🧀 Cheesy Meatball Casserole 🍲

This cheesy meatball casserole recipe combines two classic recipes into one incredibly cheesy dish that will surely be a hit. The classic American casserole is a good way to use up leftovers. When you combine the classic Italian meatball, you get an incredibly flexible and convenient all-in-one meal.

Forming the meatballs can be a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be making perfectly shaped meatballs like a pro. One helpful tip is to use a cup of cold water to dip your measuring spoon between each scoop. Doing this will help release the meat mixture from the spoon. Then use your hands to roll the meat around to form the meatball. I use a two-tablespoon measuring spoon, so I only need one scoop per ball.

Using parchment paper when baking the meatballs is unnecessary, but it makes cleaning the baking sheet a breeze. If you skip the parchment paper, I recommend greasing the baking sheet with tallow or ghee.

You can make the meatballs and the sauce ahead of time and throw the casserole together just a few minutes before you eat, but keep in mind if the meatballs are cold, you will need to warm them up before you melt the cheese in the broiler. The casserole can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for about a week or freeze it for up to three months.

You can also use this recipe to make traditional meatballs. Skip the sauce and sauté the meatballs in a skillet over high heat. Cook each meatball on every side for approximately two minutes to get a nice sear on the outside, and you will know they are done when they hit an internal temperature of one hundred and sixty degrees.

This recipe is prim for customization. You can replace the ground beef with any ground meat, like chicken, turkey, pork, or Italian sausage. You can also combine these meats. When adding ingredients to the meatballs, you can add eggs, pork panko, or vegetables. Make sure to dice or even mince the vegetables to combine correctly with the ground meat.

Once your casserole is done and the cheese is melted, you only need to serve it on a plate and garnish it with a basil chiffonade. What’s a chiffonade? You may be wondering. It’s when you thinly slice an herb like basil or mint. It looks nice and releases more of the aromatic notes of the herb. This can be achieved by stacking and rolling the herb leaves into a tight cylinder and finely slicing them into thin strips.

Cheesy Meatball Casserole Recipe

Difficulty Level: 3 Meatballs

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Servings: 4

Meatballs:

• 2 pounds of ground beef
• 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 egg
• 1/4 cup of onion, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

• 6oz tomato paste
• 1/3 cup warm beef broth
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Toppings:

• 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 to 3 Tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced

Put all the meatball ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix until combined.

Form the ground beef mixture into meatballs using approximately 2 tablespoons of the ground beef mixture for each ball.

Place meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

Prepare the sauce while the meatballs are baking.

Combine the beef broth, parmesan cheese, and tomato paste in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

When the meatballs are done, add them to a casserole dish, cover with the sauce, and top each meatball with a spoonful of ricotta cheese.

Cover everything in mozzarella cheese and broil for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and brown spots appear on top.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes, garnish with basil, and serve.