Meatballs Parmesan Casserole
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Rating
4.89 out of 5 stars
(18)
Ingredients
20 meatballs
- 3 slices white bread, crusts removed, diced
- 1/2 cup cold milk, or water, plus more if needed
- 1 lb lean ground beef, 80/20 or 85/15
- 1 lb ground pork, I used 80/20
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 large egg
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped, plus more to garnish
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- Oil for frying, I use extra light olive oil
- 3 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 6 oz
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Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400F with a rack in the center of the oven. In a large mixing bowl, add diced bread. Pour milk/water over the bread and soak for 5 minutes then mash with a fork.
Step 2
Add ground beef and pork, half of the parmesan cheese, egg, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt and black pepper. Use your hands to stir until just combined. Do not over-mix. The mixture should feel very moist. If not, add a bit more milk as needed.
Step 3
Portion into golf-ball-sized meatballs, about 2 Tbsp per meatball. A trigger release scoop makes it easy to portion. Wet your hands and roll into meatballs about 1 1/2” in diameter.
Step 4
Set a large skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom with oil, about 2 Tbsp. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs to the skillet in batches and turn every 2 minutes to get a good sear on all sides. Each batch will cook for about 8 minutes in total. They don’t need to be fully cooked through at this point, just browned all over.
Step 5
Add 1 cup marinara to a 9×13 casserole dish. Arrange the browned meatballs over the sauce in a single layer. Pour the remaining marinara over the top and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake until the meatballs are cooked through to 165 ̊F on an instant-read thermometer, the cheese should be melted and the casserole should be bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Step 6
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Chef's notes
Substitutions:
As a shortcut, you can use your favorite store-bought meatballs, preferably ones that are Italian-flavors or a basic meatball. I would avoid meatballs with unusual flavors or ingredients that might not meld well with savory marinara and cheese.
*Make-Ahead Directions – Assemble and Refrigerate the Casserole Ahead – You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours ahead of time, cover it, and refrigerate until ready to bake. If baking the casserole cold from the refrigerator, add an extra 5 minutes of baking time.
Freeze the Casserole – you can assemble the casserole, cover it with plastic wrap, and then aluminum foil for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, make sure to remove the plastic wrap under the foil and bake as directed.
Reheating Leftovers – cover with foil and reheat at 350 ̊F for about 20 minutes or until meatballs are heated through. You can also reheat in the microwave, but I do recommend a splatter guard to keep the microwave clean.
