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My spaghetti and meatball casserole combines a creamy semi-homemade sauce with al dente noodles and is topped with melty cheese for a baked version of a family favorite. This pasta casserole is a tasty and simple way to stretch a pound of ground beef.
When testing this spaghetti and meatball casserole, I started with 2 cups of mozzarella and found it too cheesy – words no one would ever expect to hear from me!!! My oldest son thought it was perfect, and he is lactose-intolerant, so there’s that.
I tested it again with 1.5 cups and then again with 1 cup, and I think 1 cup is the sweet spot, but as always, when it comes to cheese, follow your heart.
Store-bought marinara is a quick go-to for this recipe, but sometimes I rely on my stash of freezer spaghetti sauce to level up this casserole.
While I give oven-baking instructions for the meatballs, if you want to cut some of the overall time down, use the cooking instructions in our air fryer meatballs recipe.
Sarah’s Cheat Codes
- The first time I made this, I boiled the spaghetti until it was “done”. It made the texture of the casserole too mushy. I strongly recommend only cooking the noodles to al dente.
- Since I hate food waste, after I put the marinara in the pan, I add a bit of the half-and-half to the jar, put the lid on, and shake it (like a Polaroid picture). Then I add it all to the pot. This gets you every last bit of marinara out of the jar and into your delicious baked spaghetti casserole.
Cheesy Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs {plain, Italian, or panko}
- 2.5 tbsp whole milk
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic {finely minced}
- 1/4 cup onion {finely minced or grated}
- 1/2 tsp salt {optional}
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp dried parsley {or 1 tbsp fresh, chopped}
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup Parmesan {finely grated}
Casserole
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 12 oz spaghetti noodles
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced white onion
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 28 oz marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a medium bowl. Stir to fully combine and let sit for 3-5 minutes.1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 2.5 tbsp whole milk
- Add the remaining ingredients to the breadcrumb mixture, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.1 lb ground beef, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup onion, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp dried parsley, 1 egg, 1/3 cup Parmesan
- Form mixture into 18, 1-inch meatballs.
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature is 165˚F.(Final cooking time will depend on the size of your meatballs)
Make and Assemble the Casserole
- Once the meatballs have finish cooking, reduce the oven temp to 350˚F.
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil.1 tsp kosher salt
- Add the spaghetti and cook for 6-8 min – you don't want to fully cook it. Drain, except for 1/4 cup of pasta water, and set aside.12 oz spaghetti noodles
- In a deep oven-proof skillet, melt the butter, add the olive oil, and saute the onion and garlic until softened.1 tbsp salted butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup diced white onion, 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- Stir in the marinara sauce and slowly whisk in the half-and-half. Let the mixture cook down for 2-3 minutes.28 oz marinara sauce, 3/4 cup half-and-half
- Add the cooked/drained spaghetti and stir to coat the noodles with the sauce.
- Top with the cooked meatballs. Cover the skillet tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, carefully stir the mixture.1 cup mozzarella cheese, 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
- Top with mozzarella and Parmesan and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and lightly browned. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
