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This Meatball Casserole recipe is an EASY dinner with just four ingredients! It’s a great way to use up leftover meatballs, plus it’s ready in about 30 minutes. If you want an easy weeknight dinner, this recipe is for you.

Meatball casserole on a plate

Best EASY Meatball Casserole

If you are looking for a recipe with a short prep time that’s perfect for feeding a big family or taking to a friend, this cheesy meatball casserole is the dinner for you. I mean, four ingredients and 30 minutes – it’s my ideal dinner!

It’s like a cross between spaghetti and meatballs and a baked pasta dish but a whole lot easier to make. It’s what to make with leftover meatballs – you get all the cheesy, saucy, meaty goodness with hardly any work.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • When your day has you craving comfort food.
  • When you are rushed for time or have leftover pasta.
  • When you’re making a casserole for a crowd or a friend when they need a meal.

This easy Meatball Casserole recipe is perfect for any and all of those times. You can make this recipe from scratch or semi-homemade with just four ingredients. It feeds a lot of people and tastes SO GOOD!

It’s also a great recipe if you’re wondering what to do with leftover meatballs. I always have them in my freezer, and this casserole is my favorite way to use them up.

Overhead shot of the four ingredients needed to make meatball casserole

Just 4 Ingredients

  1. Pasta – any shape you like will work, but I like penne or rotini. You can even use spaghetti to make a spaghetti and meatball casserole.
  2. Frozen meatballs – use store-bought or leftover frozen homemade meatballs.
  3. Jarred marinara sauce: Or use my homemade crockpot tomato sauce!
  4. CHEESE! – Up to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Four photos showing the process of building a meatball casserole

How to Make Meatball Casserole

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. While the oven heats, boil the pasta for a few minutes less than what’s instructed on the box. You want it a little underdone because it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain the pasta once it’s done cooking. Pour the pasta into a 9×13” baking dish.
  2. The meatballs are fully cooked and just need to be baked. Place the frozen meatballs on top.
  3. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and pasta.
  4. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top. Bake the casserole for about 20 minutes or until the meatballs are hot and the cheese is melted.
  5. Serve this casserole with homemade garlic bread and grated parmesan cheese!
Close up overhead shot of corner of meatball casserole in dish

Variations

Instead of store-bought meatballs, make a batch of my homemade meatballs. I love making a big batch, freezing them, and using them to make this easy one-pan meatball casserole.

Instead of jarred sauce, try my quick 30-minute pasta sauce!

Or, if you stick with jarred, try out different kinds of marinara to change up the flavor.

Close up shot of meatball casserole on a plate with fork

What Can I Make with Leftover Meatballs?

If you want more easy ideas for repurposing meatballs, be sure to check out these leftover meatballs recipes, too!

FAQ

Should you pan-sear meatballs before baking?

If you want to make fresh homemade meatballs for this recipe, you should sear and cook them on the stove first. If you use frozen cooked meatballs, you don’t need to sear them – they go right from the freezer to the baking dish!

Can you cook frozen meatballs in sauce?

You can cook frozen meatballs right in the sauce! You don’t need to warm them up first.

How to store leftover meatball casserole?

Leftover meatball casserole will keep in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Can you freeze it?

You can freeze leftovers for up to one month.

A spoonful of meatball casserole being pulled from casserole dish

Meatball Casserole

3.57 from 37 votes
Just 4 ingredients in this EASY Meatball Casserole recipe! It’s on the table in under 30 minutes and is the perfect weeknight meal!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 4 -6 servings
Serving Size 1 /6 recipe

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound pasta your choice, I like penne or rotini
  • 1 pound frozen meatballs
  • 6 cups Crockpot Marinara sauce or your favorite jarred sauce
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Cook pasta in boiling water just a few minutes less than called for on the package. Since you’ll be baking this you want the pasta a bit more al dente than if you were to just eat it straight from boiling. Drain well.
  • Pour pasta into a casserole dish (9”x13” pan size). Top with frozen meatballs and sauce, then sprinkle with cheese.
  • Bake casserole about 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through and cheese is melted.
  • Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze for up to one month.

Recipe Video

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 recipe | Calories: 774kcal | Carbohydrates: 223g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 1585mg | Fiber: 88g | Sugar: 3g
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Other Easy Casseroles

If you need an easy dinner, this Meatball Casserole recipe is for you! It’s like a cross between spaghetti and meatballs and a baked pasta dish but a whole lot easier to make.

Last Updated on February 21, 2023

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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6 Comments

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