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Meatball Sandwich Casserole

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Meatball Sandwich Casserole! All the delicious part of a meatball sub, but casserole style to feed a crowd, definitely a party-pleaser recipe.

Generally speaking, we make huge batches of meatballs a couple of times per year and then vacuum seal them in bags of 12-24 meatballs. They come in handy for throwing together meatball casseroles, like this one, adding to pasta dishes or skewering them on shish kebab sticks with veggies and grilling for a quick weeknight meal.

hot baked meatball casserole topped with melted cheese surrounded by crispy garlic bread b101

Meatball Sandwich Casserole

You’ll Need:
1 recipe frozen meatballs or 1 (2-3lb Bag of Frozen Meatballs)
Spaghetti sauce, 1 Jar
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Italian blend cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 loaf of fresh Italian bread, sliced

Garlic Butter
1/2 stick butter, room temp
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Mix the garlic, Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and butter together and spread them on the bread slices on 1 side only.

Arrange the bread standing up in the on the edges of a 9×13 baking dish.

garlic bread slices lining edges of baking pan b101

In a saucepan heat the meatballs and sauce until warmed throughout, then pour the meatballs/sauce in the middle of the bread slices.

meatballs and sauce in baking dish surrounding by garlic bread b101

The bread should be standing up so it’ll get crispy. Add a layer of cheeses, more meatballs, then remaining cheese.

meatball casserole ready for the oven b101

Place in oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes at 375°F or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven, serve and enjoy!

FAQ about Meatball Sandwich Casserole

Can this recipe be doubled?
Absolutely, this recipe can be doubled or tripled, however, you’ll need to increase the baking pan size or use multiple pans.

Does the bread get soggy
No, the bread gets nice and crispy, so long as it’s standing up and not smothered in sauce.

How do you eat it?
Valid question! This is a casserole dish, generally speaking we grab slices, dip and scoop, then munch. The meatballs stay on the bread pretty easy. Otherwise, you could always grab small plate and a fork.

How do you serve this as an appetizer
If you’re going to serve this dish as an appetizer, prepare the garlic bread slices by cutting and seasoning them, then cut them in half lengthwise and stand them up, doubling your servings. Put cocktail toothpicks out. The guest can then stab 2-3 meatballs, grab a slice with a bit of sauce and enjoy!

Meatball Sandwich Casserole – Print

meatball casserole ready to dig serve b101
cropped b101 header logo

Meatball Sandwich Casserole

Budget101.com by Melissa 'Liss' Burnell
This recipe is a delicious twist on the classic sandwich and will be perfect for lunch, dinner or as a quickie appetizer for gatherings with friends. Ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian-American
Servings 12 serves 4 for main course, or 12 appetizers
Calories 599 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs frozen meatballs (homemade or 2-3lb Bag of Frozen Meatballs)
  • 1 jar Spaghetti sauce (26 ounces)
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
  • 1 cup Italian blend cheese (shredded)
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
  • 1 loaf fresh Italian bread (cut into slices)
Garlic Butter

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F

Prepare the Garlic Butter

  • Mix the garlic, Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese and butter together and spread them on the bread slices on 1 side only.
  • Arrange the bread standing up in the on the edges of a 9×13 baking dish
  • In a saucepan heat the meatballs and sauce until warmed throughout, then pour the meatballs/sauce in the middle of the baking dish. The bread should be standing up so it’ll get crispy.
  • Add a layer of cheeses, more meatballs, then the remaining cheese.
  • Place in oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes at 375°F or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Notes

Hints:

You can use homemade meatballs or store-bought frozen meatballs, whatever your time and preference allows. 
If you want to make smaller appetizers, cut the bread slices lengthwise and it will double the servings to 24. At parties we leave out cocktail toothpicks for serving. 
Recipe Size Alteration Note

If you altered the ingedients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cooking/baking time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 599kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 29gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 644mgPotassium: 611mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 352IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 142mgIron: 3mgNet Carbs: 22g
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5 thoughts on “Meatball Sandwich Casserole”

  1. It is a crowd pleaser or if just leftovers for the family…even better the second time around when the flavors have had time to meld;-D

    Reply
  2. Everyone loved it at my party, and it was so afordable, i am on tight budget, i had hamburg so made my own meatballs. Thank you for the recipe. I love your website!!!

    Reply

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