Meatballs, marinara (or meat sauce) and mounds of garlicky, crusty bread all bubbling away together in a hearty casserole. That pretty much describes the dish that I picture hungry kids, time-crunched parents and anyone who loves meatball sub sandwiches diving right into. I put this Meatball Sub Casserole in the “good-better” category. It’s pretty darn good if you buy your favorite store bought meatballs and jar of pasta sauce. It’s even better when you make the meatballs and sauce homemade. Either way, it’ll take you just minutes to prepare, a few more minutes to cook and dinner is on the table before you know it! Variations of this recipe have been circulating on line, and somehow it landed in my own cyber lap. It seemed like a no-brainer, and indeed it was. I love making homemade meatballs, but I found a bag of turkey meatballs and decided to give it a try. Yummy! I’ve even double the amount of meatballs while still using one jar of pasta sauce and it just made it, well, even meatier! The casserole of meatballs is surrounded by slices of fresh bread that has been brushed with a garlic and olive oil combo, and that just completes the de-constructed meatball sub sandwich! Everyone needs dishes they can pull together in no time, and this one is just right for the meatball and cheese lovers in the family!
Watch my How To Video for Meatball Sub Casserole here!
| Servings |
- 1 26 ounce bag frozen meatballs (yield, approx. 52 meatballs, amount can be doubled if desired)
- 1 24 ounce jar marinara or meat sauce (I used Rao’s Tomato Basil Sauce)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded Italian blend or pizza blend cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 fresh baguette, sliced
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium to large saucepan, combine the pasta sauce and frozen meatballs. Cook over medium heat until warmed completely through, about 10-15 minutes, stirring so meatballs don’t stick to pan. While meatballs are cooking, cut baguette into approximately 12 slices (enough to go around the edge of your baking dish.) Combine garlic and olive oil and brush over slices of bread. Place meatballs in the center of a 9x12 baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella, Italian blend cheese and Parmesan over top of meatballs Line the pan all the way around with bread slices, (standing up) pressing them slightly into the meatball mixture. If desired, sprinkle the bread lightly with any remaining cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly and bread has toasted to a golden brown. Serve as a side or as a main dish with vegetables or a salad. Casserole can be made ahead and heated in the oven when ready to serve.
