Meatball Sub casserole Recipe

Growing up it was always a special treat when my Mom would cook up a batch of Meatballs.  It didn't matter if they were for Spaghetti and Meatballs or Meatball Subs..I just loved them.  I would always serve myself a meatball or two extra because they were so delicious.  Now that I'm an adult I still serve myself an extra Meatball or two just for principle.  Or because they are amazing and delicious.  I saw a recipe for a Meatball sub casserole and knew I had to give it a whirl.  I used about 4 day old bread to try and avoid super soggy bread.  My family really liked this dish and I would recommend it.  However the bread (even extra stale bread) does get a bit soggy so if you aren't into that this may not be your cup of tea.  But I say try it and you may like it.

You will need Stale Bread, Shredded Cheese, Mayo, Low Fat Cream Cheese, Garlic, Diced Onion, Parmesan Cheese, Italian Seasoning, Salt & Pepper, Breadcrumbs, 1 Lb Ground Beef, and Spaghetti Sauce.

In a medium bowl add the Breadcrumbs (I used Panko), a bit of Salt & Pepper, and about a tsp of Italian Seasoning.

Add the Chopped Onion and Parmesan Cheese.

Add the Ground Beef and mix by hand until everything is nicely incorporated.

Put a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet and Roll your Meat mixture into 1 inch balls and bake.

The original recipe said to not spray the pan but I just couldn't help myself.  Visions of the mess scared me into spraying.  After all was said and done this step probably could be skipped.

Chop up your stale bread into little chunks.  I used a stale loaf of Roasted Garlic bread and it was very tasty.

Arrange the bread in a single layer in the baking dish.

In a medium bowl combine the Cream Cheese, Mayo, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, and 1/4 tsp Pepper.

Mix together to combine well.

Place dollops of the mayo mixture on top of the bread.

Spread it out to cover the bread.

Sprinkle a the cheese over the top.

I ended up with exactly 20 meatballs which was the perfect amount for the dish.  I arranged them in happy little rows.

We are talking some seriously happy little Meatball rows.  Yum!

Cover with Spaghetti Sauce.

I struggled with this step.  The reviews I read of the recipe made me scared to add water.  But I didn't want it to be too dry either.  So I added about 1/4 cup of water into the Spaghetti Sauce jar and swooshed it around and then poured it over the top. 

At this point I added the minced garlic..but I would suggest adding it to the spaghetti sauce prior to pouring it into the pan.  But this worked just fine. 

Sprinkle a bit more Cheese on top.

Bake 350 Degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Meatball Sub Casserole Recipe
Source:  Taste of Home

1/4 C Bread crumbs
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 TBSP Parmesan Cheese
1 Lb Ground Beef
1 loaf Italian Bread, cut into 1 inch slices
1 8 oz package low fat Cream Cheese
1/2 C Mayonnaise
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 C Shredded Cheese
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
1/4 C Water
2 Garlic Cloves, minced

In a medium bowl combine the Bread Crumbs, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, a bit of Salt & Pepper, Onions, and Parmesan Cheese.  Add the Ground Beef and mix by hand to fully incorporate everything.  Shape the meat mixture into 1 inch balls and place on a cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, arrange the cubed bread in a single layer in a 9x13 in baking dish.

Combine the Cream Cheese, Mayonnaise, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, and Pepper.  Spread the mixture over the bread and sprinkle with 1/2 C of the Shredded Cheese.

Arrange the Meatballs over the top of the cheese in rows of 4.  In a bowl combine the Spaghetti Sauce, Garlic, and Water (you can swish the water around in the spaghetti jar if you want to get all the saucey goodness out).  Then pour the sauce over the meatballs.  Sprinkle with the remaining Shredded Cheese and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Approximately 8 Servings

507 Calories
44 Carbs
25 Fat
27 Protein