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Baked meatball casserole being served with a spoon.

Meatball Parmesan Casserole

Homemade Italian meatballs are baked in marinara sauce topped with mozzarella and Parmesan breadcrumbs.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil plus more for oiling hands
  • 680 g lean ground beef (1½ pounds)
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 egg lightly beaten

Marinara Sauce and Cheese

  • 2 cups homemade marinara sauce or jarred marinara sauce
  • 200 g mozzarella shredded (2 heaping cups)

Parmesan Breadcrumb Topping

  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ teaspoon each granulated garlic, oregano and thyme
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a medium-sized baking sheet with foil and drizzle with 2 teaspoons of oil.

  2. To make the meatballs, in a large mixing bowl add ground beef, garlic, Parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano and egg. Gently mix with your hands just until the ingredients are evenly combined.

  3. With lightly oiled hands, form the mixture into 24 balls, about 2 ½ tablespoons each. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 14 – 16 minutes until browned. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees F.

  4. Spread the marinara sauce and ¼ cup of water in a 9” x 12” baking dish. Nestle the browned meatballs in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella then cover lightly with foil paper. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove the foil top, turn on the broiler and broil for 1 – 2 minutes until the cheese topping is golden brown.

  5. Meanwhile make the Parmesan breadcrumb topping. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add breadcrumbs, granulated garlic, oregano, thyme and olive oil. Stir until the breadcrumbs are moistened and cook until they toast to a golden-brown. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley.

  6. When the meatball casserole comes out of the oven, sprinkle the toasted breadcrumb topping on top. For the best cheese pull serve the meatball casserole hot right out of the oven.

Recipe Notes

  1. I highly recommend my homemade Classic Marinara Sauce for the best results but you can also use purchased tomato sauce. If using homemade, you can make it up to 2 days ahead.
  2. Work the meat mixture gently and use a spring release ice cream scoop to size meatballs. Roll the balls gently between lightly oiled hands, fill in any cracks, but don’t pack them tightly.
  3. Instead of lean ground beef you can use medium ground beef or ground pork which will yield a fattier meatball. You could also use ground veal, ground lamb, ground chicken or turkey.
  4. Instead of baking the meatballs you can cook them in an air fryer at 375 degrees F for 13 – 16 minutes. You could also fry them until crisp and golden on all sides in a large skillet over medium- high heat with canola or vegetable oil.
  5. Don’t skip the savoury Parmesan breadcrumb topping. It adds more flavour and a little crunch to the meatball casserole recipe.
  6. Check the paragraph in this blog post “What to to Serve with Meatball Casserole” to explore the many ways you can serve this casserole.