You don’t even have to boil the pasta for this easy Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole! With only 5 simple ingredients, family-friendly weeknight dinners don’t get much better than this!
Hi, friends! I’ve been busy this fall coming up with easy weeknight solutions to help you get dinner on the table FAST. After all, I figure that when I have a parenting obstacle to deal with, odds are good that there are a lot of other moms out there who are also facing a similar dilemma.
For me, it seems like I’m constantly trying to figure out how to serve my family a variety of dinners that:
- are relatively nutritious;
- don’t require expensive/weird ingredients;
- can be prepared in a matter of minutes;
- and that everyone actually loves.
This dump-and-bake supper is absolutely one of those meals!
Italian cuisine (and pasta specifically) is always a big hit in my house. The best part of this comfort food casserole, however, is that YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO BOIL THE PASTA!! Awesome, right?
You literally toss together some dry pasta, some frozen (fully cooked) meatballs, marinara sauce, and water in a big baking dish. Cover it and bake it in the oven while you deal with laundry, homework, feeding the dog, and all of the 18909809832429508 other items on your “To Do” list. Sprinkle some cheese on top to melt at the end and dinner is DONE!
I hope that your family loves this simple, home-cooked supper as much as we do!
[Tweet “No boiling pasta necessary! Just Dump-and-Bake this easy 5-Ingredient Meatball #Casserole!”]
Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 -6
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
- 1 (25 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 (14 ounce) package fully-cooked miniature (cocktail-size) meatballs (if using frozen meatballs, make sure that they are completely thawed before using)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend) cheese
- Optional: Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped herbs (such as basil, oregano, and parsley) for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large baking dish, stir together uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, water, and meatballs. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
- Sprinkle mozzarella over the top and bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender).
Recipe adapted from Food.com
Looking to simplify your life even more? Check out my eCookbook Fast, Fresh & Fit!, which includes some of our family’s easy go-to recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — and none of them require much prep time! You can learn more HERE!
Looking for more easy dinner recipes? Try these favorites:
Aunt Bee’s Dump-and-Bake Beef Stew
Short-Cut Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup
Sheet Pan Supper: Maple-Glazed Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli
Wow does this casserole look good, Blair! My husband would love this! I’m always on the hunt for easy weeknight meals, too, so this looks just perfect!
Thanks, Gayle! It’s definitely a dinner that our husbands can get behind!
It says cook time is 50 minutes but the recipe says total 40 minutes. Does the water have to be hot, cold, room temperature?
Hey, Karen! Sorry for that confusion with the cooking time! I just updated the recipe to correct it. You’ll want to bake it for 30 minutes covered, and then stir, add the cheese on top, and pop it back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so until the cheese melts and the pasta is tender.
The temperature of your water doesn’t matter. I just use whatever comes out of my faucet — so “room temp,” I suppose?! 🙂
Enjoy!
I tried this and it was an amazing casserole! ❤️
Awesome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Laura! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
This not only looks delicious, but beautiful as well. I can’t wait to try this recipe out. I am going to social media blast this! Thanks for posting it on Jebbica’s World Link Party today.
Thanks so much, Trisha! I’m so glad that you stopped by!
I want this for dinner tonight!! This looks so delicious and so fast to put together! No noodle boiling? YES! Can’t wait to try this one out!
Total comfort food, right?! Thanks, Anna!
Looks yummy & guick!
Thanks, Shelly!! 🙂 It doesn’t get much easier, right?!
Do you use regular noodles that don’t specifically say oven ready? Quick reply would be great as I wanna make it tonight!
Hiya Blair,
Saw this recipe at Food & Fitness Fridays and such a nice surprise to discover it was yours! This is delicious looking and wow – your photography is rocking, girl! Great job 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Hey, Robyn! Thanks so much for stopping by. You’re so sweet to comment on the photos…I’m trying! 🙂
Made this tonight and it was simple and delicious. It took me about 30 mins extra to cook at a temp of 425.
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know, Leaha! Glad you liked it. 🙂
What type of noodles did you use? Can they be regular rotini not oven ready ones?
Hi, Trish! Just regular barilla pasta — NOT oven ready. 🙂
This looks incredible! Could this be made in the slow cooker?
Hi, Kyla! I think that it probably could be made in a slow cooker, but I haven’t tried it myself that way. I would have to play around with the amount of liquid and the cooking time. I’m guessing that about the same amount of liquid and 3-4 hours on LOW would do the trick in the slow cooker, but I definitely have not tested that method. If you give it a shot, let me know! 🙂
I picked 4 easy recipes from the group to make. I am not a young Mother but have been there & done that. As I get older these dishes fit with my lifestyle. I like the idea I can have everything on hand as the Winters here are nasty. I do think Aunt Bee & I would get along. Now saying that, do you think I could get in on the care packages?
I know — she has the best care packages, right?! And easy recipes are always wonderful — no matter how old we are! 🙂
Have a lovely weekend Blair.
I made this tonight, after 30 minutes the pasta was rather crunchy. Is this normal before putting the cheese on? I know this will be a hit and a “make again” – just want to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong 🙂 also, what size (qt) caserole dish did you use?
Hi! I’m so glad that you tried this recipe. 🙂 By the time that you put the cheese on top, the pasta should almost be done (not crunchy). Did you have it really tightly covered (you want to make sure that the pasta can absorb all of the liquid without it escaping)? Was most of the liquid absorbed by the pasta at that point? It might just need a little bit longer in your oven? Also, the size/type of pasta that you used could make a difference. I have used both rotini and a mini penne, which work well. Something larger would definitely need more time, though.
For the dish, I used a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish. Hope that helps, and please keep me posted if you run into any other issues. I want it to work for you because it’s so good! 🙂
I used mini farfalle noodles and they weren’t ready at the 30 minute mark….probably should have cooked longer before adding the cheese :p But using what I had on hand…should have read the comments before trying something different LOL
Thanks for the feedback, Julie! 🙂 Maybe next time?!
I had this same experience. Crunchy noodles and annoyed hungry kids. 🙁 I had to add more water and cover again and by the time it was done the cheese was ruined. I wish I’d read the comments first and cooked it longer to begin with!
Also it would not let me rate it on mobile, I’m sorry. It’s not a no-stArs recipe!
Hi Blair – this looks awesome! I’d like to make it in my Le Creuset for an Oscars party this weekend… what are the recommended measurements if I want to double the amount?
Hi, Richelle! I would use the following:
2 (16 ounce) packages uncooked rotini pasta
2 (25 ounce) jars marinara sauce
6 cups water
2 (14 ounce) packages fully-cooked miniature (cocktail-size) meatballs (if using frozen meatballs, make sure that they are completely thawed before using)
4 cups shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend) cheese
You will probably need to use two large baking dishes, because I’m not sure that one dish alone will hold everything (unless you have a very deep 9×13-inch dish…that might do the trick)! Cook time should be the same!
I tried this last week when I had some leftover meatballs. Fed it to some guests for dinner with and it was a hit. The mister is now demanding to have this dish served at least once a week for dinner.
I packed it for my office lunch the next day as well, so amazing!
Oh, YAY!!! I’m so glad to hear that, Sharday! My husband and boys always love it, too. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Cooked as directed but noodles were nowhere remotely done. Had to cook for an additional 30 minutes. Recipe probably would work better with no boil noodles. Loved it anyway!
Thanks for the feedback, Elissa! I don’t know why the cooking time would have been so much longer, but I’m glad that it still tasted good in the end! 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight and it was great! Like several others, I had to cook it an additional 20 minutes covered before adding the cheese in order to get the pasta done. Rave reviews from the family! This dish will definitely be a regular in our household! Thank you Blair!
Oh, thanks so much for letting me know, Becky! I’m glad that you enjoyed it!!
Can you make the meatballs for this? Will that change anything about the recipe?
Hey, Ashley! You can definitely make the meatballs for these — just be sure that they are fully cooked before adding them to the casserole. Enjoy!
Hi! my fiancé always wants me to cook so I’m going to try this dish looks great. I never been too much of a cook but now I am trying especially with my new family so Thanks!
Hi, Angel! That’s great! I hope that you both really enjoy it!
I made this for my family and it was excellent! I didn’t change anything and it came out perfect, I was so impressed! Thank you for this recipe.
Awesome! So glad that you liked it, Elizabeth! Who knew dinner could be so easy, right? We’re having this dinner again in the coming week. It’s always a hit!
This is the best easy recipe I have ever made! IT WAS AWESOME! My husband said this was his new favorite
Thank you, Julia! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
I made this tonight and it was amazing!!! I even shared the link with some friends.
I made this tonight with mini farfalle and 30 min was perfect. Such a yummy dish! Thank you for the recipe!
Great to know! So glad that you enjoyed it, Sarah! Thank you!
I wish I would have read the comments first before attempting this recipe. The picture posted with the recipe is a large casserole dish, but in the comments you stated you used a 9×13 pan. Maybe you could edit the recipe so it states that. I’m another person who ended up with crunchy pasta after the 35 minutes because I didn’t use a 9×13. I just put it back in the oven for another half an hour. I hope it turns out okay.
I’ll make sure to use a 9×13 next time! 🙂
His is sooooo easy and delish. I cooked for 40 min amd 5 min uncovered and was perfect. It makes a lot so for us two, so we’ll have another dinner ready to go. Thanks for sharing
Awesome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Diana! I hope that you’ll try some of my other dump-and-bake dishes on the blog, too!
So if I were to add onions (new cook here) should i saute them first a little? Or just let them cook with the noodles?
Hey, Katie! You can actually do it either way. If you dice the onion small enough, the pieces should soften as the pasta cooks and you won’t even need to saute them first. That said, it definitely will not hurt to saute them first. It would just add another layer of flavor and make them even more tender. Just depends on how much time you want to spend on the prep! 🙂
I just tried this tonight and it was great. I used the large rectangle dish to cook it in and it was perfect. Since we re two old people it certainly made too much. Any idea if anything changes if I half everything. Wondering about the time if that would stay the same.
Hi, Pat! Yes, you can definitely cut the recipe in half and bake it in an 8-inch square pan. The cooking time should be about the same! 🙂 So glad that you enjoyed it!
What a great combination of meatballs and rotini pasta! Should i put the leftovers in refrigerator? how long will this dish last?
Hi, Lisa! Yes, you can put the leftovers in the refrigerator (or cut the recipe in half and bake it in a smaller dish if you don’t want too much left over).
It should keep in the refrigerator for at least a few days! 🙂 Enjoy!
I am one of those people that mskes everything from scratch, preps a weeks woeth of dinners to freeze, and makes my own broth. I’m gonna try this using my beef broth instead of water. Also I just prepped this weeks dinners yesterday and had 2 lb homemade meatballs left over. This is perfect. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Hi, Lori! I SO admire your time and dedication to making everything from scratch. Your family is so blessed, and I know that it’s not easy. 🙂 I think that your meatballs and homemade stock will be delicious in this recipe. Enjoy!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this dish, not having to cook the noodles is awesome and it’s so easy to always keep these ingredients on hand when I need a quick supper. I use a Corningware oval baker and I leave it in the oven for closer to an hour and it works great. Plus, 425F is also the perfect temp for cooking frozen garlic cheese bread so I can just put together a quick salad and have pasta, bread and salad for an easy meal. Plus leftovers heat well for lunches the next day. Seriously, this could be once a week at my house!
Christine! I’m so glad that you love the dinner! It’s definitely one of our go-to options as well, because it’s just so darn easy! Thanks so much for sharing your tips about the garlic bread and salad. Such a great meal!
This came out perfectly!!!! … I added some cottage cheese in on top before baking. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks so much for letting me know, John. Your addition sounds delicious!
I am interested in making this recipe. However , I am wondering why it is necessary to thaw the frozen meatballs since it is cooking for awhile. Thanks. It does look delicious!
Hi, Alexandra! I hope you’ll give it a try! You want to thaw the meatballs because if you try to bake the pasta with frozen meatballs throughout, it’s like trying to boil pasta with a bunch of ice cubes in the water. It will take everything a lot longer to come to temperature and bake through. 🙂
I made this today. Of course, I can NEVER follow a recipe exactly…it’s just not who I am. I only look up recipes for inspiration and then decide how I’ll do it. So…my tweaks: I put the pasta, sauce, and my homemade unsalted chicken broth (instead of water) in the oven for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, sauteed chopped onions on high heat in a cast iron pan just to get a bit of char on them…removed them, then sliced my Costco frozen (thawed) meatballs in half and gave them a char on each side in the same cast iron pan. Took the noodle mix out of the oven (the pasta wasn’t yet done and there was plenty of liquid left in the dish) and stirred in the onions and meatballs. Put the foil back on and baked for about 15 more minutes. Removed the foil….added the shredded cheese on top. Covered that with a mixture of 1 cup Panko bread crumb mixed with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Cranked up the oven to 500 degrees to melt the cheese and brown the panko coating. Took it out and sprinkled fresh sliced basil leaves all over the top. FANTASTIC! My husband, son, grandson, and I all agreed it’s a fantastic dish. One warning…some have asked about doing this in a crockpot. I haven’t but, since I had to leave it in the oven on ‘warm’ because my husband was very late from work, the pasta got a little ‘pasty’. I don’t think this would hold up in a crockpot. Blair…I’ll be trying more of your ideas!!
Hey, Debra! Your tweaks sound perfect!!! Thank you so much for sharing! The crumb topping is a great idea! You can never go wrong with some butter, cheese, and breadcrumbs. 🙂 So glad that you enjoyed the meal, and I hope that you’ll try some of our other dump-and-bake dinners as well!
Blair – I have a question- Can all the ingredients be mixed together in the pan in the morning, then refrigerated and then baked late afternoon?
I have never stirred it all together in advance because I worry that the dried pasta will absorb liquid as it sits and then might have a mushy texture after baking later.
If you want to get most of the dish ready in advance, I would stir together the meatballs and liquids in the dish and keep that in the fridge. Then you can just stir in the pasta and cover it right before baking.
Hope that helps, and enjoy!😊
I want to make this for a friend who just had a baby, I was kind of wanting her to have the option of eating it that night or putting it in the freezer if they aren’t going to eat it that night. Should I cook it completely and then bring it over, or should I just prep it? Would it heat up ok if I baked it fully in the morning and brought it over and then had her put it in her fridge til they were ready to eat at night?…how should I instruct her to reheat it? Thanks in advance!
Hey, Kristen! I know that I’ve had friends who have made this dish one night and then had good luck reheating it as leftovers after that. If you want to bake it in advance, I would suggest covering it with foil and baking it in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until just heated through.
Here’s the deal, though: I think that this type of dump-and-bake dish is best when it’s assembled just before baking. Since you’re using uncooked pasta, I think that the texture gets a little gummy if it sits around too long (in the fridge or even after baking as leftovers), so it’s just not my preference.
This is what I would do for your friend:
– Shop for all of the ingredients and put them in a nice reusable grocery bag. For instance, in the bag you can include the box of pasta, the jar of sauce, the frozen meatballs (measured out into the correct quantity), etc.
– I would also put a nice new casserole dish (as a gift) or a disposable foil casserole dish in the bag.
– Give her the instructions on how to stir everything together, tell her to cover it, and provide her with the baking instructions. Or just print out the recipe and include it in the bag!
– Then she can stir everything together in the dish and enjoy a fresh, homemade dinner for her family whenever she needs something easy — and you don’t have to worry about the quality of the meal for reheating.
I would also include a salad and a fresh loaf of bread or dinner rolls for her family to serve on the side. 🙂
Hi Blair,
I was wondering if this could be modified for the crockpot, or if it would be ok if I prepped it and put it in the fridge so it’s ready for my husband to just put it in the oven.
Can’t wait to try it!
Lisa
Hi, Lisa! I think that it could probably cook in a Crock Pot too, but I just don’t know what the exact timing would be since I haven’t tried it myself.
You can definitely prep it in advance — I just wouldn’t leave it sitting in the fridge for more than a few hours. The pasta will start to absorb the liquid as it sits, and I just think that the texture is a bit off once it does that. It’s not awful, but it wouldn’t be my first choice. 🙂
I am trying this for dinner. I have some picky eaters. So I like the fact the whole family can enjoy this. Everyone loves pasta and meatballs! Can’t wait.. Thank you so much for this recipe.
That’s great, Jasmin! I agree — you can’t go wrong with pasta and meatballs! 🙂
I’m 9 months pregnant with my second child and making freezer meals for after the baby is born. I’m curious if anyone has tried this as a freezer meal; I’m thinking it would be best to cook and then freeze. Any suggestions?
Either way, this is going on the menu plan for next week!
Hi, Amanda! This recipe is a new mom’s best friend — so easy! I haven’t tried it as a freezer meal because I’ve always been worried that the raw pasta sitting in the liquid for too long will change the texture of the noodles (and maybe make them mushy)? I don’t know for sure…just a guess.
If you want to have the meal available for your postpartum days, I would suggest buying all of the ingredients and just keeping them on hand (the meatballs can stay in your freezer and the pasta and marinara can stay in your pantry). You can even freeze cheese to keep it fresh if you’re worried that you won’t have any in your refrigerator when you need it. Then it’s just a matter of stirring everything together when you’re ready to prepare the recipe, which only takes about 5 minutes. Even a tired new mom can handle that, I promise. 🙂
How much time do you think it would take in the oven if I put already cooked pasta in? I work almost every ight until after 6. The kids are dying when j get home. If I made this ahead of time and had the kids just pop it in the oven, dinner could be done before I get home. I am just not sure they would be able to check noodle for doneness if I use dry.
Hi, Heather! You can definitely use cooked pasta, and it should reheat at 350 degrees F in about 25 minutes (if you’re heating it right away) or in about 35 minutes if you’re cooking it directly from the refrigerator and it’s still cold. You will need to drastically alter the amount of liquid in the dish, though, because the cooked pasta won’t absorb the water like the raw pasta will. I would just use as much marinara as you like when stirring it all together, until it reaches the desired consistency. Cover to bake, and remove the foil at the end of baking to allow the cheese to brown.
I’m making this for a friend who needs a little help. What would you recommend for reheating instruction?
Hi, Katherine! Personally, I wouldn’t even cook it first. I would just stir everything together in the dish (prepping it for her), and then give it to her to bake fresh at her house.
If you would prefer to bake it before delivering it, I would suggest reheating instructions as follows: bake, covered, at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, or until heated through. If she’s heating it straight from the refrigerator when it’s cold, it might take a bit longer. If she’s heating it from room temp, it should be warm within 20-25 minutes. Hope that helps! 🙂
Wanted to make this but cant find fully cooked meatballs in my supermarket, can I cook them in the dish first then add the other ingredients or is them being frozen essential to the cooking times and final texture of the meal? Should I cook them first, then freeze for later maybe?
Hi, Catherine! Yes, you can definitely use the homemade meatballs. The recipe actually specifies that the frozen meatballs need to be thawed before going into the casserole, so you don’t need frozen meatballs to prepare the dish. Your homemade version will probably taste amazing! Enjoy. 🙂
Hi! Love the dish. I was wondering can I make ahead and put in fridge/freezer? If so, what temp do you recommend rehearing and for how long? Covered or uncovered?
Sorry , I’m assuming your advice on these questions would be he best!
Thanks
Liza
Hi, Eliza! I’ve always been hesitant to assemble this dish in advance because I worry that the uncooked pasta might soak up too much liquid before it goes in the oven, resulting in a mushy or weird texture at the end. I’m not sure if this is the case since I haven’t tried it that way — just a guess.
That said, I have had many readers tell me that they enjoy the leftovers reheated. If you bake the dish and then reheat it, I would suggest reheating it at 350 degrees F, covered with foil, for about 20-30 minutes (or until warmed through). Hope that helps!
So don’t need to add any seasoning to the dump and bake meatball casserole….
I also had crunchy noodles. I should’ve read the reviews. Certainly start out with a 9×13 covered. The picture was deceiving to me, oh well.
My whole family loved this, and it was so easy! I used elbows, because that’s what I had in my cupboard, and the 30 minute initial cook time was perfect.
I just wanted to say, this dish was amazing. I didnt have meatballs so I just cooked up some hamburger meat with onions. Seasoned it with garlic, italian seasoning and pepper. For the pasta, I used Broun Rice Fusilli. Everything else I followed the recipe and it was wonderful. I will defiantly be making this dish again
Hi, Lisa! No, you don’t need to add anything extra (unless you want to). The marinara sauce and the meatballs are both already seasoned with Italian spices, so I don’t think additional seasoning is necessary. Again, if you love garlic or oregano, for example, and you want to toss some more in, feel free! I like to garnish with some fresh herbs after it’s done cooking, but that’s totally optional too. Enjoy!
Oh, yay!! That’s great news, Tracy! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
I love the idea of using the ground beef, Mona! Thanks so much for letting me know, and I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it! 🙂
I am enjoying some now as I type this out. It is also tasty as leftovers as well. I did forget to mention that I also added a couple of bay leaves before I put dish into oven. I removed them when it was done. 🙂
Glad that you got to enjoy it again, Mona! 🙂
AMAZIN!. THIS CASSEROLE TURNED WONDERFUL -BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I LOVED IT1 THANKS FOR ALL THE RECIPES THERE ARE DELICIOUS.
Excellent! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Norma! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Made this last night and it was amazing! Used ground Italian sausage instead of meatballs, otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I used a 13×9 glass baking dish covered tightly with foil and didn’t have any issues with undercooked pasta. Leftovers for lunch we’re also delicious!
Perfect! I bet the sausage was delicious! Thanks for letting me know, Autie!