These Cheesy Baked Meatballs are pure comfort food — tender, juicy meatballs packed with Italian-inspired seasoning, baked right in a rich marinara sauce, then blanketed with a golden layer of bubbly melted cheese and scattered with fresh herbs. One baking dish, almost no hands-on work, and the kind of dinner that has everyone reaching for seconds. Pile them over spaghetti, tuck them into toasted hoagie rolls, or just serve them straight from the dish with crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs (680g) ground beef (80/20)
- 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat: Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Mix the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until combined — don’t overwork it or the meatballs will be dense.
- Shape and sear: Roll into about 16 meatballs, roughly 1 1/2 inches each. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the meatballs in batches for 2–3 minutes per side until browned all over (they’ll finish in the oven).
- Assemble the dish: Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the seared meatballs on top and pour the remaining 2 cups of marinara over them, spooning to coat.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Add the cheese: Remove the foil, sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the meatballs, and bake uncovered for another 10–12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden in spots and the meatballs are cooked through (165°F / 74°C inside).
- Serve: Rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve hot over pasta, in sandwiches, or with warm crusty bread.
Pro tip: For the juiciest meatballs, let the meat mixture rest in the fridge for 15 minutes before shaping — it firms up so the meatballs hold their shape beautifully, and the flavors meld. And shred the mozzarella fresh; bagged shreds don’t melt into that gorgeous golden blanket.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 410 calories, 30g protein, 15g carbs, 26g fat.
