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One Dish Meatball Casserole Recipe

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4.3 from 3 reviews

This One Dish Meatball Casserole is a delicious and easy weeknight dinner that combines pasta, frozen meatballs, and your favorite spaghetti sauce baked to perfection with melty mozzarella cheese on top. It's a comforting and family-friendly meal that comes together in under an hour with minimal cleanup.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 16 ounces short cut pasta (rotini, penne, or rigatoni)
  • 24 ounces frozen meatballs (18 to 28 ounces depending on brand)
  • 3 cups water
  • 36 ounces spaghetti sauce (about 1 1/2 jars)
  • 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) to prepare for baking the casserole.
  2. Prepare Baking Dish: Spray a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. A deeper casserole dish is preferred to accommodate all the ingredients comfortably.
  3. Combine Ingredients: In the prepared dish, pour in the pasta, frozen meatballs, spaghetti sauce, water, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together thoroughly, pushing the pasta down into the liquids to ensure it is mostly submerged. To measure the water easily, fill the empty spaghetti sauce jar with some of the water, shake it to loosen any remaining sauce, then pour it all into the dish along with the remaining water.
  4. Bake Covered: Tightly cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pasta is tender and cooked through.
  5. Add Cheese and Finish Baking: Carefully remove the foil, stir the casserole well, then evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Return the dish to the oven uncovered and bake an additional 5 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  6. Serve: Remove from the oven and serve immediately. This casserole pairs nicely with a simple side salad and garlic bread for a complete, crowd-pleasing meal.

Notes

  • You can use any short cut pasta like rotini, penne, or rigatoni as they hold sauce well and cook evenly.
  • Frozen meatballs can be substituted with fresh or homemade meatballs if desired; just adjust cooking time as needed.
  • Using a deeper casserole dish helps prevent overflow while baking.
  • Covering the dish with foil traps steam making the pasta cook perfectly without drying out.
  • Feel free to swap mozzarella for other shreddable cheeses like provolone or a blend for different flavor profiles.
  • Check pasta tenderness at 30 minutes, and if still firm, bake for a few more minutes before adding cheese.
  • Leftovers store well refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat nicely in the oven or microwave.

Find it online: https://miracooking.com/one-dish-meatball-casserole-recipe/