Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole

Metal spoon holding a serving of meatball casserole to camera.

4.80 stars (5 reviews)

You'll love how easy it is to make this dump and bake casserole recipe with frozen meatballs, your favorite jarred pasta, and lots of melty cheese. It's perfect to feed a hungry crowd in under 1 hour!

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 481kcal

Author: Brittany Ervin

Ingredients

16 ounces dried rigatoni penne, ziti, or fusilli
32 ounces marinara
2 ½ cups water
13-14 ounces frozen meatballs or mini meatballs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
Garnish: chopped parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Set out a large 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
In the baking dish, combine the dried pasta, marinara, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and salt. Then pour the water over the top and gently stir to combine the ingredients.
Arrange the frozen meatballs over the top of the pasta. Then cut the cream cheese block into small chunks and arrange the cream cheese pieces over the top of the pasta as well.
Cover the top of the pan tightly with foil. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the top of the pasta and meatballs with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Lower the oven temperature to 400°F. Then place the pan back in the oven, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve warm.

Notes

Ingredients Notes: it's important to remember that the flavor coming from such simple store-bought ingredients means those ingredients need to be good quality. Make sure to buy high-quality marinara for this recipe, as well as better frozen meatballs if you can find them. This will make a big difference in the overall taste and texture of the casserole. You can also experiment with different styles of jarred pasta sauces like vodka sauce, Arrabbiata sauce, or spicy Diablo sauce.

Meal Prep Notes: This is a wonderful recipe to prep ahead and bake later in the week. You can even make it in foil freezer pans and freeze it for later use! If prepping ahead to bake later in the week, combine all the ingredients, reserving the water to add right before baking. If planning to freeze, combine all ingredients including the water.

Leftovers: Cool any leftovers, then transfer to an airtight container. The casserole will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days, and up to 3 months in the freezer.

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