This fresh take on the classic cheesy meatball casserole recipe is made in a skillet pan, taking this recipe from stove to oven in one cooking container. Take your ground beef to new heights; make this easy cheesy meatball bake recipe for dinner tonight! Yum!
Cheesy Meatball Bake Recipe
This is one fabulous fresh meatball recipe. You can serve it by itself, with bread or rolls, as the filling for a meatball bomber sandwich, over pasta, with a salad, for lunch, dinner… simply endless, and yet so very simple to make.
Tips on Making this Cheesy Meatball Bake Recipe
● This recipe used 90% lean ground beef and the cooked off fat was minimal. If you use a higher fat beef (say, 80/20) you may have to drain the fat and/or increase the amount of meat used.
● You can use ground lamb or ground chicken instead of ground beef if you prefer. You may want a ground beef/ground pork mixture, usually 2/3-1/3 or 3/4-1/4 with the ground beef being the larger quantity.
● You can use homemade or jarred pasta sauce. The recipe in the photos was made with marinara sauce.
● The red pepper flakes are optional.
● This dish is made in a cast-iron skillet pan taking the recipe from stove to the oven. If you do not have a cast-iron pan, sear the meatballs in a regular frying pan and then arrange the meatballs and pasta sauce in a baking dish and bake as per the recipe instructions.
Cheesy Meatball Bake Recipe Ingredients:
● 1 lb Ground Beef
● 1 large Egg
● ¼ cup Milk
● ¼ cup Breadcrumbs
● ¼ cup Grated Parmesan
● 1 tsp Minced Garlic
● 2 TBSP chopped fresh Parsley
● 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
● ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
● ½ tsp Salt
● ½ tsp Black Pepper
● 2 TBSP Olive Oil
● 2 cups Pasta Sauce
● 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Cheesy Meatball Bake Mise en Place:
● Measuring Spoons
● Measuring Cup
● Fork
● Bowl
● Cast Iron Skillet Pan
● Spatula
● Thermometer
Cheesy Meatball Bake Recipe Instructions:
1. In a large bowl add the ground beef, egg, milk, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
2. Use a fork to combine everything together. Using a fork instead of your hand keeps the meatballs light. Do not overmix.
3. Using an ice cream scoop, shape the meatballs into even 2 inch rounds. (This recipe will yield 12-14 meatballs.)
4. Place a cast iron skillet pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
6. Working in batches, lightly sear the meatballs until all sides have been browned on each meatball. They need not cook fully.
7. Place about half a cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of the cast iron skillet pan. Arrange all the seared meatballs on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining marinara sauce all over the meatballs.
8. Place skillet in the preheated 400°F oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until an instant read food thermometer reads 160°F when inserted in the middle of meatballs.
9. Spread the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the baked meatballs.
10. Broil for 2 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned.
11. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or fresh basil.
12. Serve immediately with crusty bread or over pasta.
Cheesy Meatball Bake Recipe
Cheesy Meatball Bake Recipe. This fresh take on the classic cheesy meatball casserole recipe is made in a skillet pan, taking this recipe from stove to oven in one cooking container. Take your ground beef to new heights; make this easy cheesy meatball bake recipe for dinner tonight! Yum!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 large Egg
- ¼ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh Parsley
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 2 TBSP Olive Oil
- 2 cups Pasta Sauce
- 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the ground beef, egg, milk, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Use a fork to combine everything together. Using a fork instead of your hand keeps the meatballs light. Do not overmix.
- Using an ice cream scoop, shape the meatballs into even 2-inch rounds. (This recipe will yield 12-14 meatballs.)
- Place a cast iron skillet pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Working in batches, lightly sear the meatballs until all sides have been browned on each meatball. They need not cook fully.
- Place about half a cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of the cast iron skillet pan. Arrange all the seared meatballs on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining marinara sauce all over the meatballs.
- Place the skillet in the preheated 400°F oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until an instant-read food thermometer reads 160°F when inserted in the middle of meatballs.
- Spread the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the baked meatballs.
- Broil for 2 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley or fresh basil.
- Serve immediately with crusty bread or over pasta.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Cast Iron Skillet Handle Cover, Black and Red Pot Handle Sleeve, Pan Hot Handle Holders -
GreaterGoods Cast Iron Skillet 10 Inch, Pre-Seasoned cast iron with USDA Certified Organic Flax Seed - No Paint, Smooth Non-Stick Ten Inch Cooking Surface, Heirloom Quality -
ThermoPro TP19 Waterproof Digital Meat Thermometer for Grilling with Ambidextrous Backlit & Thermocouple Instant Read Thermometer Kitchen Cooking Food Thermometer for Candy Water Oil BBQ Grill Smoker
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 582Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 1307mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 42g
Note: for exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information provided is simply a guideline.
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Allyson says
Thanks for the tip on using an ice cream scoop to form the meatballs. Looks delicious! Pinned.