Meatball Casserole

An incredibly delicious, made-from-scratch Meatball Casserole with creamy mashed potatoes. This casserole is the ultimate crowd-pleaser – juicy meatballs with a homemade marinara sauce over creamy mashed potatoes with lots of cheesy goodness!

Meatball Casserole With Mashed Potatoes

When I think of what my ideal casserole would be, this casserole comes to mind. Lots of cheesy goodness, with juicy meatballs with marinara sauce all atop creamy mashed potatoes and finally topped with lots of cheese. I mean we all love meatballs and mashed potatoes, why not put them together and create this masterpiece?

This meatball casserole can be made entirely from scratch. However, if you’ve got some frozen meatballs in your freezer and a jar of marinara sauce, who am I to tell you not to use them. Isn’t that the beauty of casseroles? Use what you got!

Want to use store bought mashed potatoes? By all means, go for it! Regardless of what you use, store bought or homemade, this casserole will still taste delicious. Yes, I usually tell you homemade is best, but in this case, I won’t judge!

Ingredient Notes

• Mashed Potatoes – You can choose to make your own mashed potatoes or store bought. For this recipe I used my mom’s creamy mashed potatoes.
• Italian Meatballs – You can use my recipe of Italian meatballs that come complete with their own marinara sauce, or simply use some frozen meatballs and a jar of marinara sauce.
• Mozzarella Cheese – What’s a casserole without cheese, and lots of it. I prefer to buy mozzarella balls and shred my own, this way I know there aren’t any added preservatives or chemicals.
• Parsley – Just a bit of fresh parsley for garnish.

How To Make Meatball Casserole

1. Prepare mashed potatoes and meatballs: Prepare mashed potatoes as specified in my recipe here. Prepare Italian meatballs including sauce as specified in my recipe here.
2. Prep oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Prepare casserole dish: Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with a bit of cooking spray (I used my Le Creuset Braiser, link under equipment in recipe card).
4. Assemble casserole: Layer the mashed potatoes in the bottom of your casserole dish. Arrange the meatballs on top of the mashed potatoes evenly.
5. Bake: Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese evenly over the meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and starts to brown.
6. Serve: Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

FAQs & Expert Tips

FAQs

Tips

1. This meatball casserole is great for making ahead. Simply assemble it as instructed. Make sure to cover it well with aluminum foil. Allow it to defrost for 24 hours in the fridge before baking as instructed.
2. Get creative! Don’t like marinara sauce? Use your favorite! A great Alfredo sauce or bechamel sauce would be wonderful in this casserole.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Freezing

You can also freeze this meatball casserole in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 10 months.

More Delicious Recipes To Try

• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce
• Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole
• Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
• Cheesy Potato Casserole
• Romanian Meatballs (Chiftele)
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole