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A close-up of One Dish Meatball Casserole with baked ziti, melted cheese, tomato sauce, and meatballs in a glass dish. A serving spoon lifts a portion, revealing gooey cheese and sauce. The background shows a blurred kitchen scene.

One Dish Meatball Casserole

A hearty one dish dump and bake meal of cheesy pasta and meatballs, perfect for a busy weeknight
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces pasta a short cut pasta such as rotini, penne, or rigatoni
  • 24 ounces frozen meatballs (use any bag size from 18 ounces to 28 ounces, since sizes differ by brand) if you have an industrial size bag from Sam's Club or Costco, use about 20-25 meatballs
  • 3 cups water
  • 36 ounces your favorite spaghetti sauce about 1 1/2 jars of sauce
  • 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F
  2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. I love a deeper casserole dish for this.
  3. Dump it in: Pour the pasta, meatballs, sauce, water and all seasonings into the dish. Stir everything together and push the pasta into the liquid as much as possible. (You'll need 3 cups of water total for the casserole. Fill the sauce jar with some of the water, give it a shake and pour into the baking dish along with the remaining water.)
  4. Bake it: Wrap the dish tightly in foil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
  5. When it's finished baking, remove the foil, stir well, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top and pop it back in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 5-8 minutes.
  6. Serve immediately with a simple side salad and garlic bread for an easy crowd pleasing weeknight dinner.

Nutrition

Calories: 553kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 30gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 836mgPotassium: 791mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 769IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 206mgIron: 3mg
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