Meatball Sub Casserole turns a meatball sub into a layered bake: toasted Texas toast on the bottom, a warm layer of melted cream cheese and ricotta with Italian seasoning, Italian-style meatballs in marinara, and a blanket of mozzarella on top. It takes about 15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes in the oven, and serves 6.
How to make it: Bake the Texas toast and line a 9×13-inch dish with it. Melt the cream cheese and ricotta with the seasoning and pour it over the toast. Stir the meatballs into the marinara and spoon them on top, cover with mozzarella, and bake at 350°F until the cheese is bubbly and the center reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- All the sub, no sandwich mess: bread, meatballs, sauce and cheese in one dish.
- Freezer and pantry shortcuts: frozen meatballs, a jar of marinara and frozen Texas toast.
- A creamy cheese layer: cream cheese and ricotta between the bread and the meatballs.
- Feeds 6: a 2-pound bag of meatballs fills a 9×13 dish.
Ingredient Notes
Frozen Italian-style meatballs: one 2-pound bag.
Marinara sauce: one 24-ounce jar, or your favorite pasta sauce.
Texas toast: 8 slices, baked first following the package instructions.
Cream cheese and ricotta: 8 ounces of cream cheese and 1 cup of ricotta, melted together in a small pot.
Mozzarella: 2 cups, grated.
Seasoning: 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, plus kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen Italian-style meatballs (one 2-pound bag)
- 24 ounces marinara sauce (1 jar)
- 8 slices Texas toast, baked following the package instructions
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to Make Meatball Sub Casserole
1. Bake the Texas toast. Bake the Texas toast according to the package instructions. Remove it and set it aside.
2. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
3. Line the dish. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with the toast slices. Break up slices as needed to make a single layer across the bottom of the dish.
4. Melt the cheese layer. Put the cream cheese and ricotta in a small pot over low heat. Stir until melted, then stir in the Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread the cheese layer. Pour the melted cheese over the toast layer.
6. Add the meatballs. Stir the meatballs into the marinara sauce, then spoon them over the cheese layer.
7. Top and bake. Top with the mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer. If the top browns too fast, loosely cover it with foil. If the center is below 165°F, keep baking until it reaches 165°F.
8. Cool and serve. Let the casserole cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve.
How to Keep the Bread From Getting Soggy
Bread sitting under saucy meatballs can go mushy. These are the ways to keep it in shape:
- Toast it first. Baking the Texas toast before it goes in the dish gives you a firmer base.
- Use thick slices. If you use Italian bread instead, cut it about 1 inch thick and fill any gaps with smaller pieces.
- Layer carefully. Spread the creamy cheese layer over the bread, then spoon the sauced meatballs on top rather than pouring extra sauce straight onto the bread.
- Don’t add extra sauce. One 24-ounce jar is enough for 2 pounds of meatballs.
- Or add the bread at the end. For the crispiest bread, bake the meatballs, sauce and cheese on their own and tuck toasted garlic bread slices around the edge of the dish just before serving.
Frozen Meatballs: A Quick Tip
The meatballs can go into the dish straight from the freezer, but frozen meatballs take longer to heat through. To make sure the center reaches 165°F in time, you can warm the meatballs in the marinara in a saucepan over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes first, stirring so they don’t stick. If you’d rather thaw them, do it in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, not on the counter.
Variations
- Italian bread: swap the Texas toast for a loaf of Italian bread cut into 1-inch slices.
- Cream cheese and mayo layer: mix softened cream cheese with a little mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and pepper, spread it on the bread and sprinkle with some of the mozzarella before the meatballs.
- Cottage cheese and spinach: spread cottage cheese mixed with an egg and Italian seasoning over the bread, add a layer of fresh baby spinach, then the meatballs.
- Biscuit version: use cut-up refrigerated biscuits in place of the bread, stirred right in with the meatballs and sauce.
- More cheese: use an Italian or pizza cheese blend on top, with a sprinkle of Parmesan.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. They keep 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Leftovers can be frozen for 3 to 4 months, but creamy cheese layers can change texture after thawing, and the bread will soften. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat covered in the oven or microwave until it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
A green salad with Italian dressing is all you need; sprinkle a little Parmesan and parsley on top of each serving. For more easy Italian-style dinners, try the dump and bake meatball casserole with pasta, ricotta meatballs or slow cooker Mississippi meatballs. Make your own sauce with homemade spaghetti sauce, and for more cheesy bread, see cheesy Texas toast and Philly cheesesteak garlic bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep meatball sub casserole from being soggy?
Toast the bread first, use thick slices, and spread the cheese layer over the bread before the saucy meatballs go on. For the crispiest bread, add toasted garlic bread around the edge at the end.
What’s the easiest meatball sub casserole recipe?
This one: frozen meatballs, a jar of marinara, Texas toast, a melted cream cheese and ricotta layer, and mozzarella, baked for about 30 minutes.
What kind of sauce goes on meatball subs?
Marinara or your favorite pasta sauce. One 24-ounce jar is enough here.
Which cheese should I use?
Mozzarella melts well on top. An Italian or pizza cheese blend, or a little Parmesan, also works.
Final Notes
Keep a bag of meatballs in the freezer and this is an easy weeknight dinner. If you try the garlic bread version, tell me in the comments which way you liked better.
Meatball Sub Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen Italian-style meatballs one 2-pound bag
- 24 ounces marinara sauce 1 jar
- 8 slices Texas toast baked first, following the package instructions
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- kosher salt and black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
- Bake the Texas toast according to the package instructions. Remove it and set it aside.
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with the toast slices. Break up slices as needed to make a single layer across the bottom of the dish.
- Put the cream cheese and ricotta in a small pot over low heat. Stir until melted, then stir in the Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the melted cheese over the toast layer.
- Stir the meatballs into the marinara sauce, then spoon them over the cheese layer.
- Top with the mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer. If the top browns too fast, loosely cover it with foil. If the center is below 165°F, keep baking until it reaches 165°F.
- Let the casserole cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve.
