Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes Ground Beef Recipes Meatball Casserole 4.6 (8) This hearty one-pot casserole is a comforting dinner that will satisfy everyone. Prep Time: 55 mins Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe This meatball casserole is everything we want in a weeknight dinner. It’s flavorful, protein-packed, satisfying, and can be made from start to finish in just about one hour. What more could you ask for? Oh, did we mention it’s a one-pot meal? There’s a whole lot to love about this dinner casserole. The hearty meatballs and homemade marinara sauce are each made with a few simple ingredients. The meatballs use both beef and pork and are browned in a skillet, then the tomato sauce is made in the same pan using the drippings. This is the perfect dish to make when you’re craving comfort. Credit: Rachel Marek 28 Easy Casserole Recipes for Every Meal of the Day Ingredients for Meatball Casserole This recipe has three parts: meatballs, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Meatballs: A combination of ground beef and pork give these meatballs a big, bold flavor and hearty texture. A lot of the usual meatball ingredients are here too, like breadcrumbs, eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, garlic, and fresh parsley. The meatballs are simply seared in a skillet, then they finish cooking in a simmering tomato sauce. They are everything a meatball is meant to be. Tomato sauce: You could certainly use your favorite store-bought tomato sauce here, but if you have a few extra minutes on your hands, this homemade marinara is quick and easy. Just sauté some onions and pepper flakes, then stir in canned tomatoes and basil and simmer until saucy. Bonus: you can make this in the same pan you use to brown the meatballs. Mozzarella cheese: Cheese plays a big role in this meatball casserole. Pecorino is used to flavor the meatballs (you could use Parmigiano-Reggiano instead), while mild mozzarella is melted on top to create the perfect cheese pull. 4 Tips for Making Perfect Meatballs Choose the right meat: Different types of ground meat will provide different flavors and levels of fattiness and moisture. Ground beef, pork, veal, and lamb are some of the fattier meats, as opposed to chicken or turkey. They also have a more meaty or gamey flavor. Look for ground beef and pork that are around 80 to 85 percent lean. Mix gently: The last thing you want to do is overmix the meat mixture–this can make the meatballs turn out tough. Gently stir the mixture with a fork (or with your hands) just until all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Wet your hands: Forming meatballs can be a messy job. Sometimes the meat mixture sticks to your hands. An easy way to prevent that is to simply moisten your hands before you start to roll. Do a taste test: If you’re unsure about how well you’ve seasoned the meat mixture, you can always cook off a test patty. Form a small amount of the meat into a patty and fry it up in a skillet until cooked through. Adjust the seasonings as needed. Serving Suggestions This dish is a meal on its own, but if you want to take it one step further, you have options. Serve the cheesy meatballs and sauce over plates of spaghetti; or pile everything onto toasted hero rolls to make meatball subs. A simple bowl of creamy polenta or risotto is the perfect bed for saucy meatballs. You could also put out a warm baguette or some garlic bread for everything to tear and dip into the marinara sauce. Want to add something green to the dinner table? Any kind of simple salad goes great with this dish. Steamed, roasted, or sautéed vegetables are also a wonderful side dish and balance the hearty the meatballs. Directions Credit: Rachel Marek Mix meatball ingredients: Using your hands, gently mix pork, beef, breadcrumbs, pecorino, salt, eggs, garlic, and parsley in a large bowl. Credit: Rachel Marek Shape meatballs: Form mixture into 2-inch balls. Credit: Rachel Marek Brown meatballs: Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; cook, turning, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Credit: Rachel Marek Remove from skillet: Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate. Credit: Rachel Marek Add onion and pepper flakes: Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Credit: Rachel Marek Add tomatoes and basil: Add tomatoes and basil; simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Credit: Rachel Marek Return meatballs to pan and simmer: Return meatballs and any juices to pan. Simmer, turning meatballs once, until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Credit: Rachel Marek Add mozzarella and broil: Heat broiler. Arrange mozzarella on top of meatballs. Broil until melted, 2 to 3 minutes; serve. Credit: Rachel Marek Storing Meatball Casserole First, let the meatball casserole cool to room temperature. Once cool, you can store the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheating To reheat, return the meatball casserole to a skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are warmed through, the tomato sauce is hot, and the cheese is remelted, 6 to 8 minutes. FreezingThese meatballs freeze beautifully. Make a double batch and freeze some (uncooked) in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months. When you need a quick dinner, defrost them overnight and they’re ready to cook. Frequently Asked Questions Is it better to bake or fry meatballs? Whether it is better to bake or fry meatballs depends on the recipe. There are several ways to cook meatballs; baking, roasting, or broiling are favorites. Since this is a saucy casserole dish, we like to make it all in one pot: we fry the meatballs in some oil, simmer them in tomato sauce, and pop the dish under the broiler to melt the cheese. How do I evenly brown meatballs? The trick to evenly browned meatballs is twofold. Give them plenty of time to develop a golden brown crust, but also keep them moving so that each side gets some direct heat from the bottom of the skillet. It’s important to develop color on the meatballs because that’s where a lot of the flavor comes from. Should I roll my meatballs in flour before cooking? No, you should not roll these meatballs in flour before cooking. There is no need. While flour can be a good tool to help speed up the browning process, all these meatballs need is some oil to develop a golden brown crust. Why are my meatballs falling apart as they cook? The most likely reason meatballs fall apart is because they don’t have enough eggs or breadcrumbs. Eggs and breadcrumbs act as a binder for the meat, so it’s important to make sure they are well incorporated into the meat mixture. More Meatball Recipes to Try: Swedish Meatballs Light and Fluffy Meatballs Giant Meatballs With Ricotta Sweet-and-Sour Korean Cocktail Meatballs Spaghetti and Eggplant “Meatballs” Turkey Meatballs in Apricot Sauce With Mint and Almonds Hawaiian Meatballs Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley Wofford is a recipe developer, food stylist, and writer with over 15 years of experience and holds a Professional Culinary Arts diploma from the International Culinary Center. In addition to decorvow.com, Riley's work can be found in TODAY.com, Delish, Food52, and Marley Spoon.