American
Meatball Sub Casserole
Beef meatballs are mixed and baked until the centers show no pink, then set into marinara with bread cubes and mozzarella. The bread soaks up sauce the way the inside of a meatball sub does, without being a sandwich.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- The meatballs are fully cooked until no pink shows before they meet the bread.
- Toasted cubes take up sauce without turning into porridge.
- Marinara is split under, through, and over the bread so the top does not dry out.
- A short second bake melts the cheese without stewing the meatballs past the point where they stay tender.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 400°F. Mix the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper until just combined. Form 16 meatballs.
- 2
Set the meatballs on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Bake until browned and the center of a meatball is 160°F with no pink left, 15 to 18 minutes.
- 3
While they bake, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil on a second pan. Toast at 400°F until the edges dry, about 8 minutes.
- 4
Lower the oven to 375°F. Spread 1 cup marinara in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Scatter in the bread cubes and spoon over another 1 cup sauce.
- 5
Nestle in the meatballs, pour over the remaining sauce, and top with mozzarella and parmesan.
- 6
Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the bread is hot through, 15 to 18 minutes. Rest 5 minutes.
Pro tips
- Mix the meat only until it holds, or the meatballs turn dense.
- Toast the bread cubes first so they stay bready instead of dissolving into the sauce.
- Cut one meatball open; color is a better check here than guessing from the outside.
Easy substitutions
- Ground beef
- Ground turkey, baked until no pink remains
- Mozzarella
- Provolone, shredded, in the same amount
- Marinara
- Crushed tomatoes simmered 10 minutes with 1 tsp oregano
Storage and reheating
Storage
Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat covered at 350°F until the meatballs are hot in the center, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 644
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Moderate · Oven · High Protein
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From the kitchen
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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