You don’t even have to boil the pasta for this easy dump and bake meatball casserole. With 5 simple ingredients, family-friendly weeknight dinners don’t get much better!
Table of Contents
If you love the ease of dump-and-bake dinners, be sure to try our popular pizza casserole, dump-and-bake chicken broccoli rice casserole, this pesto alfredo chicken pasta, this shrimp marinara, this ravioli casserole, this pomodoro sauce, these kid-favorite sesame chicken noodles, and this dump-and-bake salsa chicken, too!
Love this! It has become my go-to meal to make when I didn’t have a plan and I need something easy that I know the kids will love. It is my son’s favorite meal!
– Jessica
How to Make Meatball Casserole | 1-Minute Video
I’m constantly trying to figure out how to serve my family a variety of dinners that are relatively nutritious, don’t require expensive or weird ingredients, can be prepped in minutes, and that everyone at the table will enjoy. This cheesy meatball casserole is absolutely one of those meals!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- If you don’t have rotini, you can substitute with other similar short pasta shapes such as penne pasta or elbows. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the rotini (about 7-8 minutes recommended on the package) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven. For instance, rigatoni pasta will likely need a few extra minutes.
- Pick a high-quality, flavorful marinara sauce. With only 5 ingredients in the casserole, each individual ingredient is very important! A delicious sauce will yield a delicious meal. I like Rao’s brand, but any similar pasta sauce will work.
- Thaw frozen meatballs in the refrigerator before adding them to the casserole. I prefer smaller meatballs (sometimes called “bite size” or “cocktail size”) in this dish.
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and on your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be tender and much of the liquid should be absorbed.
How to Make a Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
Weeknight dinners don’t get much easier than a dump-and-bake meatball casserole! I’ve included complete cooking instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the overview:
- Combine the uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, water, and thawed meatballs in a greased baking dish. This is a great opportunity to add other seasoning, if you like.
- Give everything a good stir to make sure that it’s completely combined. You might even want to use your hands or a spoon to gently press down, submerging as many of the noodles in the sauce as possible. At this point it will look really watery, but don’t worry! The pasta absorbs a lot of that liquid as it bakes, so you’ll end up with a rich, thick tomato sauce by the end.
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Stir gently, and check to make sure that the pasta is al dente (almost done!). If it’s not, no problem — just cover the dish again and pop it back into the oven for 5-10 more minutes. Just be careful not to overcook the pasta, since you don’t want it to end up mushy and gummy by the end.
- Sprinkle cheese on top. Return the dish to the oven for a few more minutes, just until the cheese melts and the pasta is perfectly cooked.
- Garnish the casserole with herbs like fresh basil or fresh parsley for a bright, colorful touch. Extra grated Parmesan cheese is also delicious!
Serving Suggestions
Pair this cozy meatball pasta casserole with garlic bread, breadsticks, or focaccia bread; Caesar salad or a green side salad with red wine vinegar dressing; roasted broccoli, sauteed zucchini, or roasted yellow squash.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the fridge overnight before baking. The pasta will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. You don’t want to overcook the casserole or you’ll end up with gummy, mushy pasta.
- Storage: This casserole is best enjoyed immediately from the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing this casserole because the texture of the pasta will not be great when thawed.
- Reheat individual portions of leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high.
This was absolutely excellent! A hit with the family and will definitely be adding to our favorites! Thank you so much!
– Heather
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
Equipment
- 9 x 13-Inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
- 1 (24 or 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 cheese or Italian blend cheese
- Optional garnish: Parmesan cheese; fresh chopped herbs such as basil, oregano, or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, stir together uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, water, and meatballs. Season with salt to taste; stir. 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
- Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender.
- Garnish with optional toppings if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
The Best Meatball Casserole Recipe Variations
- I like to use smaller cocktail-size meatballs in the casserole because they’re easier to eat. That said, you can substitute with larger regular meatballs if that’s what you have available.
- Turkey meatballs, Italian meatballs, beef, chicken, or pork meatballs will all work. Pick your favorite!
- I use frozen meatballs for convenience, but fresh, fully-cooked meatballs are also fine in this recipe.
- For other twists on this recipe, try a dump-and-bake creamy tomato pasta with turkey meatballs, this dump-and-bake veggie and meatball casserole, and these dump-and-bake tortellini and meatballs.
- Cooking for a Smaller Family: Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. Check the pasta after 30 minutes, as it may be done slightly sooner than the larger pan.
More Dump and Bake Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole
45 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Shrimp Alfredo
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Casserole
50 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in September, 2015. It was updated in November, 2024.
If you use the precooked smaller meatballs, there is NO reason to thaw them. They heat right up. Also, one can use any sauce. I used a 27 oz. jar of creamy butternut squash sauce (Target sells it under their private label brand)with chicken meatballs and the pasta and it was more than delicious! Complementary herbs for the sauce include parsley, nutmeg/cinnamon, sage and oregano which add delicious flavoring. In place of 3 total cups of water, I replaced 1/2+ cup of that with white wine.
This version turned into something richer and elevated!
Sounds delicious, Lewis. Thank you for those tips!
Great and very easy recipe! We love it. I added Parmesan and Romano cheese with the mozzarella on top plus extra Italian seasoning in the casserole.
Thank you, Karla!
Looks good
Thanks, Diane! I hope you’ll get to try it!
Fair. It’s not quite as good as lasagna but is a good quick approximation. If you’re use to Pasta Roni or hamburger helper etc. It’s about the same bracket. But you could easily dress it up with sauteeing onions etc. It was super fast to put together. Thank you.
Thanks, Job. You’re right — it’s definitely meant to be an easy, shortcut meal for busy nights. It can’t compete with a pan of made-from-scratch lasagna, but it’s definitely a lot quicker! 🙂 Feel free to “dress it up” as much as you like — take the base inspiration and get creative. I’d love to hear if you try it again with other ingredients!
Cut in half for 2 was
If I cut recipe in half, does the cooking time change? Forgive my ignorance! Can’t wait to try.
We recommend checking the recipe after 30 minutes if you cut it in half, and keeping a close eye on it as it bakes!
Sooooooo yummy & easy! Since we’re a family of three, we halved the recipe and baked it in an 8×8 dish. It was the perfect amount for us.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you, Carolyn!
Delicious as is and so easy.
Thank you! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
Easy and delicious. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Caitlin!
I have made this recipe several times with several different types of pasta. Pasta never cooks properly. Last time I made it had to bake it for almost an hour for the noddles to even be soft enough to eat and then it was very starchy
Can I use freshly homemade baked meatballs in this recipe? Would the cooking time be different?
You should be able to! We don’t recommend altering the cook time as it’s necessary for the rice to cook. If you’re worried about the meatballs drying out, you may want to heat them up separately and stir them in after. Or, add them the last few minutes of baking just to warm. Hope that helps!
So…. No carbs?
I LOVE this recipe! I make it on nights that my mom is burnt out with cooking and it’s super duper easy. I do tend to add Italian seasoning to it just to give it some extra oomph, but it’s really tasty.
Thank you, Max! That’s so nice of you to do.
Simple and delicious! I used plant-based meatballs and cheese since the hubs and I are vegetarian and vegan and it turned out perfectly. I love dump and bake recipes. Saves so much time and I don’t have to stand at the stove. This is the second time I’ve made this and it’s been a hit both times.
Thank you, Tracy! That’s so good to hear. Happy New Year!
Easy and can be made from things I already had available.
My husband liked it which is important
it needed salt and next time I make it I will add some seasonings
It was probably a little bland for our taste because I had a cheaper speghetti sauce than usual
I will definitely make it again
Thank you, Devona. I’m so glad that your husband approved!
Hi, Blair. I’m hoping you can help me trouble shoot my experience yesterday. First time I’ve been disappointed in one of your recipes but I made several changes so it may have been my fault. The long and short is that when I removed the casserole from the oven much of the pasta was underdone, with the liquid largely gone and it seemed, overall, very dry and not very saucy.
First, I used whole-grain penne which I have done before with satisfactory results in your Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta. One difference is the recipes is this one has no vegetables. When using whole-grain pasta with no vegetables should I add more liquid? How much? Another cupful?
Also I didn’t use water. Instead I used half a cup of wine and two and a half cups of beef broth. Was that a mistake for some reason?
Finally, I used about 10ounces of meatballs instead of 14. Would that make a difference?
Also I used a deep Pyrex casserole which is the same diameter as a 3 quart but about half again as deep, about 5 quarts. Would that have made a difference?
Thanks so much for your help. It’s so good to know you will answer me and help me as you can!
First,
Hi, Marion! I’m assuming that it was the whole grain pasta. This recipe was specifically tested with and designed for regular white pasta, which usually has a different cooking time and behaves differently than whole grain pasta. I know some folks have luck with gluten-free/whole grain/other varieties, but in general I don’t recommend using those because they will typically not give you the same results. I would bet that the whole grain pasta needed a longer cook time and more liquid than the regular pasta. Since I haven’t tested it with the whole grain pasta, I’m afraid that I can’t offer specific instructions.
I don’t think that the deeper dish, fewer meatballs, or different cooking liquids should be an issue. Sorry it wasn’t a success!
Thanks for your feedback, Blair!
Hi Blair.Pasta is already cooked.Do I avoid the water and how long to bake and temp?
Hi, Andy! Yes, you won’t need the extra liquid. Just toss all of the ingredients together in the dish and bake until hot and bubbly — maybe 350 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes.
You posted some great recipes, thank you.
Thank you, Patricia! We’re so glad you enjoy them.
I ended up needing to leave it in the oven covered for an extra 10 minutes because the noodles were still a little crunchy after only 35 minutes. Otherwise, this was a super easy dinner to make and my family liked it a lot!
Thank you, Ellie! We’re glad you were able to make it work for you.
it’s easy and fast to make. Just love it