Looking for an Italian inspired family dinner? Then this juicy Parmesan Italian Meatball Casserole is for you and Sunday family dinners!
With flavorful and tender meatballs, warm sauce, and gooey cheese, this low-carb meatball parmesan casserole will be a hit with the whole family!
Italian Meatball Casserole Parmesan
This meatball parmesan casserole is delicious and will feed everyone at the gathering. This makes this dish perfect for any type of gathering or potluck dinner.
Not making this recipe for a large group gathering? No worries!
Meatball parmesan casserole is excellent reheated the next couple days as well. So if you’re making this for just a few people, be prepared to be eating it the next few days.
Trust me, that will be more of a benefit rather than a problem after you try this recipe!
You can never really go wrong with a great casserole. And trust me, this one is great!
Ingredients for Italian Meatball Casserole Parmesan
Ground Beef: For this recipe you will need 3 lbs of ground beef.
Ground Italian Sausage: Also add 1 lb of ground Italian sausage to the recipe.
Ricotta Cheese: 1.5 cups of ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese has been my secret ingredient for meatball or meatloaf recipes. It combines with the meat better than cream cheese. It also gives the meat a lighter texture and keeps everything held together.
Eggs: This recipe calls for 4 eggs
Rolled Oats: ½ cup rolled oats
Grated Parmesan: ½ cup grated parmesan
Dry Parsley: 2 tbsp dry parsley
Italian Seasoning: 2 tbsp Italian seasoning to spice up the dish.
Heavy Cream: ⅓ cup heavy cream
Dijon Mustard: 2 tbsp dijon mustard
Olive Oil: 2 tbsp olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar: 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Kosher Salt: 2 tsp kosher salt
Black Pepper: 2 tsp black pepper for additional seasoning and spice.
Optional Additional ingredients:
Shredded Mozzarella: 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
Marinara: 24 oz marinara
Grated Parmesan: ⅓ cup grated parmesan
Penne Pasta (Optional): 1 lbs penne pasta (served on the side)
How to Make Italian Meatball Casserole Parmesan
Combine the ingredients. Start by combining all of the ingredients for the meatball mixture. Make sure they are fully incorporated but be sure to not overwork the meat.
Form the meatballs. Begin shaping the ingredients into meatball form and place in a casserole pan (I used a 9x13 oven safe casserole pan for this).
Bake. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Drain and Cover. Carefully drain any excess liquid and then cover the meatballs with marinara, mozzarella, and grated parmesan cheese.
Bake. Bake again for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
Cool. Let the meatballs rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes: This will produce 15 6 oz meatballs. Portion size is one meatball with cheese and sauce. Add pasta separately.
Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe
Skip store-bought! This homemade marinara sauce is worlds better and filled with pantry staple ingredients.
Ingredients needed to make Homemade Marinara Sauce
San Marzano tomatoes: This recipe calls for a 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes.
Red Wine: ½ cup red wine
Olive Oil: ¼ cup olive oil
Diced Onion: 1 cup diced onion
Tomato Paste: 2 tbsp tomato paste
Italian Seasoning: 3 tbsp Italian seasoning
Garlic Cloves: 8 garlic cloves
Butter: 2 tbsp butter
Kosher Salt: 3 tsp kosher salt
Black Pepper: 1 tsp black pepper
Red Chili Flakes: 1 tsp crushed red chili flakes (Optional) for an extra kick and flavoring
What to serve with Italian Meatball Casserole Parmesan
This delicious Italian dish pairs well with a lot of other dishes and sides making it versatile and perfect for Sunday dinner, a potluck, weeknight meal, or meal prepping for the week! Below are some of my pairing recommendations:
- Garlic Bread
- Grilled or Roasted Vegetables
- Green Beans
- Salad
- Eggplant
- Mashed Potatoes
Can You Freeze a Casserole?
In the off chance you have left overs, you CAN freeze the casserole. However, I doubt you will need to.
When freezing, make sure you put it in a freezer safe container or freezer bag when storing.The casserole will keep well in the freezer for a couple of months.
When it comes time to serve, pull out the casserole and put it in the refrigerator the night before to thaw out before reheating.
Pro-Tip: I don’t recommend storing in the freezer if you made this with pasta. Pasta has a tendency to get mushy after being stored in the freezer and the taste, texture, and consistency will not be correct.
Recipe Variations
Don’t have ground beef? Any meatball will do. Consider using:
- Ground Turkey
- Italian Sausage
- Ground Chicken
- Ground Pork
If you don’t have penne pasta or would prefer a different pasta, I recommend using:
- Rigatoni
- Fusilli
- Ziti
- Mostaccioli
- Elicoidali
- Chifferi (Elbow)
- Farfalle (Butterfly … also known as bow-tie pasta)
Looking to shake things up? Consider adding cooked broccoli or cauliflower to your casserole.
Other Casseroles You'll Love
- Easy Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- Cast Iron Cuban Casserole
- Coney Dog Casserole
- Hamburger Skillet Casserole
Meatball Parmesan Casserole
Equipment
- 9x13 Oven Safe Casserole Pan
Ingredients
Meatball Mix
- 3 lb Ground Beef
- 1 lb Ground Italian Sausage
- 1.5 cups Ricotta Cheese
- 4 Eggs
- ½ cup Rolled Oats
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp Dry Parsley
- 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- ⅓ cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
Additional Ingredients
- 1.5 cup Shredded Mozzarella
- 24 oz Marinara
- ⅓ cup Grated Parmesan
- 1 lbs Penne Pasta Optional (served on side)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients of Meatball Mixture. Make sure the fully incorporated but don't overwork the meat. Form Meatballs and place in Casserole Pan. Bake for 30 Minutes at 425 degrees F.
- Carefully drain off any excess liquid then cover meatballs with Marinara, Mozzarella and Grated Parmesan Cheese. Bake For and additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. Let meatballs rest for 10 Minutes before serving.
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