Mom's 5-Ingredient Italian Meatball Casserole Recipe Is a Dinner Winner by Ann Marie Patitucci


Mom's 5-Ingredient Italian Meatball Casserole Recipe Is a Dinner Winner

My family is a bit picky. But in my home, Italian recipes are a pretty certain dinner win. My teens especially love meatballs. I am a big fan of this particular meatball casserole recipe because it’s so versatile. You can serve this five-ingredient recipe as a delicious casserole as is, you can put the cheesy meatballs over spaghetti or serve meatball sandwiches. There are so many possibilities, which comes in handy when you have picky eaters.

It’s hard to believe that this easy, tasty meatball recipe has just five ingredients. It’s so flavorful. But it’s true, this meatball casserole is both delicious and easy to make, too. That’s another win for me! Inside scoop: the recipe calls for fresh spinach, which is a great way to add healthy greens to the casserole. Your kids won’t even notice. 

Serve this comfort food meal for dinner with a salad or garlic bread. I sometimes serve it over pasta.

 

Note: 30Seconds is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links.

Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 packages (16 to 24 ounces) uncooked Italian-style meatballs 
  • 3 cups marinara sauce
  • 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups whole milk shredded mozzarella cheese (whole milk is best)

Here’s how to make it:

  1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place meatballs in a single layer on the sheet. Bake in a preheated 375-degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once.
  2. Mix together the marinara sauce and baby spinach in the bottom of a 13-x9-inch baking dish. Place the cooked meatballs in the dish in the sauce. Top the meatballs with teaspoonfuls of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top.
  3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the casserole bubbles. If you’d like the cheese on the top browned, place the dish under the broiler for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese begins to brown. 

Helpful Products

Recipe Notes

  • If you prefer to make your own homemade meatballs, go for it!
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container. 

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 480

Total Fat: 29.9g

Saturated Fat: 13.8g

Cholesterol: 78mg

Sodium: 1263mg

Total Carbohydrate: 26.7g

Dietary Fiber: 4.4g

Total Sugars: 12.4g

Protein: 25.7g

Vitamin D: 0mcg

Calcium: 407mg

Iron: 3mg

Potassium: 793mg

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

Need to convert cooking and baking measurements? Here are some kitchen conversion charts. Here's how to submit your recipes to 30Seconds.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily.

Related Products on Amazon We Think You May Like:

30Second Mobile, Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Turkey Meatballs Recipe With Spicy Basil & Burrata Tomato Sauce Is What's for Dinner

Ground Pork & Quinoa Meatball Recipe: A Tasty 30-Minute Dinner

Ground Pork & Sausage Italian Meatballs Recipe: An Easy Baked Meatball Recipe Full of Porky Goodness

Elisa Schmitz
OMG. How can a recipe that's so simple create so much delish? I am so excited about this one!
Cassiday
Cheesy meatballs are amazing.
bepositive
Comfort food casseroles are the best! 😍

join discussion

Please login to comment.

recommended tips

Grandma's Baked Beef Stew Recipe Is the Ultimate Comfort Food

Healthy Mediterranean Balsamic Honey Salmon Recipe (15 Minutes)

​Creamy Italian Parmesan Sausage Soup Recipe: Zuppa Toscana Has Some Competition

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe With Feta Seed Crisps Is the Ultimate Comfort Food