Do you need a meal with easy cleanup? This One Pan Meatball Casserole is the perfect comfort food and great for leftovers!

Pasta is a huge family favorite in my house. I don’t think my family would complain if I served pasta every day!

It’s cheap and easy to make, and you can add so much variety to pasta.

As a busy mom, I love meals that don’t take up a lot of time. AND meals that have easy clean-up.

This One Pan Meatball Casserole is all of that and more! Made with simple ingredients and just a few minutes of prep, you just mix everything together in a baking dish and dinner is ready in about an hour. Perfect for busy weeknights and this was a big hit!

Scroll to the bottom of the post to get to the printable recipe card. Or keep reading for extra tips and tricks!

Ingredients

This recipe uses common ingredients that I (mostly) keep on hand at all times!

Pasta (I used penne pasta but other different pasta shapes are fine)

Marinara sauce

Milk

Water

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Oregano

Salt

Frozen meatballs (Chicken meatballs or turkey meatballs would be a good choice too)

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Other additions

Adding any of these will add extra flavor!

Homemade tomato sauce instead of jarred from the grocery store

Parmesan cheese

Fresh basil

Red pepper flakes

Italian seasoning

Canned mushrooms

Tips for a perfect dish

• Definitely use uncooked pasta! Cooked pasta will not absorb all of that liquid and will also become super mushy after baking.
• For best results, make sure all of the pasta is covered in liquid. This will prevent little bits of dried pasta!
• Spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray. The first time I made this, some of the casserole got stuck to the pan.

Can I use homemade meatballs in this?

I like to use store-bought meatballs just because it’s easier. If you choose to make your own meatballs, I recommend cooking them first before using them in this casserole. I don’t know how adding raw meatballs will affect the cooking time.

My favorite meatball recipe is also freezer friendly!

How to make

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pour dried pasta into the bottom of a greased 9×13 casserole dish and pour the pasta sauce over top.

Add water, milk, and spices, and stir to combine. Make sure the pasta is completely covered by the liquid.

Place the meatballs on top in an even layer and cover with aluminum foil. Bake meatball casserole for 40 minutes.

Remove the foil and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the meatballs, then bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until the cheese is fully melted.

Divide and serve with your favorite side items.

How to store

Once this has cooled to room temperature, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Use up within 3-5 days.

This is the perfect meal for leftovers because it makes so much!

What to serve with this

My favorite side item for casseroles is a side salad! I’ve been making up a large bowl of salad ingredients for us to eat from throughout the week, and having that handy is super helpful.

That and some garlic bread would make this the ultimate comfort meal.

Meatball recipe ideas

Are you looking for new recipes that the whole family will enjoy? Check out my master post on meatball recipes with easy prep and quick cooking time!

Print the recipe now for this easy One-Pan Meatball Casserole: