.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes, stirring the casserole halfway through baking.
Remove from oven and top the casserole with the shredded cheese. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and light golden brown.
Let the casserole cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Video
Notes
It is important to cover the baking dish with foil when baking. This will keep the steam in the baking dish and allow the pasta to cook evenly and become tender. If baked uncovered, the pasta will become dry, tough, and only partially cooked.
Nutrition
Calories: 595 kcal, Carbohydrates: 63 g, Protein: 31 g, Fat: 24 g, Saturated Fat: 10 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g, Cholesterol: 77 mg, Sodium: 822 mg, Potassium: 724 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 6 g, Vitamin A: 751 IU, Vitamin C: 8 mg, Calcium: 235 mg, Iron: 3 mg
Author: Erin Indahl-Fink
Calories: 595
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: meatball casserole
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