This homemade Meatballs Parmesan Casserole makes for the best weeknight meal, with homemade parmesan meatballs bubbling away in savory marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. It’s similar to Chicken Parmesan but with meatballs! Serve over pasta or as a meatball sub for a satisfying Italian dish any night of the week.
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My family loves a good Italian dish, especially classic favorites like Spaghetti and Meatballs, Baked Ziti, and Lasagna. This Meatballs Parmesan Casserole quickly became a favorite at our house because it’s a crowd-pleaser (my husband and kids love this dish!) and so easy to make, reheat, and double.
Meatball Parmesan Video
A meatball casserole in under an hour? Yes! See how Natasha makes this flavorful Italian Meatballs Parmesan recipe.
Easy Parmesan Meatballs Recipe
Our Meatball Parm Casserole comes as a mash-up of the best parts of our favorite Italian dishes: our Homemade Juicy Meatballs, savory sauce from our Easy Marinara Sauce, and casserole-style cooking so it’s easy to make and serve.
You’ll love how simple it is to make the most flavorful meatballs, and it’s easy to share with a large group or make as meal prep. See our tips below on making ahead and freezing this Meatball Casserole.
Ingredients for Meatball Parmesan Casserole
With just a few meatball ingredients and your favorite marinara sauce, you can whip up my baked Meatball Parmesan recipe. I know many of you are wondering if you can use store-bought meatballs and/or sauce as a shortcut—the answer is yes, and I’ve included variations below, but I promise these flavors are worth the extra few steps!
- White bread – We use sliced sandwich bread, but you can use the inside of soft Italian or French bread as well, but remove the crust. Gluten-free bread will also work.
- Milk – Using milk is best to create tender and juicy meatballs, but you can substitute it with cold water
- Meat – a pound each of ground beef and ground pork. Use 80/20 or 85/15 for the best flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – finely grated is best. You’ll use half in the meatball and half on the top
- Egg – this helps to bind the meatball
- Flavoring – garlic cloves, parsley, sea salt, and black pepper
- Marinara Sauce – we’ll need 3 cups. My Homemade Marinara Sauce works perfectly, but you can substitute it with your favorite store-bought sauce.
- Mozzarella Cheese – if you have an extra minute, shred or slice the cheese yourself for the best meltiness
Variations
Here are a few other ideas to make this meatball casserole work for your family:
- Storebought Meatballs – If you’re short on time, try store-bought meatballs. Choose Italian-flavored or basic meatballs so the flavors mesh with the marinara sauce.
- Meat – we love this classic meatball combination of beef and pork, but you can substitute different proteins, like ground chicken, turkey, or even bison. Avoid super lean proteins so your meatballs don’t end up tough.
- Veggies – sauté diced veggies, such as onion, green peppers, or chopped spinach, and then stir them into the sauce for an extra serving of vegetables
- Spice – For a spicy kick, add red pepper flakes when adding the garlic.
How to Make Baked Meatballs Parmesan
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pour cold milk or water over the diced bread, soaking for 5 minutes, and then use a fork to mash.
- Make the Meat mixture – add ground beef and pork, half of the parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper to the bread and mix until it just comes together. Be sure not to over mix, since that can make the meatball tough. The mixture will be moist, but if it isn’t, you can add a splash of milk.
- Portion the meatballs – I used a medium trigger-release cookie scoop to portion, or about 2 Tbsp per meatball. Roll the mixture into a meatball using wet hands to about the size of a golf ball or 1 1/2″ in diameter.
Pro Tip:
To keep meatballs from sticking to your hands, set a small bowl of water next to you and dip your hands in water when rolling meatballs. If it starts to stick, just re-dip your hands in water. You’ll end up with perfectly smooth meatballs.
- Sautee the Meatballs – Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to cover the bottom (I used about 2 Tbsp) and then add the meatballs in batches once the oil is hot. Turn the meatball every 2 minutes to sear each side.
- Assemble and Bake – Pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce into a 9×13 casserole dish, and then put the meatballs into the sauce. Add the rest of the marinara over the top of the meatballs and sprinkle with the other half of the parmesan cheese and all of the mozzarella cheese. See our tips below for storing the casserole at this stage, or bake covered in foil for about 30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked to 165°F.
Can I make Meatball Parmesan in a Slow Cooker?
Meatball casserole works well in the crockpot as well. Layer the marinara and browned meatballs in the slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours or until the meatballs are cooked through and then top with the cheese and cook for 30 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
How to Serve Parmesan Meatballs
This Parmesan Meatballs Casserole is such a versatile main dish since you can serve the meatballs in so many ways. Try serving over:
- Over Pasta – try Homemade Pasta or storebought
- Over Veggies like Spaghetti Squash
- Meatball Sandwiches – serve on a toasted Hamburger Bun
- Cheesy Meatball Subs – on a toasted sub roll
- With Crusty Bread – try Sourdough Bread or Dinner Rolls or Focaccia Bread to soak up the sauce
- With a Side Salad – keep it simple with Caesar Salad
Make-Ahead & Storage
It’s easy to make Meatballs Parmesan Casserole up to 24 hours in advance (if refrigerating) and up to 3 months ahead if freezing. Assemble the casserole according to step 5, but before baking, store the casserole like this:
- To Refrigerate Ahead: before baking, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Cook directly from the fridge, but add about 5 minutes to the baking time.
- Freezing Ahead: before baking, cover with a layer of plastic wrap and top with foil, and then freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, thaw it in the fridge overnight, remove the plastic wrap layer, and cook as directed, adding 5 minutes to the baking time.
- Storing Leftovers – Once fully baked, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave (use a splatter guard!) or oven until heated through.
Meatballs Parmesan Casserole combines the best parts of so many of our favorite Italian dishes—homemade meatballs, marinara sauce, and melty cheese—in a delicious, crowd-favorite in under an hour. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal, or to feed a crowd. I know you’ll love this recipe!
More Italian Casserole Recipes
We love how easy it is to cook and serve this Meatball Parm recipe out of a casserole dish, so once you try it, you’ll want to check out these other Italian casserole recipes:
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Stuffed Shells
- Lasagna Roll-Ups
- Manicotti Recipe
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Baked Eggplant Parmesan
- Chicken Lasagna
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Meatballs Parmesan Casserole
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
–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.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I made this recipe last night for dinner, it was delicious. Everyone loved it, and the meatballs were so moist and delicious. I used 1 lb. of regular hamburger and 1 lb. of lean hamburger from a local meat store. Garlic seasoning instead of actual garlic, and a store-bought jar of Marinara sauce. I would make it again. The moist bread made a difference- definitely…THANK YOU!
It’s sooo good. Thank you for this delicious recipe. We love it
Hi, can I just ask, I’m in the UK so we use Celsius so when I convert the temperature to Celsius, is that for a conventional oven or fan? Thank you
Hi Erin! My recipes are written for a conventional oven unless otherwise specified.
I tried making ths tonight but mine turned out to be watery. I always use your recipe but this one didnt turn out well for me
Hi Mj, there is nothing in this recipe that would make it watery that I can think of. Did you change anything in the recipe? Or substitute any ingredients?
Hello,
I don’t have Parmesan cheese on hand. Can I use goat cheese instead?
Fivi
Hi Fivi, while I haven’t tried that substitute to advise. Goat cheese is tangier than parmesan cheese and it may change the texture of the meatball. I haven’t tested myself, but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
If I don’t eat pork should I substitute with the same amount of of more ground beef ?
Hi Rita! Yes, that would work.
I am so excited to try this recipe, but I am not a huge fan of pork. Does the pork have a strong flavor? Could I use two pounds of beef?
HI Rita, the pork doesn’t have a strong flavor, but you can easily change up the meat mixture. See the Variations section (just below the ignredients photo) in the post. There are some great ideas there.
Great meatballs – now my go to recipe! I have tried quite a few meatball recipes over the years and this is the best (sometimes I might add a little onion) with or without the marinara sauce e.g. I have paired just the meatballs with grilled veg. Most of all easy enough to do on a weeknight after work! I know we should meal prep but sometimes weekend slips away so easy mid week recipe like this is a must.
I’m so happy you got a chance to try this recipe. Glad it was enjoyed!
Well haha I did it wrong because I was in a hurry. Too much milk, I used the crust, more than a pound each of beef and pork. I burnt the meatballs, put dang near the whole bag of Parmesan and dumped mozzarella over it. So it looked more like a lasagna than meatballs lol
But ya know it was delicious and everyone loved it 😊
I have a question though I had a lot left over so can I fry the remainder up and make lasagna with it??
Thank you I love your recipes and a big fan.
Hi Lynn! I think it could work. Feel free to experiment with it.