Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
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Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole is great because it’s quick and easy to make – and then you have an amazing cheesy delicious casserole! You can’t get any easier than this recipe with all the Italian flavor you love!
What You Will ❤️ About Meatball Casserole
- Under an Hour! You can have this from fridge to table in 55 minutes!
- Comforting! This is definitely a comfort-food casserole with meatballs, pasta and cheese. It’s a great supper for a cold night!
- Simple Ingredients! With only 6 ingredients – you won’t be struggling to put this together.
Meatball Casserole Ingredients
Six simple ingredients and no real cooking – this is a recipe I can get behind!
- Uncooked rotini pasta – You can use any pasta – I do recommend something like ziti, rigatoni or penne pasta vs. spaghetti. Be sure you use UNCOOKED – right out of the box!
- Pasta sauce – Any jar marinara sauce will do – I used Just Like Home’s Buttery Marinara – they sent me a sample pack of their varieties – really good stuff!
- Water – Because the water cooks the pasta and makes the sauce – you will need to measure 3 cups of water for this dish.
- You could also swap and use beef or chicken broth.
- Frozen fully-cooked meatballs – Any frozen meatballs will do and you do NOT need to thaw them!
- Frozen peppers and onions – I like veggies with my casseroles so I added a bag of frozen peppers and onions – they added a little extra water as they thawed but were definitely cooked by the time the casserole was done!
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – I’m fully on the SHRED YOUR OWN CHEESE train! The pre-shredded saves you all of 2 minutes and it’s got a coating on it and doesn’t melt the same! Not worth the time savings!
How to Make Dump & Bake Meatball Casserole
Such an easy recipe – it’s the name – dump it all together and bake it! This will be a big hit with the whole family! Let’s go:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Pour in uncooked pasta, pasta sauce, 3 cups water, meatballs and peppers/onions. Stir mixture and push pasta into the water so it’s covered.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover and stir. Check pasta to be sure it’s at least al dente (a little firm but cooked). If the pasta is too hard, cover the dish and bake for 5 minutes more.
- Once pasta is al dente, sprinkle cheese over the top of the casserole and bake uncovered for 5 more minutes (or until cheese is melted). Broil on low for 2 min
- Garnish with fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste and serve with a side salad
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Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Nope – I tried it with frozen and they were warmed up before the pasta was cooked – so need to thaw first!
Yes – raw meatballs will cook in the sauce that is created – so that’s fine too.
Yes – right out of the box! The water and sauce will mix together and cook the pasta while it bakes.
Yes! Be sure to measure otherwise your pasta won’t be cooked or it’ll be a mushpile!
You might have needed a bit more water or to cook it longer. I had to cook mine a bit longer – but I also don’t really like my pasta too al dente. Open it up – taste a bite – then do what you like.
I buy a variety of sauces – Rao’s is a favorite but this time I used Just Like Home’s Buttery Marinara – it was very good and mellow – which is helpful with my acid reflux!
Yes – you can make it a few hours ahead of time up to overnight. The more ahead you make it – you’ll want to reduce the baking time because the pasta is already softened.
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
I would say – yes you can freeze the leftovers but I would not make ahead and freeze. The pasta is going to get gloppy after cooking – soaking in water, then thawing then baking. It’ll be a mushmess!
Meatball Bake Recipe Variations
- Meatballs – you can use any kind of meatballs you like: raw, refrigerated, frozen, cocktail-size or larger – chicken, beef or pork meatballs!
- Veggies – I added in a bag of peppers and onions – but you could also add chopped broccoli or mushrooms!
- Cut in Half – This makes enough for 6-8 servings – so if you are just a family of 2 – cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8×8 dish instead of a rectangular one for the perfect meal for a smaller family.
- Parmesan Cheese – Feel free to add 1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese into the casserole before you bake and/or sprinkle on top with the Mozzarella.
- Seasonings – The meatballs and sauce have seasonings so I left it at that – but you could add onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, Italian seasoning, etc.
What to serve with Meatball Casserole
- Panera Greek Salad
- Air Fryer Garlic Cheese Texas Toast
- Air Fryer Zucchini Parmesan
- Little Caesar’s Italian Cheese Bread
More Pasta Bake Casserole Recipes
Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini pasta uncooked
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 3 cups water
- 14 oz frozen fully-cooked meatballs
- 12 oz frozen peppers and onions
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Pour in uncooked pasta, pasta sauce, water, meatballs and peppers/onions. Stir mixture and push pasta into the water so it’s covered.1 lb rotini pasta, 24 oz marinara sauce, 3 cups water, 14 oz frozen fully-cooked meatballs, 12 oz frozen peppers and onions, 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover and stir. Check pasta to be sure it’s at least al dente (a little firm but cooked). If the pasta is too hard, cover the dish and bake for 5 minutes more.
- Once pasta is al dente, sprinkle cheese over the top and bake uncovered for 5 more minutes (or until cheese is melted).
- Change oven temp to Broil-Low and broil for 2 minutes
- Garnish with fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste and serve with a side salad
Worked out perfectly. Very good and so quick