Need an easy dinner idea? This simple dump and bake meatball casserole takes just a few minutes to prep and your oven does the rest. Just 5 ingredients are needed for this delicious and cheesy meatball casserole recipe!
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 45 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 (14 oz.) bag, frozen meatballs
1 (24 oz.) jar, marinara sauce
1 (16 oz.) box, penne rigate pasta, or similar medium sized pasta
3 cups water
1 (8 oz.) bag, shredded mozzarella cheese
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 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 the casserole at 425 degrees 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.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MAKING MEATBALL CASSEROLE:
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. You can easily do this with the defrost setting on your microwave.
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.
How long will meatball casserole last?
When refrigerated in an airtight container, pasta and meatballs will keep for up to 5 days.
Why is it called dump and bake meatball casserole?
This recipe is so easy to make you literally ‘dump and bake’ to prepare the casserole. You dump the pasta, sauce, water and meatballs into a casserole dish and bake.
Nutrition Information:
YIELD: 6 SERVING SIZE: 1
Amount Per Serving: CALORIES: 147TOTAL FAT: 6gSATURATED FAT: 2gTRANS FAT: 0gUNSATURATED FAT: 2gCHOLESTEROL: 16mgSODIUM: 261mgCARBOHYDRATES: 16gFIBER: 1gSUGAR: 2gPROTEIN: 7g