Meatball Casserole

I do not know what it is about meatballs, but I love them. Whether it is an appetizer, in a soup or on a plate of spaghetti, I really enjoy them. And once I started baking them in the oven, I now know they will turn out perfect ever time.

I have never had them in a casserole until now and I love it. Pasta, sauce, meatballs and cheese all in a casserole, yup, my family loved it. Plus this casserole does not take too long to put together and bake. In just over a half an hour you will have a delicious casserole on the table for dinner.

Meatball Casserole

Ingredients:

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup milk

Assembly

• 16 ounces campanelle pasta
• 24 ounces marinara sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. In a large pot cook pasta according to package directions until al dente and drain.
2. Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
3. While pasta is cooking, add all of the meatball ingredients into a large bowl. Mix the ingredients with your hands just until everything is incorporated.
4. Form the meatballs into a 1 inch ball and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until meatballs are completely cooked.
5. Reduce oven to 350º F.
6. In a large bowl combine the cooked pasta, cooked meatballs and marinara sauce. Stir gently to combine.
7. Spread half of the pasta mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top. Top with remaining pasta mixture and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is warmed through.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:
The original recipe gives instructions for freezing this casserole. I have not tried it so I do not know how well it tastes after being frozen and baked. However, here are the instructions: "To freeze this dish, stop just short of baking the casserole, cover tightly with foil, and freeze until ready to bake. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly."

Serves: 6
Calories: 581
Total Fat: 14.1g
   Saturated: 4.3g
   Polyunsaturated: 0.5g
   Monounsaturated: 2g
   Trans: 0.1g
Cholesterol: 98.4mg
Sodium: 470.1mg
Potassium: 359.8mg
Total Carbs: 79.8g
   Dietary Fiber: 4.8g
   Sugars: 6.7g
Protein: 32.4g
Vitamin A: 16.5%
Vitamin C: 19.9%
Calcium: 22.9%
Iron: 24.5%
*The nutritional information will vary slightly depending on the brands you use.
*Adapted from Buns in my Oven.