Cheesy Meatball Casserole

I love the simplicity of this dish. No matter how busy my day is, I can pull a bag of my make ahead freezer meatballs out of the freezer and grab a can of crushed tomatoes from the pantry to put a hot meal on the table in less than an hour. Served with a salad or steamed vegetable on the side, it’s a very satisfying meal.

To make the sauce, sauce a minced clove of garlic in a little olive oil for 30-60 seconds. If you like heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes too. Immediately add a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (remember, the better the tomatoes, the better your sauce will taste). Stir to combine.

Cover skillet with splatter shield and simmer sauce over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add meatballs (and fresh basil if using) and stir to coat. Cover with splatter shield again and continue simmering for about 10 minutes.

Turn off stovetop and uncover skillet. Sprinkle shredded part-skim mozzarella and crushed dried parsley all over the meatballs and place in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and develops a few toasty brown spots.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 12-inch cast iron skillet https://amzn.to/3cztoY6

• splatter shield https://amzn.to/2XdPnxb

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Cheesy Meatball Casserole

makes 6 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more)

• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes

• 1/4 recipe Make Ahead Freezer Meatballs (about 1 1/2 pounds)

• 1-2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

• garnish: chopped fresh basil or parsley

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375F.

• In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet on medium, heat the olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring constantly, until oil bubbles and garlic is fragrant (should only take a minute or so).

• Immediately add crushed red pepper flakes and reduce heat to medium low; cover with a splatter shield and bring to a gentle boil.

• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add frozen meatballs and toss to coat; cover and heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Uncover skillet and spread cheese evenly over the surface; place skillet in center of preheated oven until cheese melts and browns a bit.

• Remove from oven and sprinkle with freshly chopped basil or parsley.

Note

• I used 1/4 batch of my Make Ahead Freezer Meatballs for to make this recipe (about 1.5 pounds of meatballs).

Turkey Meatloaf Italiano

I make a number of recipes that feature ground turkey so I jumped at the chance to stock my freezer when I was able to purchase 40 pounds for a really low price.  Asian Sloppy Joes, Turkey and Vegetable Meatloaf, Keto Turkey Meatballs, and Hearty Italian Wedding Soup were already in my recipe rotation, and now I can add this Turkey Meatloaf Italiano to the mix.  Here's how it's made.

This recipe is very easy to make - just place all the meatloaf ingredients in a bowl and mix them together thoroughly.

I like to line a quarter sheet pan (9x13x1) with foil for easy clean up.  Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape, place it on the pan, and pop it into a preheated oven for about 50 minutes.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and top with 1/2 cup of marinara (try my super easy and super delicious recipe here).

Top the marinara with 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Now don't scoff - dried parsley is highly underrated.  

Sprinkle some of that dried parsley over the cheese (I like to crush it in the palm of my hand before sprinkling).

Bake into the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.  Rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• quarter sheet pan https://amzn.to/34nuzet

• quarter sheet pan silpat liner https://amzn.to/2ARIoCl

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KETO TURKEY MEATLOAF ITALIANO

makes 8 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Meatloaf:

• 1/2 cup marinara sauce (try my quick recipe)

• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (use the good stuff!)

• 2 large eggs

• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 2 pounds ground turkey

Topping:

• 1/2 cup marinara sauce

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, crushed in the palm of your hand

Directions

1. preheat oven to 375F and line sheet pan with parchment or silpat.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the first 7 meatloaf ingredients; add ground turkey and mix until well combined.

3. Pat mixture into a meatloaf on lined sheet pan; bake for 50 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and top with marinara, cheese, and crushed parsley flakes; return to oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes to melt cheese.

5. Remove from oven and rest 10 minutes before serving.